Much love to our new Vector Community Volunteer... ^VAngelLJ

I'm in such a happy mood! So let's get down to business...

The winner of my book give away - for Adobe Master Class: Illustrator is... *nicole-m-scott! huge CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so proud of this book and people who have received it/bought it have loved it, so I can't wait for you to get it!

For transparency, this is how it was decided: I asked ~pica-ae for a number between 1 and 75 (the total number of comments I had on the blog) and she wasn't aware of why I asked. She gave me comment number 53 and this revealed *nicole-m-scott. I confirmed this was her first, she had +fav'd the blog, had me on devwatch, had left a positive comment and was over the age of 18! I've sent her a note requesting her mailing address so I can send her through a copy!

Anyway, let's move on, because I have some fabulous news!
As some people know, I've been writing regularly for Vectortuts+ for over 2-3 years now and in July I accepted the position of Associate Editor of the site, which made me employed by the wonderful company which is Envato
As of 1st of February, I've been promoted to Editor of Vectortuts+! It's a website I feel so much passion for and I'm so happy to be able to put more into this wonderful site. This year has been officially kicked off to a great start... book published, promotion, hitting one of my 2013 goals already... fabulous!

So what have you guys been up to? What are you aiming to achieve in 2013?

[Edit]Just over a day until this closes! Remember to read the rules, if you don't follow them all/aren't eligible, you can not has book goodness![/Edit]

Firstly, thank you so much for your birthday wishes, I appreciate it - although let's not acknowledge that I'm getting older mkay?

So let's get down to it... I've been given a load of copies of my book Adobe Master Class: Illustrator and I've recently given one away via my Facebook page (ps: go likie!) and I'm planning to do the same here! Read on to find out more...



All you have to do to enter is to be devwatching me (well dur that's how you're reading this!) and leave a comment and +fav! I'm going to be randomly picking which person wins, so what you leave as a comment is up to you, as long as it's a positive comment! Let's make this a good, positive event!

Here are the rules:

1) You must be devwatching me and leave at least one positive comment and +fav this blog!

2) You must be 18 years old or over - I will need your address and I don't want any parents getting angry at me because their minor has shared private details with me!

3) You can comment as much as you wish but your comment(s) will only count as one entry into this give away! Deviants using multiple accounts to enter will be disqualified.

4) My relatives and contributors to the book are excluded from entering. You guys will be getting your own copy ♥

5) Your comment must be posted on this blog by Monday 4th February at 23:59:59 GMT.

6) The winner will be contacted via dA notes. If no response has been received within a week of the note being sent, the next eligible random will be declared the winner.

7) The prize will be sent via Recorded Delivery via Royal Mail. I am not responsible for the condition it arrives in, however it will be packaged well to ensure the best I can possible it arrives to you safely. It will be mailed at my earliest convenience, I will send you a note once it's sent.

8) Should you wish the book to be signed, please request this and what you'd like me to write when I contact you!

9) The prize is not transferable and is not for resale.


Good luck!

On the 27th December 2012, my book Adobe Master Class: Illustrator will be published! Published by Adobe Press/Peachpit... I'm so excited



Here's a description of the book:

This beautiful art showcase book from Adobe Press features 30 established and emerging Illustrator artists, their masterful work, and tutorials demonstrating their techniques for using Adobe Illustrator. Curated by one of Adobe's and the Illustrator community's premiere Illustrator mavens, Sharon Milne, this book features an inspiring collection of innovative Illustrator artists and their amazing artwork. The illustrations represent a mix of techniques and styles and are field-defining works that demonstrate technical excellence and awe-inspiring aesthetics. Readers will also appreciate the artists commentary about their inspiration and philosophy about their art. In addition to the art showcase, this book includes several tutorial projects that teach techniques for working in Illustrator. The how-to content, comprising 25 to 30 percent of the book, is based on general Illustrator features, so this book can be useful for users of recent and future versions of the Illustrator software.

All of the artists featured in the book are deviantART members! Over the coming weeks, I'll be creating some feature articles with some of the artwork showcased in the book. Not only that, there are 11 great tutorials showing you insight into their process!

Tutorials from the likes of: `CrisVector, *CQcat, ~Asher-Bee, `j3concepts, *ssst, *LimKis and much more!

The book is available for pre-order and if you pre-order, use the coupon code ILLMASTER for a 40% discount!

Hey Guys and Gals,

I've been a bit quiet on the CV front of recent and that has been due to work commitments. One is snowed under over on Vectortuts+ and building up to the release of my book! Fun times promotion times here we come!

