Jan 26
Design Process of the Phoenix
This post will show you the design process of the Abstract Chinese Phoenix, one of my latest illustrations which was presented at the FOWD 2008 conference. I will briefly guide you through the process — from sketching to polishing. Hints and tips will be provided throughout the article. Most importantly, I’ll explain what inspired me for this piece of artwork. If you like this illustration, you may download a high resolution JPG for your desktop wallpaper.
1. Sketching
The images below show how I sketched out the phoenix in abstract form. I started off by drawing the phoenix’s body, flowing towards the wings, feathers, and then filling in the details.
Inspired by Nature
A lot of my design patterns are inspired by natural elements such as:
- DNA Helix
- blowing dandelions
- and the patch patterns on the butterfly wings and tree leaves.
2. Adobe Illustrator - Vectorization
After the sketch was done, I imported it into Illustrator for vector tracing. Here is a tip for tracing artwork in Illustrator:
i) Import the sketch in the first layer, adjust the layer opacity to 20 to 30%, and lock the layer.
ii) Create a new layer on top, hold down the Cmd key and click on the visibility icon to view the layer in outline mode (in this way you can see the sketch underneath).
Final Vector Outlines
3. Coloring
For color theme palettes, I go to Adobe’s kuler site and ColourLovers.com. Personally, I like ColourLovers because it allows me to copy and paste the color images directly to Illustrator. I just randomly pick the color palettes from the site and paste them in the artboard. To quickly fill in the color, use the Eyedropper tool to sample the colors and gradients.
Final Vector Artwork
As I was vectorizng the artwork, I added more elements such as the sky background and the phoenix’s tail.
4. Photoshop Polishing
Then, I imported the vector art in Photoshop and used my Vector Polishing Techniques to spice up the illustration.
Pastel-like Background
To make the background look pastel-like, I used the Pencil tool and lightly brushed up the sky background.
Particle Effects
The particle effects are done by using the layer Dissolve mode (see tutorial: Vector Polishing Techniques).
Depth
I blurred some elements to add more depth to the illustration.
Final Design
How Long Did It Take?
The sketch took about 1 hour, vectoring took 12 hours, and the Photoshop polishing took about 10 to 15 hours.
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Comments
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There are 182 comments (+Add)
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182 Carolyn
February 8th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
I love your Abstract Phoenix Design. I have it on my desktop, and I would like to use it on the wall in my house. Can I buy it as a print? Please email me.
Thanks!
181 vincentdresses http://www.hibridal.com
January 6th, 2010 at 1:45 am
喜欢你们的设计与技术，常来看看
180 lanxiaoxi http://lanxiaoxi.com
December 19th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Perfect combination of classic chinese styles and modern color, I love it very much.
179 fauzi
December 1st, 2009 at 3:27 pm
nice~ i would like to copy this pic for personal use if you don’t mind… thank you. =)
178 sikandar
November 27th, 2009 at 1:45 am
design most very beautyfull
177 faraz http://www.webdesignerwall
November 27th, 2009 at 1:41 am
very nice is design
176 Mike http://www.comastore.com
October 31st, 2009 at 5:10 am
It’s really cool!!
Looking forward to seeing your further designs.. =)
175 Sofia
October 25th, 2009 at 3:12 am
this is really great,
your work is amazing, keep doing what you do best !
174 Willy Yanto Wijaya http://willyyanto.wordpress.com/
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:24 am
It’s really cool!!
Looking forward to seeing your further designs.. =)
Best Regard,
Willy Yanto Wijaya
173 Cyrus
September 21st, 2009 at 9:20 am
Great , Design Process of the Phoenix
Great article. CSS saved web design
Cyrus
Visit http://www.psdtoxhtmlcoder.com