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Illustrator Fast-Track

Name: Illustrator Fast-Track
Rating: 4.6 (136 reviews)

Get proficient in Illustrator in the shortest time possible! New Workflow-based learning experience!

Created byMartin Perhiniak

Last updated 6/2024

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Master The Most Effective Workflows in Illustrator: Learn to use Illustrator at its best and skyrocket your progress.
Develop Practical Skills: Gain practical Illustrator skills through fun, project-based learning that grows in complexity.
Enhance Creativity: Boost your creative vision and design intuition through complex illustration flows.
Build a Professional Portfolio: Don’t just learn; showcase! Use each project to enrich your portfolio with diverse, exciting works.
Gain Versatility in Illustration: Explore various in-demand illustration styles and workflows.

Course content

12 sections • 101 lectures • 14h 18m total length

About the course3:48
What can you create in Illustrator?2:38
Master vector art with Adobe Illustrator to create logos and illustrations. Apply these illustrations to magazines, packaging, fashion, animation, and web use, and gain inspiration from Behance and Dribbble.
Which Illustrator should you use?2:10
Explore Adobe Illustrator across desktop, iPad, and web beta, using cloud documents that sync changes automatically for seamless cross-platform work. Prefer desktop for refining complex illustrations.
How to complete the projects?2:44
Create vector artwork with Adobe Illustrator by following guided sketches and exercise files, develop skills to complete whole series, and showcase unique projects in your portfolio.
Which project should you start with?1:54
Choose your starting project freely in Illustrator fast-track, explore multiple workflows, tackle easier and more complex tasks, and consult the Getting Started chapter for essential techniques and tools.

File formats5:48
Explore Adobe Illustrator's interface and navigation, learn how to manage cloud documents, customize workspaces, and save or export vector and raster formats including ai, eps, pdf, svg, and png.
Navigation and preferences6:40
Pan with the spacebar using the hand tool, and zoom with plus, z, or minus. Fit the artboard with zero, rotate with the rotate view tool, and explore contextual taskbar.
Working with vector objects8:06
Appearance of objects8:23
Learn to manage vector appearances in Illustrator with the appearance panel, including strokes, fills, and live effects like zigzag. Apply graphic styles and use expand appearance for precise, reusable designs.
Drawing tools9:57
Learn to use pen, pencil, curvature, brush, blob brush, and eraser tools in Illustrator to create precise paths, brushes, and clipping masks.

Collecting references and inspiration7:33
Generative AI experiments9:25
Use generative AI as rapid prototyping and inspiration for illustration, extracting usable details and refining with tools. Avoid final artworks from AI outputs and address copyright concerns in training data.
Combining generated images7:09
Sketching8:42
Choosing colour palettes3:23
Setting up Illustrator documents10:04
Prepare Illustrator documents for tracing by setting RGB or CMYK, embedding the sketch, creating a template layer with multiply blending, and importing swatches and brushes.

About this project0:48
Join me and create a stunning vector illustration inspired by nautical themes and various styles including impressionism, line art and ukiyo-e.
I always loved nautical illustrations and the theme of exploration and travelling by sea. A lighthouse on a cliff is such a romantic composition. For this project we will combine a variety of styles including impressionism, line art and the Japanese ukiyo-e.
By completing this project, you can learn an interesting and simple technique to simplify lighting in your illustrations. Instead of complex shading and gradients, we will use only highlights to define the direction of light and the shape of rocks in our illustration.
We will also utilise Symbols and the Symbol Tools to add some textural detail to the final composition.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open lighthouse_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open lighthouse_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Drawing the cliff's outline6:19
Use the pencil tool for organic shapes and the pen tool for geometric forms, adjust fidelity, and apply clipping mask with draw inside for a clean composition.
Adding highlights on rocks9:26
Adding smaller rock details and water11:04
Extend and refine rock lines, align shapes, and draw inside to keep details grouped; sculpt water with the warp tool and turquoise fill behind rocks, then smooth and group.
Rocks in the foreground8:06
Practice creating foreground rocks and water with the pencil tool, fills, and strokes, then assemble elements into clipping masks for a cohesive illustrated scene.
Drawing the waves9:54
Learn to craft water waves in Illustrator by drawing cream highlights inside layered shapes, refining with the pencil and eraser, adjusting stacking order, and saving a waves graphic style.
Adding clouds and birds9:25
Create thin line art clouds and birds in Illustrator using the pen tool with two-point strokes, dark purple color, and round joins, and implement a global clipping mask.
Drawing the lighthouse9:53
Drawing the lightkeeper's house6:10
Create the lightkeeper's house in Illustrator using shapes, stroke settings, and the live paint bucket; align and group elements, place behind hills, then add lighthouse lights for a cohesive scene.
Creating Art Brushes for the plants11:15
Learn to create plant art brushes in Illustrator by prototyping paths, turning them into art brushes, and applying varied, scalable leaf shapes for natural vegetation.
Adding more plant details10:24
Discover how to add plant details in illustrator using brushes, expand appearance, and pathfinder unite to create a single shape, then adjust fills and placements.
Adding texture with Symbol Tools5:21
Learn to add texture to vector illustrations in Illustrator by using symbol tools, the sprayer and shifter to place and adjust white spot textures on rocks and water.

