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Capt-Nemo — Illustrator/Vector Tutorial Part One
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Published: 2012-03-24 04:42:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 86758; Favourites: 1022; Downloads: 2521
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HOLY CELESTIA'S MOTHER OF GIGANTIC TUTORIALS, BATMANSorry the tutorial is so long, but that's just how I make 'em! Hopefully it'll be useful to you all.
Part Two: [link]
Edit: Somebody told me there is a sweet tool in Illustrator CS5 called the Width Tool. It lets you change the width of lines at specific points without having to convert strokes to outlines! I suggest you use that. Check out this tutorial: [link]
All you need to do is add a width point at the end of the stroke, double-click it, and change the total width to zero.
Edit two: I was informed of the "Draw Inside" tool also found in CS5. This tool automates the usage of clipping masks and makes them much easier to use. Check out a video here !
Here is the finished vector: [link]
And you can download the SVG here, layers and everything: [link]
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm here to help.
If you find any errors, please tell me so I can fix them.
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Comments: 148
No problem! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.
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I uses a similar tool in GIMP. The Paths Tool.
I don't know how you sharpen those lines like that, but I just use the Select Tool in GIMP. The results are similar. I've currently use it for my traditional drawings. This was very helpful when I found this. I'm pretty sure many others do this as well besides vectoring :3
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Thank you for using Twilight Sparkle as an example ^^
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Ahhh, thankyou so much! I have been looking for a tutorial on how to make vectors for a long while.
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This is really helpful! 
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okay, i have CS5, i don't know if that has anything to do with it but, whenever i try to select and join the endpoints it tells me that, "the selected objects cannot be joined as they are invalid objects" i was able to do it once but it stopped letting me. Help?
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You may be selecting stuff other than just the endpoints as well. And if you have CS5, you should try using the width tool instead. Look in the description of this image and check it out; it's much faster and easier.
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how to make those lines turn into a point like that, has boggled me for a while, this is great!
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It took me a little while to get the "select and delete the end of the line" bit, but now that I've got it, I'm finding MLP-style vectoring a hell of a lot easier. Thank you so much
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hey if you don't mind me asking, where do you usually get your screenshots from? i'm having trouble getting high enough quality ones :S
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I always watch the episodes in VLC media player. To take a screenshot in VLC you just press Shift+S. You'll have to check the settings to see where it saves it, though.
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I might just venture into the realm of vectors now, with this as my guide.
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...I have known about this command since i started using illustrator, why is it first now i become aware that lines can be transformed as such... Thank you, this will help loaads.
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This was helpful to some extent! It helped me get the gist of what I'm trying to do (I'm new at this) But I'm using Inkscape, do you know of any Inkscape pony tutorials?
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I don't, but I think there's some linked in the EqD post. You can check there: [link]
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I have a small issue. When you instruct on how to put the screenshot into illustrator, you say you go to file>place, and then just click place, or use a different shortcut. Well I was very confused with that part, because it shows no presets of where the screenshot (or in my case, sketch) should be. I wanted to vector my sketch, shown here: [link] but I am having issues. I noticed that if I used this color guide here: [link] I would have all of the swatches already set out for me in Illustrator automatically! So I decided to simply hide that layer, and create a new layer, having all of the swatches. So my question is how would I vector over this? How would I even get it on there? If I use an alternate method of just going to file > open, and select the image in my files, then I merely receive a whole new document. I want it to be on the same document as the color guide is on, but on a different layer. How do I do this? By the way, I'm using Adobe Illustrator CS5.
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When you go to place the image, simply browse to where your file is and select it. Alternatively, you can open it in Illustrator like you did, then copy it and paste it in to the new document. Tell me if it works!
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I managed to do it by copying and pasting it. Next time I might try the other way, but I'm confused, because when I go to the file tab, I am unable click "place" (you know, like, when it's grey and you can't click it.) Anyhow, I'm confused about that I guess.
Also, I used the whole tutorial, and the part with eyes confused me a bit. I managed to do a sloppy job using just about the simplest means there are, but I know that's not the only nor most effective way. Anyhow, I just kind of thought maybe you should do a whole tutorial on eyes (I've seen it done, but it was for a different program). That is, if you want to. I just found the brief paragraph you used to describe how to do it somewhat brief compared to the Inkscape tutorial I found that was multiple pages long.
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Yeah, clipping masks are a little complex. Glad you got something to work, though.
What file type are you trying to place? That might be the problem.
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Oh, um, I think it was JPG maybe.
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That's odd, that should import just fine. Well, I'm not sure how to help you without screenshots or anything. I haven't used CS5. Have you tried Googling it?
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((Yes! This helps a lot! Thank you!))
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The way you taper your strokes is bass-ackward. Just use the width tool on the line instead of converting it to an outline. I mean, for complicated stuff yeah, but I've found the ready-made shapes (<======> and the smooth curve version of it) to do 90% of what I need for ponies.
