CHRISA - Vector Portrait

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New vector portrait (vector pop-art style) for my PaperDolls's collection.

Process:

It begins with a reference picture, then I make a pencil sketch re-defining the entire portrait at my style, and finally I re-draw the scanned sketch on vectors using only a 2 button mouse and a PC. From pencil sketch to vector illustration. No tracing over a photo, and no tablet used, just mouse-click.

First I choose a concept for the model. I was thinking on some glam rock videos like Warrant's Cherry Pie or Great White's Once biten Twice Shy, so having it clear, I made a photo shoot just to have a photo reference of what I have in mind to work. Then I begin to sketch.

This is the most important stage of the work. After more than 20 years of traditional and digital illustration, I think the pencil sketch needs to be highly accurate, because to maintain the general shape of the original photo reference, to keep the original attitude or mood, and also to give the portrait the details and style only using some 3 or 4 tones and dropping a few lines. Here's you need to picture in your head how the final artwork is going to be and the rest is just mouse-click vector drawing.

Once scanned, I begin to draw exactly over the pencil lines, using Adobe Illustrator's Pen Tool and my old high-presition mouse.

Having a view of how the illustration is taking form without the pencil sketch. I use a color palette for everything, just begining with 3 tones for skin, sunglasses, bandana, etc. Later will add more tones if needed.

Again refining and cleaning up everything, erasing some tones, some shapes that I think just don't need, and adjusting some lines before converting to shapes and before adding some line values. Isolating almost every element in ordered layers.

I made the hair a bit loosy, just playing with some lines, tones and shapes. Using masks I add some custom transparency over some objects like reflections on the sunglasses with linear gradient or gradient mesh if needed.