Patience and neck stretches are key

Patience and neck stretches are key - student project

I was intimidated by this project because Illustrator and vectors are alien to me. But! The class was easy to follow, the tablet shortcuts helped a great deal...and I wanted to create a portrait for someone who pulled me out of a creative rut.

My biggest challenges were breaking down the shape--and realigning the vectors because, well, I was missing some. I only noticed that when I started filling in the shapes. Next time I'll be more mindful of the lights, shadows and anchor points when I trace.

Outlining guides

Patience and neck stretches are key - image 1 - student project

Missing vectors, skin patches and brow hair

Patience and neck stretches are key - image 2 - student project

Reference and final

Patience and neck stretches are key - image 3 - student project