How to create an illustration

Phate

Phate

Phate

Caporegime
Joined
1 Nov 2003
Posts
35,691
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Like this

First_Girl_Illustration_by_wistfulwanderer.jpg


Now I've got a full adobe package, know my way around Photoshop pretty well. I want to have a proper stab at making something like the above for the other half. It'll make an awesome birthday present which is at the end of October :)

So...how does one go about making this, the only obvious thing I know is to start off with a high definition photo, which I can sort out no problems. Not sure where to go from there though?

Can anyone help? :)

Cheers,
Jake
 
You'll want to use Illustrator as the pen tool is far better in that than Photoshop (and because it's vector you can save it out at whatever resolution you want).

It has a live trace option which might be a good start - basically the program attempts to do all the work for you. If you have a very clean photo to start with it can work quite well.

Tutorial: http://www.ndesign-studio.com/tutorials/tracing-photo
 
Pho said:
You'll want to use Illustrator as the pen tool is far better in that than Photoshop (and because it's vector you can save it out at whatever resolution you want).

It has a live trace option which might be a good start - basically the program attempts to do all the work for you. If you have a very clean photo to start with it can work quite well.

Tutorial: http://www.ndesign-studio.com/tutorials/tracing-photo
Click to expand...

It's very good apart from the fact she's missing her bellybutton, which just makes it look weird!!
 
These types of illustrations are fairly easy, they just consume time. You soon pick up the pace, but don't be lured into using Illustrator's cheat tool. You lose control and end up with something that's not exactly as you want it.

Here's one I did of a car a few years ago:

skylinevector.jpg
 
Going to give this a go tonight, will need to get a mouse though, can't see doing this on a touchpad being much fun
 
Nice one Gord :)

This is why I'm looking into it now, an hour or 2 a night and I should be able to produce something decent :) - Got till the end of October so if I start now should be more than enough time...

Just hope I can produce something I'm proud of really :)
 
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