Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed
Master Photoshop and Illustrator in 8 Weeks!
Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course from Jake Bartlett. By the end of this course, you'll be able to create your own artwork from scratch with tools and workflows used by professional designers every day.
Cohort-based learning
Exercises & Project Files for Every Lesson
Technical & Creative Support Along the Way
Verified Credential Upon Course Completion
Course Overview
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are essential tools for every digital artist to master. Almost every professional graphic design project passes through these programs in one way or another. They are insanely powerful pieces of software, but learning Photoshop or Illustrator can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to begin.
This course approaches Photoshop and Illustrator in a fun and intuitive way. You'll learn how to use every tool at your disposal, and how to get the most out of the software on projects of all sizes. Starting on the very first day, you’ll create art based on real-world jobs and get tons of experience working with the same tools used by professional artists.
What You'll Learn
Each week is jam-packed with intense learning. While you have some flexibility in how you tackle your workload, the course is curated in a specific order. We build up foundations that support more and more advanced techniques with lessons to practice your new skills along the way.
It’s time to get comfortable..before things get intense! You’ll start right off learning how to work in Adobe Illustrator, completing your first vector illustration. This is a great warm up for what’s to come.
Now that you’ve jumped into the deep end, it’s time to get a handle on the different tools within the program. You’ll work with the Pen Tool until it becomes second nature, enabling you to recreate and rebuild a client logo for homework.
This week we’ll jump into Photoshop, where you’ll learn how to cut out and manipulate assets to create images that entertain and inform using blend modes, filters, and more. You’ll even have your first taste of what it’s like to work with direction from a Creative Director.
Take a week off to focus on any lessons and homework you’re behind on. You’ll get a short primer on the history of Adobe software, and why a lot of the tools you’ve been using feel very similar even though they’re in different programs.
Let’s dive even deeper into the software and explore tools and techniques that will help you build up your design chops. You’re going to learn typography for both Ai and PS, and how to select a variety of styles based on client briefs. The main project for the week is creating your own illustration from scratch based on a theme, including sketching the concept, exploring references, and settling on a style.
You’ll be challenged like never before with a real-world project that will put all of your newfound Photoshop and Illustrator knowledge to the test. You’ll need to create a series of design boards for a client, and we’re expecting professional results. As a bonus, check out how the boards you’re creating can be brought into AE and animated to complete and actual commercial.
You’ve got an additional 2 weeks to finish your final project and to get targeted feedback from your Teaching Assistant. This should give you plenty of time to give that project some polish so you can start building up your portfolio.
What You'll Get
School of Motion courses are custom-built to provide you with an unmatched learning experience. We want you to actually enjoy logging into your classes, and we’ve designed our programs to be the most effective form of online education out there. In every course, you’ll get:
Join artists from around the world on our custom learning platform. Never learn alone, as you’ll have immediate access to a forum of fellow students to share work, ask questions, and improve together.
Each course comes packed with free project files, assets, and additional material to keep you learning and growing long after the course ends. Our exercises are designed from real world briefs, so you’re learning the skills you need to excel on your next project or venture.
You’ll be assigned a Teaching Assistant with years of experience in your chosen course. They’ll provide technical and creative feedback to guide you through new skills, improve your techniques, and provide encouragement along your journey.
Completing a course isn’t just about bragging rights. Once you’ve completed at least 70% of your work in a given course, you’ll earn a verified credential that can show current and future employers exactly what you’ve accomplished.
We all need a refresher now and again, which is why you’ll keep access to your course—and all the assets and project files—for the rest of your life. Come back to listen to exclusive interviews, review old lessons, and try out new techniques using your old assets.
You’ll gain instant access to our alumni platform, The Square. Here you can network with professional artists at every stage of their career. You’ll get access to new job opportunities and exclusive alumni events, such as meetups, virtual hangouts and reel reviews.
Upcoming Course Dates
Enroll Now
Our cohort-based leaning program runs on a designated schedule, so you’ll always have a group of like-minded artists working alongside you for support and encouragement. We offer multiple sessions each year, so choose the best start date for you and get ready to go!
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
One payment now, two more 30 and 60 days from now = $1044.
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
One payment now, two more 30 and 60 days from now = $1044.
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
Pay the full amount all at once. The simplest, lowest-cost option.
One payment now, two more 30 and 60 days from now = $1044.
Course Instructor
Jake Bartlett is a motion designer and online instructor based in Denver Colorado. After working at a production company in Los Angeles for nearly five years he decided to quit his day job to pursue the freelancer’s life, teaching animation online. His creativity runs on coffee, lego bricks and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Throughout his career he’s had the opportunity to work for clients like Coca-Cola, Twitter, Skype, Evernote, HGTV, NatGeo Wild and Norah Jones.
Our alumni are hired by companies like
FAQs
How do I know if this course is right for me?
Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed is for the true beginner. You could be brand new to the tools, or someone who is self taught but doesn't feel confident using the software. This course will help you master the most commonly used tools in both Photoshop and Illustrator as well as best practices to use them.
Should I take Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed before After Effects Kickstart?
You can begin with either course. There are no prerequisites for either and both are a ton of fun! But if you are really on the fence about which one to take, we suggest Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed first. This way you can become familiar with the tools that Adobe has to offer. You'll have more time getting comfortable in the software, making artwork, and learning techniques that you can use in some of the exercises in After Effects Kickstart.
You'll also have a better understanding of how Photoshop and Illustrator files are set up and created. This can be helpful when working with imported artwork in After Effects, which you will do in After Effects Kickstart.
What are the prerequisites?
The only thing you need to take this class is a desire to learn Photoshop & Illustrator and an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. We'll take you from blank page to a finished piece, giving you the opportunity to build new skills with each lesson.
What is the required software?
- Adobe Illustrator CC 2018.1 (22.1.0 or Higher)
- Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 (19.1.5 or Higher)
What is the course format?
Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed is an 8-week course. Lessons become available at a specific time each week but you can watch them and do your work whenever it is convenient for you. The lessons include pre-recorded videos, podcasts, PDFs and assignments with working files.
All student work is critiqued by our highly trained Teaching Assistants. School of Motion TA's are professional Animators with real life experience in the industry.
During the course you will be invited to a private classroom that contains all of the students and Teaching Assistants in your session. This is a great tool for connecting, asking or answering questions, sharing thoughts or insights, and winning cool contests!
How much time do I need to commit?
Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed is an 8-week course. You'll have the flexibility to watch the course content and complete your course work on your schedule. However, you can expect to commit at least 15 - 20 hours per week on course material. The video lesson are 1-2 hours in length. There are 9 assignments total. Assignments are typically assigned on Mondays and Thursdays with soft deadlines the next day. We have designated catch-up weeks built into the schedule so students have extra time to complete their assignments if needed. There is also an extended critique add-on for those that want more time with a Teaching Assistant after the 8-week course or need more time to complete assignments towards earning a credential.
Do I get a certificate at the end of the course?
Yes, if you complete, submit, and have 70% of your course assignments approved by your Teaching Assistant you will be eligible for a Course Credential through Credly. With your Credly Course Credential, you can share your accomplishments across your social networks, the blockchain, or to print out yourself.
Can I access my course content after the course ends?
Yes! Once you complete Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed, you’ll have lifetime access to all the course lessons and materials, so you can revisit them whenever you like. Also, if we make any changes to Photoshop and Illustrator Unleashed following your session, you’ll automatically receive access to the latest version.
Please note: Video critiques change each session, so you’ll only have access to the video critiques during the session you're enrolled in. The written critiques you receive in your homework locker as well as the classroom content will also remain available to you forever!
