Best Illustrator Tutorials from 2010

We must say there were many llustrator tutorials throughout this year. In today's post we have collected some of the best tutorials published this year to show you the different techniques that are available which will help you master all kinds of Illustrator tricks and techniques. [fblike] Some of you might already know a couple of these tutorials already, but perhaps going through them again will inspire you to experiment new ways of using those techniques to create something fresh and more original! So let the creativity begin!

Drawing

How To Trace a Sketch with a Vintage Comic Style Check out how you can trace a sketch with a vintage comic style in this illustrator tutorial: Create A Mouthwatering Chocolate Covered Strawberry Here is an Illustrator tutorial that will teach you how to create a mouthwatering chocolate-covered strawberry: How to Draw the Super-Villain Megamind in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist creates a vector drawing of the super-villain Megamind: Create a Painterly Apple with Illustrator CS5’s new Bristle Brush The so-called 'bristle brush' in Illustrator CS5 gives you the best of both worlds: The painterly effects of real media and the control and flexibility of a vector drawing. Check it out: Designing a Kitty in Illustrator Learn how to design a cute kitty in Illustrator: Create a Print Ready Business Card Design in Illustrator Follow this walkthrough on how to create a fun business card design including an illustrated character: How To Create A Very Scary But Cute Monster In Illustrator This is a tutorial on how to draw a complex monster illustration: Abstract Vector Artwork Illustrator Tutorial In this tutorial the artist will teach you how to create vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator: Design an Underwater Clown Fish Tutorial in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist will show you how to create a beautiful clown fish illustration inside Adobe Illustrator CS4: An Illustrator’s Project: From Start to Finish In this tutorial, the artist will walk you through the steps of how to create an illustration art piece so that you can witness what goes behind a digital illustrator’s work, as well as gain some new insights for your own projects’ workflow: Creating convincing characters Here the artist demonstrates how to magic up appealing characters using a pencil, computer and plenty bags of imagination: Create a Classic, Sailing Ship in Illustrator CS5 In this tutorial the artist will show how to create a sailing ship illustration with a story book style, using the Gradient Mesh to make the boat’s sails:

Effects

Create a Smooth Satin Background Using Blends Check out how to create a smooth satin background using blends: Creating Roads and Rail Tracks on a Path In this tutorial, you will learn how to create roads and rail tracks on a Path: Illustrator Tutorial on Creating an Ace Tennis Graphic Check out this Illustrator tutorial on creating an ace tennis graphic: Making a Millifiori Paperweight Check out this Illustrator tutorial on creating a Millifiori Paperweight: Swirling Rainbows: Illustrator Tutorial! (Video) Learn how to create looping, swooshing, swirling rainbow graphics used in all kinds of graphics ranging from logos, and sketches, to grungy and retro illustrations: Creating a Shield using Illustrator This tutorial shows you how to create a shield design with Path Tools using Illustrator: Create summery poster artwork using Illustrator CS5 In this tutorial, author guides you through some of Illustrator CS5’s biggest new tools: Create an add to cart/basket/bag button In this tutorial the artist will show how to create one of the most common buttons: Illustrator Tutorial: Create quirky repeating patterns Create quirky repeating patterns in this Illustrator tutorial: Vectorize a Human Eye in Illustrator In this video the vector the eye of a model is taken and is worked on in Illustrator, using some techniques that will be useful in not only vectoring eyes but tracing techniques that are used for full face and body vectoring as well as vexeling: Master dynamic gradient techniques In this tutorial, the artist shows you how to build up complex, beautiful images by patiently layering and building up small, straightforward segments, always varying them to prevent monotony: Illusion of transparency – Vector rays In this tutorial the artist will create cool rays with gradients without using ANY transparency settings, ideal for .eps files, which do not have a support for gradient-on-gradient transparency: How to create a Bokeh vector background in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist creates some cool bokeh effects; quick and easy by using simple gradients and blending modes:

