exposing facts - Photoshop Magazin

!
no 2 • september 2007
vexel + vector specialty magazine
EXPOSING FACTS
the face behind vexels.net
IT’S ALL MINE!
Nelly Furtado,
Avril Lavigne, Gerard Way
and more...
facts from the Australian founder
THE FACE BEHIND VEXELS.NET
COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF?
“My name is Linda, I’m 23 and currently live in Canberra, Australia
although I move with my husband around the country a bit.”
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT VEXELS?
“When I first started making them, the word vexel hadn’t even been
created. We were still calling them “vectors” despite the fact that
they weren’t vector at all. The word vexel was created by a guy
named Seth on my messageboard, Nova. I was there at the birth!”
WHAT MADE YOU START MAKING VEXELS?
“They were very trendy amongst the personal site scene a few
years back. I can’t remember an exact time or person that inspired
me to make them but I do remember once I started, it was hard to
go back to other types of hobby-graphics.”
TELL SOMETHING ABOUT STARTING VEXELS.NET AND HOW IT HAS
GROWN INTO A BIG COMMUNITY.
“I really didn’t expect the site to be going this long and for people
to still be interested nearly 2 years later! I only created it to
practice my PHP and to possibly have a few vexels on there, the
thought of there even being 100 vexels in existance was a suprise
to me! Now look there are over 10,000 on the site!”
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
“I get random spurts of inspiration, mainly from offline “real”
people. I will look at someone’s nose and think.. I want to vexel
that! Or I will see a person standing in the sunlight at a certain
angle and will be off to find a similar picture to work with. Most of
the time it doesn’t work out how I initially intended because
I get inspired over and over throughout the process and I change
my mind a lot. Sometimes other art mediums inspire me too,
especially browsing the incredible digital painting galleries that are
out there. I rarely get inspired by other vexels though, or I don’t let
myself. I don’t feel comfortable with that.”
COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR METHODS AND
PROCEDURE?
“I use Photoshop 7. I start every vexel differently, even if the end
product is the same style, I always look at it differently initially.
I think this is why I find it so hard to write tutorials or to explain
my method, because I have to see the picture and decide on a new
way to tackle it each time. If I had a set procedure I think I would
grow tired of vexelling very quickly. I do however usually have
a few copies of the original photo, one original, one black and
white, one high contrast, one black and white
high contrast. This lets me study the image properly
so I can distinguish the shades.”
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE?
“Hopefully experimenting in new styles and new types of images.
I have been dabbling in reference free vexels for a while now but
I still think I’m a fair way off releasing anything like that.”
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
“Just thank you Lilly for making this magazine.”
ANY TIPS FOR OTHER ARTISTS AND BEGINNERS?
“Don’t expect to be good on your first 100 vexels. It’s just
like any other art, not many people can pick up a pencil and
draw a perfect picture the first time. It all takes patience and a lot
of practice. Don’t rely on tutorials so much once you know how to
use the tools. There isn’t a lot to vexelling when you look closely,
it’s just building blocks of color on top of eachother, the skill is
making the blocks the right shape and color, no tutorial can teach
that.”
“Void to feel”, 30th July 2006 p
TELL SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR WORK FOR VEXELS.NET AND YOUR
WORK INVOLVING WEBDESIGN IN GENERAL.
“I can tell you Vexels.net has been the most enjoyable site I’ve ever
made! I have also learnt a lot. I must say I feel I want to steer my
work in the way of being a Webmaster as opposed to Webdesigner.
I enjoy making sites for me, that I can be in total control of, much
more than making sites for other people where I can’t be in control.
I never thought of myself as a control freak but I guess I am.”
WHAT IS YOUR STYLE IN YOUR OWN WORDS?
“I would say “Classic”. I think a majority of my vexels are in a style
that is similar to those a few years ago. Occasionally I do
something different and of course my style has evolved in it’s own
way but I still think I haven’t strayed very far from the classic style
of vexelling.”
“I was there at the birth”
“You are entering...”, 09th April 2006 p
t
“Naomi Watts”, 02nd July 2006
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
What’s the deal?
TOP5
NEW
NEW ARTISTS
ARTISTS
The world of vector and
vexel artists keeps on
growing and gaining
more and more artists
every day.
In this section, some of
the outstanding new
artists are featured.
Their work is promising
and shows that the
artists have a lot of
talent.
