ONLINE BOOTCAMP
Illustrator
Unleash the power of Adobe’s industry-standard vector drawing tool
NEXT COURSE: Oct 19-Dec 18, 2026
Online 9-week course
Asynchronous. Project-Based.
No Zoom meetings. Just Creative Education.
Level Up Your Creative Design Skills
Adobe Illustrator is a powerful and versatile tool for creating illustrations, logos, and graphics for marketing and UX design. In this intensive online Bootcamp, you will learn to produce detailed and scalable art in just 9 weeks. Working with an expert instructor, you'll advance your technical and creative skills while producing vector graphics, learning hands-on how to use shape tools, drawing tools, Pen and type tools, layers, transformations, and distortions, and modify paths and shapes.
A Bootcamp Like No Other
Upon completing the course, you can:
Receive a Certificate of Completion.- Earn a micro-credential in Adobe Illustrator with a final grade B or higher.
- Transfer credit into a degree or certificate program at Sessions College.
“I’ll admit it, I have a passion for Adobe Illustrator. In this course, you can explore the fun and power of this application, and discover how to apply your talent to creating impactful illustrations and graphic art.”
Mike Hamm
Mike Hamm is a Senior UX Designer and Adobe Illustrator expert with over 20 years of experience working at Oracle Corporation and Expedia.
See Bio
Register For this Bootcamp
How It Works
Flexible Learning
Access detailed course lectures and exercises 24/7, with no Zoom meetings required.
Project-Based Learning
Advance your skills with creative assignments, getting feedback as you go.
Weekly Assignments
Weekly deadlines keep you on track. With no set login times, you can build your studies around your schedule.
Interactive Sandbox
Deepen your skills with other students in our collaborative sandbox.
Creative Mentorship
Receive an end-of-term skills assessment on your coursework.
Micro-Credentials
Students who complete the course with B or higher earn a shareable micro-credential.
What You Will Learn
Stretch your skills with real-world assignments. Hands-on Adobe Illustrator projects include character design, packaging design, promotional design, shape tracing, outdoor advertising, and identity design.
Unit 1 - Getting to Know Illustrator
Learn to build illustrations and designs in Illustrator rather than draw them.
- Learn the difference between vector graphics and raster images.
- Explore the features, panels, and tools in the user interface.
- Learn how to create shapes in Illustrator, move and modify shapes.
- How to create line shapes and apply strokes to them.
- Explore some ways to add and modify color properties and apply gradients.
Unit 2 - Selection, Organization, Drawing & Color Tools
Learn ways to select, control, and organize your artwork and use a variety of drawing aids that can save you time and frustration.
- Learn the differences between the Direct Selection tool and the Selection tool.
- Learn the various ways to paste an object in relation to another object
- Learn the benefits of working with multiple artboards and organizing your artwork using layers.
- Explore drawing aids such as grids, guides, and rulers that can assist you in your projects.
- Gain an introduction to freeform drawing tools and Live Paint.
Unit 3 - Transformation & Distortions
Learn ways to transform and distort shapes using valuable tools, features, and commands that can give dimension to your artwork.
- How to use transformation tools such as Scale, Shear, Rotate, and Reflect.
- How to create interconnected shapes and create radial, grid, and mirror repeating patterns from a single object.
- Learn how to fluidly reposition parts of vector artwork without changing its underlying paths.
- Learn how to distort shape edges for a hand-drawn or organic look.
- Explore Illustrator’s effects, including Distort, Transform, and Stylize effects.
Unit 4 - Precision Drawing
The Pen tool offers a level of precision that gives Illustrator its true power. We will primarily focus on mastering this tool, while providing an intro to other path editing tools.
- Explore the powerful Pen tool and the various ways it can be used.
- How to draw curved and straight paths more intuitively using the Curvature tool.
- How to join separate paths and continue existing paths using the Pen tool.
- Applications for the Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, and Anchor Point tools
- How to cut and divide paths and shapes with the Scissors tool, Knife tool, and Object menu.
