Illustrator Essential Training vs Adobe Illustrator CC – Advanced Training

Tony Harmer walks through Illustrator's core in a logical sequence — artboards, selection, shapes and line tools, path drawing and transformation, color models, gradients, strokes, brushes, layers and groups, patterns, appearances, transparency, type, image placement and export — and the 2024/2025 editions add a section on generative AI content. Across five released versions the official rating sits at 4.8/5 (2024: 1,148 ratings; 2021: 1,914; 2022: 1,676; 2023: 1,320), an unusually high and stable signal. Reviewers describe the material as dense and thorough; the main critique is that some assignment toolbars don't match the learner's default setup, and that experienced users hit familiar ground before the advanced sections.

Tony Harmer — a certified Adobe Creative Suite Master with 40+ years in the creative industry and close ties to the Illustrator product team — is the standout asset. Reviewers repeatedly single out his delivery as "detailed, easy to follow, and even entertaining," and even a 17-year Illustrator veteran reported learning new tricks. His voice, pacing and articulation draw consistent praise. The only recurring instructor complaint is occasional mismatch between his on-screen toolbars and a fresh install, which can briefly confuse beginners.

LinkedIn Learning is $39.99/month or roughly $19.99/month billed annually, and the course is also bundled with LinkedIn Premium Career and free through many public-library cards. For learners who already hold a LinkedIn subscription or library access, this 5–7 hour course is excellent value and the completion certificate posts straight to a LinkedIn profile. Paying the standalone monthly fee for this one course is less compelling — independent reviewers call the subscription "more on the expensive side" and "expensive if used infrequently," and the certificate is not accredited. The equation flips for prolific learners who tap the 20,000+ course catalogue.

Each lesson ships with downloadable exercise files and the course includes 22 quizzes for self-assessment, so learners practice alongside the instructor rather than just watching. The gap, flagged by multiple reviewers, is open-ended project work: the exercises are instructor-led replications rather than briefs that push learners to design their own piece, and one reviewer asked directly for "more practice sessions or more question examples." There is no portfolio-grade capstone and no instructor feedback on submitted work.

The skills taught — vector paths, transformations, color, type, brushes, patterns and export for print and web — are genuinely foundational and transfer directly to real Illustrator work. Reviewers describe the tool demonstrations as practical and immediately usable, and a decade-lapsed user called it a strong refresher on newer tools like the curvature tool. The certificate carries professional signalling value on LinkedIn but is not an accredited credential, so it complements rather than replaces demonstrated portfolio work.

Covers the full advanced Illustrator toolset — pen tool mastery, complex paths, advanced typography, colour theory, logo design, packaging, pattern design, and complex illustration workflows. The curriculum is dense without being padded; reviewers describe it as genuinely comprehensive for the intermediate-to-advanced level. The main gap is limited coverage of screen-first digital workflows (UI, web) relative to the depth given to print and vector.

Daniel Walter Scott is an Adobe Certified Instructor and Adobe Certified Expert with over 16 years of design experience. His teaching is praised across thousands of reviews as crystal clear, professionally paced, and attentive to the edge cases where learners get stuck. The Adobe certification is not cosmetic — it translates into accurate, current, and authoritative instruction on the tool.

Priced at $19.99 on frequent Udemy sale (the effective purchase price for nearly all students) for a comprehensive advanced course with real-world projects and lifetime access. At sale price this is the strongest value-per-hour advanced design course available on any major platform. Full list price ($100+) is never what anyone pays, which matters for how you should think about the Udemy pricing model.

Multiple real-world projects throughout — logo design, packaging mock-ups, pattern systems, complex vector illustration — rather than isolated exercises. Reviewers describe finishing the course with a small body of work they can use in a portfolio. Some exercises feel more like skill-drills than finished pieces, but the balance across the curriculum is strong.

The skills covered — pen tool precision, colour systems, typography workflows, file structure for print — are what working graphic designers and illustrators use daily. Reviewers in professional design roles describe the course as directly applicable to client work. The print and vector orientation limits applicability for UI/UX designers whose primary output is screen-first.