WIP: GAMEBIT update 27-5-2005

[pgielen]

Hello,

I finally come up for a name for my arcade cabinet.
It's gone be GAMEBIT
I want to use the following picture and vectorice it in adobe illustrator.
This is gone be the first time that i use illustrator and i hope it is possible for me.

If there is anybody that have hints ore tricks for illustrator specially the colouring

I wood appreciate it

Thanks in advance

Patrick

[zorg]

humm this is an ambitious starting point, anyway you should check the Frostillicuss  tutorial, it was (and still) the starting point for a lot of tracers.
<URL:http://www.localarcade.com/4images/details.php?image_id=223&mode=search>

[pgielen]

Thanks for the link, but i already had this tuturial, i hope someone can explain some more about the gradient tool ore an other tool to colour this picture

[Bones]

I am so far from an experienced Illustrator user that I really don't have a right to give advice, but I will.

This advice involves buying a good Illustrator book and sacrificing a couple of hundred hours fooling around before attempting anything too serious.

Good luck, if you can pull it off that's a cool pic.

[pgielen]

This is what i have made so far

[Bones]

Forget the book. You are in control.

[pgielen]

Thanks

[spriggy]

Brokenbones1 makes a good point.

If you are planning on playing with AI often, a well illustrated manual does wonders.

I came across some great, simple tricks/tips/concepts this way.

Some good threads linked to AI tips exist on the forum as well.

Search away....

[mahuti]

For coloring... you'll either need to band the colors (instead of the nice smooth transitions) or you'll need to use the gradient mesh tool. I like the gradient mesh tool, but it's a tough tool to master.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,15736.0.html

That topic has a few things that I created using the gradient mesh tool in my younger days.... took some time, I'll tell you. You can do it, but it's tough.

If you are going to use it, use lots of small gradient mesh areas that blend with each other. Don't try to use the mesh tool across the whole thing, or all of the extra bezier points will drive you mad.

[dphirschler]

You don't necessarily have to use the gradient mesh tool.  Try fiddling around with radial and linear gradients.  If you draw the right shapes, then you have remarkable control ofver your gradients.  Also, you can combine a little "banding" with using simple gradients.  And also make use of semi-transparant shapes.


Darryl

[pgielen]

Thanks for the replay,

I'm going to find some information about this gradient mesh tool.

[mahuti]

The samples that come with Illustrator include one (or more) elaborate gradient mesh examples. Those will give you a good idea of how it works. Based on how complex your illustration is... it could be a major undertaking.

Another sample... the mortal kombat marquee I traced uses the gradient mesh tool

http://localarcade.com/arcade_art/details.php?image_id=25

[Veinman]

I think you mean here: http://localarcade.com/arcade_art/details.php?image_id=258&mode=search

You linked to Carnival.

[pgielen]

I found a link to a tutorial about the gradient mesh  tool

http://www.magicalbutterfly.com/tutorials/meshtutorial/meshtutmain.htm

[pgielen]

My first update with colour.

If anybody knows some links to coloring tutorials, I wood appreciate it

[HaRuMaN]

Looks like you are doing just fine with the coloring so far, lol.  Looks good.

[pgielen]

Thanks

[Crowquill]

While I'm not sure what you're using this for, this might have been one case where vectorizing wasn't needed. If you know what issue to look in or find Marvel promo posters you probably could've gotten a high-enough resolution scan to print decent.

Vector art is a great thing, but sometimes not needed. I'm still torn about reproducing hand-drawn art. In many cases we're preserving old artwork that's hard to come by. On the other hand, many times some of the character is lost of the original drawing. In an interview comic superstar Mark Silvestri once made a comment that the stuff you regularly screw up is what becomes your art style. It can be done well (see Felsir's posts), but it is tricky.

Gradient Mesh tool is definitely the way to go to do that type of shading if you want it to look just like the original. Like Mahuti said though, it can be very tricky and very time consuming.

[pgielen]

I want to use this for my side art.
I want to put some charactors like pacman and donkey Kong on the playing carts.

I found this one on the internet and i really liked it, and i don't now where this picture is coming from.
If there is someone who knows from what issue this picture is, let me know.

Maybe I can use the original picture.because I cant get the colouring part right, I just keep adding and deleting colours.
Maybe I start on vectoring some less complex art , i really liked playing whit AI

[BobbyG66]

I think you mean here: http://localarcade.com/arcade_art/details.php?image_id=258&mode=search

You linked to Carnival.

There's a game called Mortal Carnival?
I gots to get me that!
That would be sweet!

[JonnyBoy]

That is amazing for your first attempt. I am still trying to figure out this $%&ing program and my results are nowhere near as nice as yours. Good job.

[Felsir]

Here is a little hint to get your meshes or colour shadings better. I reduced the image to a 8 shades of grey without dithering. You can see how the colours flow and the directions of the shades. Use the colourpickertool in your favorite (bitmap) graphic software to find out what the colours you need for the gradient.
The greyscale image isn't completely suitable for tracework, but it helps "sensing" how the colours in the image flow. So to get the best results tweaking by hand is required.

[pgielen]

Felsir,

Thanks for this hint.
I was serious thinking to stop on this project, but i will try it again whit this new input from you

[pgielen]

OK after a lot of ours playing whit colour gradient and gradient mesh i created this.

This is all the colouring i did so far, let me now what you think of it

[Felsir]

Looks great! Keep it up!

[pgielen]

a little update, completed the other boot.

[pgielen]

and another update

[Veinman]

Really coming along! Any guess how many hours you have in this?

[pgielen]

I spent way to much time in this, i don't even want to know how many ours.

But this is me first piece i try to make, so maybe the next one goes a little bit faster.
If i am so stupid to try to make on other one

[pgielen]

I fineshed the coat.

I want to add 1 female and 2 male charactors on the playing cards, but i don't know witch one.

I was thinking for the female miss pacman and one male donkey Kong for the other male i have no idea.

If you have a cool character in mind let me know.

Thanks in advance

[AmericanDemon]

You should either put Dig Dug or Mr Do. 

[pgielen]

And another update.
it is almost complete now 

I am just not so pleased whit the playing cards, if there is anyone who have some idea about them let me know.

[Dire Radiant]

Make each card like an ace of spades but instead of a large spade, have the three types of space invader.

[pgielen]

sounds good, i will give it a try