Rubens has a bold and funky vector style. He tends to mix different or even opposite feelings into his character creations. Learn all about his background, interests, influences, creative process and more in this interview!

1. Hello Rubens, please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, what training do you have, and how did you got started in the field? How long have you been illustrating and designing?

Hello, first of all: thanks for this opportunity, I’m a regular reader of Vectortuts+ (as well as Psdtuts+) so I’m honored to be on it. My name’s Rubens Cantuni, I’m Italian and from Genoa. I was born in 1982 and my journey in illustrating and designing started a little later .

I’ve always been involved in drawing, coloring and creating stuff, but I’ve never had specific training in arts at school, so I can say that I’m self-taught. I have a degree in Industrial Design, that is not exactly what I’m doing now, but it was fun and I enjoyed my university years a lot. When I was in my last year I started working as an art director for an advertising agency, and in my spare time I’ve always been creating my stuff.

In January 2009 I was making some space on my hard disk and I noticed there were a lot of works making dust in there. At that time I was already running the blog koikoikoi.com (a visual arts blog I co-founded with my colleague Danilo) so I thought “Why just talk about other artists’ works and keep all my stuff in the closet?” and so I made my site Tokyo Candies, my Behance profile, etc. So even if I’ve always been illustrating my career is brand new.

2. How did you get started working with vector graphics? How long have you worked with Illustrator? Do you have any favorite vector tools or techniques? Where does Photoshop fit in your workflow?

I think I started with vectors in 2005 or 2006. I knew I needed to know Illustrator, but they weren’t teaching it at university (where I learnt things like 3Dstudio Max, which I forgot 1 minute later after passing the exam), so I had to learn it by myself.

At first, I have to say, I hated it. I was used to Photoshop and I couldn’t understand a lot of things happening in Illustrator. I don’t know why, at that time, it was pretty hard to find tutorials on Illustrator, while there were tons for Photoshop. So I experimented A LOT, and soon I became more and more familiar with it and found it was really handy to be able to manage all the elements.

I don’t have a favorite tool, I use the most standard tools: brush, pencil, pen, scissors, mainly. I don’t like the gradient mesh tool too much. I mean, it’s a powerful tool that lets you make some incredible stuff, but I’m a pretty radical vector artist . About Photoshop, I use it sometimes as a final step, to add some texture, vintage effects and things like that, but not all the time.

3. To what extent are you attracted to uniting extreme concepts in your work? I notice cute mixed with evil? Chubby imbedded with erotic sexuality? What are the mix of ideas that bring about your work?

Yes, one of the main things you may notice in most of my works I think is the mix of different or even opposite feelings. Cute and evil, funny and disturbing, the perfect example are, of course, the sexy chubby girls, that are my favorite subject and maybe my most distinguishing characters.

An artist I really love, that I think is bringing something similar is Jeremy Fish. The point is: arouse a feeling in the spectator. Could be surprise, curiosity, hilarity or whatever. If you look at one of my works, and you think “Why? Why is it like that?,” then I just hit my point.

4. How does working as a freelance illustrator and designer influence your work as an art director? How has working as an art director helped you work as a freelancer? Are there any lessons that cross these two roles you’d like to share?

I have to say that as a professional I live to separate lives. My everyday work is art direction/graphic design as an employee. I really like my job and it pays my bills, but of course my dream is to live just making my things one day, so I’m working hard, day and night, to do that.

My art direction job has been useful to me as a freelancer mainly in understanding client’s requests. Plus I learnt all the things about the printing process while working there: problems related to it, limitations, preparing a file to be printed, and all this technical stuff you have to know. You can’t just be able to draw and/or use Illustrator alone.

5. With your busy schedule, how often do you find time to just draw in your sketchbook or do other creative things just for fun? What are your favorite creative outlets?

One of the main things I regret is neglecting my sketchbook so much. The other thing is painting so rarely. But I take time to do things for fun, also because they can become sold works, or prints or t-shirts. I also have to work on koikoikoi.com, which is a sort of creative outlet. Even if I don’t work in first person on something creative, presenting artists, designers, photographers, works, projects, videos, all feed my creativity hunger and increase my knowledge and my inspiration sources.

