Google holds the answers... there are a billion* vector tutoriols out there.







Actual amount may vary.

hehe, i don't vector :D i draw by hand, scan and then digitally color :d

is that how you learned to do it?



you found tutorials on google?

No, I taught myself, it's the best way. I'm still learning as you can see from my subs. Just play about with it, it dosent take long to get the basics down. But when it comes to more advanced tricky stuff, look up a tutorial on google. Good luck dood.

thanks. =]



i just wish there was a good tutorial like explaining how to do it and all the essentials you need to start.



i just dont understand how to do it.



do you trace something or draw it by hand?

so many questionss!

http://www.acidflyers.com/illustrator.html



Loads of links here for tutorials. But be warned, these might leave you more confused than before. My best advice is just mess about with it for a few hours.

want to know the easy way? photoshop-artistic-cutout and mess with those.. it may not look the same but it works.

A Photoshop shortcut:



1. Make a selection (best way is Select->Color Select)

2. Click "Paths" (in the "Layers" palatte)

3. Click the arrow, then select "Make Work Path"

4. Click Layers, then make a new fill layer (a layer with a solid color)

5. Click Layer (top menu) -> Vector Mask -> Current Path



Voila, instant vectors. Now you can tweak them as much as you like and you get to skip that irritating "convert every point" step.

which version of PS do you use, inkblot? im on 7.



i get to your 5th step and lose ya. any suggestions? and can you successfully get these vector shapes into illy?

I'd start with learning how to use a Vector Program.



I prefer Illustrator to Photoshop when vectoring (photoshop is a raster program neways).



As for Websites to learn... Might want to try Deviantart.com and go to their tutorials for vectoring... good place to start.

practice... the more comfortable you get with using the program the better you'll be at it.



Tutorials are no substitute for practice in my opinion

get familiar w/ the pen tool. that's probably most of what you'll be using. It can be tricky if you are unfamiliar w/ it, but it will be extremely important. I luv computer arts magazine (there's several that have a similar name & format. check them out in bookstores. & make sure it has articles/tutorials? that involve Illustrator. flip through it, some issues don't. but :o( they are expensive in the US.)



you can also look online @ their website. I know they have tutorials, for a few pence (equivelent of cents) It will probably be somewhere around 2$.



also, I've been using Illustrator for a few years now, and Corel Draw for ages, and I never read the books that come w/it. I started reading the manual and was very supprised by all the random things I didn't know it could do. I thought I pretty much knew the program, and had it down pat, but I was pretty suprised at all the little tricks that it has that make life so much easier.



Oh, hey, has every one found the sample paletes of pantone colors? I was so thrilled when I found them. (illustrator/presets/swatches)

The best way really is to work a 60 hour week for a merciless taskmaster boss at an uninspired corporate screenprinting company in an industrial suburb that always smells like yams and chemicals where you repeatedly reconstruct college and highschool logos from faxes vomited into a tray by a thirty year old machine.



Who loves Rubylith? You know I do!

This is a good place to start... http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/5204066/



And there's a list of tuts in the journal here... http://vbu.deviantart.com/



And there's a video tut covering the basics here... http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Tracing-With-Pen-Tool-Video-Tutorial/8404



It really just takes practice until you get a feel for the pen & its idiosyncrasies. There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning how to use the pen tool in Photoshop...you can still create vectors that way...but with far more limited tools. And the PS vector tools have a different 'feel' & tolerance to the Illustrator ones...so it takes a little aclimatising when you cross over. There are definite benefits to using the pen in PS...you have the benefits of masking, painting & a greater array of blending modes for a start. But eventually you outgrow PS's vector capabilities & need to move on to Illus.