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Originally Posted by Spry  Im loving this work. It really is awesome. Obviously this is all vector based, I havent read the entire thread but I assume your using Illiustrator or something very similar. I was wondering, you seem to have many admirers, do you have any tips for anyone who would be interested in getting into this kind of drawing and illistration, myself included. |
Thanks! I'm using an older version of Corel Draw (version 8), but there are plenty of options out there, including the free program Inkscape.
I'm not an expert by far (and there are plenty of other excellent vector artists on this board), but I'll try to help. Here's a quick list of what I think are the major points:
- Bezier curves - master using these and you can draw any shape
- Gradients - Basic fills are easy, but gradients will give you a nice 3D look
- Layers - It's just easier to organize things this way
- Transparency - As another way of implying 3D, I've been using a copy of my object to shade filled in with black and then a transparency applied to it. (Got this one from Aethernaut.
) If you have multiple objects on a shape that you want to shade the same (like panel lines, markings, etc.), this is the best way to keep it consistent. You can also use a white layer for highlights.
That should help you get started, but let me know if you have any specific questions, and I'll try to help. BTW, there's also an excellent vector tutorial over at Ex Astris Scientia:
Ex Astris Scientia - Technical Support