Illustrating...

[magicgenie@adobeforums.com]

I'm hoping to give my students a high quality image each and ask them to produce an illustration from it, something like this:

<http://www.digitalvision.com/search/dvsearch.asp?CMD=ViewArtist&CODE=96>

I presume they'll place the image as a template in their Illustrator document and then proceed to draw.

My question is; are there any Illustrators on here who illustrate in this style, how do you do it, do you use the pencil or the pen tool, or..? Do you slowly build up the illustration, do you use layers?

Would really appreciate any help/input, many thanks.
kind regards
Amagic

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

For this type of image, I put the image on its own layer and lock it. I use the Pen tool to trace and as many layers as I need to be able to turn them on and off. As I draw, I use a stroke only, for visual clarity, switching to fill only when I'm happy with the shape.

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

I get redirected to a login page from the link.

[LRK@adobeforums.com]

It worked for me J. Try again. It's an image at Digital Vision.

[magicgenie@adobeforums.com]

Ah, terribly sorry Jason.

Perhaps [url]www.jason-brooks.com[/url] is a better site to view of the type of illustrations i'm talking of.

Many thanks

[JasonSmith@adobeforums.com]

doh - I got it, I just didnt select country/language. I thought it wanted me to register.

[magicgenie@adobeforums.com]

So, no help then guys? Am I better posting on Illustrator world dot com?
M

[LRK@adobeforums.com]

M: Gary gave you some good advice. The only other advice I might add is that you can simplify the photo at the get-go by using the Cutout Filter combine with maybe Smart Blur in Photoshop first and/or Posterize. Then take the image to Illustrator and begin tracing.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

You can apply the Cut out filter directly in AI if you work in RGB first.

AI has the Photoshop filters partly for this purpose.

Oh yes you had the answer yourself I would combine both approaches you yourself suggested.

[LRK@adobeforums.com]

Good point Wade. I'm so accustomed to working with both applications that I forget Illustrator supports many of the same bitmap filters that are in Photoshop. Glad you thought of that.

[Scott_Weichert@adobeforums.com]

I'd follow Gary's advice. I work pretty much the same way when workign from photo reference. There are a couple tips/tutorials at Illustratorworld that may help.

[Gary_Newman@adobeforums.com]

I always tell students it helps to think of drawing illustrator paths as you would think about cutting out pieces of opaque colored construction paper, and layering them on top of each other to build an image. Once you’ve mastered opaque, hard-edged objects, you can experiment with blends and transparency.

[LRK@adobeforums.com]

Good way to put it Gary.

[Nathaniel Flick]

in article [email]2ccfcb37.-1@webx.la[/email]2eafNXanI, [email]magicgenie@adobeforums.com[/email] at
[email]magicgenie@adobeforums.com[/email] wrote on 2/5/04 1:11 AM:

> I'm hoping to give my students a high quality image each and ask them to
> produce an illustration from it, something like this:
>
> <http://www.digitalvision.com/search/dvsearch.asp?CMD=ViewArtist&CODE=96>
>
> I presume they'll place the image as a template in their Illustrator document
> and then proceed to draw.
>
> My question is; are there any Illustrators on here who illustrate in this
> style, how do you do it, do you use the pencil or the pen tool, or..? Do you
> slowly build up the illustration, do you use layers?
>
> Would really appreciate any help/input, many thanks.
> kind regards
> Amagic

Illustrating objects, especially those in 3D, can be approached in various
ways. But some things to remember are that you can save time by having some
objects filled in order to cover "unsightliness" behind them, namely other
lines that don't need to be seen. You can then have one shape over another
in order to get an effect, rather than drawing the same line twice (as in
when two objects are right next to each other. Make it look that way by
putting one object above the other.)

I sometimes turn opacity to 50% so I can not only see the placed image but
also see how my shapes are interacting to create the final image. I then
pull back and look at what I have drawn without the placed image to make
sure I am on track.


Kind Regards,
Nathaniel
--
flikWORLD Design
reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com