What is Illustrator? As part of Adobe Creative Cloud, Illustrator is the most popular vector graphics program available. Vector graphics are graphical images with lines and shapes positioned in space by a series of commands or mathematical statements. While creating images in a vector program like Illustrator, you can draw directly into the program or use various tools to create the image. An image's sequence will include each step throughout the image. Vector images allow for scalability animation and CAD designs. Vector images are also useful in app and web development as the image will not become distorted when viewing the page on various devices and screen sizes.
Illustrator is a user-friendly tool for new creative professionals. With the ability to make unique logos and various illustrations, creative professionals can help build brand identities that will not warp under various situations.
The 10 Best Online Illustrator Classes
- ONLC Training—Adobe Illustrator Course Skills Level 1 (Live Online)
- Noble Desktop—Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp (Live Online)
- New Horizons—Adobe Illustrator CC—Part 1 (Live Online)
- Lumenbrite—Illustrator Bootcamp (Live Online)
- Ledet Training—Illustrator 101 (Live Online)
- Future Media Concepts—Illustrator Fundamentals (Live Online)
- Certstaffix Training—Illustrator CC (Live Online)
- Noble Desktop—Illustrator in a Day (Live Online)
- Lumenbrite—Illustrator Training: Essential Skills 1 (Live Online)
- Udemy—Adobe Illustrator CC Essentials Training Course (On Demand)Â
#1: ONLC—Adobe Illustrator Course Skills Level 1 (Live Online)
Students enrolling in this Illustrator skills course will become familiar with the interface of Illustrator. Students will get to know various workspaces. They will explore different techniques for selecting and creating artwork. As part of the various projects for this course, students will use and familiarize themselves with the drawing tool as they create illustrations. Students will explore shapes, paths, colors, and type to create different graphics. While all courses at ONLC have live online options, ONLC offers hybrid courses at all their locations nationwide.
Key Information
The course lasts two days of six-hour classes. There are no part-time options available for this course.
Upon registering for the course, you will need to pay $795. ONLC does offer learning credits which give discounts on prepaid amounts. You can use your credits on any course for 12 months. This can be a smart choice if you plan on taking several courses.
This course is designed for beginners and only requires basic computer skills and file management knowledge to be successful in this course.Â
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ONLC may not offer many additional benefits to its courses. However, they offer a few additional benefits.
- Certificates are available for all live instructor-led courses upon completion, including online ones. These certificates can help spruce up any creative resume
- You also have the option to retake the course for free up to 12 months after originally completing the course
Several students seem hesitant about ONLC for their hybrid teaching for in-person training with remote instructors. However, it is important to note that they offer all their courses live online with the same instructors. Most students speak highly of the instructors at ONLC, stating they are "incredibly knowledgeable and articulate". When looking for any school to enroll in, you should assess the quality of the instructors as you want to learn the most for the price you are paying.Â
#2: Noble Desktop—Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp (Live Online)
Noble Desktop offers various courses that cover Illustrator. During this Illustrator bootcamp, students will cover the fundamentals of the vector program. Students will explore the creation of several types of graphics, including logos, icons, patterns, packaging, and typography. They will also spend time with the pen tool, the program's main tool, by utilizing the tracing templates until they become comfortable with it. While spending time with the pen tool, they will also learn shapes, brushes, and paint tools to create various graphics. Students will explore various real-world projects, including creating patterns, using graphic and fashion designs, and making graphics for packaging. Throughout the course, they will create numerous graphics that they can put in their portfolio to send to future employers. They will also learn to save files for web or print purposes.
Key Information
This course can be taken part-time or full-time; the 18-hour course can be taken over three days for seven hours daily. Or on Mondays and Wednesdays for three hours over six days. There are options to fit every schedule.
The cost of the course is $975 and is due before the start of the course. You can learn additional skills to benefit your career while taking the course with other longer certificate courses.
This course is open to beginners and does not require any prior information before signing up. As with most courses, you should have some basic computer skills.