I will be blasting through my DD suggestion notes in the coming days to get some awesome vector art featured... cos hunty, we loves a bit vector art... in fact we love it a lot! So get those vector DD suggestions sent over and remember, I do accept with open arms self suggestions, so don't be afraid!

Other than that, make sure you're watching #communityrelations to keep up to date on the CV side of dA, as we do keep you guys and gals informed regularly!

Each month I'll be posting an update on what's been happening with the Vector galleries or relating to them and it's member, including a round up of the DD's featuring in that month. If you've got something you'd like to contribute, please feel free to drop me a note with your updates and I'll be happy to include it!

Goodbye and Hello!

I'd like to start my first Vector CR update of my new term by thanking `DomiSM for the fantastic term and time she's given to the vector galleries. She's an asset to the community, not just the vector community. Please drop by her page and give her a scalable hug, because she's simply fabulous!
I'm back as your Vector Community Volunteer! I'm here as a bridge between you and the paid staff should you want someone to pass on a message, suggestions or concerns. I'll be getting more involved in the vector community and I also post those little things called Daily Deviations... but we'll get onto that one later. So if you've got any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to note me as I check my dA every day!

Pleased to Meet You!

If you've only just devwatched me and wonder who the frig is this pink haired lady, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Sharon Milne however most people call me Shar or Shaz - either is fine! I'm a vector obsessive and I'm the Associate Editor of one of the biggest vector education websites on the Web... Vectortuts+. I write vector tutorials, articles and even in the process of finishing off a book for Adobe Press titled "Adobe Master Class: Illustrator". Needless to say, paths and points run through my veins! In my spare time, I'm a crazy cat lady and dog lady... and love eating prawn salad!

So now I've introduced myself, please tell me who you are! Tell me what connection you have with vector? Are you into it for work or pleasure or both... waah! Do you love cats? What was the last thing you had to eat? Tell me anything!

Daily Deviations

Daily Deviations are a daily feature of selected pieces of artwork. They are a feature and not to be confused with an award. They can give artists a fair bit of exposure and help highlight great artwork and artists alike. ANYONE is able to suggest them, so please feel free to send me a note with your VECTOR suggestions!

However please keep the following in mind:

• You can only receive one DD every 6 months!


• You can only suggest to me work which is in the vector galleries


• Absolutely no active contest entries! We don't want to sway any current judging in progress, that would be unfair

There are different "rules" by different volunteers added onto this and I have my own stance on DDs.

• I only feature artwork which I am able to write something positive about, which is why I like to add descriptions to my features. If I can't tell the community why I featured something, then I'm not standing up for the deviant nor the artwork. I will use some descriptions by deviants, but ultimately if I can't think of why something is worth sharing with the community, I won't feature it.


• If you've used stock from dA, please link it. The community don't link people who don't link and credit their resources. I don't want to be responsible for sending this chunk of the community to a deviant. Let a DD day for an artist be one filled with positivity!


• DD's are selected due to both creativity and technical ability. I'm very picky with this because I know like myself, some people will see a vector in a technical way first, then an arty way!


• Finally, SELF SUGGESTIONS ARE ENCOURAGED! I can't see every single piece of vector which is submitted or that has ever been submitted. If you feel you've been overlooked for a DD and think your work should get one... send me a note with a piece you think should be featured. Don't leave the responsibility of your self promotion and exposure in the hands of others, do something about it and suggest yourself! I actually think highly of those who do this as I've self suggested myself in the past. It takes guts to ask for exposure and it's more than welcome with me!

This leads me onto our next part... so what standard of DDs are we looking at here?

October 2012's Daily Deviations

Check out last months Daily Deviations. Full of inspiration and awe, there is something for everyone!

I sat for a while thinking about what to write about Spirit Day and I thought it's best expressed in music. Please check out this heart felt song by Rise Against:


Make it Stop (September's Children) by Rise Against

"The song was written inspired of the teen suicides in the month of September 2010, who were bullied for being homosexual. It deals about how people are treated from homophobic bullying and feeling so tormented that they feel there's no place for them in the future and that killing themselves is a better option. It was written by my nephew, who wrote it about his best friend. His friend had killed himself a week before it was written."

^{Quote by Rise Against singer Tim McIlrath, source: Wikipedia.}

Find out more about Spirit Day by checking out the Glaad website.

