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Lemon's Vector Guide - Ver 3.0
Published: 2004-02-11 03:06:40 +0000 UTC; Views: 130726; Favourites: 1153; Downloads: 74006
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Description
This is Lemontea's Definitive Vector Guide Version 3.0.1. That title was a wee bit large for the title on DeviantART.
For all those who have never seen version 1 or 2, this the guide for Photoshop 7 - CS2. These are true vectors; they are not rasters. Deal with it if you don't like it, you purists, but Photoshop is a capable vector program. Props off to `voodoo-prophet , ^object2bdestroyd , *turp , ~fuzzynoise , and others who have supported me and helped me with vectors so many times.
I hope this allows everyone who wants to try their hand at this tutorial to get introduced to the wonderful world of vectors.
Have fun! This weighs in at about 910KB so you might want to make a sandwich or something if you're on 56k. I promise that this tutorial works if you can sit down and try it, and I suggest you do. I've seen so many great results and people that are now better than me because of trying my tutorial when they were first getting started. I can pick out "lemontea-styled" vectors from thumbnails in the vector galleries, and it's somewhat humbling.
INSTRUCTIONS
In order to use this tutorial, you must uncompress all of the files in the zip file to the same directory. WinZIP or the default WindowsXP compression agent will allow you to do this. To launch the actual tutorial, open the "index.html" file.
If there is a problem, feel free to access this guide on-line at [link]
What's New in 3.0.1:
Fixed some HTML problems (added margins, for example)
Added small notes for the following:
- 300 DPI example of a portrait
- Autoshapes and their relation to abstract vector art
- Autoshapes and their impact on vectoring eyes
- Included a readme.html file
What's New in 3.0.0:
Updated specifically for CS2
Completely retooled the layout into multiple pages (because the content was lagging older computers).
Added the following sections:
- Using "Actions" to speed up common tasks (lossless zooming)
- Notifications of new terminology and added CS2 disclaimers
- Updated shadow and shading techniques with an example from *turp
- Making eye glasses or sunglasses
- Vectoring in Photoshop 6
- Credits given to the vector community
What's New in 2.5.7:
Added the following sections:
- Examples of "over curving" reducing fluidness of a vector
- Added three short sections on using advanced pen tool techniques
What's New in 2.5.4:
Fixed some layout issues.
Added the following sections:
- How to resume a vector shape after points are already placed.
- How to convert a Photoshop vector to EPS (and have it completely, 100% editable).
- Added a "Download" Link (although this was for the mirror of my site, I left it on there incase in some future time you wanted to download an updated version without opening DevianART or my website directly.)
What's New in 2.5:
Reference to color selection on an active vector layer.
Sets within sets for the Photoshop CS feature.
A new introduction.
Fixed 12 spelling and gramatical errors.
Placed a "word from the author" note at the bottom.
Fixed one anchor link.
What's New in 2.0:
Many tips and tricks
How to Vector line art
Lots of corrections and updates
What's New in 1.0:
How to vector a portrait.
Basic information.
Thanks everybody!
And, if you have any complaints or comments, just tell me
I'd love to improve the guide. Request to your hearts content for future additions.
Related content
Comments: 430
Hey,
I just want to say I've featured your tutorial in a vexel/vector news article.
It can be found [link]
Thanks for writing a great tutorial
CK
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i'll try this in CS3, and i'll let you know if it works there
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I have already tested and confirmed that it works. The reason I never updated this guide is because there are no new vector changes that I could find.
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aaah oh, then it's ok
[P.S. your avatar rocks! xDD]
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Glad you approve. Nothing like a spastic tea-drinking lemon!
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wow man, i'll try it, i want learn how to vector lol, i hope i can
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Yay! Thank you so much dude, I finally learnt how to make vector images!
You have no idea how confused I was about the whole thing.
I was so desperate I was using airbrushes and tediously erasing for hours to get that clean cut line effect. I just could not figure out vectors or the pen tool on my own.
It took forever to read but it was so worth it! Thanks again for helping me out!
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I am having trouble with vectoring this girl's bucked teeth. She's smiling a wide smile (she doesn't have a vertical mouth shape.)There's like this 3-D line that goes in the middle in the teeth and I don't know what color it should be. I can't draw it black or it will look like she has tar in her mouth. Do I make it the same color of the gums?
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Well, if its gums, then use gum colored. Or you can fix the teeth. Or you can use the darker pink color for the inside of her mouth.
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i just realized i used this tutorial a while back when i first joined deviantart. it really got me into using adobe illustrator.
thanks~
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Photoshop's vector capabilities are not meant for complex vector imaging. Most they're used for masking. Saying Photoshop is a capable vector app is like saying it's also a very capable 3D modeling app.
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Well, I would say that it is a capable application; just look at what I do, or what ~turp does. It may take some more work to get it there, but it is capable at producing vector work. Sure, it doesn't have the high-end features, but then again, a lot of people have never made a vector before and cannot afford Illustrator. Photoshop is a really common application, and so it makes sense to ease deviants into it.
So, it's not like saying it's a capable 3D modeling application because there is no 3D modeling in Photoshop; on the other hand, there are basic vector tools, so it is vector capable.
