File :-(, x, )
First shot at vectoring Anonymous
So I just finished my first vector, and was wondering if /w/ could give me some suggestions on how to suck less. I know practice makes perfect and all, but if I knew what I was doing wrong before I made a habit out of it, it'd help a great deal.
>> Anonymous
>>399250

what's it off?
>> Anonymous
>>399250
Step 1: http://vectormagic.stanford.edu/
Step 2: MSpaint any changes you like
Step 3: ???
Step 4: PROFIT!
>> Anonymous
>>399253
Sauce is an anime called Sketchbook.
>> Anonymous
>>399250
i can't really see many problems with it. on the inside top of her left eye (where it meets the eyebrow) a bit of whiteness sticks out that maybe shouldn't. just zoom in and give it a once-over before exporting it to avoid that in the future.

your eyeshine is a bit extreme, but i don't know what to tell you about it. for the rest of the eye you should see if you can get any cool effects with gradients. looks fine the way it is though.

i notice the outline width varies a lot, which is good. however, occasionally it gets down to almost nothing where perhaps it shouldn't.
>> Anonymous
>>399250

Really darn good.

May I ask where you learned? I've been wanting to learn to do vectors...
>> Anonymous
I was afraid I'd find another shitty vector with fixed-width black lines that don't meet up properly but I am pleasantly surprised.

Well done Anon.
>> Anonymous
>>399309
bump
>> Anonymous
Thanks for the replies! I've seen a lot of people complaining about fixed-width lines, so I tried my hardest to avoid that. Looks like I got a little carried away, although since I'm still learning, I don't know a lot about doing the eyes. There's a lot of tutorials floating around, but my goal was attempting to keep the original style intact. I never noticed Sketchbook had such oddly-shaped eyes, though. OTL

And for those who wanted to know how to do it, I found the tutorial at http://www.slhess.com/wiki/index.php?title=Inkscape_tracing_tutorial to be one of the best out there. Yeah, I'm not afraid to throw that link around, the site's great.

Now that I'm done with that, I really don't have a lot of screencaps to practice with, so if anyone has any that don't seem too complex, could you post them?

'kay. I'm done. Seriously.
>> Anonymous
OP

Your first work is much better than my first work was. In fact, it's better than the stuff I churn out currently. My problem is lines. My lines are rarely perfectly smooth, and they're all consistently the same thickness. I also rarely (if ever) outline in anything other than black.

What are some techniques that you use?
>> Anonymous
>>399586
Disregard my question, I probably should have read your reply first. I have never used Inkscape. In fact, all I ever use is Photoshop. I'll give this program a shot.
>> Anonymous
OP or anyone else (if you don't mind me asking) how do you go about making the lines various widths? I've been using Adobe Illustrator and I can't seem to do it except for adjusting the stroke width and then it ends up looking kinda funny.

Good job btw!
>> Anonymous
>>399594
I have the same issue. This is something I want to work on.
>> Anonymous
For variable width lines, the best lines aren't done automatically, they are separate shape layers. Although I am not the op, when I trace (also use Inkscape), I will draw standard lines, and then covert the lines to shapes, and then use the node editing tool to change the width of the lines. Most tutorials will say to just draw the lines as shapes to begin with though.
>> Anonymous
Wow, I never put much thought into things like that. I started vectoring a couple years ago. I learned from one single tutorial the basics of it. The tutorial was for Photoshop, and it consisted of using the Pen Tool for lines and color fills. I've stuck with that ever since, not realizing just how much better I *could* be doing.
>> Penis Engine Mechanic !PenisjjSpE
very kirei. may i post this on the spoonsubs website?
>> Anonymous
>>399585
N
ice link! The only tutorials I had seen before were for Photoshop, so this one will be a great help.

>>399612
I tend to draw lines and then convert them to shapes too. Before I convert , though, I usually make a copy of the shape and use it later for coloring purposes (after adjusting it to make sure it still fits behind the new line shape). Seems to work pretty well, but since drawing shapes for coloring is the easy part I might give the method in the tutorial a try.
>> Anonymous
OP here again. All I can suggest really is just giving that tutorial a read-through, even if you've already been vectoring a while, since it goes over a lot with how to do colored lines or variable widths. I usually do two end points for each line (by surrounding it) and adjusted them with the bezier curve tool. Inkscape really is a lot more flexible than Photoshop with the pen tool. It just looks much smoother.

>>399616
Since I watch spoonsubs, I'd be absolutely honored if this showed up on there. If you feel like putting a name to it (although I honestly don't mind either way), I go by Melfra.
>> Anonymous
>>399585
This is fucking splendid, I am almost shaken with awe, and as a matter of fact, I am the anonymous who halfway wrote that guide a million years ago, and never finished it.</attention whoring> You have some issues with color leaking out of some lines, but this is beyond what I could even do in my first ten. Good work. Seriously, good work.


A few things I notice:

* Some of the lines are a little off, or colors "leak" out of some of the lines.

* It seems that some of your curves might have a few too many vertices/points and you could make more natural curves with less points.

This is great, and I being the gigantic ego whore that I am, I can't but help to feel so bloody outdone.

Good work with multi-coloring the lines too. I usually forget to do that, even though it adds a nice touch of class.

Absolutely wonderful, and even better, it is a Sketchbook picture.
>> Anonymous
spoonsubs is for gays
>> Anonymous
>>399778
and we like it that way :3
>> Anonymous
Is it considered bad practice to do all outlining in black, or are colored lines just an optional little touch?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
<Ahem> Not to take attention away from OP but since we had all this vector talk and review would you guys mind looking my over latest pic? Let me know what you think. Thanks. (3rd vector attempt)

Nice job for first go OP!
>> Anonymous
>>399922
looks lazy without varying line widths
>> Anonymous
>>399922
hm... it looks okay but rushed. try to vary the widths of the lines and take your time. good job with line colors though. keep it up.
>> Anonymous
>>399585
I'd love it if this were vectored.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Zoisite.jpg
>> Anonymous
fuck now i'll never again get away with not varying the line width ;_;
>> Anonymous
Update

I'm working on my first Inkscape trace and there is one thing I'm having trouble with. I am getting the hang of using the Bezier tool to create my lines.. but most (if not all) of the "complex lines" (90% of the image) look weird. It's like I can't get both sides of a line to match of perfectly the whole way, and I have a hard time getting them to curve in sync with each other. The result is hourglass-looking lines or lines with wavy thickness.

Any tips to help control this?