As you know, each month, we search the web for the best vector-related content and showcase it here for you all to enjoy. This month, we found some really great tutorials, articles, and freebies for you all to take a look at. Included in this round up are some fantastic character illustration, logo design, and quick tip tutorials; as well as some nice articles and inspirational round ups. So let’s take a look!
Tutorial Wrap
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Create a Tiger Striped Cat with Illustrator
A best of the web round up would not be complete without a really nice character design tutorial. This tutorial from Cute Little Factory demonstrates how to create a fat tiger striped cat in Illustrator.
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How to Draw a Vintage Typewriter Icon Inside Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator is an excellent tool to help create icons. This tutorial from Vectelligence demonstrates how to create a classic typewriter using some basic tools in Illustrator.
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Gradient Rings in Illustrator
Ever wanted to know how people create cool gradient rings? A gradient ring isn’t a linear gradient and it isn’t a radial gradient. It’s sort of a combination of the two. This can be done in Illustrator fairly easily. This quick tip tutorial from Veerle shows how.
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Beautiful Vector Illustration in Illustrator and Photoshop by Carol Rivello
Illustration is often a combination of several skills and applications. This tutorial from Abduzeedo demonstrates how to go from a sketch to Illustrator and then to Photoshop. It combines a tasteful type selection, with hand drawn vector elements, and illustrations for this blog header design.
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Create the Mini Logo in Illustrator
You can learn a lot about logo design just be recreating already existing logos. This tutorial from V for Vectors demonstrates how to create a Mini logo in Illustrator and covers several techniques that you can use later on.
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Create a Detailed Vector Emblem Badge in Illustrator
We have all been asked to create badges at some point in our careers. This tutorial from Spoon Graphics demonstrates how to create a really nice vector emblem badge in Illustrator that includes quality shading techniques.
(FREE!) Download Picks
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Vintage Scrolls and Wings
It is always useful to keep a few vintage scrolls and wings around especially if you do a lot of t-shirt or cover art design. This set of free vintage scrolls and wings will make an excellent addition to your design arsenal.
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Free Seamless Vector Pattern – Vintage Velvet
Grab this free vintage pattern. It’s available as an EPS file (to use in Illustrator or your favorite vector editor) and as a PNG thumbnail (that you can use load in your Photoshop pattern library). The license allows for commercial usage.
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Vintage Music
This set of vintage music vectors includes just about every vintage music device you can think of, including: a record, a tape, a turntable, and even a Nintendo game controller; and while the controller might be a bit out of place, it’s still a nice set.
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Blank Templates for Flyers, Brochures, and Business Cards
When we design things like business cards flyers, and brochures, it often helps to have a nice template ready that shows where to put your margins and bleeds. This set of templates from Think Design Blog can be very useful if you do that sort of thing often.
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Tron Legacy Social Icons
I am sure you remember the movie Tron. If you don’t remember the original, you’ve probably heard about the new movie. This set of icons from Web Design Shock was inspired by the movie and includes 8 retro inspired icons that you can use in your designs.
Vector Articles and Inspiration
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50 Creative Vector Character Illustrations
If you do a lot of character illustration, it is always nice to look at what others are doing for inspiration. This round up from Freelance Review includes 50 creative character illustrations for inspiration.
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Conceptual Illustrations by Micah Lidberg
This round up from DJ Designer Lab showcases the work of Micah Lidberg who’s style is quite unique. Definitely head over and check out his work for inspiration.
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Awesome Character Illustrations by Pablo Lobato
This round up from Abduzeedo showcases the work of Pablo Lobato; an Argentinean illustrator who has worked for clients such as the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine.
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State of the Union: Grunge Design
Most of us are familiar with the many design styles or fads that are out there. For awhile it seemed like grunge design was one of the biggest. While grunge design is still out there, it seems as if some of the steam has been knocked out of it. This article from Go Media talks about the state of grunge design today. It’s a nice read.