6 – Vector Portrait

Use Illustrator or Affinity Designer to trace a (athlete, actor, musician, historical figure, family member, someone you admire).
The photo can also be a photo you took or a photo found on the internet.

1. Save an image to your computer.
Open Affinity Designer and create a new document : Screen > HD
File > Open & Place the image you saved to this new document. 
Click and drag to stretch the image to your canvas, but make sure to hold shift to keep it proportional.
Name this layer ‘PHOTO’ and then lock the layer.

2. Now get the Free Pen or Pen tool, set it to NO FILL with a Red 3 point stroke.
Trace a path around your entire face (sometimes including neck and ears).
When you are done, change the FILL to a color you like.
Name this layer “Face Shape” and lock it.

3. In the Layers panel, hide the “Face Shape” layer, make sure it is locked. Next you will trace the shadow areas of the face.
Use the Free Pen/Pen tool to trace around all of the areas of your face that are dark or have shadows and name it “Shadow Layer”.

4. Repeat the steps to create a “Highlight” . “Dark Shadows’, etc.. layers.

5. Continue locking hiding and creating new layers for all of the remaining facial features.
Treat hair and clothing like the face, creating a base shape first, then create layers for shadows
and highlights. Make layers for ‘Mouth’, ‘Eyes’, ‘Hair’, etc!

6. Now turn off the original image!

7. Add a large rectangle of color to the background.

Save the file for yourself as LASTNAME_FIRST_Vector_Portrait.PSD or and also to your computer.

FILE > EXPORT
Save as PNG to turn in.