EQ is as easy or advanced as YOU want it to be. You can use only the basics, or be endlessly creative by learning all the in's-and-outs of it. Quilt University offers great classes to learn it, which I highly recommend. I took them and it made all the difference for me - well worth every penny. And they're taught by Fran Gonzalez and Patti Anderson, who both have written tutorial books for EQ.