Discover the Best Illustrator Classes Near Me
Most creative and graphic design industries use Adobe Illustrator as a vector graphics tool. It allows users to create resizable vector graphics for advertising and promotional material. Have you ever explored all of Illustrator's features? In addition to advertising and fashion, professional Graphic Designers use the program in various industries. Even so, budding creatives can leverage it in a non-professional capacity to gain recognition or expand their creative horizons.
Best Illustrator Classes & Schools
Attending a training course is the best way to thoroughly understand Illustrator. As a popular Adobe program, various resources are available to anyone who wants to learn the program. Whether you are brand new or an expert looking to refresh your skills, you can find ways to learn the program. In-person training provides students with a traditional classroom approach to training. Students will meet their peers and instructor in the same room for a predetermined time to learn the material at a set pace. Online training has grown in popularity over recent years and provides students with a modified classroom approach. Instead of meeting at the school, students will meet in a virtual classroom, where the class will be held. Instructors will still be available to answer questions and see the student's screens to help with any issues. Illustrator is a common program, and no matter where you are in the country, you will have plenty of in-person and online training options.
Manhattan Edit Workshop offers in-person training in Manhattan or online for students to attend from anywhere. The school offers courses for any skill level, with class durations flashing from one weekend to 6 weeks. Courses are designed with the student in mind. Classes have at most six students at a time to ensure individualized attention. This also allows students to work independently with their goals in mind. Beginner students 16 and over can take the Adobe Illustrator Level 1 course. The course spans three days and gives students the core skills to make the most out of the program. The course does require some knowledge of Photoshop to be successful. In most creative positions, you will need proficiency in both programs, making it worthwhile to learn both.
Noble Desktop also offers in-person and live online training. Most training at Noble focuses on developing tech skills for high-end tech careers. With each class taught by experts in their field, students can learn tips and tricks used by professionals that may not be taught in other courses. Each course is designed specifically by the school, with workbooks created specifically for each course. Several other schools have begun using the workbooks created by Noble Desktop. Students interested in any Adobe program can find various classes at Noble. The Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp offers students a way to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of Illustrator in a condensed time frame. The course provides a great introduction to the program as students learn its features and interface.
Training Connection, located in Downtown LA, offers outstanding computer desktop and business skills training. Five principles help the school deliver exceptional training programs. Firstly, they hire passionate teachers who are experts in their fields. Potential students can easily book their courses online. When students arrive for their courses, they are greeted by modern and spacious facilities. The staff is trained to meet the needs of each customer to provide excellent customer service. Lastly, once students have finished the course, they can repeat it for free up to six months from the original class. Each aspect of their approach gives students the tools they need to succeed in school. They offer various Adobe classes of various levels. In Illustrator Fundamentals, beginners ages 14 and over are guided through real-world projects to progress from beginner to intermediate skills. Students will begin with the fundamentals, like drawing templates, before jumping into more challenging Concepts, like clipping masks and typography.
While located in Flatiron, New York, General Assembly provides high-end immersive bootcamps that cover in-demand skills needed for high-growth tech sectors to students across the United States. Students can find classes that cover all the various Adobe programs to ensure they are up to date on all the programs they need for their careers. Classes are available for all skill levels, making it easy to find a course that fits the goals of each student. Students looking to learn Illustrator can opt for the Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp they offer occasionally. The course gives students the knowledge to start the program in one day. Students will learn the key tools and concepts. General Assembly also offers courses covering other professional skills like public speaking, management, and salary negotiation, which can help students improve their resumes in various ways.
Houston Center for Photography in Montrose offers over 300 workshops annually. While most courses focus on film and digital photography, they sometimes offer courses that cover programs that photographers use, like Photoshop and Illustrator. Houston Center for Photography aims to increase the understanding and appreciation of photography. They want to encourage all artists to build audiences. Classes are held onsite in their critique room and digital darkroom. Occasionally, certain courses will meet off-site for different sessions. Those interested in Illustrator or graphic design may be interested in their Designing for Social Media course. While the course introduces students to various Adobe programs, the main focus is designing typography, animations, and videos for social media purposes. The course aims to enhance the workflow between devices and social media platforms. While this course is suitable for all skill levels, you may want to have some experience with each program before taking it.
Colorado Free University in East Denver offers a lifelong learning facility with skill-based and enrichment courses. All courses are designed with busy adults in mind, so they can get the useful information they need and gain new skills without sacrificing much time. Teachers at CFU come from within the community as independent contractors. The school believes that students should have a choice about what they learn and that no barriers should exist to learning. While the university is not free, they believe in a student's freedom. The school provides courses on various topics. Students wanting to learn Illustrator can opt for the Exploring Adobe Illustrator course. This short, three-hour introductory course gives students a working knowledge of the easy-to-use graphic rendering program. Students will begin working through various projects covering shape, color, and gradation.
No matter your location in the country, you will have plenty of schools and courses to choose from to learn the skills you want to learn. You can find classes that cover all skill levels. Depending on your career goals, you can even find industry-specific Illustrator courses and schools, making it easier to learn exactly what you need for success.
Industries That Use Illustrator
Depending on the industry you want to enter, you may choose a school that focuses on teaching for that industry. Illustrator is a common tool creative professionals use, but they sometimes use it differently. It is important to learn the fundamentals to understand the program's key features; however, marketing professionals will use the tools differently from fashion designers. Various industries within the United States utilize the skills of Illustrator professionals. If you aren't sure where to take your skills, here are a few industries to consider.
