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tsukishoujo — Vector tutorial - Introduction

Published: 2008-01-01 21:44:33 +0000 UTC; Views: 34292; Favourites: 534; Downloads: 1738
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EDIT:

Previous version of this tutorial was submitted over a year ago I decided it's time to update it I edited some parts, adding more details to my explanation. Hope you don't mind being notified about all five parts

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As you can see, after several months of making promises, I finally finished my vectoring tutorial It’s my first tutorial ever, English is not my native language and I suck it explaining things, so it’s not prefect but at least I did my best. I hope this will help people to start their own vector gallery, be it on dA or anywhere else.

This tutorial was strongly influenced by Unmei’s vector tutorial on Ferricorp.Com. I learned how to vector from him. It’s a good, beginner-friendly tutorial and so far I was linking it to all people who asked me for vectoring guidelines but one day I decided to make my own version [longer, a little more detailed, with a few of pieces of advice and my own thoughts].

If there are any parts you find unclear, please don’t hesitate to note me. I’ll try to explain it for you once again in different words, if possible. Also, I’ll be more than happy to see your own vectors, made with the help of this tutorial. ^.^

I’d like to thank =Realm-Of-The-Shadows for checking my spelling and grammar Any mistakes you find in the text above is my fault as I added some last-minute explanation right before submitting the tutorial. Please don’t hesitate to note me about them and I’ll correct it

It’s also the right place to say ‘thank you’ to all my watchers who offered their help as beta-testers In the end I didn’t have time to ask you for your opinions before submission and I’m sorry about that. If you still feel like helping me, please tell me what you think after reading this tutorial.

Before you open Photoshop [I hope you decided to read my comment before downloading this tutorial? xD] a word of warning. Vectoring screenshots and scans [in other words: tracing them directly line by line] is against dA policy. As far as I know, if someone reports your vector trace while providing original screenshot/scan you used, it will be removed from your gallery. That’s why I encourage you to treat screenshot/scan vectors only as a form of practice before you move on to more complicated things. You can vector your own drawings and sketches, other people’s linearts and/or drawings [after asking them for permission, of course], realistic photos [photo traces are allowed, as realistic trace demands more time, skills and creativity than anime ones] – or images combined from several screenshots [as I sometimes do].

In other words - please keep in mind that when you submit screenshot/scan vector trace to your gallery, you do that at your own risk. According to dA policy, it doesn't belong here: it should stay on your hard drive. My intention isn't to encourage you to trace and I take no responsibility if you decide to submit a direct vector trace to dA.
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Comments: 133

DivineKaze In reply to ??? [2008-01-02 06:41:04 +0000 UTC]

I thought you used illustrator for your vectors?

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tsukishoujo In reply to DivineKaze [2008-01-02 10:12:18 +0000 UTC]

I did - for some of them But I had only trial version of Illustrator at the beginning so after the trial period ended, I returned to vectoring in Photoshop After some time I got full version of Illustrator, but vectoring in Photoshop is easier for me ^^" Btw I used similar method when vectoring in Illustrator

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DivineKaze In reply to tsukishoujo [2008-01-02 19:48:52 +0000 UTC]

I've never tried cs3.

Anything diff? I found the infinite undo in illy useful.
Ah i wish i could go back to vectoring..but such a long process that i don't have time for anymore

Great tut btw.

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tsukishoujo In reply to DivineKaze [2008-01-06 00:37:16 +0000 UTC]

The difference between CS2 and CS3 is mostly in chenged interface and a few options I never tried out Yeah infinite history in Illustrator is something I miss in Photoshop

Thanks

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IchiLover In reply to ??? [2008-01-02 04:22:40 +0000 UTC]

thank you

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Otacon144 In reply to ??? [2008-01-02 03:44:26 +0000 UTC]

Fenkjufenkjufenkjufenkjufenkjufenkjufenk juuuuuuuuuuuuu!!! ^_^

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tsukishoujo In reply to Otacon144 [2008-01-06 02:06:07 +0000 UTC]

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Princespurple107 In reply to ??? [2008-01-02 01:20:43 +0000 UTC]

It's animepaper.net

Just trying to correct that...animepaper.com takes you somewhere else with nothing...