Unit 5 - Type Tools & Typography
Illustrator offers a rich set of typographic tools and controls that give you creative flexibility with text. We will cover a wide range of type tools and typographic controls.
- How to use the Type tool, Type on a Path, and Area Type tool.
- How to use the Paragraph Panel to refine alignment, indentation, and paragraph spacing.
- How to use the Character Panel to control font selection, sizing, spacing, and typographic styling.
- Exploring alternate characters and typographic features in the OpenType Panel.
- Learn the value of converting editable type into Illustrator paths and utilizing retype to identify fonts.
Unit 6 - Advanced Shape Creation
We will complete the course by exploring Illustrator’s powerful tools and commands to create unique shapes from existing shapes and your imagination.
- Learn to align objects to the Artboard or other objects.
- How to use Shape Building tools to create complex objects from groups of simple shapes.
- Explore Illustrator’s AI-powered features including Generate Vectors, Generative Shape Fill, and Generate Patterns.
- Learn how Illustrator can be used on mobile devices and explore some Illustrator resources to continue learning after this course.
Bonus: Creative Mentoring
At the end of the course, you’ll upload your final coursework for an end-of-course skills assessment.
- Receive a breakdown of the strengths and opportunities in your work.
- Gain personalized recommendations on next steps in your development.
We can’t wait to see what you do next.
What Our Illustrator Course Students Say
The lessons were very detailed, and included even the most basic steps to completing a design. I found this very helpful as this course was the first time I had ever worked with Illustrator.
The instructor was clearly knowledgeable and also a good teacher. His critiques of my work were honest and objective while being kind and encouraging.
Mike, thank you for helping me build some beautiful portfolio pieces! It was a pleasure working with you.
Featured Student Work
Student work by: Alexandra Casheros, Brooke Figueroa, Mirela de Miranda.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our online application process makes getting started easy, fast, and convenient.
How Do I Enroll?
Open Admissions.
Our Bootcamp classes are open admissions. Any students under 17 years of age will need to provide the signed permission of a parent or guardian.
In order to enroll, students will need to complete the following steps by the registration deadline:
- Complete our simple, convenient online registration form.
- An Admissions advisor will contact you to process your payment.
Classes start in January, April, and July, and October.
What Software or Supplies Do I Need?
To complete this class, students will need:
- Desktop or laptop computer with a reliable high-speed Internet connection.
- Adobe Illustrator CC.
If you have any questions about class requirements, please contact admissions@sessions.edu.
What is the Time Commitment?
9 weeks – 5-6 hours/week.
This course will help you build a technical and creative foundation in Illustrator in just nine (9) weeks. This is an intensive class that will require a weekly time commitment of 5-6 hours/week. Depending on your experience level, you may need to allocate more time per week. The reward will be a platform for your future creative growth.
Will This Class Fit My Schedule?
Weekly deadlines help you stay on track. With no set login times, you can build your studies around your schedule, wherever you are located, provided you can meet assignment due dates each week on Friday.
Many of our students are adult learners who complete their courses and programs working part-time or full-time.
Is the Tuition Affordable?
Truly Affordable Tuition.
We are committed to making the highest-quality design and digital media education available at an affordable price.
| Bootcamp Course Tuition |
| $550 Tuition |
| $200 Registration Fee |
| $750 Total Course Price |
A $200 registration fee is required to process your enrollment in the program. Registration fees are nonrefundable after 5 days from the scheduled beginning of student orientation. Federal Financial aid is not available for this course.
Payment Plans Available. Pay tuition and fees in three monthly installments of $250.
What Do I Earn on Completion?
Skills and Credentials. Not only will you complete the course with enhanced skills and creative work. You will also open up new credential pathways:
- Students who complete the course with a B or higher earn a micro-credential in Adobe Illustrator.
- Course graduates may transfer credit into a degree or certificate program at Sessions College.
Get Started Today
Enrolling is simple and convenient.
1. Complete our online registration form.
2. An Admissions advisor will contact you to process your payment.