High-End Vector Images

[btyo462]

Hi all. Sometimes for clients, I am tasked with vectorizing photographs of products. Generally, I just go through with the pen tool and try to make it as detailed as possible. I am wondering, however, how it is that designers manage to achieve highly-detailed photorealistic vector art such as this (specifically the tree, insect, and architecture sets):

http://www.gomedia.us/arsenal/

I can't imagine these people are actually going through and tracing each and every single building facade detail or the curve of each tree branch. Can anyone clue me in as to how designers like these are managing such high-detail? Thanks.

[natenation]

I would guess that they are using live trace in illustrator... Have you tried that?

[btyo462]

Thanks for the reply. I have tried Live Trace; however, I find it to be more time consuming in the end to go back and clean up it's result, rather than simply trace the products from scratch.

[Isick]

A combination of Live Trace and hand editing will create every image you see.

You must remember that sometimes there is no easy solution. They wouldn't be called digital ART if every joe shmoe on the street could do it. This is where artistic talent must shine through - all we can say is good luck.

[MattoThePotatto]

Looks like a combination of different brush sets and different filters.
Try Googling 'free photoshop brushes' or look in the help bit in photoshop and it'll tell you how to make them.
The brushes are great if you want to achieve the same effect all over your picture etc.

[Etheryte]

You could try live trace, but not on the full detail image, but desaturate it, use levels, contrast and etc. to bring out the edges and then trace it. This should give you much better results in theory, I don't use Illustrator, so I can't be sure, really.

[btyo462]

thank you everyone for your input. i suppose i will try to tinker with live trace a bit more to see if i can't get the hang of it. cheers.