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tsukishoujo In reply to Princespurple107 [2008-01-02 10:15:48 +0000 UTC]

I forgot to correct that >_< Thanks

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bloomcandy [2008-01-02 00:17:50 +0000 UTC]

cool

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DemandinCompensation In reply to ??? [2008-01-02 00:14:19 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much~ See I never understood how to work with paths too well- I'm so stuck on rasters and my own linework. XDDD;;;; I just played around with stuff until I got the desired effect, heh!


I'm sure these'll be excellent in the future when I get photoshop!

(I didn't even know you COULD vector literally in photoshop! Isn't photoshop a bitmap program only??? o_o; )

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tsukishoujo In reply to DemandinCompensation [2008-01-06 02:10:41 +0000 UTC]

It was designed for raster [pixel] images, but it has basic vector tools. So it's like I've written in the tutorial - the way I see it, as long as you use only pen tool and shape layers, you can call your Photoshop artwork a vector.

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AHG-artist In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 23:56:31 +0000 UTC]

Good Tut so far.

My only critique would be the choice of centering the main blocks of text instead of left aligned. I understand centering topic headers but the entire paragraphs just doesn't flow well when centered.

This of course is just my opinion based on design preference and is in no way a critique on the content which I think is excellent.

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tsukishoujo In reply to AHG-artist [2008-01-02 11:10:09 +0000 UTC]

I decided to center them instead of aligning to left because when I align them left, the right part looks bad ^^" And I couldn't found the option in Photoshop text settings that would enable me to make both sides aligned

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AHG-artist In reply to tsukishoujo [2008-01-04 01:32:31 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, that's the fun(=unfun) part about designing page layout: getting the text to look as good as everything else. Ah, right: Photoshop being a great art program but a poor word processor app, it is doesn't have a 'justify' setting to make nice tidy columns.

Ah well. I guess I'll forgive you this time

You can just forget my nit-picky self because this Tut is certainly the best I've come across on the subject so just carry on kicking ass and all that.

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thelink689 In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 23:54:42 +0000 UTC]

because that one ahs Shunsui in it and this one does not. lol *jokes* just felt id say that cause hes cool... but yeah these look like they will help tough iv only read through this page so far iv skimmed the others and im interested on the colouring more than anything else, im glad i started watching you a few days ago lol

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akurei-tamashii In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 23:35:09 +0000 UTC]

this is a big help!

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becky-kitkat In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 23:13:40 +0000 UTC]

if only i had the software this'd be so helpful... moving on next page.

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leona8 In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 22:55:30 +0000 UTC]

OO-SHII..??

TUT...ZOMG XDDD
your are leveling my brainzzz

i love uuu ;3333333

*seriusly i dunno what is vector art -__- .. im amazed how it looks tottaly cruncy and ..same as original*

thankiu once again ...uhu

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tsukishoujo In reply to leona8 [2008-01-06 02:11:28 +0000 UTC]

No problem

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Azley [2008-01-01 22:27:50 +0000 UTC]

Yeah - the screenshot from kyourakyu is a mean one. I love this guy but also decided not to vector it cause it's too hard XD
Anyway: congrats to such a great tut!

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tsukishoujo In reply to Azley [2008-01-06 02:11:41 +0000 UTC]

Thank you ^^

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Azley In reply to tsukishoujo [2008-01-06 02:15:07 +0000 UTC]

welcome

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Kamiruchan In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 22:15:49 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I read all the tutorials! And I thought vectoring was simple,but it really isn't! Great tutorial!

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tsukishoujo In reply to Kamiruchan [2008-01-06 02:12:13 +0000 UTC]

Yeah many people think it's easy until they try it themselves Thanks ^^

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Kamiruchan In reply to tsukishoujo [2008-01-06 05:21:34 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome!

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unitotina In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 22:04:01 +0000 UTC]

this is much appreciated, all of them eyes and whatnot.

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UchiKaty In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 21:57:28 +0000 UTC]

it looks verry good!! i think im going to try this out once i have photoshop i only have gimpshop!!!XD

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soraxP In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 21:49:08 +0000 UTC]

This is going to help a ton of people. x3 Looks good!

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Friedenmann In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 21:48:41 +0000 UTC]

Hmmm... zamarkować do przeczytania

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tsukishoujo In reply to Friedenmann [2008-01-06 02:10:34 +0000 UTC]

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avatargirl101 In reply to ??? [2008-01-01 21:48:21 +0000 UTC]

nice tutorial!

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