ARTIST:
Matthew/Mambazo
WEB:
mambazo.langfordtavern.com
ART:
Autumn - Jessica Stam
“A vexel of Jessica Stam, altered
to fit an autumn theme. The eye
was also tinted green before
vexelling, just to be different.”
ARTIST:
Atefel
ARTIST:
Tram/blinktastic
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/1949
ART:
Girl on the Wing
“It was a snowy Valentine’s Day.
After awakening from a twelve
hours sleep, I stumbled onto my
computer, plugged in my favorite
tunes, and vexlled what would
soon be known as the “Girl on
the Wing.”
WEB:
atefel.deviantart.com
ART:
LOV
“I try to express child emotions....
I think that most of the time we
need to see expresions of people
in order to feel their emotions.....
this pic reminds me of my
childhood when my parents were
out all time... for me this one
says “Hello I’m here”.”
ARTIST:
Anna/Chibily
ARTIST:
Chealse
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/7587
ART:
Heidi Klum
“This is a vexel of Heidi Klum, one
of my best vexels ever. It took a lot
of time to finish, especially her
hair. I think it came out quite well,
I’m very proud of it.”
WEB:
www.peril-gfx.de.vu
 
ART:
I’m like a bird, ft Nelly Furtado
“I really like it,especially the
whole aura it has. I love her lips,
her eyes and her skin. I think it
came out very romantic...
but I really don’t like the hair.
I sat about 5 days on it with 400
layers.. The hair was a torture!”
We definitely wanna
see more of them,
so go and comment on
their work, help them
improve and encourage
them to keep up the
great work!
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Angie
WEB:
angie985.deviantart.com
ARTIST:
Shelley
WEB:
intoyourheart.deviantart.com
ART:
Birds of Prey
“An attempt at an image with usual
lighting.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ART:
Still looking forward
“Just something new for now.
I loved this picture because of the
contrast, so thought I’d give it a try”
ARTIST:
Jimmy Balia
WEB:
phig.deviantart.com
ART:
Ape pod
“The main idea is about to explicit
the over-estimation of Ipod culture.
And I wanted to make it in a funny
way, so I used ape as the model.
This is an awareness that even
animals need an entertainment.
I made this in two versions. First
the simple version, with no fur,
just shading and gradients and
second, the detailed one, with
added fur. I want to remake it for
VVM. I realize that the fur isn’t
balanced yet, because this is my
first time ever retouching a fury
animal. I found it a little bit hard,
I think I have to practice more in
fur making.”
ARTIST:
Nicole
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/4789
www.beautifulgarbage.nl
ART:
Myriad
“I chose to vexel this picture cause
I tought it was going to be a
challenge for myself.
There were weird lights, different
colours, hands and hair. All kinds of
things I find hard to vexel.
It was really hard to make the
vexel, I used too many layers and
spend too much time on it. But
I am really happy with how it
looks.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Echo S./Echoia
WEB:
echoia.com
ART:
Gun in my hand
“I feel like I need to write but
nothing ever comes out, so
I thought - maybe I could do
something with THAT?”
ARTIST:
Matt/Mattness
WEB:
www.flamingotrain.com
ART:
Reticence
“I made this vexel mainly to
express how there’s often
something in the way for me to
express myself. Reticent in the
dicitionary: disposed to be silent or
not to speek freely, reserved,
reluctant or restrained. And that is
exactly how I often feel - like
I cannot express myself so, that
others can feel me.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Nastasia Peters
WEB:
web.mac.com/lilnas/iWeb
ssst.deviantart.com
ART:
Hello
“I love the effort and beauty
geisha’s put into their work, and
I simply tried to recreat this beauty
and effort in my own style.
This was based on a portrait of
a dear friend of mine
dagwanoenyent.deviantart.com,
who was kind enough to let me
use one of her photographs to be
able to start this drawing.”
ARTIST:
Balung
WEB:
balung.deviantart.com
ART:
Metamorphose
“It’s kind of personal for me. It’s
hard to explain, because it’s my
private feeling. But in short, I try
to change, from something ugly
and useless into something new.
I’m ready to face the world with
anything I have.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Hallan Moulin/chiplegal
ARTIST:
Annette/MChaos07
WEB:
webfolio.chiplegal.com
WEB:
feverrr.untalented.org
mchaos07.deviantart.com
ART:
Waiting for better days
“Waiting for Better days was
created when I was kinda crazy
about getting a boyfriend. I found
this picture cool, then I vectorized
it thinking of how I would be
feeling if I were mad! I like this
green, it makes me feel connected
and cool with the internet.