About this project1:19
Join me and create an enchanting fairy tale vector illustration inspired by linocut art!
I wanted to make an illustration for this course that could be used for the cover of a book. I decided to go with a fairy tale and I chose Little Red Riding Hood.
My aim was to utilise negative space and the figure-ground principle. These are both terms I cover in great detail in my Graphic Design Theory series if you are interested to learn more about them, but in a nutshell using these methods can help you to make your illustrations more compelling and intriguing. I ended up using the head of the wolf as a background framing device and align its nose with the hood of the little girl. This is the figure-ground detail, which can be seen as two different things, depending on how you are looking at it.
I wanted the style of illustration to be reminiscent of woodcut or linocut art and also to have a Japanese aesthetic. This is why for instance I decided to write the title in vertical format.
To establish the wintery environment I used a special texture brush, which you will learn how to use if you follow along this workflow.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open book_cover_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open book_cover_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Little Red Riding Hood's cape and hood8:59
Draw the Little Red Riding Hood cape with the pen tool, convert it to a clipping mask, and shade with a noise brush, then refine the hood and nose.
Little Red Riding Hood's legs8:44
Wolf head silhouette and shading7:49
Adding details on the wolf head11:51
Apply opacity masks to the wolf head silhouette, add texture with brushes, and refine edges with roughen for a natural outline. Enhance shading and eye detail using recolor artwork.
Drawing the forest11:39
Adding the title and final touches11:48
Add the title and final touches to the wolf head in Illustrator using symmetry, pencil drawing, graphic styles, and outlines.

About this project0:58
Join me and create a fun and dynamic vector illustration featuring a cool cartoonish character!
For this project I wanted to create an illustration that focuses on the exaggerated and dynamic pose of a character. I decided to go for a skateboarding scene and feature a girl with long hair, which always helps to describe motion, speed of movement and gravity.
I wanted the character to feel off balance but still in control. This type of contradicting setup can create tension and interest in your illustration. To make things even more unusual, I tried to create a pose where it is hard to tell the direction of the movement. You can see the girl zooming past to the right riding her skateboard, but you can also see her falling off the board towards the left. I love it when there is a level of uncertainty to an illustration, it helps to make the viewer work a bit harder trying to understand what is going on.
We will use a minimal shading at the end of this workflow using a texture brush.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open skater_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open skater_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Outline for the hair and T-shirt10:01
Master illustrator techniques by building hair and t-shirt shapes with the blob brush, then refine curves with anchor points, direct selection, smoothing, and the pen tool.
Additional details for the upper body9:36
Learn to detail upper body shapes using pen and curvature tools, anchors, color swatches, and layer management to create a layered t shirt design.
Remaining shapes for the entire body and skateboard12:59
Use the pen tool and curvature tool in Illustrator to draw arms, hands, and legs, apply skin tones, and construct a skateboard with layered shapes and wheels.
Sunglasses and facial features10:24
Adding smaller details11:38
Explore Illustrator fast-track: draw inside shapes with the blob brush, adjust colors and edges using simplify and smooth, and add trainer details, shading, and a layered background.
Adding lines on the legs8:45
Copy three custom brushes into the document, apply tints for colorization, and use the brush tool to draw lines on a lines layer, refining with smooth, simplify, and rotate view.
Adding lines on the upper body and hair6:24
Draw lines on the upper body and hair with the brush tool, vary direction, adjust thickness, and add shading to create stitching, detailing, and depth.
Adding shading with texture brushes8:54
Learn shading with texture brushes on a separate shading layer to add depth and form, using clipping masks, draw inside, and brush techniques.
More shading and final touches11:04
Add subtle shading and final touches using a shading layer, shape builder, and draw inside with brushes; refine with clipping masks and color for depth.

