60 Best illustrator tutorials from 2014

• December 9th, 2014
• Featured

1. BAM! Your Own 3D Vector Text In Under Two Hours

3D vector text can be a daunting undertaking when not using a program like Maya or SketchUp. Using a simple bevel and extrude effect, gradients, and offset paths you’ll find creating chrome, dimensional 3D vector text is an easy job.

2. Create a Propeller Pinwheel Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a colorful propeller pinwheel illustration in Adobe Illustrator.

3. Create Yummy Donut Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial, It will walk you through the process of making a yummy donut text in Illustrator.

4. Beginner Illustrator Tutorial: Cute Baby Style Artwork

A beginner’s Illustrator tutorial, showing how stylish illustrations can be created using basic shapes and patterns. Follow this step by step Illustrator tutorial to create a series of simple vector illustrations, each one employing slightly more advanced techniques to eventually form a complete mobile of objects.

5. How to Create a Fresh Cooked Lobster on a Plate

You will learn how to create a freshly cooked lobster on a plate using adobe illustrator. We’ll start with the base, using the basic tools (Pen, Direct Selection, Rectangle Tool) and vector shape building techniques (Offset Path, Scale, Reflect), along with some complex gradients to create the starting shapes. Then using the Appearance, Transparency Palettes and some effects (Grain, Diffuse Glow, Gaussian Blur, Roughen), we’ll add the details, shadings and highlights.

6. How to Make a Neon Calavera Girl Vector Portrait in Adobe Illustrator

Celebrate Día de los Muertos in style with this vibrant, neon calavera girl portrait created in Adobe Illustrator. Manipulate basic shapes, render areas of design with linear and radial gradients, create custom brushes, and use the Blob Brush Tool (Shift-B) to draw fine details within your design. We’ll draw assorted flowers and really use that dark background to make this design POP from the page

6. How to Create a Delicious Breakfast with Egg and Sausages in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a delicious breakfast with egg and sausages from scratch using several techniques in Adobe Illustrator.

7. Bright Light Bulb Vector: Lights On in Under an Hour

Turn on the light with this icon and illustrative light bulb vector. In the tutorial below you’ll create the light bulb vector from simple shapes, manipulate gradients, gradient meshes, and blending modes all in pursuit of a semi-realistic light bulb vector design.

8. Create a Creepy, Slime Vector Text Effect!

Get ready for Halloween in a spooky, goopy style with this slime vector text effect! Through offset paths, gradients, and various effects, we’ll whip up some mucky lettering.

9. Sweet Strawberry Text Effect! Perfect Summer Font

Sweeten up your text art with this strawberry text effect tutorial. Learn how to use custom brushes and the appearance panel to your advantage when customizing typography.

10. Reel with Needle

In this tutorial, we will explain how to illustrate a reel with thread and needle step by step. You can do this illustration using any color of thread. Also, you can put some needles on the ground too. In this tutorial you will learn several cool techniques to create this simple illustration.

11. Create an Abstract Rose Illustration

In this tutorial I will highlight a few tricks that are used when drawing with Adobe Illustrator.

12. How to Make a Cute Pig Face Icon With Simple Gradient Mesh in Adobe Illustrator

How to create an awesome pig illustration using illustrator.

13. How to make objects look 3D in Illustrator

It’s so easy to draw 3D objects in Adobe Illustrator by extruding and shading basic shapes, as Thomas Burden explains.

14. How To Create Geometric Stripy Line Art in Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is the perfect tool for creating abstract art with basic shapes and lines. In today’s tutorial I’ll show you how to create this geometric stripy line effect with a custom Art Brush. It’s an effect that looks fantastic yet it’s pretty easy to make, plus it’s a technique that can also be used to create cool logos and typography.

15. Tips for Guilloche Pattern Vectors in Under an Hour!

Guilloche pattern vectors are commonly used to protect the securities and banknotes from counterfeiting. Usually, to generate a guilloche pattern vector, designers use special expensive software. You might not have known that Adobe Illustrator helps to create guilloche pattern vectors, using only native features.