Hey Guys, Gals and Pussy Cats,

Thank you so much for the people who have taken part in the previous Tuts+ Workshop, Cassette Design Challenge. It was a massive success and had over 100 design submissions! The biggest to date!

Vectortuts+ has started a new challenge in line with the new Creative Session: Infographic Design. This is a great challenge if you've never tried creating a map - be it a non fiction map or a fantasy treasure map, it's completely up to you. Check out Tuts+ Workshop: Freestyle Map Infographic Challenge to find out how you can take part!

I even gave it a go and created an infographic map showing my top 10 favourite places in Great Britain

You can find out how I created this by checking out the accompanying Quick Tip tutorial.

As per usual, if you've got any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me via here or via e-mail on sharon (at) tutsplus (dot) com

Hey Guys!

As you may or may not know, I've been welcomed with open arms back to the wonderful #communityrelations team - and what a glorious team they are! I'll be slipping into the shoes of the Vector Art Community Volunteer, once `DomiSM's term finishes.

I will be posting a journal all about the usual, what I can do for you as your Vector Art CV, Daily Deviations, Self Promotion... and perhaps a sprinkling of glitter. Until then, please send all your DD suggestions over to `DomiSM if you're hoping to get something DD'd in the next couple of weeks!

As always, if you've got any questions, concerns or want a general natter about vector art or the fabulous butt of Ewan McGregor, I'm always here

What a couple of months it's been. A mix of sad news and good, good, good news!

Firstly and most importantly I lost my hero and one of my biggest inspirations as a person, my Granddad. He had been spiralling for years and became the shell of the person he used to be, although there were often signs the happy gentleman was still there. He died a great age, 90 years, 5 days old. If there is anything he's taught me, it's that hard work pays off and don't take life so seriously.

I'm coming towards the end of putting together my first book and it's already listed on Amazon as well as many other places. So since it's online here and there, I can share with you what the book is about! Shamelessly taking the book description, which the publishers wrote:

This beautiful art showcase book from Adobe Press features 30 established and emerging Illustrator artists, their masterful work, and tutorials demonstrating their techniques for using Adobe Illustrator. Curated by one of Adobe's and the Illustrator community's premiere Illustrator mavens, Sharon Milne, this book features an inspiring collection of innovative Illustrator artists and their amazing artwork. The illustrations represent a mix of techniques and styles and are field-defining works that demonstrate technical excellence and awe-inspiring aesthetics. Readers will also appreciate the artists commentary about their inspiration and philosophy about their art. In addition to the art showcase, this book includes several tutorial projects that teach techniques for working in Illustrator. The how-to content, comprising 25 to 30 percent of the book, is based on general Illustrator features, so this book can be useful for users of recent and future versions of the Illustrator software.

All the artists involved in the book are dA members! The cover is only temporary but it will give you a clue who's in the book one of those three people have written an amazing tutorial!

I've had my hours TRIPLED working for Vectortuts+! Although the downside is I might not be able to produce the same amount of tutorials I do on a monthly basis, however I will be able to get more involved in community projects and personal projects!

And finally, Paul and I have booked our wedding day! We're getting married on Friday 24th May 2013 and go on our honeymoon to Zante (2nd time we'll have been there, we love it) from the 26th for 2 glorious weeks. Very exciting times ahead!

Edit: More Good News! I've got a hat again! I'll be volunteering with `DomiSM looking after the wonderful Vector Art galleries! It's good to be back

So what's been happening with you guys?

Introduction

I'm writing this journal after an accumulation of things over the past couple of weeks. From the odd comment here and there, a Facebook status, a DD or two and perhaps a couple of pieces I've seen submitted to various websites.
People are getting vexel/vector confused, especially those who use Photoshop. Labelling your work as vexel when it is vector hurts you more than it benefits you.

Photoshop Can Create Vector

Photoshop is more than capable of creating vector art. The Pen Tool and the Shape Tools produce vector shapes.
Photoshop is a raster based program thus it's not made to render vector in real time. As Illustrator is a vector program. When you zoom into an object, it will render in real time... you'll always see those clean edges you associate with vector art and you wont get pixelation*. With Photoshop, it's primary tools are raster - from photo editting to digital painting - it's core users don't require vector capabilities. However this doesn't mean it's not capable of creating vector.

If you're confused on this one, check out this great video tutorial on how Photoshop is capable of creating vector art and why.



To sum up, if you're using the Pen Tool and/or Shape Tools in Adobe Photoshop, UNLESS YOU ARE MERGING YOUR LAYERS, you are creating vector art, not vexel art.

