Tuto Illustrator : portrait with special effect

To discover the content of this blog visit the "summary" page.

Introduction

Here is the portrait of a young woman (I do not know the name) that makes advertising for skin products (photo found on internet) that I intend to reproduce with the Adobe Illustrator software (CS5).

 

The photo is not more contrast but enough for the work I projected. And the result will be a little surprise at the end of this tutorial…

Face

As you probably noticed, the face is tilted, and in this case, if you have read my previous posts, I advise to straighten the image horizontally before starting to work with objects as gradient meshes. For a more detailed description of the method read the post "draw a face".

As advised in that post, I tilt the face photo before starting drawing. I find the correct angle by successive adjustments with the Object-Transform-Rotate tool (here I drew a horizontal and vertical guide to facilitate adjustment and the result is a 7.5° angle).

 

To draw the face I'll use a gradient mesh and first, I draw an ellipse with the Ellipse tool (L) that I filled with a color in the middle of the face (here RGB = 233, 198, 178):

 

I usually start with a gradient mesh of 10 x 10 points (100 points) and the density of the net will be increased thereafter gradually when required.

Then simply use the picture to reproduce colors in each point of the net to give a first result shown below:

 

Once satisfied with the result I draw the contour of the face to make a clipping mask:

 

The first result is that face roughly reproduced for now below, but we will enhance the work by expanding the net as needed with mesh gradient tool (G). The neck is also a gradient mesh:

 

I continue by drawing the ear very roughly because I will not need more details:

 

The next step is the design of the nose.

Nose

Usually, I draw the nose with another gradient mesh. Here I opted to create 2 gradient meshes (red arrows - Feather 3 pixels) with the difficulty of overlaying these new gradient meshes between themselves and with the face. I often materialize the future locations of the mouth, eyes and eyebrows that are coming to cover the nose and hide connections with the face (green arrows). The results below were obtained:

 

The drawing of the nose is complemented by the right nostril path with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = -91 °, feather 2 pixels), as described below:

·         Location 31%, RGB = 150, 83, 59
·         Location 100%, RGB = 239, 196, 172 (Distribution: 57-43%)

 

For more information read the post "Notation for color gradients".

Wrinkling between the nose and mouth is materialized by a path color RGB = 235, 177, 143 and Gaussian Blur 2.5 pixels:

 

If the gradient meshes are superimposed (see below), we can see that the integration does not give a satisfying result (red arrows). This problem will be solved later with the tightening of the gradient mesh.

Mouth

The next step is the design of the mouth. If you want to see details of my technique for drawing the mouth see the post "draw a mouth".

Lips

To draw the lips I use a blend (option: 12 steps) with the following 2 paths:

Path #1: starting with the lower lip, a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = -7.5 °, feather 2 pixels), described below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 221, 146, 136

·         Location 29%, RGB = 232, 125, 127 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 76%, RGB = 218, 83, 77 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 100%, RGB = 179, 84, 70 (Distribution: 73-27%)



 

Path #2: a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = -7.5 °, feather 2 pixels), described below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 233, 189, 187
·         Location 27%, RGB = 239, 147, 130 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 60%, RGB = 239, 147, 130 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 223, 112, 98 (Distribution: 21-79%)

For the upper lip, I also used 2 paths to create a blend (option: 12 steps).

Path #1: a linear gradient of 5 colors (angle = 0°, feather 2 pixels), as described below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 230, 188, 166

·         Location 8%, RGB = 192, 114, 95 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 27%, RGB = 224, 118, 107 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 60%, RGB = 200, 86, 76 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 100%, RGB = 192, 87, 76 (Distribution: 61.5-38.5%)



 

Path #2: a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 0°), as described below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 231, 161, 135
·         Location 37%, RGB = 228, 131, 128 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 69%, RGB = 214, 105, 96 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 206, 92, 83 (Distribution: 61.5-38.5%)

 

The area between the lips is a path of color RGB = 137, 46, 39:

Reflections on the lips

For light reflections on the lower lip I use different paths.
The first path is color RGB = 255, 209, 223, Transparency "Soft Light" Gaussian Blur 4 pixels.