About this project0:37
Join me and create a cute and colourful vector illustration for a kids book!
For this project I decided to draw a dinosaur made up of aboriginal patterns and decorations. I wanted the creature to be highly stylised, featuring geometric shapes and perhaps even the forms of a didgeridoo, just to further emphasise the Australian theme.
I decided not to introduce any texture to this illustration and I also kept shading to a minimal level as I wanted the patterns to describe the forms and shapes instead.
I imagined this illustration to be part of a kids book and if you like this style maybe you can create a whole series of dinosaurs based on my artwork.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open dinosaur_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open dinosaur_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Hind leg outline15:24
Build the hind leg outline in illustrator by crafting three shapes with the ellipse and square tools, then refine with curvature and pen tools before joining with shape builder.
Other legs and body outlines11:05
Create legs and a morphing body outline in Illustrator by constructing geometric shapes, refining with anchor points and the curvature tool, layering strokes, fills, and alignment for a coherent silhouette.
Head and horns outlines14:15
Create head and horn outlines in Illustrator for the triceratops using the pen tool, anchor points, and the shape builder to combine ellipses into cohesive angular silhouettes.
Refinements and details for legs13:20
Details for hind leg11:19
In Illustrator, build the hind left leg for a triceratops using clipping masks, ellipses and shapes, then duplicate, reflect, rotate, color with fills and strokes, and group.
Details for the tail and back13:26
Details for the belly10:35
Use the pen tool to create belly spikes and refine details, align and group shapes behind the body, and apply dashed strokes with graphic styles for orange dots.
Details for the head10:59
Use the pen tool to craft the head, mouth, and eye shapes, apply fills and strokes, and refine with draw inside mode, clipping masks, and rounded caps.
Creating a Pattern Brush12:23
Learn to create and apply a pattern brush in Illustrator, using teardrop shapes along curves, with draw behind mode, clipping groups, and stroke refinements to add detail.
Details for the horns5:07
Learn to shade horns in Illustrator using the pen tool, fill color adjustments, and multiply blend mode to create natural shading, color transitions, and layered details.
Final refinements and fixes10:28

About this project1:55
Join me and create expressive, stylised vector portrait illustrations!
This time we will be creating colourful, slightly abstract portraits using a variety of simple geometric and organic, floral shapes. This style can be applied to all kinds of illustrations and it allows us to experiment with unusual, funky colour themes. I want these illustrations to be dynamic, vibrant and playful. I also want to add some interesting textures to contrast the clean and sharp vector outlines.
I am using pop art, surrealism, cubism as my initial influences, but also bringing modern illustrators work into the mix. One of my favourite contemporary artists is Totoi Semerena from Mexico. He has an incredible eye for composition and colour harmonies. I love his energetic and creative illustrations and murals and I wanted to pay homage to him with this project.
I recorded two different portrait illustration workflows for this project. Although the style similar, I ended up using a couple of different techniques for each of them. I also decided to demonstrate the actual speed of how I use Adobe Illustrator, without pausing to explain why I do everything. While the portrait of the man was recorded at the usual slower pace, pausing for every instruction, I recorded the girl's portrait without interruptions and instructions. I had my music playing and I was in the zone, just cracking on with the illustration. I added a voice over afterwards and the captions for keyboard shortcuts. I recommend starting with the man's portrait first and after watching that hopefully you won't find the girl's portrait recording difficult to follow.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open girl_start.ai or guy_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open girl_start.ai or guy_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Portrait of a man - Illustrator on the iPad - Basics7:20
Practice illustrator on the iPad by starting a cloud document from the desktop. Use blob brush and pen tool, with smoothing and merge strokes for an organic portrait.
Portrait of a man - Illustrator on the iPad - Additional techniques7:04
Outline shapes on iPad, delete inner paths with direct selection, and simplify paths; learn clipping masks, stacking order, and cloud document auto-save between iPad and desktop.
Portrait of a man - Main shapes for the head11:07
Explore an abstract portrait technique in Illustrator, using the pencil tool on a stylus to build a loose head, neck, hair, and beard.
Portrait of a man - Smaller details for the head10:46
Explore shading techniques for a portrait in illustrator, using clipping masks, draw inside, and pencil tool to create yellow, teal, and red details on a head, hair, beard, and sunglasses.
Portrait of a man - Background and floral details8:58
Portrait of a man - Adding texture with Brush strokes9:26
Develop faster illustration by simplifying paths to reduce anchor points, using blob brush, pencil, eraser, and smooth tools to refine edges, and applying textural brushes for depth.
Portrait of a man - Adding texture to the edges8:48
Add texture to portrait edges in Illustrator by applying pattern brushes to strokes, balancing thickness, and using path offset and clipping strategies for richer detail.
Portrait of a woman - Main shapes9:53
Learn to create a portrait by outlining a woman's silhouette with the pencil tool, then refine with shape builder, blob brush, and pen tool, adding shading and eye details.
Portrait of a woman - Smaller shapes10:06
Practice building a stylized portrait by sketching facial forms with shapes, then refine with blob brush, pen tool, eraser, and shape builder, adding yellow highlights and layered shading.
Portrait of a woman - Details and textures9:30
Refine a portrait by adding abstract highlights, shading, and textures, integrating leaves on the left, and using pen tool, shape builder, eraser, and art brushes to create depth and cohesion.

