8 Best Adobe Illustrator CC Courses for Beginners to Take in 2022
No matter what graphic designer project you’re working on, Adobe Illustrator will be your go-to choice when it comes to bringing your vector graphics to life. Not only that, Adobe Illustrator is a robust application with a wide range of features and tools for designers and artists, from drawing freehand with digital brushes and pens, to advanced color options and typography.
So, if you are looking for a course or tutorial to hone your Adobe Illustrator skills or learn it from scratch, I’ve created this list with the best Adobe Illustrator CC online courses for beginners and ranked them using a well-defined methodology after 6 hours of searching through 500+ Adobe Illustrator courses on Class Central. Also, If you are on a budget, 2 courses are completely free!
What is Adobe Illustrator?
Adobe Illustrator is the leading graphic design software with amazing capabilities to create everything from web icons to print designs like product packaging, t-shirts, book illustrations and billboards. Adobe released the first version of Illustrator in 1987, and the application has changed considerably ever since.
It can be used by designers and artists to create logos, branded content, icons and website graphics, digital artwork, and even wireframes for web design. Illustrator works seamlessly with most drawing tablets and digital drawing tools, and can be easily integrated into your workflow.
You can try Adobe Illustrator for a 7 day free trial or buy it as a standalone app for a monthly subscription of about $20, or all Adobe apps for about $55 (20+ Creative Cloud apps, including XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects). Adobe also offers a 50% discount for students and teachers. And if you are interested in learning Photoshop, check out our guide on the best Adobe Photoshop CC courses for beginners.
Best Courses Guides Methodology
I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology used in previous Best Courses Guides (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:
Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 70K+ online courses and 170K reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 500+ Adobe Illustrator courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, selling price, release date, ratings and enrollments.
Course Ranking Statistics
Here are some aggregate stats about the ranking:
2 courses are Free and 6 are Paid.
6 courses are in English, and 2 in Spanish with English subtitles.
Together, they account for 285,987 enrollments and over 7 million YouTube views.
The most featured providers are Domestika and YouTube, with 2 courses each.
My #1 pick for the best Adobe Illustrator course is for Adobe Illustrator for Beginners with Daniel Walter Scott, Adobe certified instructor at Envato Tuts+.
This free tutorial will help you master the basics of Illustrator through practical real-world projects. You don’t need any previous knowledge with the software, design, or illustration skills. By the end of this course, you will be able to draw in Illustrator, make a pattern, and much more.
Bro this course is actually unreal, I love how it’s not just a strict tutorial teaching you everything, Daniel feels like an actual human being trying to have some fun while teaching and it makes the environment so much more relaxed and so much more fun to learn the program. – The Machine, learner
What You’ll Learn
Some topics covered in this course: Setting Up Our Document, Drawing With Shapes and Lines, Grouping and Arranging, Drawing With the Shape Builder Tool, Exercise: Draw a Custom Logo, Use the Curvature Tool, Pen Tool, Pencil Tool, Brushes, Working With Color, Gradient Tool, Type and Fonts, Liquifying and Distorting, Bending and Warping Shapes and Text, Make a Pattern, Vectorize an Image, and Exporting for Print and Web.
How You’ll Learn
In this tutorial is divided into 20 parts, you will learn by following along with the instructor using the provided downloadable resources and trying each technique by yourself, so it’s recommended you already have Adobe Illustrator CC installed in your computer to make the best of it.
Institution Envato Tuts+ Provider YouTube Instructor(s) Daniel Walter Scott Level Beginner Workload 3-4 hours Enrollments 6.7 million views Rating 152k thumbs up Certificate Not available
Fun Facts
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My #2 pick is for Introducción a Adobe Illustrator with Aarón Martínez, designer and illustrator.
This series of courses in Spanish (with English subtitles) will teach how to bring your vector projects to life with professional expertise, either for print or digital formats. Learn and master Adobe Illustrator and create optimum vector graphics without any prior knowledge.
This course has been one of the most thorough and easy to learn Adobe Illustrator. The instructor was clear and concise and had a great passion for teaching Illustrator. Looking forward to taking his other courses! – jeffreywalzer, learner
What You’ll Learn
Start by getting familiar with the interface, see how to create a document from scratch, and then produce your first vector lines to create basic shapes.
Then enter the world of geometry using the Pathfinder tool to transform figures and create new ones with total freedom.
Master key tools such as Pencil, Brush, and Pen for working with ease in Illustrator. Once you understand how they work, see the different ways to digitize an image with vectors.
