BEGINNER TUTORIALS

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

BEGINNER TUTORIALS

STEP #1: FOLLOW ALONG TO BEGINNER ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR TUTORIALS. This Beginner list of Adobe Illustrator Tutorials will focus on our Build Tools, Illustrator Brushes, Editing Tools and Basic Coloring Techniques. Each of our Tutorials and Challenges are in our Step by Step or Follow Along Format. You can Simply Click on the Thumbnails (below) to Start a Tutorial.

BUILDING TOOLS

STEP #2: PICK A TUTORIAL THAT LOOKS FUN. Our Tutorials will use the main building Tools which are the Pen, Pencil, and Shape Tools to start Building in Adobe Illustrator. Follow Along on the Website or YouTube to the Tutorials to Learn the Basic Build Tools, Editing Options, Applying Brushes, and Coloring using the Live Paint Bucket. You can select any thumbnail that looks like the Most Fun and Follow Along.

JASON TROUBLESHOOTING

STEP #3: TROUBLESHOOTING. Our Tutorials are in a Follow Along Format so we can do a lot of the Troubleshooting as you are going through the Tutorials. If you are Following Along on YouTube, you can ask a question in the Comments Section if you get Stuck. Some important steps will happen at the end of videos especially when we add on brushes, expand, edit, and move on to coloring. Try to Follow Along in Order.
BRUSHES + RESOURCES

1ST DAY WITH ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

If you are brand new to Adobe Illustrator and you are in that highly frustrated, awkward or cursing at your computer screen, this will be your playlist. The easiest way to approach Adobe Illustrator is to think of it like it as an extremely expensive tracing program. The main thing to take away as you following along off of our anchor point or tablet-friendly guides to give ourselves a path to trace. If I see a line, I am going to trace my line with the Pen, Pencil or Paint Brush Tools. If I see a Shape, I will plop down a shape (usually an ellipse) that aligns with the shape I see. Most people starting out will over-complicate this first step. If I handed you a marker and said "Trace your Drawing," your decision on a stroke or shape should be obvious.

BUILDING WITH SHAPES

If you know your own artwork will be mainly shape-based or geometric, start with the top of the list for using shapes as the primary building tools. The Monkey, Popsicle, and Taco with use Shapes, Align Tools, and Pathfinder.

USING THE PEN TOOL

The Pen Tool is extremely easy to use once you get past the awkward phase. Most of our Beginner Tutorials will use the Pen Tool. I recommend using the Anchor Point Guides when you are starting out. The Whale, Cat, and Puppy Tutorials will use Pen Tool, Brushes, Editing Options and Live Paint.

USING YOUR TABLET

Many of you are looking to use your Tablet in Adobe Illustrator. What I would be focusing on is how to lay down your paths and then apply your line variation as a second step. The Pug, Duck and Tag Kid would be a good place to start if you are looking to use your Tablet.
adobe illustrator tutorial using shapes monkey
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool whale
adobe illustrator tutorial using shapes popsicle
adobe illustrator tutorial using shapes taco
adobe illustrator tutorial using shapes cat
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool puppy
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool dog
adobe illustrator tutorial using shapes cupcake
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool teddy bear
adobe illustrator tutorial using pencil tool comic bear
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool snail
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool kid
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool girl
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool cat
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool bear
adobe illustrator tutorial using pencil tool dog
adobe illustrator tutorial using pencil tool elf
adobe illustrator tutorial using pen tool pig
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

TUTORIAL RESOURCES

BRUSHES + RESOURCES
Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
I really love your channel, thanx for your tutorial really helpful 🙂 Sara Abdalla • 1 year ago
First time dive into Illustrator. This was great, learned a ton! ThanksPhilippe Lachenal
Such a cool drawing ! My favorite in this series !!!! Espermaschine • 1 year ago
I appreciate your videos. I have been an illustrator user for years and have my own ways of doing things. It's great to see other ways of using tools and learning tricks I didn't know were available! It's also good to see you doing the same thing as me in other instances, confirming I'm on the right track!Andy Zenz
Awesome tutorial! I don't think I've picked up something so easily from someone who knows what they are doing. I managed to draw my first vector art and it was a joy! Great work keep it up!blitz145
Great job Jason, you make it look so easy. And it actually was. Thumbs up!Little Richard • 5 months ago
That was a fun tutorial. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for such a detailed, easy to follow tutorial! Daniel Huckabay • 1 year ago
Love your video thanks so much. you blow Lynda.com out of the water!!!!Steve Yensel
Brilliant video. So much great info packed in here. I'm just getting started drawing cartoons with my Wacom tablet, and this was a huge help. Thumbs up and thanks!Dorian Staten
Wow Thanks Jason...was really struggling with making images with basic shapes. Your tutorial is helping me out!!Kishor Rajani
thanks a lot you are really one of my favorites, I like the steps you give us, and I'm so thankful for that effort you do for helping us :)Wessam Lotfi
Keep up the good work Jason. I’ve been doing Lynda.com tutorials for a few months now and I got more out of your videos than what I’ve received at Lynda. Keep it up and Thank You!!bobby jacobs • 1 year ago
These tutorials are amazing. Just started using illustrator and really glad I found your channel. The only videos that explain everything step by stepAida Stan
You are definitely one of the best teachers I've found dealing with start to finish creative process. Great work!!!Jasen Fisher
Thank you loads! Compared to other tutorials, yours are just really well-explained and easy-to-follow. Can totally see that you've got a passion for what you're doing and that's just wonderful! 🙂 Keep it up, you're doing an amazing job. Yulia Kachurova
Thank you so much man, I loved the way you explain this, I spent days looking for a good tutorial vid, thanks a lot, gonna keep watching your videos!!!Karel Marccenaro
Top notch video as usual man. Cheers!Made by Mighty
I appreciate your videos. I have been an illustrator user for years and have my own ways of doing things. It's great to see other ways of using tools and learning tricks I didn't know were available! It's also good to see you doing the same thing as me in other instances, confirming I'm on the right track!Andy Zenz
Awesome tutorial! I don't think I've picked up something so easily from someone who knows what they are doing. I managed to draw my first vector art and it was a joy! Great work keep it up!blitz145
Love your video thanks so much. you blow Lynda.com out of the water!!!!Steve Yensel
Brilliant video. So much great info packed in here. I'm just getting started drawing cartoons with my Wacom tablet, and this was a huge help. Thumbs up and thanks!Dorian Staten
Wow Thanks Jason...was really struggling with making images with basic shapes. Your tutorial is helping me out!!Kishor Rajani
thanks a lot you are really one of my favorites, I like the steps you give us, and I'm so thankful for that effort you do for helping us :)Wessam Lotfi
Keep up the good work Jason. I’ve been doing Lynda.com tutorials for a few months now and I got more out of your videos than what I’ve received at Lynda. Keep it up and Thank You!!bobby jacobs • 1 year ago
These tutorials are amazing. Just started using illustrator and really glad I found your channel. The only videos that explain everything step by stepAida Stan
You are definitely one of the best teachers I've found dealing with start to finish creative process. Great work!!!Jasen Fisher
Thank you loads! Compared to other tutorials, yours are just really well-explained and easy-to-follow. Can totally see that you've got a passion for what you're doing and that's just wonderful! 🙂 Keep it up, you're doing an amazing job. Yulia Kachurova
Thank you so much man, I loved the way you explain this, I spent days looking for a good tutorial vid, thanks a lot, gonna keep watching your videos!!!Karel Marccenaro