Purple Passion vine illustration using Adobe Illustrator
Illustrating with Adobe Illustrator
I have been illustrating in Adobe Illustrator for many years and after a many parts and end equipment I thought it was time to expand my subject matter. How I actually started working in the high-tech industry doing technical drawings and the occasional illustration was by showing an image of a green tree frog to a potential employer. It was the first attempt at illustrating using a PC-the program was Arts and Letters Jurassic Arts and the tools were basic at best.
I have since worked in Micrografix Designer, Corel Draw even freehand and finally the standard adobe products-Illustrator and Photoshop. After writing about the life of a goldfish I decided to illustrate the image instead of using a photograph and what follows is how I approach illustrating in Illustrator.
My first and most basic process is just getting the shape and basic colors and tones down. This is the fastest part of the illustration. I will usually follow the lines of color and shadow and create layers of light that cover up layers of shadow.
Image 1-basic form
After I feel the overall form is correct I will layer the colors again almost like the rings of a tree-you overlap each color with the form that overlaps it. You will notice every change and try to process it as if there were multiple layers of shapes that make the final form. I try to use as little gradients as they can tend to be contrived-if I do use them they need to be very subtle.
The second figure shows a minimal change from the first. Basic overlaying of colors that allow the background to show through and adds depth to the illustration. Detail is not as important at this point as there will be overlying of details and softening of edges after this stage.
Image 2-overlays of colors-layering for effect
The third step is where all the details begin taking shape. Again hard edges are overlapped
with lighter softer edges. At this stage I need to realize the overall texture and the best
way to create a subtle dimensional feel to the image.
Image 3-overlaying two
By the third step the most intricate color and details become the major focus. I start cleaning up the basic shape and making sure all the proportions are right. The lines and detail is severe at this point because with the next step I will use the brush to merge the shapes to form a subtle more photographic image.
The final step is actually using brush strokes to overlap the hard edges of the previous step. Light and shadow overlay the original details and blocks of colors with varying degrees of opacity allows for more subtle effects.
Final step before creating background
After finalizing the details and colors of the fish I create a background. I don’t want much detail in the background so brush work and simple heavily feathered images create a backdrop that strives to not fight with the image of the goldfish.
Finished product using Adobe Illustrator
Please stay tuned for more how-to articles on illustrating in Illustrator and rendering in Photoshop as well as processes for oil and pastel artwork. I welcome your comments, requests and suggestions.
I watched the sunrise this morning. The dark sky was a curtain, unveiling the beginning of a play. I drove with the same impatience, never stopping but still intent on noticing every change in color and temperature.
I saw birds in various shapes and sizes, silhouettes against a pale blue sky.Behind a frozen window all sounds of the morning serenade are hushed and muted.
The spectacle was warmer than usual, gold and amber replaced the typical cool blues, pinks and mauve. Silhouettes of trees turned from black to sepia as ambient light lit the gnarled winter branches.
Clouds marched in like the impatient audience and reflected in the remnants of the lake. My thoughts were active, scattered like birds, ferocious and manic as the now flaming sky.
I realized the absence of myself-how often I drive by with such intent to get there I ignore the sunrise. I should’ve stopped and taken in more details, maybe painted en plein air, but there is always places to go and the day never allows for stragglers watching the sunrise.
That late morning sky-pale and white, all spectacle is subtle and burned out like overexposed photograph, details lost to the bright white light. So what will today’s show be-I’ve watched the intro and now my impatience for possibilities pushes me to create, to make this day a show to remember until the curtain closes once again
With sunset-maybe I’ll stop this evening and watch every detail and even the credits
I watch as he casts the fly. I remember the meter of casting but still haven’t mastered the finesse. My brother has been doing this for a while and he’s mastered both, even perfecting the awkward cast from a kayak.
I remember when we were both very young I would go to Roosevelt Park with him and I was a burden, as I’m sure younger brothers tend to be. I feel nostalgic and peaceful as the rushing water fills in the background noise.
Our priorities have changed a lot since than, back than there were girlfriends buzzing around him, there was a tape player with music of the day, I think it was Queen at the time. Time seemed not to fly by as it does when you’re young.
This time there are no piers, not even our kids are around, we don’t even converse. He seems to be in his zone as I am in mine. There is something simple and natural about fishing-there seems to be little that needs to be said.
The light casts shadows and glistens on his silhouette-lighting up the fly line and the rod as he shadow casts, I sketch while writing notes about this post. There is an indifference in nature and when you fit into that space, even for just a few minutes, there is a peace that is hard to describe.
All that exists for that moment are memories like the autumn leaves that float on the current, thoughts and ideas like the current that flows a constant. We are close as brothers can be for that moment, no questions, no bravado-just an afternoon fly fishing in a landscape that fits us both like a glove.