Learn all about color use in this software as Aarón explains the difference between the CMYK and RGB color modes and their basic characteristics. Create a Pantone® color palette, discover tools such as the Paint Bucket, and achieve unique results with Pathfinder, linear and radial gradients, Blending modes, and Effects.
See how to work on and modify a text to any shape. Start by creating a linear text and then a text inside a box before working them both in and around figures.
Learn how to edit typography as well as define kerning, tracking, weight, and line spacing. Next, explore how to arrange text in a paragraph, as well as align it, justify it, and more.
Discover how to customize your workspace by configuring a specific profile to your needs and hear some advanced tips from Aarón to improve your workflow to suit a particular project.
Finally, take a look at the most commonly used printing formats and ideal digital formats for social networks, as well as learn how to export a PDF file for printing and compress it to prevent the document from being altered or losing quality.
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 5 courses and 77 lessons. You will learn by watching the instructions provided and using the 31 provided files. Each course ends with an activity to put into practice what you’ve learned. Upon completion you will receive a certificate of completion.
Provider Domestika Instructor(s) Aarón Martínez Level Beginner Workload 10 hours Enrollments 153,078 Rating 98% (4.5k reviews) Certificate Available
Fun Facts
Aarón Martínes is a designer and illustrator graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de México. He has worked for brands all over the world, such as Apple, Coca Cola, Autodesk, Miroculus, Volkswagen, etc.
Aarón has 2 other best-sellers: Ilustración vectorial para principiantes and Adobe Illustrator avanzado para ilustración.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My #3 pick is for Illustrator 2020 One-on-One: Fundamentals with Deke McClelland, award-winning author, educator, and graphic designer.
This course will guide you through the fundamentals of Adobe Illustrator, teaching you how to draw with the Pencil, Curvature, and Pen tools; and how to organize color with swatches. You will also learn how to draw shapes, adjusting strokes, formatting text with variable fonts, painting freeform artwork with or without a tablet, and more.
This comprehensive, project-based course for real beginners is the first in a series of three courses: Illustrator CC 2019 One-on-One: Advanced and Illustrator CC 2019 One-on-One: Mastery. If you are already familiar with Illustrator, those might be better options for you.
Deke McClelland’s expertise and energy are so far above other offerings, you can’t help but enjoy the course and feel excited for your next project. A very seasoned teacher! – Michael Frankowski, learner
What You’ll Learn
This course starts with an overview of the interface along with basic functionalities to handle documents. Then, we move on to artboards with page sizes and angles, artboard tools, creating and selection, and navigation.
From module 4 and forward, you will start utilizing the drawing tools and typography: lines, shapes, color, strokes, type, Shape Builder tool, Sharper tool, Pencil, Brushes, Curvature, Pen, and much more.
By the end of this course you will be able to work with documents and artboards, navigate artwork by zooming and panning, draw lines and shapes, mix color and save swatches, Apply strokes, dashes and arrows, create and format type, build custom path outlines, Use the Pencil and Blob Brush tools, Paint and erase freeform strokes, Combine illustrator with a drawing tablet, draw with round corners, and design screen and mobile device graphics.
How You’ll Learn
In this course divided into 15 modules and over 200 videos, you will learn by following along with the instructor and using the provided course materials. Upon completion of all videos and activities you will receive a certificate to upload to your profile.
Provider LinkedIn Learning Instructor(s) Deke McClelland Level Beginner Workload 19 hours Enrollments 24,493 Rating 4.7 (228 ratings) Certificate Available
Fun Facts
Deke is the author of more than 50 video courses on creative imaging, graphics, 3D, and design. Deke has written over 80 books translated into 24 languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. These have included The Photoshop Bible, Real World Illustrator, several For Dummies books, and his own One-on-One series.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My fourth pick is for Adobe Illustrator CC: The Complete Guide with Jason Hoppe, expert and Adobe certified instructor.
This course will teach you how to utilize drawing tools, editing skills and effects to create sophisticated logos, icons, charts, and complex graphics. This course is for Adobe Illustrator newbies, self-taught users and intermediate users looking for an update for the latest Illustrator features (course based on the 2019 version), so no prior knowledge is required.
What a resource! This course is concise, informative, easy to follow, and Jason does a great job of keeping at a pace that doesn’t drag, but is also not so fast that can’t design along with him. I’ve been a photoshop user for years and had been nervous about the jump to illustrator, but this course made the transition easy and clear. Thank you! – BJ, learner
What You’ll Learn
Utilize the drawing tools, editing skills and effects you need to turn simple shapes into sophisticated logos, icons, charts, and complex graphics.
