VVM

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no 2 • september 2007

vexel + vector specialty magazine

EXPOSING FACTS the face behind vexels.net

IT’S ALL MINE! Nelly Furtado, Avril Lavigne, Gerard Way and more...

facts from the Australian founder

THE FACE BEHIND VEXELS.NET COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF? “My name is Linda, I’m 23 and currently live in Canberra, Australia although I move with my husband around the country a bit.”

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT VEXELS? “When I first started making them, the word vexel hadn’t even been created. We were still calling them “vectors” despite the fact that they weren’t vector at all. The word vexel was created by a guy named Seth on my messageboard, Nova. I was there at the birth!”

WHAT MADE YOU START MAKING VEXELS? “They were very trendy amongst the personal site scene a few years back. I can’t remember an exact time or person that inspired me to make them but I do remember once I started, it was hard to go back to other types of hobby-graphics.”

TELL SOMETHING ABOUT STARTING VEXELS.NET AND HOW IT HAS GROWN INTO A BIG COMMUNITY. “I really didn’t expect the site to be going this long and for people to still be interested nearly 2 years later! I only created it to practice my PHP and to possibly have a few vexels on there, the thought of there even being 100 vexels in existance was a suprise to me! Now look there are over 10,000 on the site!”

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? “I get random spurts of inspiration, mainly from offline “real” people. I will look at someone’s nose and think.. I want to vexel that! Or I will see a person standing in the sunlight at a certain angle and will be off to find a similar picture to work with. Most of the time it doesn’t work out how I initially intended because I get inspired over and over throughout the process and I change my mind a lot. Sometimes other art mediums inspire me too, especially browsing the incredible digital painting galleries that are out there. I rarely get inspired by other vexels though, or I don’t let myself. I don’t feel comfortable with that.”

COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR METHODS AND PROCEDURE? “I use Photoshop 7. I start every vexel differently, even if the end product is the same style, I always look at it differently initially.

I think this is why I find it so hard to write tutorials or to explain my method, because I have to see the picture and decide on a new way to tackle it each time. If I had a set procedure I think I would grow tired of vexelling very quickly. I do however usually have a few copies of the original photo, one original, one black and white, one high contrast, one black and white high contrast. This lets me study the image properly so I can distinguish the shades.”

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE? “Hopefully experimenting in new styles and new types of images.

I have been dabbling in reference free vexels for a while now but I still think I’m a fair way off releasing anything like that.”

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? “Just thank you Lilly for making this magazine.”

ANY TIPS FOR OTHER ARTISTS AND BEGINNERS? “Don’t expect to be good on your first 100 vexels. It’s just like any other art, not many people can pick up a pencil and draw a perfect picture the first time. It all takes patience and a lot of practice. Don’t rely on tutorials so much once you know how to use the tools. There isn’t a lot to vexelling when you look closely, it’s just building blocks of color on top of eachother, the skill is making the blocks the right shape and color, no tutorial can teach that.”

“Void to feel”, 30th July 2006 p

TELL SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR WORK FOR VEXELS.NET AND YOUR WORK INVOLVING WEBDESIGN IN GENERAL. “I can tell you Vexels.net has been the most enjoyable site I’ve ever made! I have also learnt a lot. I must say I feel I want to steer my work in the way of being a Webmaster as opposed to Webdesigner.

I enjoy making sites for me, that I can be in total control of, much more than making sites for other people where I can’t be in control.

I never thought of myself as a control freak but I guess I am.”

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE IN YOUR OWN WORDS? “I would say “Classic”. I think a majority of my vexels are in a style that is similar to those a few years ago. Occasionally I do something different and of course my style has evolved in it’s own way but I still think I haven’t strayed very far from the classic style of vexelling.”

“I was there at the birth” “You are entering...”, 09th April 2006 p

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“Naomi Watts”, 02nd July 2006 vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2

What’s the deal?

TOP5 NEW NEW ARTISTS ARTISTS The world of vector and vexel artists keeps on growing and gaining more and more artists every day.

In this section, some of the outstanding new artists are featured.

Their work is promising and shows that the artists have a lot of talent.