6. How has travel influenced your work? What places have made an impact on you and why? How often do you hit the road and explore new places?

I don’t think traveling has influence directly on my works, but it has certainly impacted my knowledge. It may sounds pretty obvious but the place that really had an impact on me is Japan, both for places and people. It was really like being on another planet, so far from italian culture. Last April I’ve went to New York. It was my first time in the USA. That city is magical, you really can smell endless opportunities, especially if you’re involved in art. I hit the road as much as I can, depending on money and spare time, and both things are not as much as I’d like .

7. How active are you online with various design communities, blogs, and social media? Have you had business opportunities arise because of these activities?

With my works I’m on: Behance, Facebook, BloodSweatVector, deviantArt, Twitter, and I have shops on Redbubble and Artsprojekt, where you can buy prints, t-shirts, sweatshirts etc. I can say that all my collaborative works come from these channels, I don’t have an agent (if there’s one reading, we can discuss about it, feel free to contact me!) and there’s not much to do locally.

8. You have such a distinctive style? How did that come about? What helped narrow your focus as an illustrator and what continues to inspire you as an artist? What are your greatest influences?

I really like a lot of different things. My style was a natural evolution and it’s still evolving. The most important thing I think is doing things as they naturally come to you, without forcing on making them look a certain way or like someone else’s products.

My inspiration comes from a lot of different sources, such as asian cultures, tattoo art, cultural icons, movies, comics, cartoons. I have tons of people I admire as artists, just to name a few: Mike Giant, Simone Legno, Jeremy Fish, Jeremyville, Shawn Barber, Audrey Kawasaki, Jason Lìmon, 123Klan, Koralie, Jeff Soto, Flying Fortress, Blu, Sheena Aw, Tado, and Jared Nickerson.

9. Could you tell us about your illustration process using the project “The Dirty Cream” as an example? Does the process for that project flow like many of your others, or do you find yourself often changing how you approach your work?

My workflow may vary from work to work. If I have a precise idea in mind, I start drawing directly in Illustrator. Sometimes if it’s not clear enough, or it’s a bit complicated, I make a sketch on paper, as I did for “The Dirty Cream” work.

After the sketch on paper (pencil and markers) I traced it with my Wacom tablet, then I gave it the basic color and after that I worked on shadows and lights. While doing these steps I usually make some changes to basic color, removing shadows or changing the transparency, etc. In this work, I noticed that the outlines traced with my Wacom were confusing the type work, so I used them just as a track for coloring. After the main work is done I start refining details, adjusting some curves, adding little elements, etc. The final step was adding the cherry characters and the ice cream lady recycled from a previous work and adjusted a bit.

10. Thanks for the interview Rubens! Is there any advice that you’d like to give aspiring illustrators and designer who are working hard to grow professionally?

Trivial but so true: keep working hard. Try to develop your own style and work hard on promoting yourself. Thanks again for this opportunity! Also, you can see my work at the Rubens will be participating in the upcoming Blood Sweat Vector West Berlin Gallery show, which opened just a couple days ago with loads of other vector artists’ work on display.

Rubens Cantuni on the Web

• Tokyo Candies Portfolio
• Behance Portfolio
• koikoikoi.com Visual Arts Blog (italian/english)

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

How to Enter

To be eligible to win, all you need to do is leave a comment. Make sure to include your correct email address with your comment so that we can contact you. This giveaway is open worldwide, but make sure to get your comment in before midnight this Sunday, November 15th, 2009, Eastern Eastern Standard Time. We’ll be announcing the winner next week.

Please note: Envato staff and people who have written more than two tutorials/articles for a Tuts+ site are not eligible to enter.

The Prize

“Cartooning: The Ultimate Character Design Book (Paperback),” by Christopher Hart, and published by Chris Hart Books, 2008.

