Adobe Illustrator for Beginners: Tools, Techniques & Creative Projects

Develop essential skills in Adobe Illustrator, the industry-standard tool for vector-based design.

Whether you’re interested in designing marketing materials, illustrating your own characters, or just curious about digital art, this course will introduce you to the tools and techniques that make Illustrator such a powerful creative program. Across four weeks, you'll go from drawing basic lines and shapes to creating original artwork and textures using a full range of vector tools. Each lesson is grounded in hands-on work, helping you build real skills through practical exercises.

From building custom shapes to transforming text into artwork, you’ll explore how digital design can blend precision with imagination. With instructor demos, creative assignments, and a focus on experimentation, you’ll learn how to create symmetry, experiment with brushes and textures, and develop a visual style of your own.

By the end of the course, you’ll have completed a portfolio of small projects—from collages to custom menus to handmade brush sets—that show off your Illustrator skills and reflect your creative voice. Whether you’re a beginner or just brushing up, you’ll leave with a solid understanding of how to use Illustrator to express your ideas.

What you will learn:

✔ Identify and use essential Illustrator tools to draw, edit, and manipulate vector graphics
✔ Build and combine shapes using pathfinder tools and symmetrical design techniques
✔ Format and stylize text for both readability and creative expression
✔ Design and apply custom brushes and textures to enhance digital illustrations