I painted a commission today, a painting of blackbirds and a still life, also a commission. Again, I don’t feel like I’m one hundred percent back in the zone but I have a clearer vision of what I want going forward. I feel like I have worked hard at realism, relaxed and became a bit more expressionistic and now I am back to basic skill of capturing images correctly.
I’m not saying I want to be super realistic but I do want more quality in the initial rendering. I want the feeling to be the strongest element of the painting but I still want the details to be evident to the viewer. I am planning on doing more en plain air painting in the near future as I believe there are so many elements you miss when you paint from memory or pictures.
On that note, I tried to paint a still life without any initial layout. It really is a freeing feeling to just paint without any guides. The image is in my mind but it is not completely clear. It is an exciting feeling to watch it become out of just a vague idea of a painting.
I’m looking forward to continuing to allow more time to paint and as I increase frequency I will get back into the zone where painting just seems effortless.
I went into the studio again today, first time in a long time. I have many paintings to do for commissions and many that have just got on the to-do list. I was excited and yet awkward the way I always seem to be when getting back to it.
Very exciting feeling when all of the paintings you pick up you actually have a clearer vision than when you first started. Today I revamped an evening fountain painting and completely changed the whole color scheme. I changed up a cloud scene with blackbirds and blocked in the flock of birds on a wire.
Preliminary Pastel Sketch
Pastel Preliminary Sketch
It was a good day, very productive-under painted several paintings that were to be commissions that have lagged behind for far too long. I had that feeling that I knew where things were supposed to be but I also have a whole new perspective on the movement of paint, the way colors weave into the canvas and my perspective in general.
I almost feel like it was a practice run. Nothing amazing except the realization how much I’ve missed painting and how incredible it feels to be in the creative zone. I look forward to the next sitting.
I’m not sure what’s coming up next but the brake from painting seems to have helped. I am excited for the creative inspiration
to grow. I will keep you posted.
Growing Up Fishing – What makes an amazing fishing trip? The obvious would be catching not just fishing but I would take it a step farther. How do do you know you have had that special trip? It’s when you remember your guide, the stories he or she tells, the way he made the process of finding the fish and how vivid your memories are of the day.
I have watched my son grow from a young child with his first bass to a teen who could teach me a thing or two about fishing. He has a certain instinct about it and a knack for not only finding the fish but his stance and technique defies his age.
Chasing the Redfish in Rockport, Texas
Our first big trip was to Rockport Texas, I wanted to get him on a school of Redfish. Lanny Phillips of Tigernet Fishing guide service found us a great school and my son was hooked. Lanny was a fireman and a baseball player with many stories to tell. We enjoyed his company as much as the limit of reds and my son caught a hammerhead shark, a speckled trout and a batfish. I did a painting from this particular trip.
A Respectable Brown Trout on the White River near Mountain Home Arkansas
The next trip we took was for trout on the white river near Mountain Home Arkansas. After a bit of over muscling smaller fish with lighter hits and weaker mouths than the bass he was accustomed to, he got the knack. Again the guide was very knowledgeable of the river and we learned a lot about catching trout and much about the area.
The next trip we took was an unplanned trip on a party boat, unfortunately we didn’t catch anything but the amazing blue water and being out on the oil rigs was an experience we still talk about to this day.
tarpon I landed-Good news, he lived to fight another day
When we went to the Florida keys we did two trips, one for Peacock bass, in the canals near Miami, and a bay trip for tarpon, we were successful on both but they were unique experiences. We learned various techniques from each and enjoyed amazing conversation and scenery.
Since we first started fishing together we have bought kayaks. Kayaks change the whole experience and add to our conversations and memories.
We have caught stripers and sand bass at Lake Texoma, watching them boil as they surround your kayak is quite a memorable experience. We have enjoyed speckled trout in Cape San Blas Florida and Chain Pickerel in the cold waters of Lake Daingerfield.
Sight Fishing for Peacock Bass in the canals near Miami
Unfortunately I will admit, I have been skunked more than he has, again he has a certain instinct for catching when no one else is, but I wouldn’t trade a day of fishing for anything. I have watched him grow from a young excited kid happy to catch his first bass to a teen who gets annoyed when I interfere with him in his zone.
I have watched him with a certain awe as he throws plastics and artificials while looking down his nose at bait and bobber fishing. I still love the bobber as it brings back memories for me.
I am excited for future trips with him, as long as I don’t cramp his style there will be more to write about and more memories to share. Remember catching is only half of the amazing, bonding experience that is fishing-so get out there with your son or daughter and go fish, you’ll be glad you did.
His first bass- this is one of the smaller ones he caught.
After a very long trip across the country, I have fallen in love with Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s a ski town with the gondolas to the top of the mountain, views of the Great Smoky Mountains and a trout stream that runs through the town.
We first visited Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, a wonderful tour of beautifully designed exhibits along with interactive exhibits for the kids to get up close and personal with sharks and rays. Next we went to the Ripleys’ Believe It or Not and running through a cold rain in the middle of the Smoky Mountains was a memorable experience.