ARTIST: Matthew/Mambazo

WEB: mambazo.langfordtavern.com

ART: Autumn - Jessica Stam “A vexel of Jessica Stam, altered to fit an autumn theme. The eye was also tinted green before vexelling, just to be different.”

ARTIST: Atefel ARTIST: Tram/blinktastic

WEB: www.vexels.net/users/1949

ART: Girl on the Wing “It was a snowy Valentine’s Day. After awakening from a twelve hours sleep, I stumbled onto my computer, plugged in my favorite tunes, and vexlled what would soon be known as the “Girl on the Wing.”

WEB: atefel.deviantart.com

ART: LOV “I try to express child emotions....

I think that most of the time we need to see expresions of people in order to feel their emotions..... this pic reminds me of my childhood when my parents were out all time... for me this one says “Hello I’m here”.”

ARTIST: Anna/Chibily ARTIST: Chealse

WEB: www.vexels.net/users/7587

ART: Heidi Klum “This is a vexel of Heidi Klum, one of my best vexels ever. It took a lot of time to finish, especially her hair. I think it came out quite well, I’m very proud of it.”

WEB: www.peril-gfx.de.vu

ART: I’m like a bird, ft Nelly Furtado “I really like it,especially the whole aura it has. I love her lips, her eyes and her skin. I think it came out very romantic... but I really don’t like the hair.

I sat about 5 days on it with 400 layers.. The hair was a torture!”

We definitely wanna see more of them, so go and comment on their work, help them improve and encourage them to keep up the great work!

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ARTIST: Angie WEB: angie985.deviantart.com ARTIST: Shelley WEB: intoyourheart.deviantart.com ART: Birds of Prey “An attempt at an image with usual lighting.”

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ART: Still looking forward “Just something new for now.

I loved this picture because of the contrast, so thought I’d give it a try”

ARTIST: Jimmy Balia WEB: phig.deviantart.com ART: Ape pod “The main idea is about to explicit the over-estimation of Ipod culture.

And I wanted to make it in a funny way, so I used ape as the model.

This is an awareness that even animals need an entertainment.

I made this in two versions. First the simple version, with no fur, just shading and gradients and second, the detailed one, with added fur. I want to remake it for VVM. I realize that the fur isn’t balanced yet, because this is my first time ever retouching a fury animal. I found it a little bit hard, I think I have to practice more in fur making.”

ARTIST: Nicole WEB: www.vexels.net/users/4789 www.beautifulgarbage.nl ART: Myriad “I chose to vexel this picture cause I tought it was going to be a challenge for myself.

There were weird lights, different colours, hands and hair. All kinds of things I find hard to vexel.

It was really hard to make the vexel, I used too many layers and spend too much time on it. But I am really happy with how it looks.”

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ARTIST: Echo S./Echoia WEB: echoia.com ART: Gun in my hand “I feel like I need to write but nothing ever comes out, so I thought - maybe I could do something with THAT?”

ARTIST: Matt/Mattness WEB: www.flamingotrain.com ART: Reticence “I made this vexel mainly to express how there’s often something in the way for me to express myself. Reticent in the dicitionary: disposed to be silent or not to speek freely, reserved, reluctant or restrained. And that is exactly how I often feel - like I cannot express myself so, that others can feel me.”

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ARTIST: Nastasia Peters WEB: web.mac.com/lilnas/iWeb ssst.deviantart.com ART: Hello “I love the effort and beauty geisha’s put into their work, and I simply tried to recreat this beauty and effort in my own style.

This was based on a portrait of a dear friend of mine dagwanoenyent.deviantart.com, who was kind enough to let me use one of her photographs to be able to start this drawing.”

ARTIST: Balung WEB: balung.deviantart.com ART: Metamorphose “It’s kind of personal for me. It’s hard to explain, because it’s my private feeling. But in short, I try to change, from something ugly and useless into something new.

I’m ready to face the world with anything I have.”

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ARTIST: Hallan Moulin/chiplegal

ARTIST: Annette/MChaos07

WEB: webfolio.chiplegal.com

WEB: feverrr.untalented.org mchaos07.deviantart.com

ART: Waiting for better days “Waiting for Better days was created when I was kinda crazy about getting a boyfriend. I found this picture cool, then I vectorized it thinking of how I would be feeling if I were mad! I like this green, it makes me feel connected and cool with the internet.