Product Description

“Chris Hart’s how-to-draw books have sold in the several millions of copies. Now, in his latest, he delivers detailed instructions, inspiring ideas, and invaluable tips for creating appealing and original manga-style characters. Character design is the key to success in comic books and animated films, and with this clear step-by-step guide, it’s a skill that can be quickly learned. Starting with the basics—body types, facial features, costumes, and expressions—Chris shows how to draw a hyper kid, bratty teen, lovable pooch, cool rapper, and many other distinctive types. Then, he takes the reader on a guided tour in search of original characters in places that range from suburban malls to the glitter and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.”

Afterwords, we talk about how to market yourself as a logo designer. How do you get your first clients? How do you figure out what to charge? What is a logo designers best marketing tool? We have some great discussions with guests Von Glitcha and Dickie Adams, both regulars of our popular Freelance Switch podcast: Freelance Radio.

We’ve Done it Again

This is our second Tuts+ podcast, so we are still learning the ropes. Please leave your feedback in the comments section on how we can improve future episodes. Also, make sure to tell us what you’d like to hear next time. Enjoy!

All music and sounds supplied by the very awesome AudioJungle!

• Length: 1 hour
• Download Audio
• Subscribe in iTunes
• Subscribe to RSS Feed

Introductions

• Host: Danny Outlaw
• Tuts+ Editor: Sean Hodge
• Guest: Von Glitschka, Illustrative Designer
• Guest: Dickie Adams, Jack of All Trades

In the News

Article 1: “iStock opens can of nasty worms“

This article discusses some of the potential negative issues with iStockphoto’s decision to start selling pre-made logo design solutions. There are links to other articles on this subject and don’t miss: The best logo design tutorial in the world… ever!.

Article 2: “Your Halloween Costume Sucks“

Check out these awesome Halloween costumes from the DragonCon convention. As some of you may know, many people dress up at these sort of events as their favorite fantasy related character. These blow away just about anybody’s costume this year.

Suggested Tools

• Danny Outlaw recommends: Screenr for recording screencasts through your browser.
• Sean recommends: Helvetic Brands run by logo and brand designer David Pache.
• Von Glitschka recommends: Copy Craft printers and their Business Card Recycling Program.
• Dickie Adams recommends: the mysterious Google Wave.

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

Final Image Preview

Below is the final image we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Vector Plus for just 9$ a month.

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Step 1

I went over to stock.xchng and picked a nice photograph of an eagle. We’ll use this image and trace our eagle head out of it. Open a new document in Illustrator and place the image on its own layer and lock it.

Step 2

There is no real shortcut for this kind of thing, just plain and simple tracing. Select the Pen Tool (P) and start tracing the outline of the eagle head. Fill the shape with white and set the Stroke to none.

Step 3

Start adding another shape by loosely tracing it following the out line of the first shape. Fill it with 10% black.

Step 4

Add another shape. Just keep looking at the reference image, trace it, and fill it with 20% black. You can let your imagination run. It doesn’t have to have the exact shape of the eagle head.

Step 5

We pretty much keep adding shapes and filling them with gradients and colors similar to the photo.

Step 6

All these shapes will make up the head and feathers. The most important thing is to distinguish the shapes from each other by placing them underneath or above each other and give them slightly different colors or gradients. Try to orient yourself on the colors of the photo.

Step 7

Let’s move on to the eye. Create a small circle with the Ellipse Tool (L) and fill it with a white/orange radial gradient.

Step 8

Then create two circles filled with orange. Make one circle smaller that the other. Fill the bigger one with a slightly darker orange and then select both and apply a blend (Command + Alt + B). Set the Blend option to Specified Steps of 10.

Step 9

Create another circle on top and fill it with black.

Step 10

For the eye detail, create a triangle shape with the Pen Tool (P) and fill it with a radial gradient.

Step 11

Select the Rotate Tool (R), and with the object selected, click on the bottom tip of the triangle shape. Then hold Alt and drag the shape to the right (clockwise). This will duplicate it. Then press Command + D over and over again until you have a full circle of shapes. Now group them together.

Step 12

Place the grouped shapes over the black circle.

Step 13

Create another smaller black circle on top. This will act as a pupil.

