Is "vector art" a "trendy art"?
In this article I'll expose some very personnal thoughts. Take them as they come ;-). So, first I want to say that I absolutely do not believe in the concept of "trend", just as I do not believe in the word "innovation" in its very strict sense, as things are always very closely inter-connected, most of all talking about the sacred and serious "artistic stuff". Many people express themself about "artistic trends " as if in the art existed one kind of "spontaneous generations" that was born, live and die without any connections. We cannot place in one side (the good one) some modern, innovative and "pure original" art and in other side (the dark one), "trendy", old and unoriginal art. That's just a nonsense.
Wow! what a fantastic trendy "vector art" illo!
Define vector! Define art! Define trend!
All of that to say that the current (passionated) debates around the "vector art" are completely sterile and terribly annoying (
so, why do I write this article!? ;-)). I will shorlty summarize the thoughts of some vector art disparagers (with random sentences found on several blogs and forums):
"vector art is for poser and asshole artists" (very nice ;-)),
"unoriginal",
"too much of this vector stuff going around", "Vector is obviously a trend and will just fade out like all other trends", "Actually I think that there shouldn't be more vector in future", etc. I wouldn't like to give here and there a lesson of history about the computer graphics (or about art in general) but as far as I remember, vector (and vector art as well) has always existed as a whole part of the "computer art" (like 3D or pixel/bitmap art) and it is one of the older.
I still remember the fascination that exerted over me the Coreldraw Cliparts libraries when I worked on my 25 Mhz PC at the very beginning of the Nineties.
CorelDraw Cliparts
Yeah, this art is still so "trendy", isn' it?!
You can also note down that the famous vector software
Adobe Illustrator (first version) has been released in 1985.
Vector and Internet.
As everyone knows, Internet is a tremendous accelerator of "things". And it has undoubtedly "popularised" in a certain way the vector as a true and inescapable artistic form (and it could have made some
"disparagers of the so-call vector trend which invades us everywhere" lose their "sense of history"). Without entering into the details, it could be said that the
Macromedia Flash software was a great factor in the popularisation of the vector, going on and betting on the vector intrinsic qualities (low size, flexibility, etc.): a good example of cooperation between artists, mathematicians and developers.
"Vector-drawing" is an art!
After being regarded as a poor parent of the pixel during years, the vector has acquired today a very noble place (maybe thanks to the Internet) and will remain forever - I guess - like one of the main branch of the computer art, influencing other forms of art by its simple artistic "aspect".
Now it's time to explore what is really "vector art", not with a simple cold definition (you will find some "cold definition" later in our tutorial) but what the vector art "idea" and "spirit" are. Because the most important in art is always the "idea" and the way you "interpret" the world or whatever. If vector art was just a simple technique, I think that "
The Perfect Vector Auto-Tracer That Do All Your Desire" Software would have already been marketed for a long time. But, since now, there's no auto-tracer software that can do what human can create. "Vectorizing" needs human-artist qualities and talents. For example, just look at the different styles and designs between
juniatwork and
popwhore websites. Their personal approach of the vector art is just totally different. But out of context, what is finally the most important here is Art and the Artist behind, and the "Emotion" he/she has created with his/her Art, the way he/she has re-interpreted some pieces of the "reality". Vector art needs to see and think as an artist, needs to have an artistic approach and ability. Believe me or not but vector art is not as easy as it seems. To find a style, it needs a lot of work.
Here are exposed different vector art styles... Be inspired...
(Every illustrations own to their respective authors and are copyrighted)
An Art of Simplification...
Vector art (in a mathematical and technical way) is all about "simplify the real". Vector art is all about re-interpreting, re-creating something complex in a more simplified form. The many colors and forms of a "real thing" (as a bitmap photo), have to be entirely re-created. And it is the way the artist "sees" these colors, these forms, etc., that will give the "style" of his/her vector illustration. The artistic approach is "simplifying the real" to re-create "another beauty" (the word "simplify" must be taken here in a very large artistic meaning). The best way to understand what I'm talking about is to try the little tutorial below that will expose you some basic ideas on how to create a vector illustration from a real thing-photo. That's not a universal way to do vector stuffs but it could help you to begin and maybe go further... Just have fun!!
