Beautiful Vector Portrait: Part 2 of 3

Welcome to part 2 of my vector portrait tutorial series. In the first tutorial we worked on the hair, using some custom brushes, you can find this tutorial here . For the second part we are going to focus on the face using a variety of techniques, but most importantly, some gradient meshes.

Now before we start, I would like to point out, that this tutorial is still more of an intro to gradient meshes. This tutorial is going to be fairly long, so in order to keep it as short as possible, I won't be going into that extreme of detail with the meshes. If you have no idea how to use gradient meshes, this tutorial will be a helpful tool to get you started. Ultimately, in order to create some of the amazing images other artists create, it will take a lot of practice on your part.

So go ahead and open up the file from the last tutorial you made which should look like this:

If you need it you can download the source file here. File size is pretty big for now. I apologize, and I will remedy this later.

We are still going to continue with our reference layer dimmed to 50%. And be sure to keep all of your hair layers locked. Depending on the computer set up you are running, it may also be very helpful to hide the hair layers, so they don't eat up your performance.

First thing I like to work on in these cases are the eyes and the mouth. So we will begin with a new layer under the lowest hair layer, and above the reference image of coarse. I typically name this layer something like "Top Details." Once in this layer zoom in real close to her right eye.

Start with the Pen Tool [P], and make the outline of the eye lashes. For the actual lashes you can use you're pen tool, or also use those same hair brushes you used in the prior tutorial. In this case I used mostly the smallest hair brush set at a stroke width of 0.1

So add the lashes you can visibly see, this is one of the things that you may easily come back and adjust as you get further into the portrait. For the most part, eye lashes tend to actually criss cross each other, so keep this in mind as you make your strokes.

After this we can use the same brush to fill in the eye brows. I used a dark brown/red (RGB = 86, 21, 6) as the color. Follow the outline of the eyebrow, and just like the hair, fill it in. Only this time we are not going to use different shades, or a Background color. Simply fill it in with many strokes.

Once again this will probably be an area we can touch up on later. I find you notice mistakes or changes you would like to make as you get deeper into the project.

Next we will work on the inside of the eye, All of the make up we will leave as part of the skin for later. I find it easier to work on an image as if it was already in layers. So in this case, start with the white reflections, move onto the black, the green and finally the white of the eye.

Here I will make a circle [L] and use the pen tool as well. Make one big circle for the left side of the light reflection, and smaller one for the right.

Next we will use the Pen Tool to grab the rest of the white light reflection that is around. The shape I made looked like this:

Once you have made that last shape go ahead and drop the transparency on that shape to 50%. Then make a black circle under all the white. You're image will then look something like this.

Next make another circle, this time green (I used RGB = 105, 151, 75). And place it under the black circle. This one will actually be a little more oval shaped than a complete circle.

Since this obviously sticks out past the eye lashes use the Pen Tool [P] to add two anchor points where the eye lashes hit the green circle. And with the direct selection tool, delete the top middle anchor point.

After you delete the old Anchor point, use the Pen Tool [P] to close the now open circle. When you close it, manipulate the handles so the top part lies on top of the eye lash. After this, send the green shape to the back of the layer.

Next we will begin to add some Gradient Mesh [U] to the green part of the eye. The next image will show when and where on the green part I placed them:

Next we will begin to add some different colors to the mesh. Keep in mind where the light and the shadows are in the original image.

I made the following anchor points (highlighted in yellow) a darker green. [42, 79, 18]

So now as you can see it begins to get a little more definition. A little more 3D if you will. Next do he same thing, but this time with a lighter green [165, 229, 124]. These are the anchor points I changed,

Next we want to give the bottom of the eye a little definition so add another anchor point towards the bottom in the middle line. And make the bottom three anchor points the same dark green as it is above.

Next to add to the reflection on the middle of the eye, we will make the black circle a radial gradient, with black and a really dark grey

Now back to the white highlights in the middle of the eye. Drop the opacity of the middle shape to 25%, and manipulate the anchor points to the left so that the shape doesn't cross over into the green part of the eye.

After this lets go ahead and grab the Pen Tool, change the color to white, and begin the shape of the white of the eye. be careful where you place the anchor points, as they may grab onto the eye lash points made from the brushes.

Next just to give it a little shadow, we will add some gradient mesh points in the following places.

Now just go along the outside Anchor points and turn them a light brown [201, 158, 117].

Once again this may also be revised as we finish up the complete image. Well get a better picture of what this will look like when we start making the skin.

So now we got a pretty good looking eye. Adjustments may be made later on, but for now we will go with this. Now once you have one eye, like all things symmetrical, repeat this process for the other eye.

Some good news is that if you like, you can actually reuse the eye we just made. Not all of it though, but some of it. The shape, and the eye lashes probably wouldn't go over very well. But the Iris and the pupil, we could reuse that. Just keep in mind that some of the white light reflections may be different.

I also took some time to add a few more eyelashes overall to make them a little thicker.

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