 

The following 2 paths are the same color as the previous and Gaussian Blur 3 pixels.

 

For light reflections on the upper lip I use the same technique.

To illuminate the upper lip, I use the same path that was used for the blend and I apply a linear gradient of 4 colors (angle = 0 °, Gaussian Blur of 1 pixel), described below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 236, 176, 148
·         Location 36%, RGB = 241, 205, 195 (Distribution: 23-77%)
·         Location 66%, RGB = 238, 163, 145 (Distribution: 74.5-25.5%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 224, 126, 103 (Distribution: 13-87%)

 

It remains to draw small light and dark streaks on the lips. For this, I draw lines (thickness 1 pt.) I then decompose to fill with a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = variable according to the desired effect), described below:

·         Location 20%, RGB = 218, 83, 77
·         Location 57%, RGB = 221, 146, 136 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 218, 83, 77 (Distribution: 47-53%)

 

Paths obtained above are the dark paths and I duplicate this same group that I shift 1 pixel to the right to create clear paths filled with a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = -14°), describes below:

·         Location 13%, RGB = 241, 205, 195
·         Location 50%, RGB = 218, 83, 77 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 241, 205, 195 (Distribution: 50-50%)

The work is reproduced in the same manner for the upper lip and the final result is shown below:

Shadows

The result is interesting but you can see that the overlay of the mouth on the face lacks relief. That is why I materialize shadows under the lips and on the sides by blends (option: 12 steps). The first under the mouth is made with 2 paths:

Path #1: dark color (RGB = 220, 139, 105) and feather 2 pixels.

 

Path #2: light color (RGB = 239, 198, 177) and feather 4 pixels.

 

Shadows at the corners of the lips are made with the same technique:

 

And here is the final result for the mouth:

Eyes and eyebrows

The next step is drawing the eyes and eyebrows, step often difficult to restore the authenticity of the look. You can see the eyes in this picture which include the following:

·         eye with the cornea, iris and pupil

·         light reflections and shadows

·         eyelid

·         eyelashes

·         eyebrows





Eye

My way to proceed for the eyes is always the same. If you want to see the details see my post "draw an eye".

First I draw the cornea that I filled with a linear gradient of colors captured in the photo with the eyedropper tool (here 8 colors angle = -15 °, feather 2 pixels):

·         Location 2%, RGB = 93, 33, 17

·         Location 15%, RGB = 228, 232, 227 (Distribution: 30.5-69.5%)

·         Location 39%, RGB = 216, 207, 212 (Distribution: 22-78%)

·         Location 80%, RGB = 227, 227, 224 (Distribution: 28-72%)

·         Location 87%, RGB = 201, 194, 185 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 93%, RGB = 211, 133, 110 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 96%, RGB = 180, 109, 82 (Distribution: 50-50%)

·         Location 100%, RGB = 230, 181, 178 (Distribution: 50-50%)

 

Then I draw a circle for the iris using the tool "Ellipse" that I fill with a radial gradient color taken with the eyedropper in the eye (here 6 colors, feather 2 pixels, angle: -7.5 °):

·         Location 13.6%, RGB = 15, 21, 19
·         Location 39%, RGB = 129, 87, 61 (Distribution: 37-63%)
·         Location 51%, RGB = 156, 118, 90 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 68.7%, RGB = 129, 109, 105 (Distribution: 49-51%)
·         Location 91.6%, RGB = 82, 69, 61 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 98%, RGB = 54, 42, 44 (Distribution: 50-50%)

 

The upper part of the iris is darker near the eyelid, which is why I duplicate the iris path to fill the second over the first with a linear gradient of 3 colors (angle = -75 °, feather 2 pixel transparency "Darken"):

·         Location 19%, RGB = 15, 21, 19
·         Location 55%, RGB = 129, 87, 61 (Distribution: 58-42%)
·         Location 69%, RGB = 129, 109, 105 (Distribution: 50-50%)

 

The path of the cornea is duplicated to serve clipping mask on paths of iris described above. Then I draw the pupil circle of dark color (RGB = 4, 2, 8) and 2 pixel feather, that I place after disabling display.