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There are 3D primitive tools in Photoshop for warping labels etc. etc.
I -have- seen what you can do with Photoshop and I was just thinking, if you had a copy of Illustrator you can channel your skills and energy and accomplish so much more. Alas you have a point there with the price. However, there are open source vector apps out there that you can use for free, and some of them have basic line and line editing tools that function just like the ones in Illustrator : )
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I agree. InkScape is a really powerful program. However, it's not as intuitive to learn and it's not as mainstream. Regardless, this is how I learned, so I'm just passing it on. The good news is that once you get good with Photoshop vectors, then you can open them up in Illustrator and explore a lot of new opportunities. And, the concepts of this tutorial will work for any vector program, so that's also another factor.
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Sorry. before you think I'm attacking you, consider this: Vectors created through a Photoshop trace, whether a picture or whether lineart are VERY 'dirty'. Dirty in the sense that the resulting vectors have a gazillion points. Put it this way: Why have 10-50 anchor points for a roundish square when you can have just 4? The less anchor points you have, the smaller the filesize will be, and the easier it is the clean up/edit.
I don't mean to put Photoshop down, but if you intend to work with vectors, Illustrator will save you a lot of time and effort. I suppose you can compare it to using Microsoft Paint instead of Photoshop to edit photos. Sure you can do a couple of the same tricks with MS Paint, but would you?
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Regardless of how great your tutorial is (which it is), I hate vectoring.
Fifteen year old, ADHD filled girls like myself absolutely have no patience for detailing ..
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Thank you so much for writing this tutorial! My friend has been looking for a good one for a while now. I think I'm going to have to try my hand at vector now too!
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I had a chronically bad smelling foot before your vector tutorial and now it still stinks⦠thanks for the help lemontea!
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It's cool to know that such a thing exists! I've always wondered if there was some sort of method that all vector artists followed to create their work (I usually just wing it and it normally comes out alright), and apparently there is! Hopefully, my skills will improve after studying your tutorial.
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truly incredible tutorial....this has taught me even more about vectoring than i already knew
~adds to favorites~
btw, check out this vector of Stewie Griffin i made using your tutorial
[link]
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Wow. 
I haven't read it yet, but going by the description, this is one awesome tutorial. 
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Love the tutorial, Explains Raster Images and REAL Vector Images were it makes sense! thanks!
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man i thougth i was worng on how to do vector thank God for this tutorial... lots of my works were taken out here in da bec some guy said it was'nt vector but he just plain insecure.. ahahaha
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ty soo much i love vectors its a real help thanks
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you're my hero.
imma learn vector if it kills me!
so you'll either get a good report at some distant date,
or a copy of my obituary. :]
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great tutorial. just what i was looking for!
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I've never really played around with vector... so I downloaded the guide. I'm so glad there are people out there willing to help those of us who dont know sh*t. Thank you!!
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i dun understand.....can u teach mi hw u get those vector shapes?
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If you can't understand this guide, then I don't think I can explain it any better. It's probably one of the easiest, most explained things in the guide.
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erm.....sry could u send me the link again...thx n sry
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The link? It's right here. You're commenting on it. Just click the title of this comment and it'll take you there.
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Great tut. Im still in turmoil about the whole vector/vexel thing.
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If you did it like how I said, it's vector. If you used a selection tool and filled the area, it's vexel. Basically, vexel is a cheap way of doing art that is in a similar style as much of the vector work is done as.
If you go to Edit > Image Size and change the size to whatever size you want, it should look the same if you're making a vector. That's the advantage of a vector. (In Photoshop, it doesn't recalculate the vectors on the fly because it's primarily a raster-based program, so when you zoom the standard way, you'll see pixels.)
Gradients are used in vector art very often. I don't know of any reason why they're a big no no.
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Thank you so much for the info. My art is vector then. Cool!
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Someone already previously mentioned this, but it saves harddrive space and time if you just make curves (better known as bezier curves) instead of making a lot of little dots (and giving yourself early carpal tunnel). To each their own, and if this way works for you, awesome. I just wanted people to be aware that there's another way to do curves, which you could probably easily find out how in an Adobe Illustrator book (borrow from the library or read at the bookstore). Once learned properly, it will save you a lot of time (and make for very smooth curves/circles). Here's another tutorial I found online: [link]
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In my tutorial, I mention this method as well.
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Someone already previously mentioned this, but it saves harddrive space and time if you just make curves (better known as bezier curves) instead of making a lot of little dots (and giving yourself early carpal tunnel). To each their own, and if this way works for you, awesome. I just wanted people to be aware that there's another way to do curves, which you could probably easily find out how in an Adobe Illustrator book (borrow from the library or read at the bookstore). Once learned properly, it will save you a lot of time (and make for very smooth curves/circles). Here's another tutorial I found online: [link]
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it doesn't hurt to see how you vector 
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Dude you rock with this tutorial!
Its simple to understand and it was very useful to me!
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Another oops...I only have 6.0, but thanks anyway! I'll try to upgrade my Photoshop, so I'm keeping it in my faves!
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This will, in some capacity, work with Photoshop 6.
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