(Every illustrations own to their respective authors and are copyrighted)
TUTORIAL: USING FLASH TO MAKE VECTOR ART
What is vector?
definition #1: "Vector Based Graphics are created by the computer making mathematical calculations about the relations between points. The benefit of this is that vector images can be resized with no loss of quality" (Flinders University).
definition #2: "The representation of separate shapes such as lines, polygons and text, and groups of such objects, as opposed to bitmaps. The advantage of vector graphics ("drawing") programs over bitmap ("paint") editors is that multiple overlapping elements can be manipulated independently without using different layers for each one. It is also easier to render an object at different sizes and to transform it in other ways without worrying about image resolution and pixels" (Hyperdictionary).
"Real thing-photo"
As it is the "simpliest" way to learn vectorization/vector basic techniques (in Flash), we will use a photo as "model"/support for this tutorial. Note that you can use whatever you want (not only a photo). Every "real thing" can be vectorized as a video, your cat, the landscape in front of you... So, in Flash, import a photo you'd like to vectorize on the very 1st layer, then lock it. The photo must be very detailed. Use a photo resolution at least with 500px width. You have to be perfectly able to spot particular details, delimitate shades, etc. The choice of a good photo will directly affect the final result.
The 2CV photo
Hand-drawing outlines
Insert a 2nd layer, on top of the first one, in which you will draw the outlines of your favorite girl, car, or whatever you want, and delimitate the shapes and shades. You will use the line tool and/or the pencil tool to do it, with a flashy outline color, like a flashy pink (this will help to see the lines and erase them easily at the end). Use 99% of time the "Smooth" option. At this step, you will define which details you will want (or not) to appear in your final illustration... The more details you will have, the more your illustration will look "realistic"... Details will make the difference between a "cartoon" rendering or a "realistic" rendering. You choose what you want. Always draw the outlines zooming the more you can. The more you zoom in, the more your outlines will generate points and be smooth and "elegant". The use of a graphic table is very recommended here. Note that we don't use any bezier technique here to draw this illustration, but if you want you can ;-).
Flashy outlines
The colors
Now you have hand-drawn all the outlines with your flashy pink color, it's time to go to step 3 : the colors. You have many choices here. You can help yourself using the photo colors or choose your very own colors. Here we will use as basis the photo colors because a green 2CV, it's great! (and it's still simpliest to learn). Stay on the 2nd layer and, using the eyedropper tool, select on the original photo the colors you want. Be very attentive and accurate with the colors you select and with the contrast between the colors (light zones/dark zones). You will very often have to work with the different Flash colors panels to find the right color that match perfectly (it is not necessarily the color you picked on the photo. It's even never the color you picked because your eyes don't see what the computer see, ehehe. You will always have to find by yourself the correct colors).
Fill the areas you delimited with your outlines using the paint bucket tool. Use the tool options to close gaps if needed. Here you can use either solid or gradients (radial or linear) fills. With a good use of gradients fills, you will be able to create some realistic 2D reliefs/volumes.
If you choose to use your very own colors (not the photo colors), the eyedrop tool can help you anyway by identifying contrast and luminance levels between colors. You can also create totally psychadelic colors... you're just free!
You may notice that the top of the car is made with a gradient linear filling.
Keep or remove outlines
After filling, you can delete all the flashy outlines (use double-click). Sometimes, some little points may stay on your draw. Check them all and destroy them all!
You also have the choice to keep the outlines on your draw and color them (using the Ink Bottle tool) to give your illustration another nice vector style.
With or without the outlines. Choose your style.
Final touch
Here, we will give our 2CV the "final touch". Create a 3rd layer. This layer concerns the windscreen of our 2CV for which you will use a gradient linear filling with alpha (alpha = transparency). Then, take an alpha white color for both ends of the windscreen, then an alpha black color to give some transparency and relief aspect to the glass. On a 4th layer, draw and fill the windscreen wipers. Finally, on a 5th layer, add shiny and funky things like sun reflection on glass and metal. These shiny things are made with an alpha white color radial gradient fill.
Final Illustration
THAT'S ALL... YOU'VE GOT YOUR NICE 2CV CAR ILLUSTRATION!
ENRICH YOUR ILLO WITH WHAT YOU WANT ;-).
The vectorization technique exposed here is the "simpliest" one. Depending on the complexity of the illustration to make and/or the basic support you use (photo, video, no support) many other techniques will have to be certainly used to perform a real nice vector illustration. Nethertheless, we hope this tutorial gave you some basic techniques to help you to go further in vector art :-).
And remember : no one is allowed to say to you what is (good) art or what is not :-).
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