By the way, my Better days have
come this year.”
ART:
Summer Fades
“Summer break was going by rather
quickly and I was pretty
disappointed when I realized this
fact. I wanted the vexel to be
pretty simple/not using many
layers and have the girl bright and
vibrant while the background
scene of a beach is washed-out
and dull-looking. The model in the
picture is Rachel Bilson”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Linda
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/1
fdlinda.deviantart.com
ART:
She felt it everyday
“One of my all time favourites,
I feel like I was able to capture the
whole setting and mood.”
ARTIST:
Mari
WEB:
mari-angel.deviantart.com
ART:
Ayumi Hamasaki
“A portrait of Ayumi Hamasaki”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Stephanie/0CandyApple0
WEB:
0candyapple0.deviantart.com
ART:
Seeing stars
“I started this as a illustrator “test”
I had worked in illustrator before
but I had always got frustrated and
went back to photoshop to finish
my work. I was determined this
was going to be 100% illustrator or
I would not finish it. I was about to
give up once again when my 7
year old daughter looked at it and
told me that it was pretty (she
always says that , sometimes even
before I start anything lol) but this
time she also said it needed stars.
So together she pointed out where
she wanted the stars and I added
them . This was by far the most
fun I had and for the first time
100% illustrator thanks to my
daughter.”
ARTIST:
Yoshizumi Masuo/Akugyouza
WEB:
akugyouza.deviantart.com
ART:
Go Baby Go
“Vector artwork based on Garbage’s
frontwoman, Shirley Manson.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Tasha/Tasha25
WEB:
www.mycutelobster.co.uk
ART:
Things I’ll never say
“Personally, I feel this is one of my
best vectors. It was a challenge to
me, as it was the first time I’d
changed the original colours of the
photograph. I used simpler shapes
to create a realistic look, that you
could still tell was vector.
The t-shirt was done with no
reference, which was another
challenge for me! This was a real
experiment of a new style to me,
and there are things I like to
improve on, but I think the result
turned out well.”
ARTIST:
Vicky
WEB:
vickyyy.deviantart.com
ART:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
“This is my favourite vector I have
made. It shows how much I have
improved with line art. And it’s not
bad to look at either.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ARTIST:
Mackenzie/Kilxover
ARTIST:
Sasha/Softspirit
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/54
kilxover.deviantart.com
WEB:
www.vexels.net/users/3700
softspirit118.deviantart.com
ART:
Polina Kouklina
“I just liked the way the image
flowed from one side to the other.
Also, frankly I thought it wouldn’t
be too challenging and relatively
quick because I only had to do one
eye (closed even so) and lips
profiles have always been easier
than the full ones. I’ve always
sucked at lips, which is the main
reason I admired the late, so to
speak Shaz, she was amazing at
lips. The hair wasn’t very hard to
make. It was another reason
I chose this picture was because
I loved the braids. To sound even
lamer, I actually was quite lazy
with the hair. Seriously, this was
one of my laziest pieces I’ve ever
done and I’m astonished that so
many people actually liked it
compared to some of my others
that I’m much more proud of. The
entire piece except for the hair
was vector. I did the hair in
photoshop since it’s so much
quicker to use stroke path. Overall,
it’s not really my favorite piece just
because I know I didn’t spend as
much time on it like I have others.
It seems a little rushed to me.”
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
ART:
CREEP/Gerard Way
“This piece is my first 100% vector
work, created fully in Illustrator
CS2. The subject is Gerard Way of
My Chemical Romance. He was the
perfect subject for my first
Illustrator piece as I was able to
maintain an interest throughout
the process of creating the vector
and not give up learning Illustrator.
Plus, listening to their
accompanying music helped and
inspired. I used line art combined
with solid shading and gradients.
The background clouds were
freehanded reference-less,
achieved with very low opacities. “
About 90 per cent of all vexels are about
beautiful women: actresses, singers, and most
of all models. Nothing wrong with that, right?
There are so many pretty faces to admire, so why
not vexel them.
Delfino
by Lillemor
Maybe not the most recent, but this really
is an amazing vexel by Lillemor! Subtile
line-art and smooth, well-defined shapes
are what makes this vexel worth a spotlight!