Marketing lives everywhere within a person's day-to-day life, making it a vital way for companies to sell products and services. Marketing professionals can use Adobe Illustrator to promote brands and campaigns through print, television, the web, and social media ads. They use it to create unique social media, email, and print campaigns to help set their company apart. Illustrator professionals can assist in various marketing campaign designs.
In the tech industry, new technology is created and innovated. While the tech industry covers a wide array of skills and projects, those who typically use Illustrator within the tech industry are Web Designers. Web designers use Illustrator to create a website's visual elements. Once they have designed the layout or design of the website in Illustrator, they will code the images into the website coding so they will appear.
Fashion professionals can design their next big outfit using Illustrator. They can enlarge the outfit's image without losing its detail. They create flats to show off their design on a preset of clothing. Illustrator lets designers experiment with patterns and colors before committing to a design.
An architect designs buildings, such as houses, factories, offices, and factories, using Illustrator to create infographics or styles for illustrating their ideas. They can freehand designs for a building in high-quality digital representation.
Artwork is created and shared in various ways in the art and design industry. Illustrator is used to create recognizable brand logos and new product packaging. Digital artists use Illustrator to create art they can sell in various forms, like prints and stickers.
The entertainment industry utilizes Illustrator to create promotional material for a production. This can include posters, billboards, animated graphics, and billfolds. They can also utilize Illustrator for set design to test out different looks and structures before committing to the design.
Illustrator Jobs & Salaries
Once you know where to take your Illustrator skills, you may wonder what positions are available. While you can find these positions in almost every industry, you will see some variation in salary depending on demand. Although with growing popularity in remote positions, you may be able to find positions in high-demand areas. You can look into positions like:
- Graphic Design focuses on creating art and graphics that communicate meanings through digital and print media. Graphic Designers make an average of $50,000 annually across the United States.
- UI Design focuses on creating the appearance and feel of an application or webpage. Most UI Designers make around $95,000 annually.
- UX Design focuses on seamless user experiences of digital products through prototyping, user research, and user testing. UX Designers make around $100,000 annually.
- Web Design focuses on creating the appearance and functionality of a website. On average, Web Designers make $50,000 annually.
- Fashion Design designs patterns for clothes like dresses, shirts, and pants. On average, Fashion Designers across the United States make $60,000 annually.
You may see some differences from the above salaries based on your location or where a company is located. Here are a few examples of differences in salaries depending on area.
Chicago, Illinois, cost of living is 31% higher than the national average, with housing 52% higher than the average. Nashville, Tennessee, has a cost of living 2% lower than the national average, with housing costs only 6% higher. While these locations have varying living costs, they also vary in salaries. These salaries will depend on demand and tech industry levels in the area.
Graphic Designers in Chicago make an average of $55,000 annually, while those in Nashville see a large difference. Nashville Graphic Designers will make an average of $75,000 annually.
UI Designers in Chicago make around $60,000 annually, while in Nashville, they make around $110,000.
For UX Designers in Chicago, they bring home $100,000. In Nashville, they make around $105,000.
Web Designers see another large difference in their annual salary depending on location. In Chicago, they make around $50,000; in Nashville, they make around $70,000.
Fashion Designers in Chicago will make around $60,000 annually, while those in Nashville will make around $70,000.
The two cities have varying degrees of demand for each of these professions. Chicago is more business focused, with several key industries surrounding the growth of technology. The majority of their jobs are within the tech industry or financial industry. While Illustrator professionals are still beneficial in these industries, they are not as common. This can increase the demand for these positions; however, most creative professionals will see out other industries that might have less demand in the Chicago area.
Nashville puts most of its money into industries like art, entertainment, recreation, and manufacturing. Because of this, there is a higher demand for creative professionals in the area. A higher demand for professionals to fill these positions will create more competition and increase the area's average salary.
So despite the higher cost of living in Chicago, creative professionals will struggle to find those higher salaries to match the cost of living. Of course, with remote jobs becoming more popular, they can seek creative positions in other cities that will pay a higher salary.
What Will I Need to Learn Illustrator?
Before learning Adobe Illustrator, you may wonder what exactly you need to get started. Luckily you only need a few materials to get started.
When learning any computer program, you will first need a computer. The computer should be functional and be able to run whichever program you want to become proficient in. Using a recently released operating system is recommended. If you have purchased a new computer, take the time to familiarize yourself with the layout and system before enrolling in a course.
You will need to install Adobe Creative Cloud to learn any Adobe program. You can install Creative Cloud for free by visiting Adobe. Once you have Creative Cloud installed on your computer, you can easily choose which programs you want to use. While Creative Cloud is technically free to install, each application or program requires a subscription. Access to all programs requires a subscription to Creative Cloud. You can subscribe to each program individually if you only need a few. Each program has a free trial you can utilize to attend your first class; however, after the trial ends, you will have to pay to continue to use it. You'll want to download Illustrator to use it on your computer.
Depending on the school you attend for training, a version of Illustrator may be available. However, to continue learning and using Illustrator after the course, you must have it downloaded onto your device.
Is it Difficult to Learn Illustrator?
Learning new skills is challenging, and learning Illustrator is no different. Conversely, Illustrator is a user-friendly program that students can pick up within a few hours.
Learning Illustrator has challenging aspects, especially for those new to graphic design programs. New users can easily become overwhelmed by the many tools and the unfamiliar interface. However, with vast resources and training classes available, Illustrator is one of the easier Adobe programs to master. The more time and effort you put into becoming great at the program, the easier it will be to achieve this.
Enrolling in a course is one of the best ways to learn any new skill. Courses across the country vary in skill levels, allowing students of any skill level to find a course that will fit their creative and professional goals. Adobe Illustrator is a popular program that many creative professionals use in their careers, making it easy to find a course to enroll in.
