Learning Illustrator is going quite well, so I thought I'd upload a couple of things that I've liked. Both started with tracing photographs, then diverged into a certain amount of hand drawing.
I think these are both intrinsically appealing, interesting, and the second is intriguing too.
They are both based on photographs originally -- the first was a beach in Appledore, Devon, and the second is a very striking steel sculpture in the grounds of the Eden Project in Cornwall.
The only thing I'd say is that I would avoid using plain old gradients, mainly because it makes your art look like it was made in Illustrator.
Good point.
I picked up this wonderful book called "Illustration for Professional Communicators" by Vicky Squires. Actually, it's a terrible book. But it's wonderful because it shows you everything you shouldn't do, in my opinion, not only artistically, but also in order to communicate clearly. Vicky Squires illustrated the driving manual for the Ministry of Transport, and her Illustrator creations are a million times less clear than the photographs they replaced.
I'm very fond of Tufte's books, personally.
And you definitely don't want your artwork to end up like an airplane safety card.
Quite. Having said that, I'm initially happy just to be able to create it *at all*, so I'll worry about the cliche police once 'm a bit more on top of the software, I think! :-)
Are you using any special tools, or just mousing?
I have a Trust 6" x 8" graphics tablet with a pressure sensitive pen. This is a recent acquisition, and has already become indespensible really.
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They are both based on photographs originally -- the first was a beach in Appledore, Devon, and the second is a very striking steel sculpture in the grounds of the Eden Project in Cornwall.
The only thing I'd say is that I would avoid using plain old gradients, mainly because it makes your art look like it was made in Illustrator.
Good point.
I picked up this wonderful book called "Illustration for Professional Communicators" by Vicky Squires. Actually, it's a terrible book. But it's wonderful because it shows you everything you shouldn't do, in my opinion, not only artistically, but also in order to communicate clearly. Vicky Squires illustrated the driving manual for the Ministry of Transport, and her Illustrator creations are a million times less clear than the photographs they replaced.
I'm very fond of Tufte's books, personally.
And you definitely don't want your artwork to end up like an airplane safety card.
Quite. Having said that, I'm initially happy just to be able to create it *at all*, so I'll worry about the cliche police once 'm a bit more on top of the software, I think! :-)
Are you using any special tools, or just mousing?
I have a Trust 6" x 8" graphics tablet with a pressure sensitive pen. This is a recent acquisition, and has already become indespensible really.
Detective Constable Platitude says…
That scuplture must be new. When I was there it was piles of mud and a scupture of a beetle.
So am I! Though I think TVDoQI is way ahead of the later books.
Oops! Don't let me put you off, for goodness sake!