I have done a  number of illustrations.  Some sites take them... fotolia doesn't like mine, but i have a feeling it is more my 'style' that they don't like than illustrations in general.  Shutterstock, dreamstime, etc take them and they sell allright.

thanx leaf...

but wht illustrations sell best..and do i have to take a caurse in Ai to work proffesiosnal

karim

What some people don't realize is that it is very helpful to actually have a bit of natural talent for drawing. Simply purchasing the software does not make one a vector artist.

If you already know how to draw, you're leagues beyond many of the flood of bandwagon "illustrators" that are cropping up. If you don't yet know how to draw, I would highly recommend developing that skill before sinking hundreds of dollars into a software program. Check out the book The Creative License by Danny Gregory.

Also check out some of the free or shareware software programs such as Xara or Inkscape. They are not as full-featured as AI, but you will be able to get comfortable with using similar tools and you'll know how much you want to pursue the idea.

It can be very profitable, but it's not as easy as some would like.

I use inkscape, it is free software.  It is quite easy to use.  The only reason I don't do more illustrations is that I don't like looking at my screen all day.    I find it more enjoyable taking photos and it is easier on my eyes.

I'm a pro in drawing and I graduated from the "school is boring Academy". I downloaded the CS3 trial version of ai, but I think to have the time to study this software in a while only and then it must take 1 or 2 years to become great.

At the same time , the vector that I see doesn't have much shadows and seem to be very simple drawing most of the time (because of the complexity of using the software). It's a total different form of art than drawing as I see.

My illustrations are very simple, yet they sell reasonably well (I even got some ELs with them). I upload the raster file only. I applied vectors to IS once and got rejected, then never tried it again.

This is what I have in DT. 

Regards,
Adelaide

Quote from: Vonkara on April 13, 2008, 10:54

At the same time , the vector that I see doesn't have much shadows and seem to be very simple drawing most of the time (because of the complexity of using the software). It's a total different form of art than drawing as I see.

If you think that vector illustration has nothing to do with artistic talent

Maybe I was blurry, but you can read in my post "It's a total different form of art...". And I will add a more difficult art than drawing. So I don't and will never say that it's has nothing to do whit art in general. Sorry I must be more clear next time

What some people don't realize is that it is very helpful to actually have a bit of natural talent for drawing. Simply purchasing the software does not make one a vector artist...

Exactly.

I don't submit photos because although I own a DSLR and am trying to learn photography, I'm quite a long distance away from being able to submit stock-worthy photos. It amazes me that photo contributors who should be fully aware of how difficult it can be to take a good stock photo will come into the forums and talk about getting Illustrator so they can submit vectors, as if just owning the equipment is all it takes. If I tried going into a forum and saying, "Hey, I just bought a DSLR, so I'm a professional stock photographer now!", I'd be flamed beyond recognition.

Mekarim, you're on the right path by taking a class. It isn't always required, but if you're completely new with vector imaging, a class will help you get started more quickly.

I would also recommend lynda.com video courses. I've used a few and they are quite helpful. Not the same as the direct interaction you'd get from a real in-person course, but still good.

How much talent you need to have depends a bit on what you have in mind to submit, and where, as the sites have very different requirements. If you want to submit to istock, you really need to be able to draw a bit - I can draw a bit, but really don't go much further than using a brush and tablet with the occasional foray into the pen tool in Illustrator and I got through the istock acceptance process first time. On the other hand because I don't produce those glossy buttons and swirly backkgrounds my files get a lot of nice ratings from other illustrators, but don't sell very much!

Looking around at other sites, some allow you to submit jpegs of illustrations (which gets around the pretty complex requirements for getting files to meet the appropriate EPS criteria) and also take simpler files. It is possible, especially if you are a good photographer and thus have raw material to use as a source for traces, to produce some interesting things just by learning to use the pen tool. And if you are doing isolations in photoshop already, then the pen tool is probably familiar anyway. While traces aren't as easy to do as one might expect (I find them much more time consuming than original drawings and you need to have a good eye for light and shade to simplify things well enough to make an effective final product) - you can use them as the basis for finding a style and training your eye.

Illustrator is a complex and somewhat counter intuitive program to learn - but if you have a couple of weeks to immerse yourself into it and do nothing else it's possible to go a long way very quickly, as to produce stuff that's acceptable for microstock, only the basic illustrator functions are needed anyway. My eleven year old daughter spent a couple of weeks over the Christmas holidays doing nothing else, after watching me, and ended up decorating all her school books with home produced smilies and glossy icons, made several birthday cards and drew some manga figures...(but then she has been using photoshop since she was eight)


She wouldn't pass the istock inspection as her drawing isn't strong enough yet, although it's getting better, and she hasn't the patience to produce EPS8 compatible files. But I bet she'd have a chance at one of the sites which take jpegs of illustrations. Anyone know whether Shutterstock allow under eighteens to contribute? (istock do if a parent signs the contract)

Quote from: rjmiz on April 13, 2008, 08:34

A word of caution about illustrations before you go head long into attempting this aspect of stock.

You need to know right from the start, that this form of imaging is quite different than actual photography.
On the other hand it can be rewarding, and very productive financially if, and this is a BIG "IF", you are good.
I mean really good.

what about mixed media, not vector but
photo with photoshop design,etc..

in the category, it 's either PHOTO or ILLUSTRATION

what are our chances if you submit something like that?
will they reject?

Raster illustrations are acceptable if they are good, original pieces of art, (i.e. scans of fine art drawings/paintings or well-done 3D renderings). At istock, these are uploaded through the photo queue, so you'll need to be approved as a photographer but not as an illustrator unless you are uploading vectors.

It is very likely that something that looks like a completed "design" rather than stock will be rejected at istock. I have heard that it is hard to get composites through unless they are really well done. I'm not sure about the level of difficulty with other sites.

As with nearly everything, it greatly depends on your level of skill.

I agree with most of the stuff said in this thread. Good simple concepts sell the best, but some better more artistic stuff will get you portfolio noticed.
I'm largely talking about the sites other than SS here especially IStock.
SS is the exception in that they will accept any old crap and, remarkably, it'll sell too!!!