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Enrolling in this course gives you quite a few extra benefits.Â
- Students receive a digital certificate of completion which can help improve any creative resume
- Students can retake the course for free up to one year after completion.
- During the course, students receive a proprietary workbook they will use throughout the courseÂ
- Classes are recorded; students can access those recordings if they need to review information or miss part of the class
You can learn quite a bit about a course from former students who take the course. A student previously enrolled in this course commented that they "learned a lot from the professor and got to experience great work by my classmates". Several other students mentioned that they are no longer afraid of Illustrator because of the hands-on training the course provides.
#3: New Horizons—Adobe Illustrator CC Part 1 (Live Online)
Students learn to create drawn graphics using the Illustrator interface in this introductory Illustrator course. They will integrate content from other programs like Photoshop to edit within Illustrator. Even those brand new to creative programs will create stunning and unique designs. This course takes learning past the drawing stage and challenges students to think about "what ifs" to elevate their artwork.
Students will begin with a basic understanding of the interface and features of Illustrator. As students learn their way around the program, they will learn to create basic shapes, custom paths, and graphics that contain text. In the end, students will create custom objects and shapes. They will learn to export their illustrations for both print and the web.
Key Information
This class takes two days of eight-hour classes to complete. There are no part-time enrollment options available at this time.Â
Before class begins, the course fee of $990 must be paid in full.
There are no program prerequisites for this course. You should be familiar with your computer's operating system. New Horizons recommends students have some familiarity with basic Design Concepts and terminology before starting the course. It is not necessary though
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New Horizons offers several benefits to enrolled students.
- Credly badge
- Prep for certification
- Free webinarsÂ
When looking into a new school, it is always important to see what former students have to say about the school itself. Several students mentioned how dedicated and hard-working the instructors are, making the classes more enjoyable. The instructors are knowledgeable in their topics, making it worthwhile to attend the classes. One student stated, "if you want to be a part of top-notch growing businesses out there, you need the top-notch software training from New Horizons". With a growing technology sector in the current world, attending up-to-date and high-quality training is important.Â
#4: Lumenbrite—Illustrator Bootcamp (Live Online)
This Illustrator Bootcamp starts students with foundational concepts as they get more comfortable with the interface before jumping into intermediate concepts. Students will start by exploring the difference between raster and vector graphics as Illustrator creates vector images. From there, they will work with shape and pen tools as they learn to combine shapes.
As they explore more intermediate concepts, they will learn to create custom colors and swatches. They will also begin adding text to their projects. Throughout the course, they will learn to export their projects for print and web.
Key Information
This full-time course takes four days of six-hour classes to complete. You can find courses that work within your time zone. You can contact them to determine if they can accommodate your time frame and learning needs.
The course costs $1595, and the payment is due by the first day of class.Â
This course is designed for beginners and does not require any previous Illustrator knowledge. The only knowledge required to succeed in this course is basic computer skills on either Windows or Mac.Â
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Lumenbrite offers its students a couple of benefits when they enroll in the course.Â
- Students will receive courseware and class projects
- They will also receive a certificate upon completion
- Classes are recorded and available for download up to 14 days after the last day of class
Even though Lumenbrite doesn't offer many additional benefits, its former students still speak highly of the courses. Several students mentioned that the "training was in-depth and hands-on, " perfectly matching their learning style. Other students mentioned that the instructor went in with the right amount of detail without it becoming overwhelming.Â
#5: Ledet Training—Illustrator 101 (Live Online)
In this introductory Illustrator course, students will learn the basic functions of the interface while exploring the various tools. The instructor will dive into Artboards and Workspaces as students practice using the tool palette.Â
Through the hands-on labs in this course, students will create logos, professional type effects, complex airbrush effects, and unique designs. In addition to all the foundational Illustrator skills, students will work with Adobe Flash integrations, 3D artwork, and CSS code.Â
Key Information
Students can complete the course over two days of six hours each. No part-time enrollment options are available.Â
This course cost $899. You can take this course as part of a class bundle for a discounted price. However, the cost is due before the start of class.Â
This course does require a novice understanding of computers and Illustrator. They also recommend installing Illustrator before you start the course to ensure you can jump straight into projects if needed.Â
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Ledet Training offers a few additional benefits for this course, including:
- Workbook students can keep after completing the course
- One-on-one individual training for courses with less than three people enrolled. This allows for more hands-on interaction with the instructor. The one-on-one training courses increase the price of the course you would be attending. Prices for these individual training sessions range between $1,000 and 1,500 dollarsÂ
- Can retake the course up to a year after completion for a $100 rescheduling fee
Students who previously attended Ledet Training mention "the mere fact you are asked about your interest in what you are looking to get out of the training" to showcase that the trainers care more about your success than meeting quotas. This can be very beneficial if you seek a more tailored education.