Develop the eye and confidence in using your imagination to create logos, icons and drawings you’ll be proud to share with clients
Format, edit and apply styles to text with ease
Thoughtfully use Illustrator to streamline your workflow and add flair to branding, documents, and websites
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 20 comprehensive lessons. You will learn by watching the instructions provided and using the 4 provided files. Upon completion you will receive a certificate of completion.
Provider CreativeLive Instructor(s) Jason Hoppe Level Beginner/Intermediate Workload 13-14 hours Enrollments 14.6K Rating 100% (15 ratings) Certificate Available
Fun Facts
Jason Hoppe is an Adobe Certified Expert and Adobe Certified Instructor, Jason Hoppe has accrued more than 17 years’ experience in high-end production training, photo retouching, color correction, and creative workflow management.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My fifth pick is for Learn Adobe Illustrator: Fundamentals for Beginners with Anne Bracker, graphic designer.
If you are in a hurry, this concise introductory course will help you get started with Adobe Illustrator. By the end of this course, you’ll have the essential tools and techniques to create any type of graphic.
Illustrator is still a minefield for me, I’ve been using Photoshop more but I need to understand Ai as well and Anne has provided such an informative and exciting Illustrator class. I really love how she concentrates on getting her students to persevere with shortcuts and provides such a detailed list to follow. Her class is easily one of the best for Ai for Beginners to learn, I keep referring to it as I am learning. – Victoria Hannah, learner
What You’ll Learn
In this class you will learn how to customize your workspace and speed up your workflow with shortcuts, then you’ll dive into the three core elements of illustrator: shapes, paths and type.
By the end of the class, you’ll have the essential tools and techniques needed to create any type of graphic. Key topics include:
Building objects with simple shapes
Applying colors and creating swatches
Drawing curves with the Pen Tool
Making designs with custom type
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 15 bite-sized lectures. You can learn by following along with the instructor using the course files. By the end of the course, you will be invited to work on a project using the skills taught in class. You can share your project and receive feedback from your peers and the instructor.
Provider Skillshare Instructor(s) Anne Bracker Level Beginner Workload 1-2 hours Enrollments 12,720 (204 shared projects) Rating 99% positive (410 reviews) Certificate Not available
Fun Facts
Anne Bracker is a graphic designer with a passion for design and training. Her goal is to help those who want to get started with a career in graphic design, so along with teaching on Skillshare, she also has a Youtube channel with graphic design tips and tutorials.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My sixth pick is for Illustrator Beginner Tutorial from Learnit Training with Dave.
In this free course you will learn the fundamentals of Adobe Illustrator in a practical and straightforward way. This is a course for beginners or intermediate students looking for an update into the latest features of Adobe Illustrator.
Your tutorials are so easy to follow, I learnt a lot of new things ! thank you so much for your effort, really appreciate this <3 – CHaÏMA RaÏs, learner
What You’ll Learn
This project based course will start from the basics, understanding the tools, panels, and illustrator workspace, how to create a new document. Then, we move on to how to use selection tools including direct select tools.
We’ll also cover vector illustration using shapes, the pen and pencil tool, applying brush, strokes, and saving swatches and gradients. We’ll do a deep dive into type, photography and show you all the tips, shortcuts, and tricks to make you more proficient and more creative using Illustrator.
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 36 parts and it is designed to be an interactive hands-on course. So, make sure you download the provided files to follow along: Exercise Files, Exercise Files #2, and Manuals. This will ensure you make the best out of it.
Institution Learnit Training Provider YouTube Instructor(s) Dave Casuto Level Beginner Workload 3-4 hours Enrollments 260,581 views Rating 2.2k thumbs up Certificate Not Available
Fun Facts
Learnit Training YouTube channel has 327k subscribers and over 33 million views. They provide free and paid online courses on a wide range of software and subjects.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My seventh pick is for Adobe Illustrator CC: Essential Illustrator CC Training with Louay Zambarakji, visual effects and motion graphics designer.
If you want to dive in and start creating stunning graphic designs while learning the essential tools and techniques in Illustrator, this is the course for you. By the end of this course, you will have more than 30 self-designed artwork to add to your professional portfolio. This course is for aspiring graphic designers, creatives, motion graphic designers, and anyone who wants to start in Graphic Design using Adobe Illustrator.
This course is succinct and without unnecessary explanation. I have completed several assignments within this course and I am enjoying this. Now I can create artworks which I thought were very tough for me. I think this is the best beginner friendly Adobe Illustrator course. – Pankaj Singh C., learner
What You’ll Learn
Learn all about Shapes, Drawing tools, Typography & Fonts, Colors, Patterns, Abstract Repeats, Vectorizing images, Recoloring and more.