Text Effects

Create An Editable Stitched Label Type Treatment This tutorial relies heavily on the Appearance panel, making it easy to edit the text and apply the treatment to other fonts and vector elements: Create a Graffiti in Inkscape Learn how to create a graffiti in inkscape in this Illustrator tutorial: Create a Furry Calligram in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist walks you through creating your own calligram inspired by a dog named Poppy. You’ll learn how to manipulate a typeface through to rendering fur, adding doggy features, and various details: Retro 3D Arcade Text Effect in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist will make clever use of Illustrators built in 3D capabilities, gradients and opacity masks to design a Retro 3D Type Effect: Designing a Typeface, With Illustrator and FontLab, from Start to Finish, Part 1 Check out this tutorial on designing a typeface using Illustrator and FontLab, from Start to Finish: Create a Grimy Text Treatment with a Pen Tablet In this tutorial the artist will show you how to create a grimy text treatment utilizing Illustrator’s Blog brush, Live Paint, and a pen tablet: Create interlocking motifs in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist demonstrates how to rough out and plan your artwork before transferring it into Illustrator (CS3 or later) using the most important feature for creating vector graphics — the Pen tool: 3D Text In Clouds Tutorial In this tutorial we are going to create some 3D text: Getting Carried Away with Balloon Lettering In this tutorial the artist covers the process of creating some illustrative shiny balloon lettering. You will also learn how to create rounded, semi-transparent, bubble letters that will make up the basis of the balloon lettering: Type Illustration Project: Experimental Digital Workflow In this Adobe Illustrator tutorial, the artist will walk you through the process of creating an illustrated type artwork. The focus of this tutorial is to demonstrate how it is possible to draft, develop, and refine a whole piece all within a design program like Adobe Illustrator from start to finish: Create a Polished Raised Type Treatment This tutorial, using the Appearance panel, some gradients, and transforms, you can learn how to create a polished lifted type treatment: How To Create a Gothic Blackletter Typographic Design Follow this step-by-step guide to customizing your own gothic typographic design: How to Create Candy Cane Typography with Photoshop and Illustrator In this tutorial the artist creates a superb candy cane type design using Illustrator and Photoshop. Apply this effect to your own text and create cool and unique christmas cards:

Design, Textures, Patterns & Brushes

Create a Distressed Vector Typographic Poster Design Follow this step by step walkthrough of a recent design process for the ‘Spectrum’ poster. We'll start with a custom-made type in Illustrator: Creating Seamless Textures Illustrator is great for creating sharp clean graphics. Learn how to create Seamless Textures here: Create Amazing Patterns using Adobe Illustrator By going through this tutorial you will learn how to easily create cool looking shapes with the Pattern Brush in Illustrator: How To Create a Repeating Camo Pattern in Illustrator The artist is going to show you how the camo designs were created and how the pattern file was made so it would seamlessly repeat: Create a Colorful Sliced Sphere to use as a Logo Design This quick tip will give you an idea how you can easily create an appealing colored sphere which will make a great foundation for a successful logo: How to create a torn wall paper effect in Illustrator In this tutorial the artist will teach you how to create a torn wall paper based on a seamless pattern and simple distortion techniques: How To Design a Print Ready Letterhead & Comp Slip Follow this step-by-step process of creating professional print ready design files for your letterhead and compliment slips stationery designs: Create Winter Festival Brushes in Illustrator CS In this tutorial the artist shows you how to create a holly, ivy and a berry brush to create a Winter Festival wreath: Cafe Style Coffee Art in Adobe Illustrator In this Illustrator tutorial the artist explains step by step how he created the "Delicious Coffee" illustration which was published in "1000 Restaurant, bar & café graphics" by Rockport Publishing.

3D

Wrap a Ribbon Around a Sphere, Using 3D Revolve In this quick tip, you’ll create a symbol, which you will then map to a 3D globe. The result looks like a ribbon wrapped around a hollow sphere: Illustrator Tutorial on Making a Jack in the Box Create the basic head shape using the Elliptical tool. Hold down the Shift key to constrain. Click on the picture to learn more: Make a Delicious Sandwich with Easy 3D Illustration Techniques In this tutorial, you will learn to make a delicious sandwich with easy 3D Illustrator techniques: Vector Laptop In this illustrator tutorial the artist shows you how to create a vector for a laptop in Adobe Illustrator: Disco Lights in Illustrator Here is a nice technique to make 3D Disco Ball or Lights in Adobe Illustrator. Some new commands and technique for you to try out: Illustrator cs2 tutorial on 3d and Scribble Check out this Illustrator tutorial on 3D and Scribble: How to Create a Shiny Bucket Icon Learn how to create a shiny bucket icon in this Illustrator tutorial: Making 3D Charts In this Illustrator tutorial the artist creates a 3D pie chart with transparency and highlights to make the graphic look like semi-opaque plastic: How to Create a Three-dimensional Airplane with Adobe Illustrator In this tutorial you will learn how to create a detailed three-dimensional image of an airplane based on two two-dimensional plans: Realistic Dice in Illustrator You can learn a lot from this tutorial — some commands, techniques and useful tools. (ik) [fblike]