#6: Future Media Concepts—Illustrator Fundamentals (Live Online)
In this introductory Illustrator course, students will explore the fundamentals as they learn the interface. First, students will learn to select artwork and create images using shapes. They will start editing and combining shapes to make more complex images as they progress.
Students will spend time with the various drawing tools and the pen tool. From there, they will begin adding color and text to their projects. As students add layers to their projects, they use gradient blends and patterns to make their artwork unique.
Key Information
Students attend this course for three days. Unfortunately, there are only full-time options available now. However, part-time enrollment does become available from time to time. So, keep checking back if you want to enroll in this course part-time.
The course runs for $1,195. You can enroll in multiple courses at once, saving time and money. They offer various course bundles to choose from. It is necessary to pay the full tuition before class begins.
The course only requires basic computer skills to succeed; however, they recommend having some Photoshop skills as they can be handy. These skills are optional, so don't worry if you are new to Adobe programs.
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Future Media Concepts offers a few additional benefits to its courses.Â
- Adobe Certified Instructors teach coursesÂ
- Training offered in 5 different languages
- Authorized Adobe Training Center
As an authorized Adobe training center, you may be curious to know what former students say about the courses offered. In one student's opinion, the material was presented in a "coherent, simple fashion for beginners, " and "the pace is set to the student's level of expertise". Having courses that are easy to understand and set to each skill level can make training seem more manageable.
#7: Certstaffix Training—Illustrator CC (Live Online)
In this short introductory course, students learn the key techniques for working in Illustrator. Step-by-step instructions guide users through creating logos, illustrations, and posters. In the project-based class, students learn real-world skills to become more productive with the program, covering countless tips and techniques.
This course provides a solid foundation in Illustrator as students progress through each lesson. Students will learn to create graphics using the Shaper tool, Live Shapes, and dynamic symbols. They will export website assets in multiple formats to support responsive web designs.
Key Information
This introductory course spans three days of six-hour classes. There are no part-time options available at this time. However, you may check with them to see when part-time will become available. Or, if you live in an area with a Cerstaffix Training lab, you can see if their hybrid courses offer part-time enrollment.Â
The course costs $1,330. Before classes begin, tuition must be paid in full.
Designed for beginners, this course does not assume prior Illustrator knowledge. You should be proficient in either Windows or Mac when taking any online course.Â
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Certstaffix Training provides its students with various benefits, including:
- Students will receive a certificate for completing the course
- They will receive access to Illustrator while enrolled
- Students can retake the course for free up to 6 months after completion
- Students can access any Certstaffix software lab during the course if they are near a location
However, looking into what former students have to say about the program before enrolling in any course may be wise. Students talk highly of the course instructors, stating that they "took the time to answer everyone's questions fully and made sure we were all caught up before moving on". Instructors like this can make it easy to follow the course without getting left behind.Â
#8: Noble Desktop—Illustrator in a Day (Live Online)
An inexperienced user can learn the essentials of Illustrator in just one day with this compact course. Students will explore several types of graphics through simple projects. They will become familiar with various tools like the pen, shapes, brushes, and paint.
This course introduces Illustrator while giving students foundational skills to build upon in advanced courses or boot camps. The course will start with a lecture before jumping into projects. Students will spend time with hands-on, real-world projects to create icons, graphics, and illustrations. They will spend time familiarizing themselves with the interface. Once students finish this course, they will be more confident in creating unique images with Adobe Illustrator.
