Did you ever open Adobe Illustrator, thinking, oh I just need to make one simple design, this can’t be that hard…and the next thing you know you have a lumpy, sloppy abstract with all the colors in the wrong place?

Does one of your current many hats require you to make graphics that you wish had a bit more polish, but the mere idea of trying to figure out a relationship with Adobe Illustrator makes your head pound?

Sure Illustrator is the most powerful drawing program on the planet, but in some ways, that just makes a lot of instruction too much to deal with. Well, Deke’s latest course at LinkedIn Learning, Introducing Illustrator, is for you. According to Deke, this is the best course he’s ever created. He might have a point. You’ll see how to comprehend the interface, manage artboards, and draw a perfectly smooth curve just to your liking. You can also learn how to make complex shapes from simpler ones, apply your intended color and appearance, and create any text that you need. It may not initially seem like it, but Adobe Illustrator can be fun, and with Deke by your side in this course, the program will be your reliable ally for creating the illustration you want.

Need an example? I’ve unlocked this movie from Chapter 7: Rotate, Reflect, and Scale, called “Drawing a quick and easy penguin face.” You’ll see how simple shapes, drawn precisely but easily once you know how, can create something as cute as our little penguin buddy up at the top.

Drawing a quick and easy penguin face from Introducing Illustrator by Deke McClelland

Looking for more free samples of this Illustrator goodness? LinkedIn has unlocked these three movies that anyone can watch:

• From Chapter 4: Text and Formatting, “Creating and Formatting Text”
• From Chapter 5: Fills and Strokes, “Using the Gradient Tool”
• From Chapter 9: The Curvature and Pen Tools, “Introducing the Pen Tool”

Check them out and see if you don’t learn something just from these four bits of dekeWisdom. If you’re eyeing a gig or even a full time job that just requires you to promise an eeensy bit of Illustrator expertise, then this course is what you need. And it’s Deke, so you know it’s going to build skills you can transfer to the world outside (even if you’re stuck inside).