It’s all mine!
portfolio: www.vexels.net/users/129
artwork suggested by Matthijs
Usually we stumble across a gorgeous picture and if we are lucky,
we instantly feel the need to vexel it. But what if the process of
vexelling does not start with a picture but with an idea?
Mademoiselle Audrey Tautou
In the summer of 2006, my sister went abroad for 6 months to
study in Turkey. Needless to say I had to make her something so
she would get all teary-eyed and miss me even more. Should
I write her a letter? I would probably stop after 3 sentences not
knowing what to tell her. Should I buy her a present? Not very
personal. Hmm. Why not vexel something?
The idea itself was great. But then came the hard part: I had
absolutely no idea what I wanted it to look like. My first thought
was to vexel a picture of her until I realized that there was
absolutely no point in her having a vexel of herself. Yeah sure,
that’s a nice thing to have, but it has absolutely nothing to do with
me. So there I was, rummaging through piles of photographs trying
to find a picture of me and her. Result: Nothing. Nada. Niente.
I couldn’t find a single picture of us looking somewhat decent
(never mind the size or quality of the pictures…) I seriously felt lost
and did not know what to do, especially since I had only about
2 weeks left.
I exactly knew what kind of message I wanted to convey, I wanted
it to be personal, something that would remind her of me,
something that made her feel safe even if she was far away. That’s
when I understood that what I wanted had to be created from
nothing. I could not just use a picture from three years ago and
simply add an “I’ll miss you”. I had to make this all mine. My idea,
my picture, my present, my sister. Once I knew I had to do it my
way, everything that followed was rather easy. I took a few pictures
and tried several things, from different poses and settings to
various color schemes and layouts.
This incident taught me a lot, not only about vexelling but life in
general. You can not always rely on other sources. Instead you
have to come up with own ideas and concepts, particularly when
trying to express an emotion or a thought. Some of us are talented
enough to make things from scratch, others (like myself) need
a reference. Either way, once you’re done you can proudly say it’s
all yours – and that is one of the most rewarding things.
Oh and let me just add that my sister did indeed get all teary-eyed.
She loved every single bit of my vexel and from that moment it
was all hers.
- Jules
by Kristy Anne Ligones /KDLIG
As Kristy Anne is, I’m a big fan too of this
French actress. This vector is more like
a painting compared to others, which makes
it even more creative and less average.
portfolio: www.vexels.net/users/4667
and subconagileverie
artwork suggested by LiL
White Queen
by Jussta
She calls herself a comic freak and her new
work is often inspired by comics. This one
has gone through a transformation, the
original photo is nothing compared to what
Jussta made of it! The costume was made
without any refference and she changed
her into a blonde kick-ass lady!
portfolio: http://jussta.republika.pl
and: jussta.deviantart.com
artwork suggested by LiL
Waiting for the Black
by echo
Time to put a spotlight on one of Echo’s
new vexels! It’s quite a bit off her usual
style, very simple yet so very beautiful!
portfolio: http://echoia.com
artwork suggested by Matthijs
IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
Getting back your Vexpiration
by Adwoa
We’ve all had those days, weeks, and months when it seems like every vexel we make is just…bleah.
And sometimes, after we open our program, we can’t even be bothered to make that first click. Here are
10 tips that should help you get inspired, and push you in the right direction towards beating your block.
01: TAKE A BREAK
NEVER try to force yourself to vexel something. If it isn’t working out,
it just isn’t working out. Unless you have an obligation to finish it,
chances are you just won’t be pleased with the results, and this
might prevent you from vexelling in future. Taking a short break
might help to clear your head and get you focused and inspired
again.
02: GO ON AN IMAGE HUNT
Sometimes the right picture can break a vexel block. It may inspire
you to try a new style or to go in a different direction. Be careful
when picking pictures though; don’t pick something you KNOW you
won’t be able to handle. My personal favourite image sites are
www.usemycomputer.com
www.vexelvogue.co.nr and
www.herfamedgoodlooks.com
If you do decide to do a Google
image search, try typing in
names of models,
photographers and
magazines to find
easily vexellable
pictures.
Words like “editorial” and “vogue” also give good results. Unless
you are good with small images, it is helpful to set the image
results tab to “large”.
03: LOOK AROUND YOU
Vexelling something you have never tried before is a great way
to break the block. You could vexel a chair, a table or even food.
If you see anything that screams “Vexel me!” just try it.
