Vectoring

Editor's Note:

This tutorial does not explain the correct way to reformulate an image in Vector graphics; however, it does tell how with the help of Photoshop it is possible to create an image from an Raster image, thereby creating a Vector-like illusion.

Out of all the ways of doing the method i know as 'vectoring' this is just one of the ways of doing it in photoshop, instead of illustrator, without using filters. This can also be done with other tools, such as the pen tool and the brush tool. All of the images you see in this tutorial are scaled down to about 25%

1. Open your photo, we used a picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar.

2. Create a new layer, and name it base skin. Then grab your polygonal lasso tool

3. Set your foreground colour to a colour that seems to appear lots, and is the average shade on her/his body. (for this image i used F6935D)

4. Make a selection, selecting all of her skin, weather it is light or dark, and fill it with your foreground colour.

5. Click on the eye on the layers palate, to make the layer unvisible. then make a new layer, and name it skin shade.

6. Change your foreground to a colour that is pretty dark, not making a really huge difference in the first colour though. (i used CC6431)

7. Cut around the dark bits in the image, using the real photo as a rough guide. keep filling them in, and deselecting them. dont make the selections over round, as you want them pretty jagged.

8. Again. a new layer, named skin highlights - select a light colour that appears on the image alot. (i used FEBAA0)

9. Again, with your polygonal lasso tool, fill in the highlights. i know this can be pretty hard, so you should use your zoom tool to help you.

Now. if you make the layer 'base skin' visible you should have a combined image that looks like this:

10. Back on your base layer, make a new layer. which is going to be her clothes. name it 'base clothes'

11. Select a average colour, but this time take it from her clothes. i find a nice one for this image is CB2F8B

12. With the polygonal lasso tool. make a selection, around all of her clothes - not being too neat, because this layer is UNDER the skin layer.

13. Click on the eye on the layer palate. then make a new layer called 'clothes shade'

14. Make all the shades on the clothes a dark colour , again being generous with the amount of jagged edges you make.

15. On a new layer named 'clothes highlight' set your foreground to about DD7CB9, and make fill in the highlights.

16. Click on the eye on the layers palate, on the layer 'base clothes' to make it visible again, it should now look similiar to this.

Im going to miss a few steps. which is going to be the hair, its pretty simple, just do it the same way as you did the clothes. and you should end up with something similar to this:

Add some detail in for the lips, by making a new layer. selecting a nice pink. then adding highlights.

For the eyes, just add a little green.

17. Go back to the bottom layer, and fill the background a purple, and you are finished!