When Are You Creating Vexel Art?

Vexel art is the layering of raster shapes... there is nothing vector/infinitely scalable about it. I've written several articles on what is and isn't vector and vexel art. My most comprehensive you can find over on Vectortuts+.
Now if you are merging/flattening/rasterising your shapes in Photoshop - or even in Illustrator, you are creating vexel art. Although it's a bit of a cop out. Back in the day, there were programs which used the Pen Tool (Paintshop Pro comes to mind) which produced raster shapes, not vector. So although the process was similar to that of vector, the out put was raster/vexel. People who weren't confident with the Pen Tool also used to draw shapes with the Lasso Tool and then fill the shape to create a solid object in pixels. These are your 100% genuine vexels.
Rasterising your vector shapes makes the illustration turn from vector to raster, therefore it's technically a vexel piece... although as you see previously, it's a bit of a cop out.

Confusion Started Here

Sadly a lot of the confusion started on deviantART, by members who didn't know any better and failed to have the insight to what repercussions would happen with misinforming a larger audience. This has since been corrected but sadly the misinformation is still out there. It's sad that due to the mistake of a few people, the miseducation is out there and people are doing more harm than good to their reputation as artists.

Why Not Call Vexel Art, Digital Art or Something Similar?

Vexel art originated from a group of artists who didn't know any better about what vector art was. Labelling our work back then as misc digital art, didn't make you feel as part of a group any more or that you belonged to a specific type of art work. With a big group of artists suddenly being told "no your work isn't in fact vector" - we all wanted to "belong". We were young and used to hang out on forums. This one thing united us and was common ground. So the term vexel was coined by Seth Woolley and balance was then restored. So I understand the need to want to belong to a group based on a definition of your work, however...

Creating Vector Art and Labelling it as Vexel Art, HURTS You!

Controversial statement here but it's true. The fact of the matter is that vector art is much more universally known. Go to a big design studio and say you can create vexel art and they will more than likely look at you and think you're talking a different language. However saying you create vector art is a lot more credible. This is not to say if you create vexel art or any form of digital art and then label it as vector you'll get kudos... vector artists know what is vector... and they would laugh you out the door!
If you're wanting more attention to your work and it is vector art... label it as vector, not vexel.
If you're wanting to some day have a successful career in graphic design and you're creating vector art... declare it as vector art, not vexel art.

End notes:
*the exception to this rule is when you zoom into some live raster effects which contain blurs and Photoshop Effects (clue is in the name).

It's been nearly a month now since I became Associate Editor over on the wonderful Vectortuts+ and although I'm mighty busy these days with this and the Adobe book, I've finally gotten to start my first ever community challenge!

I know there was some interest from people here, so I'm letting you guys know it started today and it is the.... Tuts+ Workshop: Cassette Design Challenge!

It's super easy, specifically aimed at those beginning in vector but still leaves opportunities there for the more advanced who want to mix it up.

You can download the template over on the website and design a cassette and label based on your favourite band/artist/song/music video. It doesn't have to take a long time either... I did mine in 10-15 minutes!



Mine is based on David Guetta - Turn Me On featuring Nicki Minaj - I can't get that song out of my head!

The community project is a great way to show off your skills or pick up some new ones and get your work out into the community, as of course you can share your dA/Portfolio link. Always a bonus!

To find out more about the project and how you can get involved, check out this post over on Vectortuts+

ZOMG, dA is 12! Can you believe it!

It's no surprise I absolutely love this community and what this place has done for me - I say so every single year, I'm just that thankful!

So I have a mini challenge for people, which I'm also going to do myself. Over the next 24 hours, go to 12 peoples userpages and send them a hug or love or a woohoo... possibly send them a deviantART muro drawing on their userpages. Why? Because ultimately this community is not just about being able to share art and inspire each other... there are humans behind the art. Let's connect with each other not just our art

If you post to say you've completed this mini task, I'll be sure to pop along to your page and send you loves and a mini deviantART muro doodle (not that I'm any good at drawing!)

Happy 12th Birthday dA

I've got some awesome news to share with you guys!

Firstly, I've taken up the role of Associate Editor of VectorTuts+. I've been creating tutorials and resources for these guys for 2 years I think now, so it's a great honor that I've been asked to be part of the staff of Tutsplus.com/Envato. I must admit, they are one of my top companies to work for wishlist in my head!

And secondly, I've got the pleasure of putting together an official Adobe Press book! I can't really tell you much about the contents just yet, but in time I will. Everything is going ahead with it very well and you'll hear more about it's content in the coming months.

