What is vector graphics? Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s), which are all based upon mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics.

Vector graphics formats are complementary to raster graphics, which is the representation of images as an array of pixels, as it is typically used for the representation of photographic images.

Vector graphics are mostly more print safe, because with this kind of graphic, we can have unlimited size to print from as small as a name card to ultra size of an outdoor billboard signs.

There are many software todays that can help you to create vector graphics. The most popular one and most used is Adobe illustrator. Before the aquisition of macromedia, I used to playing around with this vector graphics using macromedia Freehand.

I’m not giving you any tutorials for now, will try to make one later, but there are already plenty of sources to that, so if you do the googling, you can easily find websites/blogs who gives you the tutorials.

Below are the of demonstration of a vector graphic. I choose an image of Garfield from the internet as a model for my vector image. This is just a common and easy vector, I was failed to locate my other vector graphic on my HDD’s jungle files, which is more complicated than this one. If I can find it, I will create my vector gallery page later :)

Step one: Tracing the image.
The first step in doing vector graphic is tracing an image. For an advanced user, this step is no longer needed :)

Step Two: Black and white coloring.
After satisfied with the traced image, I usually give it a black-and-white colors to see the dimension and to differentiate particular shape for the next full color process.

Step Three: Basic Full Color.
This is how I do the basic full color process. The final image will be a 2D look of vector graphic.

Step Four: Advanced Full Color process.
This step is not needed if you’re satisfied with the basic full color graphic. But to give a little bit of 3D look, we can playing with gradients and additional vector shapes, like the sample below.

That’s it! Happy vectoring images! :)

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 3:20 am and is filed under Cartoon, Digital World, Drawing, Vector Image. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.