For about a week I worked on building my own self portrait in Adobe Illustrator, using nothing but the pen tool. There were some easy and fun parts of the work I did that were fast-paced and simple. There were also some more frustrating pieces, such as the hair and mouth.
Some of the more easy objects to complete were the eyes, nose, and other facial shadows. Since I have already dabbled in cartoon pencil sketches and digital art, I know how much shadow and highlight incorporates into making a great drawing. I enjoyed figuring out how to use shadows to form my nose, instead of using defined lines. I also learned how to use the gradient tool to help with the shadow of my necklace, which made things a lot easier and more consistent.
The hardest part of this project to furnish was my hair. Pen tool malfunctions were common for a beginner such as myself, but I was able to fix any complications that came my way. I enjoyed adding more detail towards the top part of my hair, because of the dramatic color changes and the swoop of the hair going left. The consistency of the colors I chose to incorporate was a great addition to the neatness of it all. My lips were also a bit challenging, and I had to try many different tactics until I figured out what worked the best. Layers were my best friend during this assignment; I used many, many layers.
After completing this assignment, I definitely found something new that I would love to try more of at home and at school. It was easier than I thought it would be, and very rewarding when finished. I know there are still a lot of things I need to work on to make my next Illustrator project to be even better, but instead of being discouraged, I am very excited to start working again.
Lizzie's Digital Art 