Key Information
Students can enroll in this course full-time or part-time. The full-time option takes six hours to complete in one day. Part-time enrollment is three hours over two nights. Part-time is not always available. However, it is a short course and can be taken on a day off if you can take one.
The course costs $395, which is due before the class starts. Since it is a short class, it does not qualify for payment plans.
This course is open to beginners and only requires basic computer skills to succeed.
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Enrolling in this course gives you quite a few extra benefits.
- Students receive a digital certificate of completion which can help improve any creative resume
- Students can retake the course for free up to one year after completion
- During the course, students receive a proprietary workbook they will use throughout the course
- Classes are recorded; students can access those recordings if they need to review information or miss part of the class
Former students can provide insight into the type of class that you are looking at. Several students highlight the focus on the pen tool throughout the course and how they "understand how to use the pen tool more efficiently" after completing the course. Others also mention how the step-by-step instruction alongside the practice materials made Illustrator easy to learn and work with.Â
#9: Lumenbrite—Illustrator Training: Essential Skills 1 (Live Online)
In addition to the longer bootcamp, Lumenbrite offers a shorter Illustrator course for those who may not be ready for a boot camp. In this introductory course, students will become familiar with the program interface as they learn the difference between raster and vector graphics. Students will spend more time working with the program's basic tools from there. Students will focus primarily on the shape and pen tools as they are the most common tools.Â
Students will learn about typography as they become comfortable with starting projects. They will learn to format the text for proper headlines and paragraphs to apply to different projects. At the end of each project, students will practice exporting their work for both print and web publications.Â
Key Information
The course takes two days, with class meetings lasting six hours daily. No part-time enrollment options are available at the moment.Â
The course costs $895 for live online sessions. For in-person classes, this course increased to $1195. Class fees are due on the first day of class.Â
This course is designed for beginners and does not require any previous Illustrator knowledge. The only knowledge required to succeed in this course is basic computer skills on either Windows or Mac.Â
More Details
Lumenbrite offers its students a couple of benefits when they enroll in the course.Â
- Students will receive courseware and class projects
- They will also receive a certificate upon completion
- Classes are recorded and available for download up to 14 days after the last day of class
Looking into what former students say about a particular class or school is an important part of the decision-making process. When speaking about this class, a student stated that by the end of the course, they left with a "solid understanding of how to perform the basic functions of my job" and that the instructor gave "several tips and tricks to save us time when using the platform". Not only did the students learn the basics of the program to help with their daily tasks, but they also learned ways to simplify those tasks. Other students mentioned that instructors took their time reviewing the smaller details many others gloss over. For a class geared toward beginners, this is an important detail. If you know nothing about the program, you will want someone to teach you all those small details.Â
#10: Udemy—Adobe Illustrator CC Essentials Training Course (On Demand)
Unlike the other courses listed above, this introductory Illustrator course is pre-recorded, and you can move at your own pace.
Students will begin with Basics before jumping into advanced techniques. They will explore various tools, including brush shape tools and pen tools. The course allows students to work on their ideas and projects as they learn the skills.
Students will explore all key skills, including shapes, text masking effects and exporting. Students will apply all skills learned to various projects of their design.
Key Information
This on-demand course provides 9 and 1/2 hours of pre-recorded video; however, you may spend over 20 hours working on the course with the assignments and other materials.
You can enroll in the course for a flat fee of $110. This fee will give you access to the entire course. Udemy offers promotions on its courses so that you can find them on sale. Or, if you plan on enrolling in multiple on-demand courses, consider their Personal Plan. You can try the free trial and then pay $16.58 monthly afterward. This personal plan gives you access to any course you want to enroll in.
The course requires no prior skills, but you will need Illustrator to complete it. You can use Adobe's free trial if you have not already.