About this project0:44
Join me and create edgy vector illustrations inspired by socialist propaganda posters and street art!
This is a really fun project demonstrating a lot of useful and cool techniques, like halftone effects, distress textures, using the Warp Tool for sculpting objects and so much more.
My main inspiration for this artwork were the socialist propaganda posters, but I also wanted to make it slightly cartoonish and humorous. When coming up with ideas for illustrations I like to pair two or three completely unrelated things together. In this case it was the aesthetic of propaganda posters, space travel and a grizzly bear. Combining things together to create unusual results can help to make your illustration stand out and be more memorable.
From this process, amongst many other things, you will also be able learn how to design your own custom typeface and how to distort it without losing legibility.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open bearonaut_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open bearonaut_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Main shapes of the bear's head12:25
Illustrator fast-track guides you through building the bear head with a three-color palette, using ellipse shapes, blob brush painting, roughen texture, and pathfinder techniques to create a clean compound path.
Refining the bear's head13:40
Refine the bear's head by smoothing and simplifying the path, then sculpt vector details with warp and distort tools, and add texture using blob brush, eraser, and pencil tools.
Main shapes for the bear's body12:22
Learn to build the bear’s body in Illustrator using the pen tool for large shapes, apply a yellow fill with a 40-point inside stroke, and place the helmet behind.
Adding details9:05
Creating the text with custom letters13:35
Create a completely custom monoline type in Illustrator by drawing letters with the pen tool, adjusting corners, stroke, and kerning, and using guides, clipping masks, and grouping for precise alignment.
Distorting the text8:42
Learn to distort text in Illustrator by outlining text, uniting shapes with Pathfinder, applying perspective distortions, and adding a subtle roughen effect for expressive typography.
Adding distress and halftone effects7:32
Group all illustration elements, apply a distress texture via an opacity mask, then add color halftone on the text with a gradient and tune document raster effect settings.

About this project0:40
Join me and create calming and inviting stylised vector travel illustrations!
One of the biggest artistic influence for this project is Levente Szabo's work. He is a talented Hungarian artist who I greatly admire. I used a similarly surrealistic colour palette to some of his artwork.
I wanted to capture a serene, inviting scenery and decided to go for a tropical beach. To make the illustration more relatable I needed a person in it and I chose a surfer studying the waves.
To add some visual interest I also introduced some textures by using the Grain effect in Illustrator and at the end of my workflow I demonstrate how to use it in various ways.
There are three ways you can complete this class project:
For those just starting out: Open surf_start.ai and use the same sketch as a starting point that was used in the video lessons.
For those with some experience: Open surf_start.ai and choose one of the alternative sketches included. Apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons to your chosen sketch.
For experienced illustrators: Prepare your own unique sketch, import it into Adobe Illustrator and apply the same workflow presented in the video lessons.
Whichever option you choose: feel free to alter some details, experiment with different color combinations and add your own unique touches to your version.
Drawing the surfer's body9:33
Draw the surfer's body and surfboard with the pen tool to form clean curves, then use draw inside, Alt key refinements, and clipping mask for non-destructive layering.
Adding gradients and shading10:18
Drawing the head and hair details13:39
Drawing the hand6:01
Refine the hand by reshaping digits, applying shading with draw inside, and adjusting highlights; group the hand and surfer elements for a cohesive final illustration.
Beach, waves and clouds9:32
Apply a global clipping mask to keep artwork within the artboard, build sand, waves, and clouds with shapes and curves, and layer details to create depth in Illustrator.
Drawing the plants8:56
Learn to draw plant shapes in Illustrator using layers, the shape builder tool, and masking to carve leaves, add details, and refine lines for polished palm leaves and floral details.
Creating texture with the Grain Effect12:07
Apply a grain texture with the grain effect and a black and white gradient mask on a duplicate shape to reveal texture on the waves then vectorize with image trace.
Using the Grain Effect on the surfer8:08
Apply grain to vector shapes in Illustrator by using clipping masks, gradient strokes, and the grain effect, then expand, image trace, and save the noise preset.
Using the Grain Effect for masking8:28