Step 14

Last but not least, place two different shaped white circles as highlights on top of the black circle.

Step 15

Let’s move on to the beak. Create a small sickle shape with the Pen Tool (P) along the beak in the image and fill it with an orange color.

Step 16

Keep looking at the image and create shapes to build up the bird beak.

Step 17

Pay attention to the different shades of orange. The top beak shape should be lighter than the bottom half.

Step 18

Create a small ellipse as the nose.

Step 19

Copy the nose ellipse (Command + C + F) on top and scale it down a bit. (E). Then add a linear gradient.

Step 20

Create a wiggly line with the Pencil Tool (N) and choose an orange color.

Step 21

Add more detail to the beak. Have a look at the photo to orient yourself. Sometimes it just takes a small detail to make all the difference.

Step 22

In case you need to change the shape of small detail objects, grab the Direct Selection Tool (A) and transform it.

Step 23

This is the eagle illustration. As you can see, we really didn’t need all that many shapes. The important thing to remember is that it all comes down to shading and highlights.

Step 24

We want to make this into a sticker. Select all of the shapes and make a copy. Then apply the Unite option in the Pathfinder Palette.

Step 25

Select the shape again and apply an Offset Path of 7pt. Make sure you choose the "Round" option for the joins.

Step 26

In case there are shapes not added, select them with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and delete them.

Step 27

Select the Offset shape (you might want to ungroup everything) and fill it with black. As you can see, this shape acts like a rounded stroke around the eagle head.

Step 28

I added a start burst and placed it behind the eagle head. To make it fit into the sticker shape, copy the united shape from Step 25 and place it on top of the star burst. Then select the start burst and the shape and apply a Clipping Mask (Command + 7).

Final

I transformed the sticker shape a little. You can create any sticker you’d like, round rectangle, following the eagle head shape or an ellipse. It’s all up to you. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

This Vector Plus Tutorial is Filled with Creative Techniques

Enhance your skills with this step-by-step tutorial on creating a stylized vector icon. We’ll cover how to use line weight, color and unique shading techniques to create this icon. Let’s get started!

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Advanced
• Estimated Completion Time: 2 hours

A preview of the final image is below.

Plus members can Log in and Download! If you’re not a member, you can of course join today! You can view the final illustration below.

This is a Detailed and Professional Tutorial

Plus members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are sample images, which show some of the development of this tutorial.

Vector Plus Membership

As you know, we run a premium membership system here called Plus that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! If you’re a Plus member you can log in and download the tutorial. If you’re not a member, you can of course join today!

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

Final Image Preview

Below is the final image we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Vector Plus for just 9$ a month.

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS3 (MAC OS, German Version)
• Difficulty Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 30-60 minutes

Step 1

Use the Pen Tool (P) to create a 2-point-path. The handle of the lower anchor point has to be horizontal and the handle of the upper anchor point 45°. Activating the Magnetic Guidelines (Command + U) will help you during this tutorial. The length of the handles affects the look of the rope and can be varied.

Step 2

Duplicate the path, rotate it 180°, and move it until the two paths connect. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A), select the two overlapping anchor points, and join them (Command + J).

Step 3

Duplicate the complete path again, but this time it has to be mirrored (either horizontally or vertically). Connect the two paths and join the overlapping anchor points as you did in Step 2.

Step 4

Duplicate the complete path again to extend your rope even more. Connect and join the anchor points. This curve will be the basic element for the climbing rope.

Step 5

Duplicate the complete path again, but this time the two paths have to overlap 50%. These two paths will be essential for the correct distribution and alignment in Step 6.

Step 6

Paste the basic path several times in-between the two existing ones. Don’t worry about the horizontal alignment. The number of curves will affect the look of the climbing rope and more curves will make it look thicker. I used a total of 13 curves in this tutorial.

Step 7

Select All and distribute horizontally centered. It almost looks like a rope now!

Step 8

Convert all the outlines to filled objects (Object > Path > Outline Stroke), create one shape from it (Pathfinder – Add to Shape Area), and release the compound path (Object > Compound Path > Release or press Alt + Shift + Command + 8). You might use the Outline View (Command + Y) to check the result.

