First Vector Portrait

JackRabbit · 10-23-2009, 08:13 PM

Ok, so I really have absolutely no experience in Illustrator at all. So I understand that what I've got so far looks pretty crappyish. Haha. But regardless, I'm having problems with the hair. I have absolutely no clue how to preserve the "flippiness" of the hair. I would greatly appreciate some help with how to go about tracing and coloring the hair so that it looks somewhat decent haha. As you can see from the more yellowish part of the hair that I did, it just doesn't look right.. not flippy like the original photo. This isn't a completed project, of course, but I've kinda hit a roadblock right now and I don't know how to move forward with it. So anyways, I posted a .jpg of the file and I'll post a mediafire link to the .ai later.

Critiques are warmly welcomed. I will love you forever if you give me advice on how to trace the hair though(:

**Typically** · 10-23-2009, 08:49 PM

i would trace the shape of the hair and then add highlights/shadows to give it a more realistic look. since we can't see the original it's hard to tell you what to do with the hair though

and if this is your first go at illustrator it looks pretty darn good. are you using the pen tool?

Jaffnae · 10-23-2009, 10:41 PM

http://www.susannepaschke.de/
I'd check out this lady's work. Shes crazily good at vector portraits. I think so anyway

!
And I'd porobably do the same as Typically. Or I would manually add the hair with a Wacom.

SurfPark · 10-24-2009, 02:19 AM

It all depends on how detailed you want your piece. I've seen some work done as if it was cut out of construction paper, likewise, I've seen vector art that looks like a photograph. From your work so far it looks like you're just trying to capture the basics. The face is really coming along nicely.

Here is a nice tutorial that might help: http://freevector.blogspot.com/2007/...urn-it-to.html

Here is a good example of hair in vector form. You'll notice its mostly done in 4 tones; dark, medium, light, and highlight. It looks like they may have used transparency to make the shades. You can experiment with that and maybe try gradients if you're adventurous.

JackRabbit · 10-24-2009, 05:32 AM

Here's the original

holycow77 · 10-24-2009, 05:33 AM

Great work for your first try.
Sometimes if you trace the original to the millimeter, some things (like hair) just don't look right. You may find that drawing the hair a bit more freehand and simplifying all the lines and angles will help.

Cmate · 10-24-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackRabbit

Ok, so I really have absolutely no experience in Illustrator at all. So I understand that what I've got so far looks pretty crappyish. Haha. But regardless, I'm having problems with the hair. I have absolutely no clue how to preserve the "flippiness" of the hair. I would greatly appreciate some help with how to go about tracing and coloring the hair so that it looks somewhat decent haha. As you can see from the more yellowish part of the hair that I did, it just doesn't look right.. not flippy like the original photo. This isn't a completed project, of course, but I've kinda hit a roadblock right now and I don't know how to move forward with it. So anyways, I posted a .jpg of the file and I'll post a mediafire link to the .ai later.

Critiques are warmly welcomed. I will love you forever if you give me advice on how to trace the hair though(:

At least you are better in this than I do!

JackRabbit · 10-26-2009, 08:16 PM

Okay, here is the .ai file as promised before. http://www.mediafire.com/?jenmd4nthly

I would still like some feedback on how to make the flippy hair, especially in the area around where the blondish hair is in the vector.

**Virgo Nightingale** · 10-26-2009, 08:41 PM

JackRabbit, if you want further critique I would just post a jpg of the image instead of the Illy file. Not many people here will download a file from an unknown source.

JackRabbit · 10-27-2009, 08:00 PM

I did that too... Its five posts up(: