Gradient Mesh just might be the most underrated and underused tool in Adobe Illustrator (for those of you who do not use Illustrator, that’s okay, just take our word for it). This is a shame, because despite the steep learning curve, it’s powerful enough to create incredibly realistic artwork. Granted, you don’t need to be as good as the artists below to create something worthwhile, but it’s fun to try and can definitely spice up some of your vector illustrations. If you have something against vectors or you just don’t use them, then maybe these can at least inspire you while you labor in you rasta image editor of choice. Also, keep in mind that some people out there are actually considering this to be the next level as far as art is concerned, so that alone might make it worth your time.
The following selection of artwork was taken from the portfolios of Wayne Forrest, Halim Ghodbane, Reggie Gilbert, Highside, Koji Masui, Ussa Methawittayakul, Yukio Miyamoto, Bert Monroy, and Takashi Morisaki.
1. Suzuki Ad
2. Fransisco Bosch
3. Camera
4. Porsche Ad
5. Cat
6. Dalmation
7. Fruits
8. Girl
9. Baseball Glove
10. Halle Barry
11. Angelina Jolie
12. Lettuce
13. Tape Recorder
14. Tomato
:insert shocked face here:
What a waste of time.
Let’s re-invent the wheel.
And the point?
Just take a photo!
The “point” is the power inherent in illustration and 3D programs today. Have you ever inspected vector illustrations from the early days of CorelDraw, etc.? They suck – big time.
As for why not a photo, If I can make a human figure without having to pay model fees, and/or diddling about with releases and licenses – why not? Why pay a photographer if I can “create” my own, OWN my own, and build a library of property to use, and sell?
Opens an entire can of pricing and licensing worms for the photographer and model – doesn’t it?
To take a photo, you need something to take a photo of. Drawing lets you create things that don’t exist. Showing how realistic a drawing can be is just to demonstrate the power of the tool.