Step 9

Remove the outline and everything but 2 rows. Now it’s time to connect certain squares to get the typical look of a climbing rope.

Step 10

Use the Outline View (Command + Y) to remove certain parts of the squares.

Step 11

Reconnect the squares as seen below by selecting and joining the equivalent anchor points (Command + J).

Step 12

Duplicate all and move it to the right. Use the Magnetic Guidelines (Command + U) for the perfect distance. To do so the movement has to be performed in two smaller steps. Now it’s time to choose the colors of the rope.

Step 13

Extend the rope even more and group everything (Command + G).

Step 14

Duplicate the group and paste it in the background (Command + B) for the new outline. Choose a black outline with rounded corners and convert the outline to a filled object (Object > Path > Outline Stroke).

Step 15

Select all and group it (Command + G). Draw a rectangle and make sure that the left and right side lock at equivalent anchor points of the climbing rope.

Step 16

Select all and create a Clipping Mask (Object > Clipping Mask > Make or press Command + 7). Then use the Pathfinder to remove the hidden parts (Pathfinder > Trim).

Step 17

Select all and create a Pattern Brush (Brushes > New Brush > New Pattern Brush). Use the settings shown below.

Conclusion

Now you can use the Brush Tool (B) or Pen Tool (P) with your created Pattern Brush. Add a drop shadow (Effects > Stylize > Drop Shadow) for a more realistic look. Repeat the tutorial and experiment with the parameters (shape of the 2-point-path, number of paths, colors, outline thickness, etc.) for additional climbing ropes. Have fun creating your own versions!

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

Final Image Preview

Below is the final image we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Vector Plus for just 9$ a month.

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Estimated Completion Time: 3-5 hours

Introduction

This is wide tutorial in which I am going to teach you how to use the mesh tool (U) to create nice simple gradients the way you would want to. This tool is a great one for creating photorealistic effects in vector format. You don’t need any stock photography for this tutorial except the one use for creating the screen content. This one you will need is provided from my collection and is completely free for usage without any restriction.

You should know at least how to deal with Illustrator Pen Tool (P) to complete this tutorial. If you are not familiar with using it, then get stared with this tutorial: Illustrator’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide.

Step 1

We start our tutorial with creating new artboard. Name the new document “iMac” and set the dimensions to 1024pt for width and 768pt for height. As this design is meant to be used for printed media we set the Color Mode to CMYK and the resolution to 300dpi.

Step 2

Start modeling with the display. The first thing to create is the side of the iMac’s display. Create a simple shape with the Rounded Rectangle Tool (my dimensions are 545pt by 440pt), color it to #807F83, and reshape with the Direct Selection Tool (A). Pay special attention to the corners.

Step 3

Now we use Illustrator’s Mesh Tool (U). Select the tool and create the anchor point on the borderline of the shape near the bottom-right corner. Be sure to create the point on the borderline.

Step 4

It’s time for practice and your creativity. Just play with the Mesh Tool (U) and try to create something similar to the image below. You can see more detailed image of the corners in further steps, or for Vector Plus Members just look into the AI source file for this tutorial.

Step 5

Here you can see a detailed image of the mesh corner. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and #D8D9DA, #807F83 colors to create this curved gradient. Just select a particular section of the mesh and apply color on it until you have the effect shown below.

Step 6

In this step just continue with the same colors in the top-right corner. The upper arrow shows the section for the darker one and the lower arrow shows the section for the lighter one. This is all for the side part as shown. In the next few steps we are going to create the display.

Step 7

Create another Rounded Rectangle (537pt by 441pt) and color it with #A1A1A4. If necessary, bring it forward and adjust the position to the side shape, which creates an extruded shape illusion.

Step 8

Use the Mesh Tool (U) with the colors #EFE9E5 and #A1A1A4, to create a gradient, as shown below.