This past year has been a whirlwind and it's only just over half way!

I'm always on dA, even if I'm slow to respond to comments... so if you're in need of something quick, please note me. As per, you can catch me on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you so much for all the +favs, the comments and +devwatchs I've received and still am for my Daily Deviation "Carried Away". You guys are awesome and I appreciate your support so much!

Now I have a confession to make... I self suggested this deviation to `DomiSM, so it didn't come as a surprise I received it.

I know from being a volunteer that some people feel that DD's should be suggested by others or that it should be a surprise. Well no, not always. Sometimes you have to fight for your work to gain exposure. Gone are the days where deviantART was a small site... you need to learn how to use the channels on dA to get the exposure your work deserves.

These days, I work in vector and the high pecentage of work I upload to dA is client work. A huge part of being a Freelancer is marketting yourself and putting yourself out there. This is why self suggesting yourself for a Daily Deviation should be utilised as much as you can.

So here's some tips for you on Self Suggesting:

• Remember that at most, you can only receive one Daily Deviation every 6 months. So make sure you suggest your best piece to the Community Volunteer. At the time of writing, my DD received over 6.5k views in a day. Make sure those views are people seeing your best work. If you don't know what your best work is, go into your gallery and use the Browse > Popular to find out what's been favourited/commented on the most. Use this then to find out what will yield you the highest amount of exposure.


• Only send your self suggestion to one Community Volunteer. You'll need to suggest one piece to them, don't say "I want a DD feature, check out my gallery to see what's best" - that is very off putting. Consider how many notes a VOLUNTEER gets (they do this gig for free you know) and you're adding to extra work. So make their role easy and cut to the chase. Say you'd like to suggest your own work for a DD feature and use the thumbcode to display the piece you wish to be DD'd. Be nice, use your pleases and thank yous! Remember to read that CV's DD guidelines. Some don't like to give people more than X amount of DDs, some don't mind. Make sure that one CV you've picked to suggest to allows your piece to be a feature.


• If your CV turns down your work to be featured, I know it sounds hard but don't take it personally. DD's are being held to a high standard and a lot of people expect high quality work to be featured... anything less and people complain (which they shouldn't do on deviations, but sadly not everyone reads the rules!). Keep an eye on #communityrelations for their bi-weekly critique nights and utilise this to find out how you can improve. Always remember, DD's are not the end game... they aren't what you should be aiming to get out of your art, but it's just a small tool to gain exposure. Nothing more. It's not an award, it's just a site wide feature.


• If you've used any resources from deviantART or gained inspiration from any piece on deviantART, link it. If your piece gets DD'd and there is one small element which you've not creditted, chances are people will comment on it. There is no shame in gaining inspiration (not copying/tracing!) or using tutorials/stock/resources. There is a shame in your day of being featured being turned into a bitch fest of people complaining to you you need to credit your sources!


• If you know which day you'll be getting a DD, try to make some time to respond to peoples comments. It invites people to want to know more about your art and you. You build connections and hopefully discover other people along the way! This is a community after all! It goes without saying, if you receive any negative comments on your DD, don't rise to it. Take a deep breath and compose yourself. Some might be valid critism, some trolls will troll. Learn how to tell the difference and deal with them appropriately.

Are you looking for a mini vector challenge/activity?

Nearly every month, the people over on VectorTuts+ run a Community Project. They provide you with a template and you can modify it as you wish.

It's all done for the fun of it. I've taken part in a couple myself! They are a great motivational activity as well as great for exposure as they post peoples contribution with links to your portfolio!

Go check out their latest challenge... Custom Character Jam 2

Bored and clearing your message center? Here's a fun activity you can do alone!

Next time there is a contest announcement of who has won or semi finals... leave it for a few hours.

Have a bet with yourself, exactly how many comment threads down you'll get the first deviant complaining that the winner wasn't worthy etc...

Of course, never get involved... it's a lot more fun enjoying dramas from the sidelines with popcorn

It's #projecteducate's Vector Week, ran by the fabulous `DomiSM! Check out the following articles posted already:

Vector Week Intro
Getting Started with Vectors

I frigging love Vector Week. A series of educational articles and activities focused on vector... man, it makes my scalable butt tingle with excitement

In other places on dA, there is another a great article which has just been posted on #communityrelations called... Why credit and notify?.

Remember to keep popping into #Vectorgasm to say hai or simply afk... people do go in there