So #Vectorgasm has a few hits here and there, but still not as much life as I'd like to see. Trust me when I say there are gonna be some awesome things happening in there when Vector Project Educate Week comes along. Might as well start hanging out now and get acquainted with some fellow vector junkies. We also have a Bot now. So if anything it should show you features every half hour. And if you're nice she may even talk to you So go say hi, her name is ~borgasmic and she likes three-ways and facials.

The Vector Tennis was a bit slow on the uptake... Simply because I've been soooo busy. But that is going to change. This weekend I will be posting a deviation for everyone to download and ravage. I can't wait to see what comes of it. There will be some rules though so watch for that journal too

I'm going to be starting a monthly Interview Session with vector artists here on dA. If you are interested at all in being interviewed please step forward. I'm looking for some insight into how people create their vector works. Why they use a specific program. This of that liking.

Along with these articles I am looking for exceptional vector works you guys would like to see explained by the artist themselves. Have you ever seen an amazing vector piece and you thought to yourself "How'd they do that?!" well I'm hoping these will help. They should prove to be a great resource. An in depth tutorial if you will. So if you have a secret you are willing to share... or have a deviation you would love to know the secrets behind please send me a note. I'm looking forward to them.

Lastly... Please go and fav these:
Getting into vexelling and vectoring
The difference between Vector and Vexel Art

They are some nice articles about the difference between vectors and vexel's.... looks like the medium is catching on

The second award will be featuring the Animal Vector Gallery. If you think you know of the perfect candidate for this award please send a note to either ^lemontea, ~mc-cool or myself with the Title "GPA Nominee" or something of that liking. Remember to nominate only the best Animal Vector artist you can think of. All nominations will be taken into consideration but only the very best will be granted the award.

Vector Art is a technique, meaning art created in a vector-based program. Vector art is the use of primitives such as Points, Lines and Curves. The vector programs keeps track of the relationship between these primitives. This allows the images created, to be scaled and rescaled without loosing quality or becoming pixelated. This is in opposition to "raster (or bitmap) graphics" which is an image represented by a collection of pixels. These pixels if scaled above 100%, will degrade and loose quality.

Popular vector programs are: Illustrator, Freehand, Corel Draw, and Flash. Almost everything created with these programs is considered a vector piece. I say "almost" because there are exceptions to every rule. If your vector piece combines raster and vector images then I'm sorry to tell you but it is no longer a vector piece (and subsequently does not belong in the vector gallery). Example: If you finish your vector piece and realize after exporting it to a more web friendly version, you think it is lacking something. So you take it into photoshop and apply a simple texture to the surface of the piece just to give it a little something extra. This is no longer a vector piece, and should be posted to the "Digital art > Mixed media", gallery. Like wise if you take this raster texture image into illustrator and just apply a layer style (multiply, screen etc.) this is still not a vector piece. The common factor in these two equations is the raster texture. Since this texture cannot be scaled above 100% this makes the vector technically useless beyond that raster images original size. That being said don't think you are unable to add texturing to a vector piece. Most of these programs come equipped with detailed pattern swatches, textured brushes, and even the ability to "Live trace" which does as it's name implies, traces a raster image and turns it into a vector graphic.

Just to reiterate my point and to ensure there is no confusion here is a list of generally considered Raster Bases programs: Photoshop, Painter, MS Paint, and a great free alternative Gimp. Basically everything created with these programs is considered a Raster image. I say use a clause simply because a few of these programs are capable of creating images with points, lines, and curves just as a vector program would. Photoshop for instance can create vector based images, however these are typically considered "Vexels" because of the fact that Vexel artists typically incorporate brush strokes into their images (for hair, etc.). Speaking of brushes. Just because you have downloaded and installed a brush set for photoshop or any other of the aforementioned raster programs that have the word "vector" in the title, does not deem your image a vector piece. These brushes come in different sizes and no matter how high a resolution they may come in, they still cannot be scaled above their 100% mark without loosing quality.

To put it simply "Vector is not a "style" like Anime, but a "medium" like charcoal. Asking what vector-art looks like is like asking what an oil painting looks like. It could look like Rembrandt, Picasso, or a fifth grader's fingerpainting."

Digital Art: ^JunkbyJen & ^cosmosue

3Dimensional: ^Bloodredsangre
Fractal: ^Sophquest
Photomanipulation: ^WilderWein77
Pixel: ^ShoneGold
Text Art: ^ArhcamtIlnaad
Vector Art: ^Ikue & ^lemontea
Vexel Art: ^Jules1983