The next day was an experience we almost missed. As we were driving up the road into the Great Smoky Mountains we realized the higher we got the more ice was hampering travel. Carefully we proceeded but they closed the road as several cars wrecked both going up and coming down.
It’s hard to impress a fifteen year old but think he was extremely impressed with the landscape. The snow capped mountains and the sprawling snow covered landscapes offered so many opportunities to photograph, unfortunately for me my camera was not working and my son was the photographer for the trip.
We finally ended up on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, at an altitude of 5046. I wanted to walk the Appalachian trail but it was very cold and my son was more interested in having a snowball fight.
My original intent for this trip was to explore many
waterfalls, I mapped them out for weeks but you must be open and allow for change when you”re on a road trip especially with a stubborn teen intent on fishing. Instead of waterfalls we both got our exercise walking the lengths of a
stream, he fished and I just relaxed and followed along.
I am definitely planning another trip out to the Great Smokies only just like Yosemite perhaps a trip to Gatlingburg for a week in the Smokies-this is why we do such a large scope of a trip; exploring for later going back to specific places to enjoy. The Great Smoky Mountains would definitely be one of my favorite places we’ve visited.
For a wonderful site that really gives a great overview of the smokies-visit https://smokymountains.com. It gives you so many options from guide service, dining and things to do, to places to stay.
In the future I will use this site to plan my trip as I definitely plan on a return trip to the Great Smoky Mountains.
Saving a Pelican – Have you ever wondered what you would do if given the opportunity to come to the aid of another? If giving aid caused you discomfort or risk, would you? That is a question we all ask I think –What would you do?
Several years back I had that chance-what happened seemed a metaphor for my life at the time. The night before Thanksgiving I spent at the ER with a family member who had overdosed and it was a dark time in my life to say the least.
I was smoking at the time and Thanksgiving morning on a brisk November day seemed like a good time for a cigarette and a walk. I walked down to the lake and noticed something moving in the water, it was a white pelican struggling to fly.
It was windy and cold but suddenly there wasn’t the slightest thought of what to do. I walked through thick twisted vines, thorns and mud to where the pelican was struggling with fishing line. I fell into the water up to my waist and cut the line with my keys while being pecked by its huge beak.
Waist deep in the cold mud, I watched as it flew again and I felt as if I had experienced a teaching moment. I realized that I could not save the pelican and the best I could do for it was to simply free it.
I walked back to the shore and laughed as my cigarettes were now soaked and with a presence you can only describe if you feel it-I felt almost like God was saying-“oh and quit the smoking, it’ll kill you”
That Thanksgiving turned out to be a very memorable and powerful day for me-the family member lived to win their battle with addiction and I was taught a valuable lesson-sometimes you can’t fix it, sometimes all you can do is let it go.
So what would you do? And what have you done to help another, whether another person or an animal and what did you learn from that experience? Why did you chose that moment to act?
Organizing Chaos: Managing time – So how do we bring order to chaos without losing the chaos that sparks creativity? This is something I plan on exploring in the new year.
There is a thin line between chaos and madness and the same with order and the obsessive compulsion. The engineer can’t understand why the artist can’t color in the lines and the artist wishes the engineer would stop creating lines to stay in.
There is a problem with the lack of order and discipline in the creative process-without some regiment it is hard to complete things. I live in a state of chaos that goes from periods of manic creativity to the interim moments of creative block.
Creativity without order is like an open circuit for an engineer; just a series of sparks and energy that goes nowhere and does nothing. Order and discipline turns the idea into the actual finished product.
I think the first and most important process in discipline for a creative is time management. Time is such a rare commodity and to have it at the same time you have that spark of creativity is a rare thing. I think my resolution for the New Year is to stop and allow solitude and introspection to fill more of my time, in this process perhaps when I do have time I might not be as creatively blocked.
Adventure, Explore, Get Lost – I want to get lost this year, lost in thought, lost in far away places, lost in exploration of the self and the people I plan on surrounding myself with. I want to get lost in words, so many words I hope to drown in thoughts and ideas.
I want to let go of the wheel. The treadmill always moves so quickly we barely have the privilege staying in the moment, we are hanging on for the next hour rushing by us. I want to stop trying to control my life but instead jump into the whirlpool and enjoy the ride.
I have always said, inspired by an interview with Bruce Lee– it is always better to be like water that moves and bends with things. My thought is to be more like the tide and how you can fight the tide, which is impossible or you can ride with every wave and enjoy every bit of the experience.
Next is how do we get there? how do we turn it off, when life and time just seem to slip by us-how do we take the time to really live creatively. Stay tuned!
Artbygordon: Original oils on canvas, Original pastels on paper celebrating the beauty and mystery of nature. Water and night skies are my specialties.
