The goal: create a photorealistic watch using only Adobe Illustrator vector graphics. This would require learning about shading, highlighting, coloring, and shapes. I had to just jump right in.

Sketching would require notes about light sources, shadows, and recesses. Sketching is important and valuable to the design process. I was able to twist and view items from new angles. 

Before starting to shade and add highlights, you must start with shapes. Everything is a shape. If you can find an ellipse or a rectangle, you can form it to your need. There are shapes in everything around us. The job is to find them. 

I found it useful to take a clip of the larger reference photo and bring it tight in with the vector. This made it possible to create at a faster pace. I was able to view the shapes and the colors at the same size. Through this, I was able to create a more realistic project.

When it finally was finished, I was proud of myself. You must leave things untouched for some time and take the time to view it with "new eyes" later. There should be breaks and input. As a designer, you must take feedback and work with it. I was able to receive feedback from many people and through that I was able to fix highlights and shadows on the metal to make it look like metal and not just shapes. 

There were many outlines, layers, and masks involved in the making of this product. Learning about organization is key. Learning to work hard is vital. The goal: create a photorealistic watch that you can be proud of.