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Only CS5 has the width tool, unfortunately. I made note of that in the description. I certainly wish my version had it, because my method takes forever!
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Ah.
Yeah. Width tool changed my life.
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THANK YOU!
also, will Paint.net be suitable for vectoring?
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I don't think so. I'm not sure if Paint.NET has a pen tool, and even then it only does raster images (so if you zoom in, it will get blurry). Inkscape is a free vector program, perhaps you could check that out.
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It probably won't be very easy/suitable to work with. If you don't have Illustrator, another free alternative for vectoring is Inkscape: [link] There's a ton of tutorials for it out there.
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Just discovered that Flash has an equivalent of "line to outline" through this tutorial. I've been stumped by how they make those sharp ends for quite a while. Thanks, this will help A LOT.
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Not only an excellent tutorial on Illustrator and vectoring, but it also includes ponies! Good show!
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I use the path tool in gimp and it's essentially the same mechanic. I always thought there was more to vector art that I was missing out on, but for my purposes I'm happy to see that I'm not.
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Awesome! Just curious, does this work with Adobe Fireworks? I've got a copy of it sitting somewhere in my computer but have never bothered messing with it
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Probably fairly similar. I've never used it, why don't you try it out and report the results?
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I did things like this at first, but then I found another way for me, but this one is easier
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Thank every power of fate and coincidence! I have been looking for a tutorial for this program for months! They all suck...
But this! Not only is it concise and comprehensive, it's ponies! There's only so much you can learn on your own (without copious amounts of free time, which unfortunately, I lack) Now I can start practicing vectoring!
And there was much rejoicing.
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Very glad you like it! I know it's hard to find tutorials sometimes, so I'm glad you found this one. Hopefully it helps, and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!
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Yay! I was just realearning Illustrator on my own. I was about halfway through your tutorials as far as what I had re-learned. Thanks for taking me the rest of the way!
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Whoa, illustrator is so much easier than Photoshop!
Though, I think a better pony vector result comes from a Photoshop vector than Illustrator. A finished Illustrator's vector result just seems too perfect for ponies IMO.
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But ponies are perfect! I'm guessing you use Photoshop? All your vectors look just the same as mine.
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I agree! Ponies are perfect, I just have this weird thing that I noticed that the stroke width is just TOO perfect for ponies when Illustrator is used. It's just something I notice when I look at other people's work! I am just nutty and notice the smallest little things like that. It's not a bad thing for perfection, and please don't think that I am hating on you or your work!!! Your vectors are the definition of perfect! Keep up the great work man!
Yeah, you got it, I use Photoshop for all my vectors. I'm in awe though, there is no option for selecting the outline for your strokes in Photoshop! I have to be extra perfect where I place my anchor points to make for a perfect stroke width. Hmmmm....
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I used to do the same thing as you, I'm guessing. I used to outline the strokes manually, using the pen tool to outline one side of the stroke and then the other. That's apparent in my older stuff, like my first vector or this whole comic (good grief, that took forever!). When I discovered I could outline strokes I never went back. Takes much less time now!
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Whoa, your first vector was quite good! I'm impressed! You started out in illustrator?
And holy cow, I remember that comic! I remember when that came out! I can't believe that you made that gigantic thing the way of the one side at a time; the stroke in every Dash that you made was perfect!!! I know that it would have made me go bonkers if I had to vector all that stuff for just one comic! Obviously though, It was well worth it. I completely forgot that you were the maker of that amazing comic! I love your work man!
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Aww, thank you, you're way too kind. After doing the up-one-side-down-the-other method for so long I got pretty decent at it. Still took an absurdly long time, though. XD
Yeah, I did start in Illustrator. Way back when I just got in to the show, I saw the people making vectors and wondered how they did it. (I used to think they somehow had access to the flash files of the show - ha!) After seeing Moongaze's Photoshop vector tutorial I realized how it was actually done and decided to give it a try in the old copy of Illustrator I had. And it all just progressed from there.
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No problem man, I loved that comic the second I saw it! My jaw dropped in the last panel... It was a real touching comic, and I have not had the same "OMG.... OMG WOW" response to another comic since. 10/10 man.
Lulz, I was the same way when I saw any transparent pony picture, I though somehow they ripped them out of the show itself, and just simply used the fill tool to make the colors look better! I was even more wrong than I could imagine, I had no idea what a vector even was at the time, and I had no idea how to even use Photoshop!
Your work is epic man. Keep it up.
I'm so glad your tutorial was featured on EqD, this will allow more people to get into vectoring, and it's never a bad thing to have some more high quality pony vectors hanging around!
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One question before reading: does this work in Photoshop? because it has most of the same tools you use here and I'm familiar with it
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The basic idea will work, but yes, the tools will be different. Does Photoshop do vectors? I thought it only did raster images.
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