- LEARN THE DIFFERENCE: VECTOR VS RASTER
- BLEND PIXELS AND VECTORS
- BUILD A SUCCESSFUL ILLUSTRATION
It’s important to note the difference between
raster and vector artwork. Raster images are
made of pixels, which are tiny squares that sit
together to form an image. These are resolution-
dependent and if you enlarge a raster image, you
will start to pixelate the image.
Vectors are geometric shapes that are created
by mathematical lines and curves, and they are
not resolution-dependent, meaning that you can
enlarge them as much as you like without losing
quality or form.
Combining the crispness of vector with the
tangibility of digital painting and making a cohesive
design is no easy task. It is the signature style of
French illustrator and designer Ladislas
Chachignot (www.ladislasdesign.com), who
combines the best of both Illustrator and
Photoshop: “I’m attracted to two things in art:
digital painting in Photoshop and vector art in
Illustrator. I couldn’t choose between them, so I
decided to mix them and take the best aspects [of]
each. I use Photoshop for its amazing brushes and
to draw [or] paint directly in the software. I use a
lot [of] clipping masks, as it’s easy to add texture
without paying too much attention to the outlines. I
use Illustrator to create a contrast between
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TECHNIQUE, COLOUR AND EFFECTS TO BUILD A STRIKING VECTOR ILLUSTRATION
Photoshop is raster-based, but it can handle
vectors. Especially in the most recent versions, it has
its own vector tools to create shapes and type, which
can easily be filled with colours or patterns directly
from the toolbar and using the Live Shape Properties
in CC. However, you may need to rasterise these
vectors to apply some Photoshop effects, which only
work on pixels. Illustrator is vector-based and its main
purpose is to create complex geometric designs. The
two programs work together exceptionally, meaning
you can blend the best of both worlds.
textured, digital painting and flat vector elements.
I import these vector elements and sort them
using separate layers in Photoshop. I often use
Photoshop to give depth to my images and vector
elements by adding a Gaussian Blur under the
shapes. I mix Photoshop and Illustrator to give
the images a modern and geometric look that
would not be possible to do easily only with
Photoshop. My artworks have a bit of the vector
art look, but Photoshop allows me to overpass
this and give the image something more
interesting. I think my goal and graphic identity is
to mix a painterly style with some flat geometric
shapes, as shown in my image here.” You can see
an overview of this process step by step in Tip 4.
Most of the artists featured here will work between
the two programs, for example designer and illustrator
Ladislas Chachignot (www.ladislasdesign.com)
explains, “For this portrait [on the page opposite] I’ve
created some coloured shapes in illustrator, then I’ve
imported them into Photoshop. I can still change the
size and they will remain perfect. If I want to change
something in the vector shape, I go back to Illustrator,
modify it and re-import it in Photoshop. When you
bring the two pieces of software together, you will have
a new source of possibility and freedom.”
Layers to build: “The background
and foreground are built up from several layers set at different
opacity to blend and create the floating space scene”
Aged look:layer softens the sharp “The top Grain
lines, which gives it an aged look and the feeling
of static and space”
Colour choices : “The
monotone colour choice reinforces the retro look, like
it was being viewed on an old black-and-white monitor
(with a purple tint)”
Isometric blocks:made up of many parts, all drawn“The machine is
separately and randomly.Everything’s the same angle, so
theyfittogetherlikebuildingblocks.Thisisthebenefitof
isometric illustration”
In the details:this method is that you have to draw“The problem with
everything. Even if parts areblocked/behind other parts, you
need to draw them so that you havethe flexibility to move things around”
© Ladislas Chachignot 2015
© Stephen Chan
