How to Illustrate a Cute Emo Kid
Download Source Files
We’ve recently included some funny looking cartoon style silhouettes on our website, so in this tutorial I will take you through the process of drawing these cuties. The concept is based on the Emo trend and I will take you trough all the steps from sketch to full color vector. I am using Illustrator CS3, pen, paper, scanner, and Wacom tablet.
Final Image Preview
Below is the final design we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join VECTORTUTS PLUS for just $19/month.
Step 1
I often find myself spending more time drawing the sketch on the computer than on paper, so I prefer to draw a sketch the old fashion way using a pencil and a piece of paper first.
Step 2
After you draw the sketch on paper, scan it, and save the image on the computer. Go to Illustrator and open the bitmap file (Command + O). Select the image using the Selection Tool (V).
Step 3
Lower the Opacity of the sketch from the Transparency Toolbox (Shift + Command + F10). I’ve selected 74 as the setting.
Step 4
Bring up the Layer panel (F7). Lock the layer and create a new one so you can draw the line art using the initial sketch as a guide.
Step 5
Before you start drawing the vector outlines you need to make sure you have the proper brushes handy. For PLUS Members, I included a set of ten custom brushes I usually use for tracing.
Step 6
Now that you have everything ready let’s get started with the line art. You start with tracing the outline (contour) and then you continue with the inner lines until all the line work is done. You do this using the Pen tool (P) and apply different stroke weights to the brushes you use. Here’s what I obtained.
Step 7
After you finish with drawing the lines, select all the paths (Command + A) and got to Object > Expand Appearance to convert the brushes into Closed Paths.
Step 8
Go to Object Path > Clean Up to fix the empty paths that may cause you unnecessary problems.
Step 9
Drag around the image using Selection Tool (V) and start adding color using the Paint Bucket tool (K).
Step 10
After you add the proper fill colors don’t forget to press the Expand button.
Step 11
We’ve finished adding colors but it looks like we don’t have enough depth as with most vector designs.
Step 12
In order to give a sense of more depth, we new need to add the shadows and lighter areas to the illustration. So you need to select the desired shape with the Direct Selection Tool (A). Copy (Command + C) and paste (Command + F) the areas with the same color on top of themselves (ex. shoe, shirt, etc..)
Step 13
Repeat Step 11 for all the colors and shapes in the illustration and when you find an area divided in several slices (ex. the red upper and lower violet part of the shirt) merge them together to avoid later complications.
Step 14
Draw a filled path with your color around each area that has the same color without having to worry about your path going outside the drawing area. Select the shadowing layer and the regular colored layer with the Direct Selection Tool (A) while holding down the Shift key.
Step 15
Bring up the Pathfinder Tool Box (Command + Shift + F9), click on the Intersect Shape Area and then press the Expand button.
Conclusion
Repeat Steps 14 and 15 on all areas you want to apply a shadow to. You might also apply accents on areas such as the hair…, feel free to experiment. This is how my Emo Boy looks at the end.
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Cool stuff!
nice
Haha, this is funny!!! Great tutorial though!
- Greg
Cool tutorial. That’s the first cute emo kid I’ve ever seen :D
an emo kid can’t be cute by definition….
and a pretty flat tutorial in my opinion – nothing new at all.
Seriously, cute != emo, ever. But that’s a nice tutorial.
LOL that’s funny. I made my own cute emo character a couple months back: http://flash-fox1.deviantart.com/art/Ono-I-have-teh-emo-89544525
Gah…not to be rude but I’m hardly impressed. It looks awkward and disproportionate. Not to mention your using 100k black instead of rich black. While it might not make a difference in printing it feels distracting when compared to the contrast of the magenta used in the illustration. I suppose its the effort that counts though.
Looks great! Live color is such a great feature.
yes! i’ve always wanted to learn how to design a cute emo kid!!!
I hate the emo’s but I love this blog, it’s really cool :D
LOVE IT! Great shading techniques!
Awesome!
I hate these type of tutorials, you open it up and the first step is to have it completely drawn already….
Lovely emo kidz ^_^
nice, i’ll try it at home
don tk me rude bt nt so impressive technique..
Cool man
Wow in the emo social network http://www.eemos.com they are happy! xD
Great Tutorial thanks
freakin awesome looks like angel hahaha
Wow this is fantastic.. thanks so much :D
wow…. great tutorial…!
the feet look strange…
wow it’s great tutorial…!
but why he like so sad
it looks sad because its a EMO kid and its realy calm to realax people
LOVE IT! thx …….:)
hehe dis is thee keeyoutiss emo kidd i have ever seen!! </3
his band addict
ahhh omg this is this stuff for shizzle man so yea <3 shay
Nice Stuff..
you work hard it…. ^^,
Haha, this is pretty cool. The emo culture certainly has its identifying characteristics.
Here’s another drawing of an emo kid:
http://www.cartoonaday.com/emo-kid-skater-holding-skateboard-says-meh/
loveeeeeee the hair…………………
Greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat !!
Thanks for this one…
man that thing is cool i drew it then i changed some parts and it turned out like happy kid but that picture is awsome
great work.. i like it, but can i know the name of the brushs that u used, plz ?
The nice personage was Got! Want most learn so draw. Shall Try, for beginning, repeat this lesson. Thank you for interesting post.
I hope its okay, but I’m going to use this for a shirt. :)