16. How to Create a Water Pistol Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a detailed water pistol illustration in Adobe Illustrator.

17. Create Detailed Spa Stones and Flowers in Adobe Illustrator

Are you seeking inspiration and inner peace? Do you want to relax and enjoy your day? This tutorial is right for you! Feel calm and relaxed as you draw a minimalistic spa scene with basic shapes in Adobe Illustrator, and learn some easy yet spectacular tricks to create a semi-realistic look.

18. How to Create a Computer Mouse in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial you will learn to create a Computer Mouse by using some basic tools, the Pathfinder palette, vector shape building techniques, gradients, duplicated shapes and more.

19. Easy Bokeh Vector Effects in 15 minutes or Less

In the following tutorial you will learn to create a Computer Mouse by using some basic tools, the Pathfinder palette, vector shape building techniques, gradients, duplicated shapes and more.

20. How Sweet! Chocolate Text Vector Effect Tutorial

Create beautiful chocolate text vector effects ready for candy packaging or advertisements in no time flat!

21. Create a Detailed Cheese Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

n the following steps you will learn how to create a detailed cheese text effect and a cheese wedge illustration. For starters you will need a simple piece of text, the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect, and a simple Rounded Corners effect. You’ll learn how to easily name and organize your shapes, how to create compound paths, how to cleverly use blending, masking and vector shape building techniques, and how to take full advantage of the Appearance panel. Lastly, you will learn how create a simple blend and how to use the Live Corners feature.

22. Create a Geisha Girl in Illustrator

In this Illustrator tutorial I’d like to show you the possibilities of drawing the basic shape for creating a cute geisha girl.

23. Create a Geisha Girl in Illustrator

In this Illustrator tutorial I’d like to show you the possibilities of drawing the basic shape for creating a cute geisha girl.

24. Stay Golden With This Shiny Metallic Text Art Effect in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial, you will draw your own script font (or work off an existing one) and render it into a completed shiny, golden design. Create dimension in the design by doubling up on the text’s line art, set up thinly stroked paths on one side, and use golden gradients to create gilded lettering fit to print.

25. Illustrator Tutorial: Corn

In the following steps, you will learn how to create a nice corn illustration. You’ll see how powerful blending can really be! First, we’ll be creating base shapes using the basic tools. Fill them with gradients and create the blended objects. Finally, add the details using some cool effects and the Transparency Palette.

26. Put a Hex on Your Designs with this Hexagon Pattern Vector!

Create a folded paper style Rainbow Hexagon Pattern Vector with a single hexagon, a few line segments and a few triangles. Layering gradients really makes this hexagon pattern vector pop!

27. How to create a Christmas jumper pattern

I’ll be you the techniques to build them. Don’t worry if you’re not into real life knitting, this process uses Adobe Illustrator to compose your design and create a repeating pattern

28. Create a Baseball-Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

For all of you sports fans out there, this tutorial will teach you how to create a baseball-inspired text effect. You’ll start by preparing the text, then with the help of the Bas Relief effect and the Inner Glow effect you’ll easily add some dimension to it. Next, you’ll create a vector texture and a Pattern Brush with which you’ll add the characteristic baseball stitches. Next on the to-do list is the worn out and dirty look, for which you will use a built-in Art Brush. You’ll finish with the grass background and the additional tufts of grass around the letters.

29. Draw a Vector Pirate Cartoon Character in Illustrator

Character design might be one of the most fun things that you can do in Illustrator. In this tutorial, I decided to create a vector pirate cartoon character.

30. Creating lasercut metal art from vector patterns

Discover how Ben the Illustrator created this amazing artwork that’s lasercut in metal, based on vector pattern designs created in Adobe Illustrator.

31. Create a Delicious Ice Cream Bar in Adobe Illustrator

32. How to Create a Polygonal Vector Mosaic That Will Wow Any Crowd

33. Create Simple Flowers With Gradient Mesh in Adobe Illustrator

34. How to Create a Simple Clock Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

35. Create a Detailed, UFO Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

36. Create cartoon figures with ease

In this tutorial, Mercedes Crespo (aka YemaYema) shows how she creates her appealing cartoon characters. Though full of detail, rich in colour and complex in appearance, they are simple to draw, as she reveals here.

