In this tutorial, I'll be using Illustrator to make a stylized graphic with a monochromatic color scheme, which simply means that I'll be using just one color with various tones. When finished, I'll make a second version of the graphic using more than one color. I'll trace over a photograph, use the Pen Tool to create shapes that outline various tones, then fill my shapes with color, and rearrange layers. When done, I'll have two versions of the same graphic, and the know-how to make even more.
Although I am using Illustrator CS6, you should be able to follow along with any fairly recent version. Just right click on the below link to save a practice file to your computer, then open the file in Illustrator. To save the file with a new name, choose File >Save As, rename the file, "ice_skates," make the file format Adobe Illustrator, and click Save.
Download Practice File: st_ai-stylized_practice_file.png