You have noted that very often, the iris was filled with grains of dark or light colors. To reproduce these dissimilarities I create 2 blends (option = 12 steps), one inside and one outside, using small forms (red arrows) filled with the same gradient of color that the iris (see above).

Blends are placed with transparency "Overlay" and opacity 40% as shown below:

Light reflections and shadows

At this stage, the eye must be darken and lighten (reflections on the cornea of light and shadow). For light aspects on the iris I see 2 areas.

The first is a path of color RGB = 235, 220, 212, Gaussian blur 1 pixel and feather 1 pixel:



 

The second is around the pupil, 2 paths color RGB = 138, 105, 99 and 1 pixel Gaussian blur (see red arrow below):

 

Then I darken the top of the cornea (green arrow) by duplicating the path cornea to fill it with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = 92°, transparency "Darken" and feather 2 pixels):

·         Location 0%, RGB = 252, 252, 252
·         Location 95%, RGB = 0, 0, 0 (Distribution: 85-15%)

Eyelid

The bright area at the bottom of the eyelid is a path filled with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = -7.5 °), as shown below:

·         Location 7.5%, RGB = 189, 126, 122

·         Location 100%, RGB = 226, 171, 166 (Distribution: 22-78%)

 

The makeup of the eyelid over the cornea (to be placed behind the cornea) is a path with a linear gradient of 6 colors (angle = -7.5 °), as shown below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 166, 112, 104
·         Location 20%, RGB = 188, 129, 127 (Distribution: 43-57%)
·         Location 33%, RGB = 217, 158, 150 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 51.5%, RGB = 224, 192, 204 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 79%, RGB = 206, 141, 107 (Distribution: 50-50%)
·         Location 100%, RGB = 217, 156, 132 (Distribution: 50-50%)

 

The dark line at the top of the eyelid is made with the "Charcoal - Pencil" brush (from the standard brush library), 0.75 pt. thickness, color (RGB = 64, 27, 16) and 50% opacity, as shown below:

Gradient mesh of the face must be modified to integrate the eyelid and the eye:

 

The shadow under the eye is a blend (option: 12 steps) transparency "Darken", containing 2 paths:

The first (green arrow) is a path filled with a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = -7.5 °) as shown below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 161, 122, 116
·         Location 100%, RGB = 217, 156, 132 (Distribution: 18.5-81.5%)

 

The second path (green arrow) is also a linear gradient of 2 colors (angle = -7.5°, feather 3 pixels) as below:

·         Location 0%, RGB = 237, 202, 188
·         Location 100%, RGB = 232, 177, 158 (Distribution: 50-50%)

Lashes

Lashes are made with single lines (RGB color = 62, 39, 34 and thickness: 2 pt.) with the "profile width 4" (red arrow - see post "Draw an eye").

 

Upper lashes are set and adapted in size as below then duplicated, 80% opacity with feather 2 pixels.

 

Lower lashes are made ​​in the same way but with a 65% opacity. They are then adapted in size and disposed as follows:

Eyebrows

For eyebrows, I begin by defining the area of maximum density and materialized by a path color RGB = 182, 118, 98 and 1 pixel Gaussian Blur, as below:

 

Then I used the symbol "brown hair #2" to create a set of symbols with the "Symbol Sprayer" tool. The objects are then decomposed (Object-Expand Appearance) in order to fill with a RGB color = 62, 39, 34, see below:

 

By duplicating the symbol set above as much as necessary (with feather 4 pixels and 80% opacity), we can cover the entire area provided for this purpose:

 

And below is the global result for the eyes after working with the same technique for the left eye:

 

And the final result for the face:

To be faithful to the model, the entire drawing is inclined at an angle of 7.5°:

 And the result I was looking for is obtained with a background color RGB = 228, 131, 128 and the entire drawing (except the eyes, mouth and eyebrows) is placed in transparency "Lighten":

Tell me what you think of that…