20 Best Illustrator tutorials 2024

• December 16th, 2024
• Tutorials

While written Illustrator tutorials may be becoming less prevalent in the digital era, they remain an essential resource for those aiming to master the latest design techniques in Illustrator. These tutorials offer an excellent learning experience, enabling users to learn at their own pace and easily refer back to specific steps or concepts. In this post, we’ve compiled a selection of the best Illustrator tutorials released in 2024.

These tutorials encompass a broad range of design techniques, from intricate text effects that can dramatically enhance your designs, to advanced effects that push creative boundaries. This collection has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking to improve your skills in creating lifelike textures, mastering complex layering techniques, or exploring the newest features in recent Illustrator updates, you’ll find comprehensive guidance in these tutorials.

We’ve deliberately included tutorials suitable for beginners just starting their Illustrator journey, as well as more experienced users looking to hone their skills or explore innovative techniques.

1. Design a Retro VHS Cover Inspired Poster

We’ll use Illustrator to construct the design with text and shape elements, then we’ll quickly send the final artwork over to Photoshop to give it an aged appearance with texture overlays.

2. Create retro groovy type

Choose a retro font and add stacked effects in the Appearance panel. Distort the type for a unique throwback look.

3. How to create a holographic sticker text effect

Let’s make a holographic sticker in Illustrator! Follow the steps in this detailed tutorial to see exactly how it’s done.

4. How to Make a Live 3D Stroke Text Effect in Illustrator

Creating a 3D text effect can add a striking and dynamic look to your designs, making them stand out in any visual project. Whether you’re working on a logo, a poster, or any branding material, this effect adds depth and movement to otherwise flat text.

5. Explore different ways to select artwork

To make creating and editing much easier, try fresh ways to select objects like using the Lasso tool and much more.

6. How to Draw a Tropical Turtle in Illustrator

Want to learn how to draw a turtle using basic shapes? This cute turtle drawing is an easy way to learn the basics and beyond!

7. How to Easily Deform Text in Illustrator

Transforming text into eye-catching designs in Illustrator is easier than you think and can be done in just a few simple steps. With Illustrator’s updates, creating text effects has become more accessible and faster than ever, offering plenty of built-in options.

8. Design a Modern Gradient Logo Using Adobe Illustrator’s Shape Builder Tool

Follow along with this Adobe Illustrator tutorial to create a colourful gradient logo design. I’ll show you how Illustrator’s shape builder tool makes it easy to construct the basic vector logo design, then we’ll apply a vibrant colour scheme using gradients.

9. How to Make a Striped Ribbon in Illustrator

Ribbons and stripes are a good combination to create eye-catching elements for your designs to be used as backgrounds, figures, or even as small touches in a composition. Usually, they are used as flat and straight elements, but you can make them more organic by adding dimension if you make them follow a particular path. 

10. How to Use the Shape Builder Tool in Illustrator

This quick Shape Builder tutorial will teach you what the Shape Builder Tool is in Illustrator, where it is, and how to use it!

11. Make a complex, seamless pattern in Adobe Illustrator

Learn how to create a pattern swatch using Illustrator, then apply the technique to your own work using colors, shapes and patterns inspired by Memphis design.

12. How to Create the Sonic the Hedgehog Logo in Illustrator

Learn how to make the famous Sonic the Hedgehog logo from scratch with minimal font adjustments and a few simple appearances. This Sonic text effect is easy to achieve, and you can apply this style to create other bold logos in your projects.

13. How to create an inflatable text effect using Illustrator

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating an inflatable text effect in Adobe Illustrator. This effect is not only visually appealing but can also be used in various design projects. Let’s get started!

14. How to Make an Ink Stamp Effect in Illustrator

Giving any kind of graphic an Ink Stamp appearance is a straightforward task in Photoshop. However, if you intend to enlarge your artwork, it’s essential to have it in a vector format to preserve its quality. In Illustrator, making an Ink Stamp effect can be easily accomplished in less than five minutes by using the correct tools. Today, I will show you how to mimic this effect and convert your stamp into a vector format so you can resize it freely and adjust the color to your preferences once the effect is applied.

15. Take a creative break with these simple exercises by Kelly Knaga for Adobe Illustrator.

Play and explore with three colorful activities made in the artist’s joyful style. 

16. How to Make a Grid in Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create a grid in Illustrator using the Rectangular Grid Tool or the Polar Grid Tool.

17. How to Make an Editable Halftone Text Effect in Illustrator

Halftone could be one of the most used effects in graphic design, adding depth, dimension, and a touch of vintage feel to any project. When creating eye-catching text effects, halftone patterns offer a unique aesthetic that can take your designs to the next level. So today, I will show you how you can make an editable halftone text effect in Illustrator using only the default tools and that is not only visually striking but also easily customizable to suit your design.

18. How to Make a Vintage Circus Sign in Illustrator

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to create a vintage circus sign and how to make circus text in Illustrator.

19. Easily Make a Laurel Wreath in Illustrator

Learn how to make the famous Sonic the Hedgehog logo from scratch with minimal font adjustments and a few simple appearances. This Sonic text effect is easy to achieve, and you can apply this style to create other bold logos in your projects.

20. How to Create a William Morris Pattern in Illustrator

In this tutorial, It will show you how to create a beautiful William Morris-inspired pattern, from sketch to finish. We’ll begin with a simple sunflower pattern sketch and continue with a more modern, stylized design. We’ll mostly be using Illustrator, with a quick dip into Procreate.