Final Image Preview

Step 1

Before we start we need to find our inspiration. For this tutorial, I used this photograph I found at Stockvault. After downloading the image, open it in Photoshop.

Step 2

You'll be using many layers to create this artwork, so try to keep everything organized. Create a new layer over the image and name it "Head." Then grab your Pen Tool (P), and make sure it's set to Paths.

Step 3

Hold Ctrl + Space to select your Zoom Tool. Then zoom into the model's face. Trace the outline of her face. Don't worry about the parts covered by the hair. They'll be taken care of soon. After finishing, select the color #decfb8 and fill the shape.

Step 4

Create a new layer over the "Head" layer and name it "Hair." Repeat the same process you did with the face. Then take care with the inner side of the hair, as it will define the shape of her face. Don't worry about all hair details yet though. Then fill the shape with black.

Step 5

By now you should have something similar to the image below. It's strange so far, but we'll make it nice.

Step 6

Create two more layers under the "Head" layer and name them: "Body" and "T-Shirt." The "T-Shirt" layer should be over the "Body" layer, and both under the "Head" layer.

Repeat the same process. Beginning with the body and neck, and fill the shape with the same color as the head. Notice it's only important to correctly draw parts that won't be covered by the other layers. Then create the "T-Shirt" and fill it with a light blue.

Step 7

Now a tricky part, the Eyes. Maybe you would like to create a Layer Set only for the eyes, since we're going to use many layers. Create a new layer called "Eye." Then Zoom in and draw the shape around both eyes. Then fill it with white.

Step 8

Create a new layer, and name it "Iris." Draw the path around the iris and fill it with black.

Step 9

Create a new layer, and name it "Eyelash." Draw the path around her eyelash to contour the eyeball. Fill it with black. Use the Eraser Tool to erase all the white areas that surpass the Eyelash area.

Step 10

Create a new layer, and name it "Retina." Draw the path around the retina and fill it black.

Step 11

Create a new layer, and name it "Highlights." To give the eye a little more life, select the highlights on the iris and fill them with white.

Step 12

Now we'll give the eyes a little depth. Select the "Head" layer. Draw paths around the eyes. Right-click the path and choose Convert Path To Selection. Grab the Burn Tool (0) and set it's Exposure to around 25%. Darken those areas trying to follow the picture's intensity.

Step 13

Go a little further and darken the area around the eye using the Burn Tool.

Step 14

Go back to the "Eye" Layer and create a layer called "Eyebrows" above it. Create a path around the eyebrows and fill it with black.

Step 15

Now you're finish with the eyes, so create a new layer outside the "Eyes" Layer Group and call it "nostrils." Create a path around her nostrils, right-click to transform the selection. Then fill it with the same color you chose for her face. Open Curves (Command + M), and push the curve a little bit down to darken the color.

Step 16

Select the "Head" layer. Draw a path around the bottom edges of her nose. Open Curves (Command + M), and push the curve a little bit down to darken the color.

Step 17

Still on the "Head" layer, select the Burn Tool (0). Then darken the areas around her nose to give it form and depth. Use the picture as a reference.

Step 18

Create a new layer at the top and name it "Mouth." Then draw a path around her mouth and fill it with #fcb09e.

Step 19

Draw the contour around the darker area in the middle of her mouth. Right-click to make it a selection, then open curves (Command + M) and darken it a little.

Step 20

Select the "Head" layer. Then draw a path around the lighter skin area on the upper part of her mouth. Use the picture below as a reference. Open Curves (Command + M), and lift the curve a little to lighten the area.

Step 21

To finish it use the Burn Tool to darken shadow areas around her mouth in both the "Head" and "Mouth" layers.

Step 22

With the Burn Tool still selected, select the "Body" layer and darken the shadow areas in her neck.

Step 23

With the "Body" layer still selected, use the Pen Tool to select the shadows in both her armpits. Then right-click to transform it to selection, open Curves (Command + M), and darken those areas.

Step 24

Select the "T-shirt" layer. Then use the Pen Tool to draw around the upper lighter part of her t-shirt. Right-click to transform it into a selection, open Curves (Command + M), and lighten those areas.

Step 25

With the "T-shirt" layer still selected, the use Pen Tool to draw around the shadows in her t-shirt. Right-click to transform it into a selection, open Curves (Command + M), and darken those areas. Then use the Burn Tool to give it some finishing touches.

Step 26

Select the "Hair" layer. Then use the Pen Tool to draw around the fringes and give more detail to her hair. Fill it with black.

Step 27

Command-click the "Hair" layer to select it. Use the Down and Right Arrows to move the selection a little bit down and to the right, as in the picture.

Select "Body" layer and use the Burn Tool to make the hair shadow on her body. Do the same in the "Head" layer. Then use the Burn Tool to create some more shadows on her face. Use the picture below as a guide.

Step 28

Select the "Body" layer and use the Pen Tool to draw around the shadows on her arm. Right-click to transform it into a selection, open Curves (Command + M), and darken those areas.