37. Create a Gorgeous Retro Badge in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial, Mercedes Crespo (aka YemaYema) shows how she creates her appealing cartoon characters. Though full of detail, rich in colour and complex in appearance, they are simple to draw, as she reveals here.

38. Create a Skating Girl With Basic Shapes in Adobe Illustrator

You don’t need to be a cool artist to vector characters. In Adobe Illustrator you can create them just with basic shapes.

39. Create a Simple Thermometer lllustration in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create a simple thermometer illustration in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to set up a simple grid, how to create the pixel perfect main shape and how to add subtle shading. Next using basic blending and vector shape building techniques and taking full advantage of the Appearance panel, you will learn how to create the thermometer tube. Finally, you will learn how to create a simple grid using two tiny paths and a bunch of Transform effects.

40. ABDZ Weave Pattern in Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create a simple thermometer illustration in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to set up a simple grid, how to create the pixel perfect main shape and how to add subtle shading. Next using basic blending and vector shape building techniques and taking full advantage of the Appearance panel, you will learn how to create the thermometer tube. Finally, you will learn how to create a simple grid using two tiny paths and a bunch of Transform effects.

41. Create a Green Web Badge Using Live Corners in Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a pretty simple, green web badge in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to use the Star Tool and how to create your own star shape. Next, using the Live Corners feature you will learn how to easily add roundness for some of those sharp points. Moving on you will learn how to add subtle shading and highlights using the Appearance panel, simple effects plus some basic blending and masking techniques. Finally, you will learn how to add a textured background and a simple piece of text.

42. How to Draw a Bookshelf Illustration Using 3D Modeling Techniques

In this tutorial, we’ll use basic shape design and 3D modeling in Adobe Illustrator to draw a cool cloud bookshelf illustration. Then, we’ll add interest to our design by applying textures and shading to our shelf.

43. Create an Alphabetti Spaghetti Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create an alphabetti spaghetti text effect in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to create a simple rectangle and a piece of text and how to easily place them in the center of your artboard. Next, using basic vector shape building techniques you will learn how to create the main compound paths. Moving on you will add subtle shading and highlights using the Appearance panel, basic blending techniques and a bunch of raster effects. Finally, using a radial gradient and a simple blending techniques you will learn how to increase the contrast for the overall illustration.

44. The secrets of cute character art revealed

Bubblefriends-creator Sascha Preuß teaches the art of designing colourful cartoon characters and reveals how to stay the right side of the line between cutely hip and childishly schmaltzy. Step by step, Sascha will take you through the development of a character from the first sketch to the final colouring.the principles of cuteness.

45. Create an Easy, Valentine’s Day Bunny in Adobe Illustrator

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a cute character, Valentine’s Bunny, in Adobe Illustrator. Using just the basic shapes you can create any cartoon animal you want. Also I will show you how to create a triangle and a heart shapes, which are not on the Tools panel.

46. How to Create a Gold Text Effect and Graphic Style in Illustrator

You’ll learn how to create a complex gold graphic style which includes a reflection, dropping shadows and highlights. These all can be created with the help of the most powerful tool available in Adobe Illustrator–the Appearance panel. You learn how to create this graphic style and then apply it to editable text objects. Have fun learning our new vector tutorial!

47. Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop tutorial: Create low-poly art portraits

You’ll see how to create this cool, grainy work with a low-poly (a polygon mesh of a small number of polygons) twist. First we’ll create some vector portraits, then get texturing in Photoshop with self-made brushes.

48. Create a Detailed Snake Pattern Brush in Adobe Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a detailed snake pattern brush in Adobe Illustrator.

49. How to Create a Mac Icon in Adobe Illustrator

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a simple Mac icon in Adobe Illustrator.