How to construct graphics with Shapes and how to cut, trim and merge multiple shapes.
How to Create realistic mockups for your branding projects.
How to design logos and how top companies create their Logos.
The concepts of icons design and start your Icons Library.
All about text layout & fonts from the Creative Fonts Library.
You will design your own brochures and flyers and create realistic mockups
You will design stickers and badges and create cups and mugs mockups.
You will learn how to modify, create and design patterns and create shirts, sweaters and pillows mockups.
How to export your projects for professional print, web, and how to package for sharing.
How to find free templates for brochures, flyers, business cards and more.
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 16 modules and 71 bite-sized lectures. You can learn by following along with the instructor using the course files. By the end of each module, you will be invited to work on a project, in total there are 30 class projects to work on your own.
Provider Udemy Instructor(s) Louay Zambarakji Level Beginner/intermediate Workload 10 hours Enrollments 27,313 Rating 4.8 (655 ratings) Certificate Available
Fun Facts
Louay Zambarakji has over 372k students on Udemy.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
My eighth pick is for Adobe Illustrator para diseño gráfico with Valeria Dubin, graphic designer and art director.
This series of courses in Spanish (with English subtitles) will teach you how to use Illustrator to develop any graphic design project from scratch. In this six-course Domestika Basics, graphic designer and art director Valeria Dubin teaches you how to use the software from scratch to create graphic projects from start to finish.
Her way of teaching is very calm and soothing, I love it! Also, as a person who already knew how to use Illustrator, I’m surprised I learned so many other new tips from her. I definitely am gaining a new solid foundation on how to design with Illustrator with her. Thank you, Valeria! – hyejun, learner
What You’ll Learn
We will start with the basic elements of the Illustrator interface and how to adjust them to your needs. Learn the difference between a pixel and a vector, how to create a document, and get to know the general workspace including key components like the properties panel and the toolbar.
After a tour of the text tools, you will learn to create and edit vectors. Design a brand’s logo from a specific typeface and convert it into an editable vector. Then, do a small illustration of a symbol with basic lines and, once it is ready, join both elements with the path and shape modifying tools before giving your design an identity using the Symbols panel.
Move on to design an advertising poster. Learn to work with photographs and see how to convert them into vectors and create special paints, gradients, and strokes for a stunning poster. Now it’s time to edit bodies of text, organize your piece using layers, and prepare the final artwork.
To wrap up, explore all the possibilities that Illustrator has to offer for storing and exporting projects. See the different settings and options for creating PDF files and learn how to configure the print settings of your files.
How You’ll Learn
This course is divided into 6 courses and 35 lessons. You will learn by watching the instructions provided and using the 15 provided files. Each course ends with an activity to put into practice what you’ve learned. Upon completion you will receive a certificate of completion.
Provider Domestika Instructor(s) Valeria Dubin Level Beginner/Intermediate Workload 7-8 hours Enrollments 53,783 Rating 99% (1.3k reviews) Certificate Available
Fun Facts
Valeria Dubin is from São Paulo, graduated from Mackenzie University. She is a professional graphic designer and art director with extensive experience working with brands like Barceló Hoteles, La Xunta de Galicia, and the CCCB as well as on projects such as Pixar: 25 Years of Animation at the Caixa Forum in Barcelona, Spain.
If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.
Adobe Illustrator for Beginners
Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator in this beginner's course. Start by mastering the Illustrator basics, and then learn to create effects, patterns, and more.
This free Adobe Illustrator tutorial is aimed at helping beginners learn how to use Adobe Illustrator easily and quickly. So you don’t need any previous knowledge of the software, and you don’t need design or illustration skills. We’ll start right at the beginning and work our way through each topic step by step.
If you’ve never opened Illustrator before—or maybe you’ve opened it and struggled—this course is for you! By the end, you'll know how to draw in Adobe Illustrator, how to make a pattern in Illustrator, and so much more.
If you want to get inspired by what you can create in Illustrator, check out some of the beautiful vector illustrations and patterns on Envato Elements.
Essential techniques for beginners
Draw simple shapes that you can keep refining with no loss in quality. Use control points and widgets to help you resize, rotate, and transform a shape’s appearance in a visual, yet precise way.
Smart Guides (magenta lines) pop up as you draw to indicate perfect squares and circles and to show alignment — helpful when manipulating, stacking, and positioning shapes in your design.