Step 9

Duplicate the layer from the Step 8. Click on it with the Selection Tool (V) and change the color to #261C02. Then create two Rectangle Shapes (M) and deform them by moving their anchor points with the Direct Selection Tool (A). And now we are ready to substract them to create a black display frame. Now select the #1 rectangle and go to Object > Path > Divide Objects Below. Do the same with the #2 shape.

Step 10

Now we are going to use the spider photo. Just put it on the artboard and scale it to the necessary dimensions, just to have the upper-right corner near the upper right corner of the frame and do the same with the lower-left corner.

In the control panel, click on Mask and correct the shape with the Direct Selection Tool (A). The last thing with the photo is to put it backward with the Arrange Menu (Control > Arrange) to hide the borders behind the black frame.

Step 11

Now use the Pen Tool (P) for creating “the Apple,” or add your own creative branding. Bear in mind that it should be a little bit deformed according to perspective rules.

Step 12

With the Pen Tool (P) create the shape for a reflection gradient. You can create a completely new shape, or just duplicate the first layer of the display, and edit it with subtractions and Convert Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C). Then apply a semi-transparent gradient on it. The gradient is created with #fff color with 0% Opacity, #000 color with 100% Opacity and the angle is set to 81,82 degrees.

Step 13

And the last thing to create for the iMac is its leg. Create the shape below with Pen Tool (P) and apply #D8D9DA to it.

Step 14

Create a new rectangle (my dimensions are 102pt by 79pt) and use the Mesh Tool (U) to create two vertical lines. Be sure to click on the border lines not into the shape.

Step 15

Continue with the Mesh Tool (U) and create one more vertical line and then 8 horizontal lines. Again, be sure to click on the border lines.

Step 16

Use the Direct Selection Tool (A), Mesh Tool (U) and Anchor Point Tool (Shift+ C) to transform your shape into the one in the image below.

Step 17

So we are almost done with the iMac. Just use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select the particular areas of mesh and #807F83, #C2CDC5, #EFE9E5, #A1A1A4 colors to create the shadows and reflections. Pay your attention to the areas indicated by arrows below, as they are particularly important.

Step 18

And the last step is to adjust the position of the shapes of the iMac’s leg and also to arrange it back behind the display. And voilá, we have a photorealistic vector of Apple’s iMac.

Step 19

I also prepared the Magic Mouse to practice the skills you have learned. The next steps which describe the creation process are more brief to let you see how much you understand the steps during creation of the iMac. If you are lost you can roll back and check the previous steps again or just play with the source AI file.

Step 20

Use the Pen Tool (P), Direct Selection Tool (A), Anchor Point Tool (Shift + C) and Mesh Tool (U) to create the base mesh shape for the Magic Mouse.

Step 21

Add two shapes (Pen Tool(P)) for reflections. #1 is #FFF color with 0% Opacity to #bfbfbf color with 50% Opacity, and angle set to -93,74 degrees. #2 is #FFF color with 0% Opacity, #DDD color with 100% Opacity, #bfbfbf color with 10% Opacity, and angle set to 175,71 degrees.

Step 22

Create a shape for the sideline of the Magic Mouse. Fill it with a gradient using the colors, angle, and positions as shown. The only exception is the 0% Opacity of the #ABABAB color in the middle of the gradient.

Step 23

The last image shows you the shape for the brand’s shadow. Apple is the top layer and is filled with #a1a1a5 color. The shadow as expected is the back layer filled with #162732 color.

Conclusion

Now you can put the iMac and the Magic Mouse together and we are finished. Thank you for your attention and I hope that this tutorial was useful for you.

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

]]> http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/icon-design/how-to-create-a-photorealistic-imac-and-magic-mouse/feed/ 30 http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/icon-design/how-to-create-a-photorealistic-imac-and-magic-mouse/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vectortuts/~3/ZSphwtY-yDM/ http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-draco/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:43:34 +0000 Sonali Vora http://vector.tutsplus.com/?p=3259 ]]> Meet Draco, a fantastic illustrator from Brazil. He works as a full time designer in a web agency. Draco has a unique and distinctive style of illustration and he designs some awesome T-shirts which are printed by the most famous online T-shirt websites. Read on this interview to learn more about him and his work!

