Before we begin, there are many Deviants in the community that haven’t been exposed to or do not understand what “vector art” is. In this case, I strongly suggest that you take a look at issue #1 which covers much of the basics; the issue also provides links to community resources and important information. You can view it here.

If there’s anything more influential for some aspiring vector artists than taking a class on the subject, it would be free tutorials offered on DeviantART and abroad. Because of the complex nature of vector art, it’s often a bit daunting for newcomers to the genre. So, in order to show of different concepts, we’re taking a look at some of the assorted tutorials available on this site. Even though some of these tutorials are for programs that you may not have, the concepts are easily applied to other applications as well.

The following are tutorials for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia Freehand respectively:



These tutorials show different ways to achieve similar results. Each one outlines the basics to completing vectors in the style of the artist. However, there are hundreds of different tutorials and each has their own style because every artist is different. With some practice, you can develop your talents to suit your taste.

If you find yourself still confused about some of the basic concepts, I’d advise you to look at the following video tutorial (talking about the pen tool in Adobe products) and a generic step-by-step of a vector:



With a little (or a lot, depending on how easily you pick the concept up) of work, these tutorials can help you become a better artist if you already know how to produce vector art. However, if you’re just starting out or haven’t started at all, these tutorials can prove to be a very influential boost in the right direction. If you're interested in finding other tutorials, you can check out the link below for Vector Brothers Unite and select the tutorials link in the journal.

As always, if you’d like to learn more, I strongly suggest checking out the largest vector community on DeviantART, Vector Brothers Unite, at the *vbu -- drop in to say hi, post your vector art for community review, join in vector contests, get information about the art form, and find helpful tutorials to get you started in the right direction.

In Vector Today issue #5, we’ll check out an everlasting trend – the vectored car and the various styles it can come in.

Back Issues
Issue #3 - Portraits
Issue #2 - Consumer Electronics
Issue #1 - Silhouette Landscapes