50. Create 3D Letters Without the Use of 3D Tools in Adobe Illustrator

Follow this new quick tip and learn how to create simple 3D letters without the use of the 3D effects. We will start from a simple font and after a few adjustments we are going to be ready to create the 3D look with the help of the Transform effect and a few shape manipulations. Once completed, you can color the 3D letters as you desire.

51. Creating a geometric star in Illustrator

Depending on the shape and outcome of the creation, these kind of objects can be ideal for a logo design, but in most cases they’re perfect if you are looking for a colorful background. My tutorial explains the creation of the object used in this background (see image above). Towards the end I also share some of my other experimentations to give you some ideas of what is possible. When creating these kind of objects, I hardly ever have the end result in my mind. They usually come to live after a lot of experimenting, trying out a lot of transparency effects, layers modes, rotation angles,… These creations can be very time consuming as they involve a lot of trial and error, but they’re usually worth the try as you might be surprised.

52. Typographic Logo in Illustrator and Photoshop

This tutorial I will show you how to use simple Illustrator tools to create a very trendy logo. The process is quite simple and can be applied to all sorts of logos and illustrations for your future projects.

53. Turn Drab Text Into an Amazing Design Using This Simple USB Vector Text Effect

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create a wire pattern brush and how to use it to create a nice USB vector text effect in Adobe Illustrator. For starters, you will learn how to set up a simple grid and how to create a bunch of pixel perfect shapes using basic tools and effects. Using basic blending and vector shape building techniques along with some simple Transform effects, you will learn how to create the usb connector. Finally, you will learn how to turn all these shapes into a simple pattern brush and how to create the text.

54. Use Pattern Brushes to Create a Shoe Lace Text Effect in Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a laces text effect in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to create the main lace shapes using a simple rectangle, three Transform effects and some basic vector shape building techniques. Using similar effects and techniques along with the Warp and Distort effects you will learn how to create the laces tips. Moving on, you will learn how to save two simple pattern and how to use them to create your own pattern brush. Finally, using that pattern brush, some basic masking techniques and several Drop Shadow effects you will create the text.

55. how to create abstract pattern

Today’s Illustrator and Photoshop design tutorial is based on a suggestion from one of my readers. Ella got in touch with some examples of cool geometric gradient designs that she had seen a lot lately and wondered how they were made. I always love receiving tutorial suggestions, so I’ve been busy playing around to figure out how to replicate this cool effect. Follow this step by step guide to create your own abstract gradient pattern art using a mix of Photoshop and Illustrator techniques.

56. Create a Chemistry Tubes Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

In the following steps you will learn how to create a chemistry tubes text effect in Adobe Illustrator. For starters you will learn how to setup a grid and how to create a simply piece of text. Using basic tools and effects along with the Snap to Grid feature you will learn how to create the main shape. Moving on you will learn how to add subtle shading and highlights using the Appearance panel, build-in patterns plus some basic blending and vector shape building techniques. Finally, you will learn how to create a nice, textured background.

57. Offset Path Effect

this tutorial I will show you how to create a simple wallpaper mixing vectors and photos. We will play with Offset Path, Live Corners and some other effects in Illustrator and Photoshop.

58. Add stylish ornaments to type

Whether you want to create a logo, a graphic for anything from video or animation to packaging, or a headline – this tutorial will show you the basics of adding ornament to type in conjunction with Illustrator techniques such as Live trace and the Pathfinder panel.

59. How to Create a Safety Pin Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

For starters you will learn how to create the main shapes using the grid and the Snap to Grid feature, simple circles and rectangles, Warp and Rounded Corners effects plus some basic vector shapes building techniques. Next, taking full advantage of the Appearance and the Pathfinder panel and using basic blending techniques you will learn how to add color, shading and highlights for your safety pin. Finally, you can learn how to easily recolor your entire work and how to add a bit of dynamism for the entire piece using a simple Transform effect.

60. Get started with type art

Type art is popular at the moment for all sorts of reasons – and it’s a highly versatile skill to have. You can use illustrated lettering in projects ranging from posters to brochures – making it a great technique to add to your creative toolset.