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Since Udemy provides on-demand courses, they offer various benefits for their students.Â
- Project-focused courses. In this course, students will have over thirty projects to add to their portfolios
- Certificate of Completion
- Workbook to access throughout the courseÂ
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Before enrolling in any course, seeing what other students say about it is important. This is even more important when looking at on-demand courses. It has a high rating on the site, and several students state it is a "great way to get to learn the basics and the new features by doing exercises". Other students also mention that because the course focuses on developing the students' ideas instead of previously determined projects, they can "put your ideas into images" after completing the course.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Different Types of Online Illustrator Classes?
When searching for Illustrator courses, you will encounter two main types of online courses. Live online and on demand. Both types have their benefits and drawbacks.
Live online allows for full interaction with the course and the instructor. Students learn in real-time and can ask questions as they arise. However, you must attend class on time to get the most out of it. With some live online classes meeting between 10 and 5 during the week, it may be hard to attend if one works during those times and cannot take time off. However, part-time options do exist for several courses. Depending on the school, these part-time courses will meet in the evenings or on weekends. However, you still need to ensure you have time off to attend.
On-demand classes are pre-recorded and allow students to work at their own pace. Well, this adds flexibility if you have questions, you must find the answers yourself. You may also learn outdated information as these courses are not regularly updated.
You may also encounter seminars or various online tutorials. Seminars are cheaper if you are new and unsure about the program you want to learn. Seminars are sometimes free; other seminars require a small fee. These seminars are pre-recorded and only last an hour or two.Â
What Will I Need for an Online Illustrator Class?
No matter which way you go, you will need a computer with an internet connection.
Some courses may provide students with a version of Illustrator; however, some will require you to get it yourself. Adobe offers a free trial to new users or a monthly subscription. The free trial should allow students to get through most introductory courses.Â
You can download Illustrator straight from Adobe. You will install Creative Cloud on your computer and then install Illustrator there. Creative Cloud is free to install, while the programs cost a monthly fee.
Can I Learn Illustrator Online for Free?
Students can find various free online resources through YouTube and other online tutorials. Adobe offers free live streams that cover various topics within the programs. Using these resources can be a great place to start learning Illustrator if you want to check out the program. However, these online resources will take a long time to learn all the advanced techniques you would learn in courses. You also risk finding outdated information that will make learning more complicated and frustrating.Â
If you want to learn Illustrator as a career change or upskill in your current position, enroll in a course as you will promptly get the in-depth training you need.Â
You can utilize Adobe's free trial to check out Illustrator before committing to any courses. To continue using the program, you must pay a monthly subscription fee.Â
Is It Better to Learn Illustrator in a Live or Self-paced Class?
You may still be wondering which training option is right for you. Each option has its benefits, and its drawbacks. The option that will work best for you depends on your schedule and the interactivity you want.Â
Live online will be more interactive than self-paced, as you will need to show up to each class section. You will meet with fellow students and your instructor in a virtual classroom during the course. This allows you to follow along with instructions in real-time. You can ask questions and receive feedback as issues arise. This option will provide a more traditional classroom vibe to it. You also have the added benefit of completing the course from anywhere. You can attend the course if you have an internet connection.Â
While live online courses have several great benefits, they also have drawbacks. Depending on the school, you may have to take time off from work to attend. Some schools only offer full-time classes, which meet during the week during normal business hours. This can be a struggle if you work full-time and cannot take time off to attend classes. However, you can opt for a school that offers part-time enrollment. The school may offer evening or weekend classes, depending on the course.Â
Self-paced courses offer flexibility. You can work on the course when you have the time to work on the course. This can be especially beneficial if you only have a few minutes daily to work on the course. If you cannot block out long periods to attend a class, self-paced courses may be a great place to start.Â
However, they still have some drawbacks to them. You lose out on the in-real-time interaction. If you have questions, you need to go and find the answer yourself. This can end up being a more time-consuming task. You also run the risk of finding programs that teach outdated information. With Adobe updating its programs constantly, some pre-recorded courses may not be 100% up-to-date with the new versions.Â
While both options have pros and cons, you can find an option that best suits your needs and learning goals.