Web Design Forums

mocremilo · 07-07-2008, 19:22

I've been wanting to get into illustrating just for the sake of illustrating, so I took a picture of my son and traced it. Not much going on here, but is this a good method, or would it be considered cheap? I guess my question is, for all you illustrators, is this something you do, or do you free hand by sight?

bjzaba · 07-07-2008, 20:06

Drawing from life changes the way you look at the world. You won't regret taking part in a few sessions, believe me. Its completely different to tracing, or even copying a photograph. I've never liked those methods much anyway. I mean if you take the time to trace the photograph, why not just use the photograph? In my eyes that would be far more interesting. In saying that, it could be considered cheap, but the whole point is that you're making a beautiful illustration. Who really cares in the end what you did to make it if it looks good?

In the end it should be developed much further than just a trace (I think you alluded to that in your post). But it might be a good foundation for a style, I don't know, but I think you could push it alot further. Just keep going with it. Keep all of your drawings, even if they're bad. You'll learn from them. And look for inspiration in other illustrator's work. Look for inspiration anywhere...

I don't want to sound like I'm a master of illustration, because I've only started to really work at it this year. But by doing the above I've found that I greatly improved my work. Maybe it might work for you.

Can you draw well using pencil and paper?

***EDIT***

I just re-read your post, and it sounds like you have more experience than I previously assumed. So if it sounded like I thought you were new to it all, I did. :p

Samione · 08-07-2008, 14:03

Can you recommend any good illustration blogs/collections of stuff to draw inspiration from?

Pixar · 08-07-2008, 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samione

Can you recommend any good illustration blogs/collections of stuff to draw inspiration from?

deviantart has a lot of members who have illustration blogs/gallery.

mocremilo · 08-07-2008, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjzaba

Can you draw well using pencil and paper?

I can copy from sight pretty well with pencil and paper, but I'm terrible from my imagination.

bjzaba · 08-07-2008, 23:18

Deviantart is great, but you have to look for some of the better art there... there is alot of good work that gets lost in the masses of mediocre works. The trick is to followa few good blogs. Generally when you find one, you find its linked to more good stuff...

Here's some in my bookmarks:

Design is Kinky » Blog Archive » Gui Borchert - from the guys who organise semi-permanent, an aussie design conference
ÐŸÑ€Ð¾ÑÐ½Ð¸ÑÑŒ, - found this one today with the help of the above site
Lost At E Minor: Music, illustration, art, photography and more - this one
mcbess - this guy has an interesting style
The Official M.C. Escher Website - Escher is one of my all-time favourites...
home - Shaun Tan is one of my favourite aussie book illustrators, he did The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Rabbits and The Arrival

Great to hear you can draw! But I'm not sure what I can suggest for about the imagination part. I guess, like drawing from life, drawing from the imagination takes practice...

hawken · 09-07-2008, 00:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samione

Can you recommend any good illustration blogs/collections of stuff to draw inspiration from?

I don't know if my stuff is inspiring but I decided to be an illustrator for a few years. I've always been doodling and stuff for years but one day I tried to do it properly. Nothing recent though.

Dadako » illustration

alienbreed · 09-07-2008, 01:22

i really like mcbess tracks. such a decent craftsman..

bjzaba · 09-07-2008, 02:12

I love your work hawken! You are now bookmarked

Pixar · 09-07-2008, 03:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjzaba

Deviantart is great, but you have to look for some of the better art there... there is alot of good work that gets lost in the masses of mediocre works. The trick is to followa few good blogs. Generally when you find one, you find its linked to more good stuff...

you can search blogs on it.

emil · 09-07-2008, 07:04

more resources you can find here:

IllustratorWorld
Illustration | IllustrationMundo.com
Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog

but looking at your illustration, it seems like you may need to spend some more time familiarizing with the pen tool. Use smoother lines and it'll look better.

Samione · 09-07-2008, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawken

I don't know if my stuff is inspiring but I decided to be an illustrator for a few years. I've always been doodling and stuff for years but one day I tried to do it properly. Nothing recent though.

Dadako » illustration

Seen your stuff before, definitely dig it. Really like the 3D, nice to see someone doing something different with the medium rather than photorealistic v-ray renders.

mocremilo · 09-07-2008, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by emil

it seems like you may need to spend some more time familiarizing with the pen tool. Use smoother lines and it'll look better.

Will do. Thanks for the resources everyone.

CGzero · 11-07-2008, 15:31

I illustrate with pencil and paper then scan and trace over it in photoshop and try to get to a finished result as soon as possible in black and white then go over it in color then polish it.

TeZ · 11-07-2008, 15:54

^ is it better to trace in Ai ? then Ps for your textures etc..

magaly · 11-07-2008, 22:06

I won't say tracing photos is cheap, but I never do it myself because I feel there are already enough people taking short cuts like that in the field. It sort cheapens our profession and it definitely takes away a lot of credibility from vector artists. That may be a broad way of looking at things, but those are just my personal thoughts.

The program I absolutely cannot live without is actually Flash. I do both print and web work from Flash then export it to Illustrator for saving and changing up colors a bit. Drawing in Flash is extremely easy since they have a vector brush tool. I do not trace photos though, all my work is original and freehand. It might be a little challenge to trace photos in Flash since there aren't any advanced layer options like you find in PS or Illustrator but I think you should try it if you haven't already.

dawiyo · 01-08-2008, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by magaly

The program I absolutely cannot live without is actually Flash. I do both print and web work from Flash then export it to Illustrator for saving and changing up colors a bit.