04: LISTEN TO MUSIC
This is another great way to get inspired, and for me it is the most
helpful way. Your favourite song could just turn out to be the perfect
theme for your next vexel! Take a few lyrics and try to interpret
them with a vexel, or go with the mood of the song itself. You could
also look for an image on the artist/group you love to listen to.
05: WATCH SOME TV
Anytime you see an actor/actress you think is very vexellable,
jot their name down and later on, do an image search. Vexelling
screen caps is another possibility. The same applies for reading
magazines; the editorials and ads can help you to stumble along
a very photogenic subject.
06: LOOK THROUGH YOUR FAVOURITES
Is there a style, colour or person that seems to be reappearing
constantly? If there is, you are probably drawn to it for a reason;
try incorporating it into one of your vexels and you might be
pleasantly surprised.
07: TRY A NEW VEXELLING METHOD
Try a method of vexelling you have never attempted. Using lineart,
trying out base layers, using only two colours to vexel, using a new
program, etc.
08: SKETCHES
Try vexelling a sketch you have done. Or if you don’t sketch,
try doing a reference-free vexel.
09: BE CONFIDENT
Thinking “Gosh, this vexel is SUCH crap” isn’t helping. Think positive
thoughts, and try to find out how to improve what you have, rather
than tear it down. Also, don’t ever compare yourself to anyone. It is
not about whether or not the nose on your vexel has more layers
than his. Vexelling is not a competition, so don’t feel pressured to
get 142526 favourites and 13364367 comments. If you are happy
with it, that’s enough! Appreciation is nice but it’s not everything.
10: VEXEL!
And finally, the most important tip of all. Open your program and
get going as soon as you get inspired. Don’t wait, just do it!
If these don’t work, take a few days (or weeks) off and try again.
Remember, it is virtually impossible to force inspiration.
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2
by Katy Orr
Vexelling eyes can be hard but also a lot of fun. Every eye is different so each experience will vary.
Hopefully these tips will help you along.
10 TIPS TO BETTER EYES
1
6
Eyelashes are thin, they are not thick. They should usually
be illustrated one at a time. It is time consuming,
but gives a better look. Take your time with this, it will
pay off. They sweep upward and will appear smaller
toward the part of the eye closer to the nose, and will
appear longer toward the outer corner of the eye.
While there are red veins in the whites of our eyes, these
are usually not vexelled. This is because when zoomed out
and the vexel is viewed at a normal size, it can make
the whites of the eyes seem pink.
2
3
4
5
The whites of the eyes are never pure white. Based on
the photo, they are comprised of hues of gray, brown, red,
pink, purple or even green. Pay attention to these hues
when using either gradients or different shapes to make
the color changes. The white of the eye gets darker near
the edges of the eye.
The iris of the eye, the colored part, is darker around
the outer edge, lighter as is radiates inward, and then
a little darker next to the pupil. When vexelling it, be sure
to illustrate this shift in color and shade as it will give
the eye the rounded appearance it needs.
The eye usually shows a light source in the form of white
dots that shine off of the wet surface of the eye.
Remember to add these in to give your vexel more depth.
Even if your photo is of a certain color, you can always
change the color of the eye or add in some other colors
to make it more interesting. For example, if the eye
is blue, you could try adding in some brown or hazel
flecks.
7
8
9
10
To give your vexel a more realistic look, try vexelling
the tiny pink part of the eye in the inward corner near
the nose. Not many shapes are needed to do this.
Remember to look to see if there is a gleam in that area
and to add it if there is.
There are many ways to vexel an eye. Try gradients
or different overlapping shapes with varying opacities.
The eye itself it comprised of many, many layers.
Look closer at the photo you are vexelling. Is there
emotion? Is there a certain look? Make note of this as
the eyes tend to carry that emotion more than any other
feature, except the lips. Make sure not to lose this
emotion.
Finally, remember that vexelling, like anything, takes time
and practice. Eyes are hard! If you find that one way
doesn’t work, try another. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t
turn out perfect. There are plenty of pictures and plenty
of beautiful eyes and every time you do it, you will get
better. Good luck!
!
FEATURED TUTORIALS
Hair Tutorial by Jussta • Useful and very well Illustrated • jussta.deviantart.com
Vexelling Hair by Jules • Step by step Photoshop tutorial • jules1983.deviantart.com
Creating a Vector-Illustrated Eye by Echo • Very clear tutorial • echoia.com
Want your tutorial featured here? Send an email with your url and your tutorial might be published in the next issue of VVM!
vvm@lil-online.nl
vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2