So it has been a while since I wrote one of these. Many things have happened since the last one on my end but I won't bore you with the personal details. However unless you've been under a rock dA is changing. Some say for the worst others for the better. Either way there is no point fighting the inevitable, so in the great words of Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill accept the inevitable with courage and grace. However if you are experiencing some issues please make sure to check out the News Article that is offering help.

So next week July 21^st to the 25^th Is Project educated Vector Gallery Week. We will be using the week to help educate people about what vectors are exactly and what general all around fun. There will be a contest and quizzes, features and interviews plus prizes and so much more. So please clear your schedule next week and head into #Vectorgasm and stay tuned to my journal for the weekly update. This is gonna be one hell of a week. If you have anything you would like to add to the events let me know! I'll be happy to help promote them and get the vector community interested in it.

If any of you awesome vector artists out there are feeling happy I'd love a couple of stamps or something to help promote and show some love for this week. So if you make any please let me know We'll use it as the official Vector Stamp!

The second award featuring the Animal gallery was given to ~Alexandra35. So make sure you go an congratulate her.


The next one is objects and should be given the end of this month, so stay tuned for those results.

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: `IreneLangholm
Pixel: `ShoneGold
Text Art: `arhcamt
Vector Art: $Ikue & `lemontea
Vexel Art: `Jules1983