By the way, my Better days have come this year.”

ART: Summer Fades “Summer break was going by rather quickly and I was pretty disappointed when I realized this fact. I wanted the vexel to be pretty simple/not using many layers and have the girl bright and vibrant while the background scene of a beach is washed-out and dull-looking. The model in the picture is Rachel Bilson”

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ARTIST: Linda WEB: www.vexels.net/users/1 fdlinda.deviantart.com ART: She felt it everyday “One of my all time favourites, I feel like I was able to capture the whole setting and mood.”

ARTIST: Mari WEB: mari-angel.deviantart.com ART: Ayumi Hamasaki “A portrait of Ayumi Hamasaki”

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ARTIST: Stephanie/0CandyApple0 WEB: 0candyapple0.deviantart.com ART: Seeing stars “I started this as a illustrator “test” I had worked in illustrator before but I had always got frustrated and went back to photoshop to finish my work. I was determined this was going to be 100% illustrator or I would not finish it. I was about to give up once again when my 7 year old daughter looked at it and told me that it was pretty (she always says that , sometimes even before I start anything lol) but this time she also said it needed stars.

So together she pointed out where she wanted the stars and I added them . This was by far the most fun I had and for the first time 100% illustrator thanks to my daughter.”

ARTIST: Yoshizumi Masuo/Akugyouza WEB: akugyouza.deviantart.com ART: Go Baby Go “Vector artwork based on Garbage’s frontwoman, Shirley Manson.”

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ARTIST: Tasha/Tasha25 WEB: www.mycutelobster.co.uk ART: Things I’ll never say “Personally, I feel this is one of my best vectors. It was a challenge to me, as it was the first time I’d changed the original colours of the photograph. I used simpler shapes to create a realistic look, that you could still tell was vector.

The t-shirt was done with no reference, which was another challenge for me! This was a real experiment of a new style to me, and there are things I like to improve on, but I think the result turned out well.”

ARTIST: Vicky WEB: vickyyy.deviantart.com ART: Joseph Gordon-Levitt “This is my favourite vector I have made. It shows how much I have improved with line art. And it’s not bad to look at either.”

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ARTIST: Mackenzie/Kilxover

ARTIST: Sasha/Softspirit

WEB: www.vexels.net/users/54 kilxover.deviantart.com

WEB: www.vexels.net/users/3700 softspirit118.deviantart.com

ART: Polina Kouklina “I just liked the way the image flowed from one side to the other.

Also, frankly I thought it wouldn’t be too challenging and relatively quick because I only had to do one eye (closed even so) and lips profiles have always been easier than the full ones. I’ve always sucked at lips, which is the main reason I admired the late, so to speak Shaz, she was amazing at lips. The hair wasn’t very hard to make. It was another reason I chose this picture was because I loved the braids. To sound even lamer, I actually was quite lazy with the hair. Seriously, this was one of my laziest pieces I’ve ever done and I’m astonished that so many people actually liked it compared to some of my others that I’m much more proud of. The entire piece except for the hair was vector. I did the hair in photoshop since it’s so much quicker to use stroke path. Overall, it’s not really my favorite piece just because I know I didn’t spend as much time on it like I have others.

It seems a little rushed to me.”

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ART: CREEP/Gerard Way “This piece is my first 100% vector work, created fully in Illustrator CS2. The subject is Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. He was the perfect subject for my first Illustrator piece as I was able to maintain an interest throughout the process of creating the vector and not give up learning Illustrator.

Plus, listening to their accompanying music helped and inspired. I used line art combined with solid shading and gradients.

The background clouds were freehanded reference-less, achieved with very low opacities. “

About 90 per cent of all vexels are about beautiful women: actresses, singers, and most of all models. Nothing wrong with that, right?

There are so many pretty faces to admire, so why not vexel them.

Delfino

by Lillemor

Maybe not the most recent, but this really is an amazing vexel by Lillemor! Subtile line-art and smooth, well-defined shapes are what makes this vexel worth a spotlight!

It’s all mine!

portfolio: www.vexels.net/users/129 artwork suggested by Matthijs

Usually we stumble across a gorgeous picture and if we are lucky, we instantly feel the need to vexel it. But what if the process of vexelling does not start with a picture but with an idea?