Step 29

Create a layer under the "T-Shirt" layer. Select the black bra on her right shoulder and fill it black.

Step 30

Create a new layer under all the others. Fill it with a cool colored gradient background and you're done! This tutorial shows you how to simply create vector style illustrations and use the Burn Tool to add a bit of depth, softness, and interest to the illustration. It's a quick and effective style for you to use in your own illustrative work. You can view a larger final version here.

Final Image Preview

This style is reminiscent of the art of Jurryt Visser. It blends line art and photography into a seamless whole.

Step 1

First create a new document that is 1100 pixels wide by 1500 pixels high at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch. For this project I will use a texture that I like very much. I would like to thank the author of this texture Princess-of-Shadows for putting this together. Now, move the texture into your document.

Step 2

Next you need to select the images you will use for this design. I bought three nice images that you might be familiar with 1, 2, 3.

Let's start with image 1, and using the Pen Tool (P) you need to create a path around the dancer.

Step 3

Now that you finished creating the path you need to set your brush size to 1px and Hardness at 100%. Next create a new layer and name it "contour1." Next, using the Pen Tool (P) right-click then select Stroke Path, select the brush and make sure the Simulate Pressure is not selected. Also, you need to make the stroke black.

Step 4

Now that you have created the stroke do not delete the path. Next you need to press Command + Enter to transform the path into a selection and then you need to press the Add Layer Mask button. This will hide the background around the dancer. In the end move the dancer and stroke layers into your document.

Step 5

Select the "countour1" layer and using the Pen tool (P) you will need to draw paths all over the dancer. You will need to draw these paths along the shadows or follow the lines of the cloths and then stroke the paths with a 1px black brush. The result is called line art.

Step 6

Create a new layer below the "countour1" layer and name it "color1." Command-click on the "Dancer1" layer to make a selection, then you need to fill the "color1" layer with this the color #f7eedd. Also, you need to link these to layers so if you move one the other one will follow.

Step 7

You need to repeat the line art for each image and place them onto the document. Don't just throw them in there, you need to maybe do a sketch first and position each image right.

Step 8

If you followed the instructions so far you should have the layers in this order.

Step 9

Now that you have the line art behind the dancers you will need to mask some parts to make some kind of transformation. Select the Layer Mask of a dancer and simply use the Brush Tool (B) set to black, and draw over the part you want to hide.

Step 10

Next, duplicate the dancers, scale them and move them as you wish, but keep in mind that you need to arrange them in a nice composition. In my case, you can see that I have placed six more dancers. Also, I have masked the original dancer images and left only the line art visible. I did this because in the next step we will bring some parts of the dancers back over the line art.

Step 11

First thing to do before you start to give the line art some life is to make a selection over the part you want to mask.

Step 12

Next, use a splatter brush. You can find some very useful brushes here: DeviantArt or PSDTUTS User Feed Link. Use a black color for the brush and start drawing over the mask and reveal some parts of the dancer. Also, to achieve a really nice effect, decrease the Opacity of the brush to 20%. This way you will build the effect gradually and it will look more interesting.

Step 13

Repeat Step 11 and 12 for each dancer you created. Also, control your composition and if you do something that does not look right, don't be scared to erase and do the effect again and again until you're satisfied with the final result.

Step 14

So far you should have something close to what I have done, which has some movement and a balanced composition.

Step 15

Next we'll add just a few crows to the image to fill it a bit more. I used these two images: 1 and 2.

Now that you have the two images, apply the same steps as you did with the other images. This means you will need to cut them, create the line art for both images, duplicate them as many times you think it is necessary, and make the faded effect using the splash brush.

Step 16

Now that you are finished with the birds and dancers you can put them in separate folders just to keep everything clean.

Next use another stock image sxc. Cut and duplicate this feather as many times as you think it is necessary because you will use this to add some more graphic elements. As you can see, I did not put too many, just a few are enough to give the illustration an extra feeling of movement.

Step 17

Next, create a new folder on top of all the layers and name it "circles." Also, create a new layer into this folder and use my settings for the Brush Tool (B) and the same color you used for the line art #f8efde.

Now that you have set your brush, start drawing a few circles around the working space. Be careful not to overdue them.

Step 18

Create a new layer over the circles you just created, then Command-click on the circles layer to make a selection. Next, you need to be over the new layer you created, use the Lasso Tool (L) and Right-click, then select Stroke. Set the Radius to 1px and color to black, also make sure you set it to Center.

You can repeat this step and make more transparent circles. It is up to you.

Step 19

Next, we'll create a new layer and again draw some circles, but this time use different settings and a different color #8bb687.

Step 20

Repeat Step 19, but this time use a different color and make the circles in the opposite direction #99a3b4.

Step 21

Finally, set both layers from Step 18 and Step 19 to Color Burn.

Conclusion

In the end you can add some more spots if you want to, also add your logo and you are done. You can view the final image below or view a larger version here.