While most artists may use similar techniques for vector art and portraits, individual artists develop wildly differing styles in the images they create. Some produce photo-realistic images, while others opt for cute cartoon graphics or far-out sci-fi and psychedelic aesthetics.This post brings together 17 of the best examples of vector portraits
1. Til I Get Over You
Artist Tash25 renders this portrait in a super-realist style, crisply capturing the play of light on the model’s face and dress. The delicate monochrome tonality lends the image a nice retro ambiance.
2. Listen
This portrait of Ashlee Simpson, reworked from an image from her album cover, has some incredible vector detailing in her jacket, trainers and beatbox.
3. Free Spirit
The creator of this portrait, Turp, feels that the image captures the essence of a free-spirited individual.
4. Pixie
This vector portrait of Bjork realistically reflects the singer’s elfin charm.
5. Amphritite
In Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and wife of Poseidon, and Rockfield’s portrait has a suitably dreamy aquatic theme.
6. Scarlett
The artist started this portrait as an exercise in using the Gradient Mesh tool in Illustrator, and then developed the picture into a free-style sketch image of actress Scarlett Johansson.
7. Jimi Hendrix
Igor Sunjic created this monochrome portrait of Sixties guitar icon Jimi Hendrix for Vector Portal, a website that offers royalty-free vector graphics to download.
8. Forward
This portrait demonstrates a deft handling of colour palette and composition to achieve balance in vector imagery.
9. Red Kimono
This vector portrait is based on a photograph of Japanese signer Ayumi Hamasaki. The use of blur on the leaf patterns adds a sense of depth to the composition.
10. Look Away….
This close-up portrait is cropped to give a pleasing sense of perspective.
11. Ibu Pertiwi
StevenZ’s stylish design in red, black and grey was a finalist in the Vector Art Category of the 2008 Djarum Black Urban Art Competition.
12. Linear
Vector graphics can often appear somewhat flat; in this portrait, however, the artist uses a simple monochromatic stripe design to achieve a sense of form and three dimensions.
13. Sailor Saturn
This portrait is a realistic rendition of anime character Sailor Saturn from the Sailor Moon series. The choice of colours and styling reflect those of the original cartoon, but the overall aesthetic is far more ‘grown-up’.
14. Vector Kid
Lawnz’s Kid is the result of about eight hours’ work in Illustrator CS2, a cheeky, characterful vector portrait.
15. Flower
The artist’s restraint and certainty of line, along with the choice of Grayscale tonality, result in this elegant vector portrait.
16. Renikx
Artist Hellron goes for a near-photographic, smooth vector effect in this portrait, with a crisply drawn tattoo detail.
17. Milk
Novenarik is another vector artist who uses a restrained palette, with generous use of white space, and simple lines to create sublimely atmospheric imagery.
