Adobe Illustrator tutorials: 70 lessons to sharpen your skills

Adobe Illustrator tutorials for advanced users

57. Create a custom brush in Illustrator

Building a custom Illustrator brush is a great way to put a unique stamp on your work. While the software comes with watercolour-style brushes out of the box, this in-depth tutorial walks through how you can make your own. 

58. Create a multi-exposure image

In this tutorial, Ruslan Khasanov creates an illustration to express the concept of multilocalism. He explains how he went from vision to finished artwork using Photoshop, Illustrator, Dimension, Adobe Stock, and traditional paints.

59. Unlock secret symmetry mode in Illustator

Illustrator doesn't have a dedicated symmetry mode at the moment. In this video, Dansky shares a smart hack that enables you to create a similar effect using the Distort and Transform tool. Play around to create unexpected effects. 

60. Pose characters using the Puppet Warp tool

In this Illustrator tutorial, Ben O'Brien looks at how to get started with the Puppet Warp tool and how to use its various functions. He shows you how to rig characters in preparation for posing using the tool, how to use it to adjust graphic lines or objects, and how to use your skills to bring personality to a character.

61. Warp, pose, and sculpt your artwork easily

This advanced tutorial teaches you how to make smooth adjustments to parts of your vector drawings. The technique involves placing pins using the Puppet Warp tool, and then manipulating specific areas of your artwork accordingly.

62. A faster way to vectorise hand lettering

Discover a speedy way to digitise hand-lettering and logotypes using Adobe Illustrator’s Pen tool. This video tutorial explains how to save time by mastering anchor points and handles.

63. 3D dots and glowing fibre effects

Illustrator is not just for simple shapes. In this video, Nathaniel Dodson offers a step by step guide to creating an awesome glowing fibre effect using a pattern brush and custom blending.

64. Create a peeled text effect 

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a flat background and add some text to it. You’ll then use the Appearance panel to create a bold, peeled text effect. 

65. How to create colourful gradient orbs

This tutorial demonstrates how to use the Gradient Mesh tool to create a colourful circular orb, which can also be modified into an abstract shape with the Warp tool, ready for use in all kinds of branding or art projects.

66. How to create an editable bar chart

In this tutorial you’ll learn to create a fully editable chart in Illustrator using the Column Graph Tool. You’ll then use the Direct Selection Tool and the Graphic Styles panel to stylise the main components of your chart. 

67. Create a faceted gemstone graphic

Here you’ll learn to create the multi-faceted and polygonal logo design style that’s popular in the tech and digital industries. Step-by-step, Chris Spooner explains how to use a range of tools to produce such a design in vector format.

68. Create a custom drop cap

This step by step tutorial walks you through how to create a custom drop cap in Illustrator and then use it in an InDesign text layout.

69. Create a busy city scene

Discover how to bring some dynamics and atmosphere to a bustling street scene with this step-by-step guide by Ben O’Brien. You’ll be constructing architecture, adding figures, placing street furniture and experimenting with colour.

70. Prepare Illustrator graphics for After Effects

So many Adobe Illustrator files are passed over for animation that are clearly not ready for After Effects. Follow this checklist from Jeff Hurd to ensure your designs are ready for animation.

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