PC WEENIES

Tag: Illustrator

  • Using Vector Techniques with Raster in Digital Art

    Using Vector Techniques with Raster in Digital Art

    Time and space montage.

    Lately, I’m experimenting with the idea of incorporating vector elements within my raster-based digital art. I’ve been a serious Photoshop user for over 20 years; it’s a tool I’m very comfortable with.

    While I’ve used Adobe Illustrator before, I’ve always kept my vector work separate from my raster art. My latest instructional video goes over two techniques in Illustrator that I use to manipulate vector shapes. Once I’m happy with the result, I can bring the vector work into Photoshop as a Smart Object for further alteration.

    I plan to make a few more videos on this subject, and look forward to sharing my discoveries.

    -Krishna

  • My Essential Mac Software Stack for Digital Illustration

    My Essential Mac Software Stack for Digital Illustration

     

    I always enjoy learning about other artists’ digital illustration software stack, so I thought I would share my own, for anyone who is interested.

    My main software tools for illustration are Photoshop and Illustrator. I spend most of my time in Photoshop, using Illustrator only sparingly for creating custom vector assets (type and shape-based designs). I also have Canva’s Affiniity Designer on hand. For quick vector manipulation, I find it far more intuitive than Illustrator.

    I have almost three decades worth of experience using Photoshop, so leaving it for other options (i.e. Krita, Clip Studio Paint, ProCreate) isn’t in the cards for me yet. I have used all of the above tools, most notably Clip Studio Paint, and while they are solid offerings in their own ways, I’m way more efficient at moving around within Photoshop.

    Another reason I remain on Adobe is for the courses I teach on campus. Our Digital Media program is Adobe-based. While I generally like using Photoshop, I have no love for Adobe’s exhorbitant subscription pricing and AI options. But that’s a rant for another day.

    I’ve written about RefBox. While it’s the newest addition to my creative software arsenal, it’s found its place as an essential part of my workflow. I work with references (photos, illustrations) on a daily basis, and having the ability to “float”, organize and manipulate them in various ways allows me to utilize my Wacom Cintiq’s screen real-estate more efficiently. 

    Eagle is a program that I started using last year. It’s digital asset organizer for both Mac and Windows. Instead of rooting through folders within the Finder, I can view and organize all of my digital assets in one application. Eagle has its own database, which makes for the ability to quickly search through my collection of type, textures, mock-ups and more. I have a more detailed write-up on Eagle, for those who are interested.

     

    -Krishna