140 - Line Art Portrait in Illustrator ~

Learn These Tools & Concepts:

Paintbrush Tool

Painting Workspace

Layers

Transparency

Template Layers

  •   This is the 1st tutorial in a series.

  •   Create 3 line drawings of your face - 1 with a thin line, 1 with a thick line and something in between.

  •   Some Vector portraits look cold and clinical because the line is so precise. The trick is to use brush textures to make the lines more natural looking.

Step #1: Set up your Illustrator document ~

Start with a print document of 8.5 x 11″- change the color mode to RGB - and set the Raster Effects to medium.

Step #2: Import your Picture ~

Import your photo by going to: File > Place.

Step #3: Embed the Picture ~

If you don't Embed your image into your composition it will not save with your work.

With your image selected, click the Embed button:

If you don't Embed the Photoshop image, it wont be there when you send it in!

Step #4: Adjust the Image Size ~

Using the Free Transform Tool …

… size the image up or down as necessary to fit in the Artboard.

If you hold the Key while adjusting, it keeps the image proportional. Try it!

Step #5: Workspace ~

Go to: Window > Workspace > Painting or click on the bar in the upper-right to change your workspace to Painting layout.

Step #6: Template Layer ~

Click the drop down menu in the upper corner of the Layers Palette and select Template

"Templates" locks the layer, turns the eye icon  into the template icon , and reduces the Transparency to 50%.

Step #7: New Layer ~

Now create a New Layer

Step #8: Setting up your Brush ~

Double-Click the Paintbrush Tool ...

... and be sure to have Keep Selected and Edit Selected Paths unchecked as they can inhibit a natural drawing process. Adjust your Smoothness to a lower number if you have confidence in your drawing strokes, or a higher number if you feel you have a shaky hand or want straighter and smoother lines.

Go to the Brushes panel …

… and Double-Click the default brush.

If you have a tablet, you can adjust the options to respond to pressure and tilt, as well as make it more of a flat-tipped, calligraphy style marker …

But even if you don’t have a tablet, you can still make adjustments to the brush.

Step #9: Colors ~

Locate your Stroke and Fill colors …

Set your Stroke to Black and Fill to None

Step #10: Begin Tracing the Image ~

Zoom in on the area where you want to begin working.

Experiment! Doodle on a blank area of your canvas until you get what you want.

Then start tracing.

Last Step: Save and Attach ~

Save your work as - [ LASTNAME-FIRSTNAME-PROJECTNAME.ai]

Attach it!

 

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If you're ready, proceed with the next tutorial to create your own watercolor brush and color in your outline.