- ADD SPECIAL EFFECTS TO VECTORS
Motion graphic designer and illustrator Aldo Crusher
(www.behance.net/aldocrusher) creates mostly
vector-based artwork. “First I make all the primary
shapes... I use the Shape tools, like the circle or the
rectangle, and to make more complex shapes, I use
Paths or the Pen tool. Once I have the element
traced, I paste it into a new canvas. I use Photoshop
to get two different final results: colour correction,
vignettes and glows; and/or to achieve a handmade
look with brushes and tool presets. For colour
correction, I use a Levels adjustment layer. To make
a vignette, I duplicate the main layer, rasterise it and
set it to Multiply blending mode. [On this layer] I
erase the centre [of the image] with the Eraser tool.
For glowing elements, I duplicate the layer, apply a
Gaussian Blur and put it in Screen or Linear Dodge
blending mode. [For my handmade look], I re-trace
the basic shapes with chalk brushes to get irregular
edges. I add texture by modifying the flow of the
brush; I like to play with it reducing its percentage.”Colour correction: “I wanted to
get more of a desert look than a beach look. To achieve this, I
added a Levels adjustment layer and played with it until I
got the look that I wanted”Vignette:“I added a vignette to
the final illustration. The layeris in Multiply mode at 100%”- CREATE
EDITORIAL DESIGNS
MICHAEL LESTER TALKS US THROUGH HIS
PROCESS FOR DESIGNING CRISP VECTOR
ILLUSTRATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL USE
01
BUILD THE VECTORS
“I start by building the vectors in
Illustrator, working to a rough format so I can
play with the cropping later. I split the elements
up depending on how complex the illustration
is and how many elements I want to be able to
individually work on in Photoshop.”02
VECTOR SMART OBJECTS
“I then import these objects as
individual Vector Smart Objects with a simple
copy and paste from Illustrator to Photoshop
before rebuilding the illustration. At this point
I’ll play with the composition and scale, not
having to worry about resolution problems
when enlarging the vectors.”03
ADD THE EFFECTS
“This is where the fun starts. I begin to
add texture to the blackboard, a perfect example
of how well these two programs work together.
Brushing away at a layer mask creates a nice
chalk effect, which remains unaffected when I
edit the vector file in Illustrator.”- BUILD BALANCED
COMPOSITIONS
If you’re creating vector designs that need to work
around a photographic central element, then you need
to ensure that there is balance between the different
media. “When mediating photography with vectors, I
recommend pasting the photograph and designing the
vectors based on it. That way, you can assure an
equilibrated composition between the elements of the
photograph and the new vector ones. Also, using the
same colour palette in both will help blend them
together later,” says Carolina Díaz. You also need to
think about the purpose of the photography to ensure
that this is not lost when you are working on the
illustrated elements. “In this case, the purpose was to
accentuate the product. For this reason, the
backgrounds that surround them are lighter in opacity
than the ones in the corners, making the handbag and
the model the main elements of the composition.
Accordingly, blending the photograph not only with
vectors, but also with other image textures and
illustrations, will create a more sticking design.”
Original vectors:[original] composition. All buildings, “This is my
houses, trees and extra elements are made with rectangles, circles
and some clipping masks”Before editing: “This is
how the illustration looks on the Photoshop canvas
without any editing”© Aldo Crusher
© Michael William LesterBrand: PuroCorazón Handbags and AccessoriesCreative Direction: Carolina Restrepo
Graphic Design: Carolina DíazPhotography: Alejandra Devescovi and Leslie Spak
Makeup: Luis SalcedoStyling: Lía Lázaro
Model: Mapple Sam