Mademoiselle Audrey Tautou

In the summer of 2006, my sister went abroad for 6 months to study in Turkey. Needless to say I had to make her something so she would get all teary-eyed and miss me even more. Should I write her a letter? I would probably stop after 3 sentences not knowing what to tell her. Should I buy her a present? Not very personal. Hmm. Why not vexel something?

The idea itself was great. But then came the hard part: I had absolutely no idea what I wanted it to look like. My first thought was to vexel a picture of her until I realized that there was absolutely no point in her having a vexel of herself. Yeah sure, that’s a nice thing to have, but it has absolutely nothing to do with me. So there I was, rummaging through piles of photographs trying to find a picture of me and her. Result: Nothing. Nada. Niente.

I couldn’t find a single picture of us looking somewhat decent (never mind the size or quality of the pictures…) I seriously felt lost and did not know what to do, especially since I had only about 2 weeks left.

I exactly knew what kind of message I wanted to convey, I wanted it to be personal, something that would remind her of me, something that made her feel safe even if she was far away. That’s when I understood that what I wanted had to be created from nothing. I could not just use a picture from three years ago and simply add an “I’ll miss you”. I had to make this all mine. My idea, my picture, my present, my sister. Once I knew I had to do it my way, everything that followed was rather easy. I took a few pictures and tried several things, from different poses and settings to various color schemes and layouts.

This incident taught me a lot, not only about vexelling but life in general. You can not always rely on other sources. Instead you have to come up with own ideas and concepts, particularly when trying to express an emotion or a thought. Some of us are talented enough to make things from scratch, others (like myself) need a reference. Either way, once you’re done you can proudly say it’s all yours – and that is one of the most rewarding things.

Oh and let me just add that my sister did indeed get all teary-eyed.

She loved every single bit of my vexel and from that moment it was all hers.

- Jules

by Kristy Anne Ligones /KDLIG

As Kristy Anne is, I’m a big fan too of this French actress. This vector is more like a painting compared to others, which makes it even more creative and less average. portfolio: www.vexels.net/users/4667 and subconagileverie artwork suggested by LiL

White Queen

by Jussta

She calls herself a comic freak and her new work is often inspired by comics. This one has gone through a transformation, the original photo is nothing compared to what Jussta made of it! The costume was made without any refference and she changed her into a blonde kick-ass lady! portfolio: http://jussta.republika.pl and: jussta.deviantart.com artwork suggested by LiL

Waiting for the Black by echo

Time to put a spotlight on one of Echo’s new vexels! It’s quite a bit off her usual style, very simple yet so very beautiful! portfolio: http://echoia.com artwork suggested by Matthijs

IN THE

SPOTLIGHT

Getting back your Vexpiration

by Adwoa

We’ve all had those days, weeks, and months when it seems like every vexel we make is just…bleah.

And sometimes, after we open our program, we can’t even be bothered to make that first click. Here are 10 tips that should help you get inspired, and push you in the right direction towards beating your block.

01: TAKE A BREAK NEVER try to force yourself to vexel something. If it isn’t working out, it just isn’t working out. Unless you have an obligation to finish it, chances are you just won’t be pleased with the results, and this might prevent you from vexelling in future. Taking a short break might help to clear your head and get you focused and inspired again.

02: GO ON AN IMAGE HUNT Sometimes the right picture can break a vexel block. It may inspire you to try a new style or to go in a different direction. Be careful when picking pictures though; don’t pick something you KNOW you won’t be able to handle. My personal favourite image sites are www.usemycomputer.com www.vexelvogue.co.nr and www.herfamedgoodlooks.com If you do decide to do a Google image search, try typing in names of models, photographers and magazines to find easily vexellable pictures.

Words like “editorial” and “vogue” also give good results. Unless you are good with small images, it is helpful to set the image results tab to “large”.

03: LOOK AROUND YOU Vexelling something you have never tried before is a great way to break the block. You could vexel a chair, a table or even food.

If you see anything that screams “Vexel me!” just try it.

04: LISTEN TO MUSIC This is another great way to get inspired, and for me it is the most helpful way. Your favourite song could just turn out to be the perfect theme for your next vexel! Take a few lyrics and try to interpret them with a vexel, or go with the mood of the song itself. You could also look for an image on the artist/group you love to listen to.

