Master Adobe Illustrator from Scratch: A Real Review of the Essentials Course for Beginners

If you’ve dreamed of designing your own logos, illustrations, or icon sets but don’t know where to start, learning Adobe Illustrator might feel intimidating. That’s where Dan Scott’s Adobe Illustrator Essentials course comes in—a leading entry-level course designed to take total beginners from zero to creative hero. In today’s real-world review, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about this top-selling course: what it covers, who it’s for, how it compares to competitors, and whether it’s really worth your time and money.

Let’s dive in.

What Is Adobe Illustrator Essentials?

Adobe Illustrator Essentials, taught by Adobe Certified Professional Dan Scott, is a beginner-friendly online course available on major platforms like Udemy and Skillshare. It’s designed for complete novices who want to learn to use Illustrator for creating logos, icons, vector art, and text effects. The course is highly interactive, featuring project-based lessons so you can learn new techniques while creating real-world designs.

Dan’s teaching style is direct, friendly, and structured—perfect for new users confused by Illustrator’s overwhelming creative tools.

Why Start with Adobe Illustrator Essentials?

• 👉 Ideal for Beginners
  If you’ve never opened Illustrator in your life, this course is made for you. Course modules start slow, introducing key tools like shapes, lines, and the pen tool, then slowly build up to more involved features like masking and vectorizing images.
• 👉 Learn by Doing
  Instead of just watching lectures, you’ll actively create logos, cartoon characters, text compositions, and more. Each project teaches you a practical skill, ensuring concepts stick while you have fun designing.
• 👉 Flexible Access
  Because it’s hosted on Udemy and Skillshare, you can learn at your own pace, pause-and-play anytime, and return to lessons later—this is great for busy people or those balancing school/work.

What’s Inside the Course? A Quick Overview

You’ll start with the basics—how to navigate Adobe Illustrator, use common tools, draw shapes, and manipulate paths. As you progress, you’ll move into:

• Using the Pen tool, Curvature tool, Pencil, and Brushes
• Working with shape builder and custom paths
• Typography: warping text, adding shadows, using type on a path
• Design projects, including creatures, badges, and app icons
• Exporting and sharing your designs

You’ll also get access to downloadable files so you can follow along with Dan’s exact project examples.

Who Is Dan Scott?

Instructor Dan Scott is an Adobe MAX Master and Adobe-certified trainer with a solid reputation. Thousands of students recommend his courses on forums, blogs, and platforms like Reddit, praising his ability to make advanced software feel accessible—especially for first-timers.

In fact, in reviews across Skillshare and Udemy, words like “engaging,” “easy to follow,” and “fun” come up again and again. Based on these overwhelmingly positive reviews and Dan’s credentials, it’s clear he’s a reliable and trusted source. You can check out direct course details and reviews on his official Adobe Illustrator page on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/topic/adobe-illustrator/

What You’ll Create in the Course

You won’t just “learn Illustrator” — you’ll actually complete:

• Logo designs
• Flat character illustrations
• Social media icons
• Branded badges
• Stylized type designs
• Digital creatures and cartoon-style art

These projects aren’t just for practice—they’re polished enough to include in a portfolio or freelance pitch.

Strengths of Adobe Illustrator Essentials

• ✅ Clear for Absolute Beginners
  Dan strips away jargon to focus on visual learning and usable techniques.
• ✅ Engaging Projects to Reinforce Skills
  Each module includes a real mini-project (like a creature or logo) to immediately apply what you learned.
• ✅ Friendly Teaching Style
  Dan’s tone is supportive and patient—a big win for folks new to design software.
• ✅ Affordable Pricing
  Courses on Udemy often go on sale for $15–$30, and it’s available via Skillshare’s monthly plan, giving exceptional value.
• ✅ Downloadable Resources
  You’ll get project files and cheat sheets to make following Dan’s steps simple.

Potential Drawbacks

• ❌ Too Basic for Advanced Users
  Experienced Illustrator users may find the course too simple, though it’s perfect for first-timers.
• ❌ No Official Certification
  The course doesn’t lead to Adobe certification (unless you separately pursue the official exam).
• ❌ Repetition
  Some early lessons feel repetitive for fast learners—but for slow learners, repetition might be a plus.

How It Compares to Competing Illustrator Courses

For beginner-level ease, Dan Scott’s Essentials course is clearly the winner. More advanced needs? Consider adding Martin Perhiniak’s MasterClass after finishing Essentials.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is for you if:

• You’re a total beginner to Adobe Illustrator
• You’re a student or freelancer looking to expand your design skills
• You want to design your own branding, icons, logos, or social media graphics
• You prefer affordable, flexible learning with video + projects
• You like learning by doing rather than long lectures

You might want to look elsewhere if:

• You’re already intermediate or advanced with Illustrator
• You’re aiming for Adobe Certified status (you’ll need separate prep for the exam)

Here’s a sneak peek of what you could be working on after just a few lessons:

(Source: Pixabay)

Verdict: Is Adobe Illustrator Essentials Worth It?

In short? Yes—if you’re a beginner. Dan Scott’s Adobe Illustrator Essentials is one of the best all-around beginner courses available in 2024. You’ll learn Illustrator’s most vital tools and pick up practical design skills you can immediately use in real-world projects or creative jobs.

It’s fun, structured, and highly reviewed by real users—plus, it offers excellent value when purchased on sale.

In the words of one user on Udemy: “This course made me feel confident designing from scratch—I never thought I could!” And that’s the biggest win of all.

So skip the stress of trial-and-error design and start your creative journey the right way—with an expert-led, beginner-friendly course that delivers real results.

References:

• Udemy Official Course Page
• Skillshare User Ratings and Course Preview
• Reddit Forum Review Mention

Ready to go from Illustrator newbie to confident creator? Click that button above and dive into your first design today.