1. Hello Draco, give us a background bio on yourself, where are you from? What is your typical day like?

Hi, I’m from Brazil! My day starts at 09:00 am with a short walk from my house to the agency where I work. After that, in my house, I work until 03:00pm on my own projects.

Frankensinatra

2. When did you first feel the calling to get into design and illustration? Did you attend a traditional design school or are you self-taught? We would also like to know about your first design job.

Well, I’m self-taught! I have been drawing since I was a child and going to the design field was a natural way. I started with creating logotypes and advertising illustrations for small clients.

Geeko

3. How long have you been designing and illustrating? What is your day job as a full time designer in a web agency?

I really do not remember when I started creating illustrations. I have been working with design for about 10 years.

MOSH

4. Can you give us an insight into your creative process and your research resources? Is the process different for personal and client work?

Yes, I always say that every job deserves special treatment, and how I can illustrate in several different styles, each job receives unique treatment. But when things are not very clear, a little wine and Radiohead open my mind (or make me sleep!).

TypeMonster

5. What is it about the vector medium that fascinates you? What tools and applications do you use to create your vector arts? Would you like to share with us your favorite vectoring technique?

My favorite software is Corel Draw, but, I work with illustrator too (80% with Corel Draw and 20% with Illustrator). Normally, I do a freehand sketch, then I import the image to Corel Draw and finish the illustration node by node.

6. Apart from illustrations, you do a lot of T-shirt designs. When and how did you get interested in designing for T-shirts?

I was studying vectors and this universe of T-shirts looked like a good opportunity to improve my techniques and possibly earn some money.

Queen of Hearts

7. What are the challenges involved in turning an art piece into a really saleable product? And how do you overcome those challenges?

I don’t think of creating illustrations as marketable. I think the public who buys T-shirts from shops that promote design competitions, are more interested in art prints, that makes it easy. I don’t  think in creating saleable illustrations, I think the public who buys T-shirts in online stores who promote design competitions, are more interested in artistic tees. This makes it easy.

Bandit Love

8. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about the design and illustration industry? What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you started your career?

Its too simple. Working in design and illustration is what I love! =)

Do

9. What project are you working on now and what excites you most about that project? Is there any dream project you would like to work on?

I’m involved in some projects at the same time, and one in particular is writing and possibly illustrating a story book.

Mech Makes Everything Easier

10. How is Brazil’s art scene? Does the Brazilian culture influence your works?

The art scene here in Brazil is very diverse, with several tribes following different paths in design and I think it’s the best influence I can have, working with several different styles and not getting stuck there is a single line.

World 2.0

11. Thanks for the interview Draco. Would you like to give any tips or advise to aspiring digital artists and designers?

Watch and study. Always try to do what you like and do still hold to the trends.

Long life and prosper

Draco on the Web

• Portfolio
• deviantArt

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

]]> http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-draco/feed/ 16 http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-draco/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vectortuts/~3/_MAEEKCQJS0/ http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/news/exclusive-vectortuts-social-cubes-pack-available-for-free-download/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:28:50 +0000 Oindrila Mukherjee http://vector.tutsplus.com/?p=3270 ]]> We have a new exclusive Vectortuts+ Social Cubes Pack available for free download. There are numerous high quality icons for you to use in your work. You may also want to review the process behind this style of icon design in the tutorial series: Create a Fun Icon of Frozen People on Ice – Part I and Part II. Learn more at the jump!

New Exclusive JPG/AI Icon PACK – Free Download

This new Vector Freebie Pack is created by Oindrila Mukherjee and is available exclusively from Vectortuts+. If you’re looking for high-quality social icons for your next web project, then check out these icons. This set of 18 high quality freebies is available free, follow this link to download today from our freebies section! Enjoy!

Subscribe to the Vectortuts+ RSS Feed to stay up to date with the latest vector tutorials and articles.

]]> http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/news/exclusive-vectortuts-social-cubes-pack-available-for-free-download/feed/ 9 http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/news/exclusive-vectortuts-social-cubes-pack-available-for-free-download/