Create Two Minimalist Portraits
Create two Illustrator minimalist portraits; a portrait of yourself, and one of another person. The other person can be a friend, relative, or a celebrity.
Start by using a self-portrait of yourself (selfie), and create a minimalist/abstract portrait of yourself using Adobe Illustrator. Use bold colors throughout the image.
Create two Illustrator minimalist portraits; a portrait of yourself, and one of another person. The other person can be a friend, relative, or a celebrity.
Start by using a self-portrait of yourself (selfie), and create a minimalist/abstract portrait of yourself using Adobe Illustrator. Use bold colors throughout the image.
Here is an Adobe tutorial: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/minimum-vector-portrait.html
Below is a step-by-step tutorial if you've never done anything like this in Illustrator.
Step 1: Start with a Reference Image of Yourself
Create a self-portrait of yourself using a smartphone or a DSLR camera
- photograph yourself against a simple, plain background
- photograph yourself with your face head on, looking forward
- do not create a profile photo of yourself
- upload the photo to your computer or email your photo to yourself and download it to your computer
- open illustrator and use the default poster size found under the 'Art & Illustration' templates (18 inches by 24 inches at 300 p.p.i.) to create a new file
Place your reference photo in the Illustrator poster size file and reduce its opacity. Use control-R (Windows) or command-R (MacOS) to reveal rulers, drag a guide to the center of the face, and lock the image layer.
Next, select the Curvature tool and clicked to create anchor points to draw an outline around the left side of the face. The Curvature tool creates geometric curves automatically, so you won't need many anchor points. To create corner points and straight lines, hold down the alt (or option) key as you click. To finish the shape, click the original anchor point while holding down the alt (or option) key.
Step 1: Start with a Reference Image of Yourself
Create a self-portrait of yourself using a smartphone or a DSLR camera
- photograph yourself against a simple, plain background
- photograph yourself with your face head on, looking forward
- do not create a profile photo of yourself
- upload the photo to your computer or email your photo to yourself and download it to your computer
- open illustrator and use the default poster size found under the 'Art & Illustration' templates (18 inches by 24 inches at 300 p.p.i.) to create a new file
Place your reference photo in the Illustrator poster size file and reduce its opacity. Use control-R (Windows) or command-R (MacOS) to reveal rulers, drag a guide to the center of the face, and lock the image layer.
Next, select the Curvature tool and clicked to create anchor points to draw an outline around the left side of the face. The Curvature tool creates geometric curves automatically, so you won't need many anchor points. To create corner points and straight lines, hold down the alt (or option) key as you click. To finish the shape, click the original anchor point while holding down the alt (or option) key.
Step 2: Reflect, Unite, Fill
With the shape selected, use the Reflect tool (keyboard shortcut O). Click on the center guide to set the reflection point; then click on the shape, held shift-alt (or shift-option) and drag a reflected copy of the face shape.
Choose the Selection tool (V) and shift-click both sides of the face. In the Properties panel, Choose Unite from the Pathfinder options and changed the fill to any desired color with no stroke.
With the shape selected, use the Reflect tool (keyboard shortcut O). Click on the center guide to set the reflection point; then click on the shape, held shift-alt (or shift-option) and drag a reflected copy of the face shape.
Choose the Selection tool (V) and shift-click both sides of the face. In the Properties panel, Choose Unite from the Pathfinder options and changed the fill to any desired color with no stroke.
Step 3: Rinse and Repeat
Continue to draw facial features, sunglasses, and jewelry, and other items that may be in the photo, with the Curvature tool while using the reference image to check proportions as needed.
Reflect these shapes across the center guide, unite them, and change the fill colors. Toggle the guide visibility by pressing control-; (semicolon) or command-; on your keyboard.
Then, hide the photo layer before adding hair in the next step. If the Curvature tool inadvertently interacts with other shapes, locking the paths within the layer can help prevent undesired results.
Continue to draw facial features, sunglasses, and jewelry, and other items that may be in the photo, with the Curvature tool while using the reference image to check proportions as needed.
Reflect these shapes across the center guide, unite them, and change the fill colors. Toggle the guide visibility by pressing control-; (semicolon) or command-; on your keyboard.
Step 4: Throw Shade
To create a shadow, use the
Curvature tool to draw a crescent shape, fill it with black, and
reduce the opacity. Then, select the shadow and the face and use
Shape Builder as described in the previous step to trim the shadow that
extends off the face.
Then, hide the photo layer before adding hair in the next step. If the Curvature tool inadvertently interacts with other shapes, locking the paths within the layer can help prevent undesired results.
Step 5: Make Some Hair
To draw the hair as in the example, choose the Ellipse tool and hold down shift-alt (or shift-option) as you drag a circle out from the center of the face. If you prefer, you may also use the Rectangle tool to create your hair shape. Then, fill the shape with any desired color and used shift-control or command-[ (left bracket) to send it behind the face.
With the hair selected, choose Effect > Distort and Transform > Zig Zag and experiment with the settings until you get the effect you like.
Step 6: Color Those Curls
With the hair selected, choose Object > Expand Appearance to convert the zig zag path to a shape in order to customize the hair with the Shape Builder tool.
To create a layered look, hold down alt or option key as you drag to create overlapping copies of the hair, and then use the Selection tool to select all the copies. Next, select the Shape Builder tool and hold down the alt key as you drag to remove the additional sections of hair outside of the original shape. Finally, change the fill color of the individual sections of hair.
With the hair selected, choose Object > Expand Appearance to convert the zig zag path to a shape in order to customize the hair with the Shape Builder tool.
To create a layered look, hold down alt or option key as you drag to create overlapping copies of the hair, and then use the Selection tool to select all the copies. Next, select the Shape Builder tool and hold down the alt key as you drag to remove the additional sections of hair outside of the original shape. Finally, change the fill color of the individual sections of hair.
Step 7: Create the Background and Move it to the Back
Add shapes, trim, and embellish to make your portrait stand out on a bright background that complements your color scheme.
Add shapes, trim, and embellish to make your portrait stand out on a bright background that complements your color scheme.
Below are a few examples created by Stanley Chow, Dale Edwin Murray, and others, to use as inspiration:
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