05: WATCH SOME TV Anytime you see an actor/actress you think is very vexellable, jot their name down and later on, do an image search. Vexelling screen caps is another possibility. The same applies for reading magazines; the editorials and ads can help you to stumble along a very photogenic subject.

06: LOOK THROUGH YOUR FAVOURITES Is there a style, colour or person that seems to be reappearing constantly? If there is, you are probably drawn to it for a reason; try incorporating it into one of your vexels and you might be pleasantly surprised.

07: TRY A NEW VEXELLING METHOD Try a method of vexelling you have never attempted. Using lineart, trying out base layers, using only two colours to vexel, using a new program, etc.

08: SKETCHES Try vexelling a sketch you have done. Or if you don’t sketch, try doing a reference-free vexel.

09: BE CONFIDENT Thinking “Gosh, this vexel is SUCH crap” isn’t helping. Think positive thoughts, and try to find out how to improve what you have, rather than tear it down. Also, don’t ever compare yourself to anyone. It is not about whether or not the nose on your vexel has more layers than his. Vexelling is not a competition, so don’t feel pressured to get 142526 favourites and 13364367 comments. If you are happy with it, that’s enough! Appreciation is nice but it’s not everything.

10: VEXEL! And finally, the most important tip of all. Open your program and get going as soon as you get inspired. Don’t wait, just do it!

If these don’t work, take a few days (or weeks) off and try again.

Remember, it is virtually impossible to force inspiration.

vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2

by Katy Orr

Vexelling eyes can be hard but also a lot of fun. Every eye is different so each experience will vary.

Hopefully these tips will help you along.

10 TIPS TO BETTER EYES 1 6

Eyelashes are thin, they are not thick. They should usually be illustrated one at a time. It is time consuming, but gives a better look. Take your time with this, it will pay off. They sweep upward and will appear smaller toward the part of the eye closer to the nose, and will appear longer toward the outer corner of the eye.

While there are red veins in the whites of our eyes, these are usually not vexelled. This is because when zoomed out and the vexel is viewed at a normal size, it can make the whites of the eyes seem pink.

2 3 4 5

The whites of the eyes are never pure white. Based on the photo, they are comprised of hues of gray, brown, red, pink, purple or even green. Pay attention to these hues when using either gradients or different shapes to make the color changes. The white of the eye gets darker near the edges of the eye.

The iris of the eye, the colored part, is darker around the outer edge, lighter as is radiates inward, and then a little darker next to the pupil. When vexelling it, be sure to illustrate this shift in color and shade as it will give the eye the rounded appearance it needs.

The eye usually shows a light source in the form of white dots that shine off of the wet surface of the eye.

Remember to add these in to give your vexel more depth.

Even if your photo is of a certain color, you can always change the color of the eye or add in some other colors to make it more interesting. For example, if the eye is blue, you could try adding in some brown or hazel flecks.

7 8 9 10

To give your vexel a more realistic look, try vexelling the tiny pink part of the eye in the inward corner near the nose. Not many shapes are needed to do this.

Remember to look to see if there is a gleam in that area and to add it if there is.

There are many ways to vexel an eye. Try gradients or different overlapping shapes with varying opacities.

The eye itself it comprised of many, many layers.

Look closer at the photo you are vexelling. Is there emotion? Is there a certain look? Make note of this as the eyes tend to carry that emotion more than any other feature, except the lips. Make sure not to lose this emotion.

Finally, remember that vexelling, like anything, takes time and practice. Eyes are hard! If you find that one way doesn’t work, try another. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t turn out perfect. There are plenty of pictures and plenty of beautiful eyes and every time you do it, you will get better. Good luck!

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FEATURED TUTORIALS Hair Tutorial by Jussta • Useful and very well Illustrated • jussta.deviantart.com Vexelling Hair by Jules • Step by step Photoshop tutorial • jules1983.deviantart.com Creating a Vector-Illustrated Eye by Echo • Very clear tutorial • echoia.com Want your tutorial featured here? Send an email with your url and your tutorial might be published in the next issue of VVM! vvm@lil-online.nl vexel + vector specialty magazine • no 2