Good to know I'm not the only one!

dominic.louis · 03-08-2008, 05:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by mocremilo

I've been wanting to get into illustrating just for the sake of illustrating, so I took a picture of my son and traced it. Not much going on here, but is this a good method, or would it be considered cheap? I guess my question is, for all you illustrators, is this something you do, or do you free hand by sight?

Hi ,

Please use corel tracer to get good out put.

Thanks
Dominic

emil · 03-08-2008, 12:10

Please, fuck off

07-07-2008, 19:22	#1 (permalink)
mocremilo Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: California Posts: 132	How do you illustrate? I've been wanting to get into illustrating just for the sake of illustrating, so I took a picture of my son and traced it. Not much going on here, but is this a good method, or would it be considered cheap? I guess my question is, for all you illustrators, is this something you do, or do you free hand by sight? Attached Thumbnails

07-07-2008, 20:06	#2 (permalink)
bjzaba Design Student Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 191	Drawing from life changes the way you look at the world. You won't regret taking part in a few sessions, believe me. Its completely different to tracing, or even copying a photograph. I've never liked those methods much anyway. I mean if you take the time to trace the photograph, why not just use the photograph? In my eyes that would be far more interesting. In saying that, it could be considered cheap, but the whole point is that you're making a beautiful illustration. Who really cares in the end what you did to make it if it looks good? In the end it should be developed much further than just a trace (I think you alluded to that in your post). But it might be a good foundation for a style, I don't know, but I think you could push it alot further. Just keep going with it. Keep all of your drawings, even if they're bad. You'll learn from them. And look for inspiration in other illustrator's work. Look for inspiration anywhere... I don't want to sound like I'm a master of illustration, because I've only started to really work at it this year. But by doing the above I've found that I greatly improved my work. Maybe it might work for you. Can you draw well using pencil and paper? *EDIT* I just re-read your post, and it sounds like you have more experience than I previously assumed. So if it sounded like I thought you were new to it all, I did. :p Last edited by bjzaba : 08-07-2008 at 10:18.

08-07-2008, 23:18	#6 (permalink)
bjzaba Design Student Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 191	Deviantart is great, but you have to look for some of the better art there... there is alot of good work that gets lost in the masses of mediocre works. The trick is to followa few good blogs. Generally when you find one, you find its linked to more good stuff... Here's some in my bookmarks: Design is Kinky » Blog Archive » Gui Borchert - from the guys who organise semi-permanent, an aussie design conference ÐŸÑ€Ð¾ÑÐ½Ð¸ÑÑŒ, - found this one today with the help of the above site Lost At E Minor: Music, illustration, art, photography and more - this one mcbess - this guy has an interesting style The Official M.C. Escher Website - Escher is one of my all-time favourites... home - Shaun Tan is one of my favourite aussie book illustrators, he did The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Rabbits and The Arrival Great to hear you can draw! But I'm not sure what I can suggest for about the imagination part. I guess, like drawing from life, drawing from the imagination takes practice... Last edited by bjzaba : 09-07-2008 at 04:12.

09-07-2008, 07:04	#11 (permalink)
emil dt immigrant Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bucharest - Romania Posts: 6,769	more resources you can find here: IllustratorWorld Illustration \| IllustrationMundo.com Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog but looking at your illustration, it seems like you may need to spend some more time familiarizing with the pen tool. Use smoother lines and it'll look better. __________________ ABSTRACT Q X R

03-08-2008, 12:10	#19 (permalink)
emil dt immigrant Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bucharest - Romania Posts: 6,769	Please, fuck off __________________ ABSTRACT Q X R

08-07-2008, 14:03	#3 (permalink)
Samione Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 616	Can you recommend any good illustration blogs/collections of stuff to draw inspiration from?

09-07-2008, 01:22	#8 (permalink)
alienbreed Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dubai UAE Posts: 42	i really like mcbess tracks. such a decent craftsman..

09-07-2008, 02:12	#9 (permalink)
bjzaba Design Student Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 191	I love your work hawken! You are now bookmarked

11-07-2008, 15:31	#14 (permalink)
CGzero Artist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Washington Posts: 20	I illustrate with pencil and paper then scan and trace over it in photoshop and try to get to a finished result as soon as possible in black and white then go over it in color then polish it.

11-07-2008, 15:54	#15 (permalink)
TeZ At the end of production. Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oxford Posts: 524	^ is it better to trace in Ai ? then Ps for your textures etc..

11-07-2008, 22:06	#16 (permalink)
magaly Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	I won't say tracing photos is cheap, but I never do it myself because I feel there are already enough people taking short cuts like that in the field. It sort cheapens our profession and it definitely takes away a lot of credibility from vector artists. That may be a broad way of looking at things, but those are just my personal thoughts. The program I absolutely cannot live without is actually Flash. I do both print and web work from Flash then export it to Illustrator for saving and changing up colors a bit. Drawing in Flash is extremely easy since they have a vector brush tool. I do not trace photos though, all my work is original and freehand. It might be a little challenge to trace photos in Flash since there aren't any advanced layer options like you find in PS or Illustrator but I think you should try it if you haven't already.

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