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Started By
Message
First LSU vector
Posted on 10/20/10 at 12:50 am
Posted on 10/20/10 at 12:50 am
How do you guys actually make your vector images? I did this with only the pen tool in Illustrator, would love to learn some short cuts.
3
Posted on 10/20/10 at 3:47 am to woahdallas
I think either tim, nortizzle, or orphan had posted a short tutorial, but I can't remember. However, that's a very good job what you have there 
Posted on 10/20/10 at 8:03 am to Bread Orgeron
Nice work...tim posted this in another thread, maybe it will help:
1. Find the desired image
2. Render it to eliminate the background
3. Posterize the image- this is a key step. If you just use two colors, you lose a lot of the detail. I usually pick 7-9.
4. Individually decide which color to make each area. Clean up the edges of the sections. This is the hardest part which I do with pens by hand.
5. Use a program to convert bitmap to vector
Sometimes I will repeat step 4 and 5 several times depending on the image.
The jagged edges you refered to are a result of the conversion process.
I have both a printed copy of my progress and the original photo and look back and forth between the images to try to capture most of the detail.
When I take shortcuts, like just bitmap to vector scans, it speeds the process. However, I feel the final image suffers. Sometimes I will do this though depending on what I have planned for the final image.
There are likely easier ways to create vector art but this is my method. I don't know if Vector Magic will give you similar images; I don't use a tutorial and taught myself by practice.
1. Find the desired image
2. Render it to eliminate the background
3. Posterize the image- this is a key step. If you just use two colors, you lose a lot of the detail. I usually pick 7-9.
4. Individually decide which color to make each area. Clean up the edges of the sections. This is the hardest part which I do with pens by hand.
5. Use a program to convert bitmap to vector
Sometimes I will repeat step 4 and 5 several times depending on the image.
The jagged edges you refered to are a result of the conversion process.
I have both a printed copy of my progress and the original photo and look back and forth between the images to try to capture most of the detail.
When I take shortcuts, like just bitmap to vector scans, it speeds the process. However, I feel the final image suffers. Sometimes I will do this though depending on what I have planned for the final image.
There are likely easier ways to create vector art but this is my method. I don't know if Vector Magic will give you similar images; I don't use a tutorial and taught myself by practice.
Posted on 10/20/10 at 4:18 pm to jfeezie
Thanks guys.
Posted on 10/20/10 at 4:35 pm to woahdallas
Posted on 10/21/10 at 7:55 am to woahdallas
Someone above described my method. Great first image. With the pen tool, that is really impressive. You will get better with practice.
Also, there is a bitmap to vector scan for most of these programs. I wouldn't rely soley on it because art generated by hand will usually look better than computer generated. It can give you a good base or a source.
Sometimes I will convert an image then draw over it to add the detail I want. It's a little like "paint by numbers" but not quite. At the end of the day, the artist has to discern what is important to include in the details.
I have found the most important part about creating impressive vectors is choosing the correct source image. I'm sure that doesn't matter if you can do them from scratch; however, I am not that talented.
What makes for a good source? Usually a large, high quality photo that contains shadows. I like to minimize colors too. Generally, the most I use is 7 for LSU pieces:
black & white
Two shades of purple (sometimes blue)
Yellow
Brown (this I use for the yellow shadow and skin tone and sometimes the football)
Gray (shadow for white)
If the subject were caucasion, I would likely have to add one more, a peach type color.
The pants look really good on this piece, again because of the use of shadow. If I had one suggeestion, I would change the colors. Pick a more vibrant yellow, change the dark brown to black and make the brown a little warmer.
If you do a search for "Vector," you can see some of my work. I am fairly certain I included that in the title of all my vector threads. I make monochromatic logos using a very similar method.
If I can be of any help, please let me know.
Also, there is a bitmap to vector scan for most of these programs. I wouldn't rely soley on it because art generated by hand will usually look better than computer generated. It can give you a good base or a source.
Sometimes I will convert an image then draw over it to add the detail I want. It's a little like "paint by numbers" but not quite. At the end of the day, the artist has to discern what is important to include in the details.
I have found the most important part about creating impressive vectors is choosing the correct source image. I'm sure that doesn't matter if you can do them from scratch; however, I am not that talented.
What makes for a good source? Usually a large, high quality photo that contains shadows. I like to minimize colors too. Generally, the most I use is 7 for LSU pieces:
black & white
Two shades of purple (sometimes blue)
Yellow
Brown (this I use for the yellow shadow and skin tone and sometimes the football)
Gray (shadow for white)
If the subject were caucasion, I would likely have to add one more, a peach type color.
The pants look really good on this piece, again because of the use of shadow. If I had one suggeestion, I would change the colors. Pick a more vibrant yellow, change the dark brown to black and make the brown a little warmer.
If you do a search for "Vector," you can see some of my work. I am fairly certain I included that in the title of all my vector threads. I make monochromatic logos using a very similar method.
If I can be of any help, please let me know.
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