Requirements

No prior experience in Adobe Illustrator, or drawing is needed to take on this course.
Students of all experience level can greatly benefit learning these workflows.
Adobe Illustrator
Desktop/Laptop computer or iPad

Description

Are you ready to boost your Illustrator skills in no time?

Whether you’re starting from zero or looking to level up your work speed, my new Illustrator Fast-Track course on Udemy is designed to make you proficient with the latest, most efficient, AI-enhanced workflows in Adobe Illustrator.

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for both:

absolute beginners who don’t want to get lost trying to memorize hundreds of features, but rather get to the fun stuff right away.
as well as seasoned creative professionals who want to brush up on their skills and stay ahead in the fast-evolving digital landscape.

In short, if you want to work faster in Adobe Illustrator and be more creative at the same time - this is the course you have been looking for.

Illustrator Fast-Track is a project-based course with a unique workflow-focused learning approach.

You can start with any of the illustration projects and quickly improve your skills, boost your confidence and build a comprehensive and professional illustration portfolio.

What will you learn?

Forget about dragging through disconnected tutorials that just add more confusion rather than building applicable skills and confidence fast.

You will:

Master the latest and most effective Illustrator workflows to enhance your speed and quality of work.
Develop hands-on skills with projects that grow in complexity, designed to mirror real-world challenges.
Produce unique, creative pieces that you can proudly feature in your creative portfolio.

Key Benefits of this course:

Efficiency and Speed: Learn to navigate Adobe Illustrator at a professional pace, cutting down project time significantly.
Creative Freedom: This project-based approach encourages experimentation and personal expression, so you learn to illustrate in a way that is uniquely yours.
Portfolio Ready Projects: Every assignment you complete is an opportunity to add a stellar piece to your portfolio, helping you stand out in the job market or freelance world.
Flexible Learning Structure: Pick and choose the modules that interest you most or complete them in any order. You control your learning journey.

Illustration projects you will work on:

Enchanting fairy tale illustration inspired by linocut art
Stunning nautical illustration inspired by impressionism, line art and ukiyo-e
Fun and dynamic vector illustration featuring a cool cartoonish character
Cute and colourful vector illustration for a kids book
Expressive, stylised vector portrait illustrations
Edgy vector illustration inspired by socialist propaganda posters and street art
Inviting and calming vector travel illustration
Whimsical vector character illustration

As you follow along with these fun projects, your portfolio grows, your confidence increases and you become a more proficient, creative, and versatile illustrator.

Whether you're looking to break into the field of illustration, refresh your existing skills, or simply unleash your artistic vision, this course is going to get you there faster.

Enrol in my new Illustrator Fast-Track course today and start using the latest, most effective AI-enhanced workflows in Adobe Illustrator!

Who this course is for:

This course is perfect for aspiring design students who are eager to dive into the world of Illustrator without getting bogged down by overly technical tutorials. If you want to gain practical skills in the shortest time possible - skills that are directly applicable to real-world projects, this is the course for you.
Creative professionals looking to enhance their skill set will also find tremendous value in this course.
If you're a graphic designer, illustrator, or work in any creative job that needs proficiency in image editing, retouching or digital art, these projects and help you stay current with the most effective workflows in Illustrator.
It's perfect for anyone wanting to work faster in Illustrator and be more creative at the same time.

Illustrator Fast-Track

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction5 lectures • 13min

Getting Started5 lectures • 39min

Illustration Workflow6 lectures • 46min

Project 1 - Lighthouse12 lectures • 1hr 38min

Project 2 - Little Red7 lectures • 1hr 2min

Project 3 - Skater girl10 lectures • 1hr 31min

Project 4 - Dinosaur12 lectures • 2hr 9min

Project 5 - Abstract portrait11 lectures • 1hr 35min

Project 6 - Bear in space8 lectures • 1hr 18min

Project 7 - Surf and chill10 lectures • 1hr 27min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: