A vector portrait is a computer-generated work of art made up of lines filled with blocks of color. Most vector portraits are based on photographs, so look pretty realistic in terms of form, but the colors used can vary wildly from natural skin shades to intense, kaleidoscopic tones. The color palette chosen has a direct influence on the mood and atmosphere of the artwork itself, teaching the viewer lots about the personality of the portrait’s subject and their relationship with the artist. Below, we take a look at 30 colorful vector portraits that will hopefully inspire you to create your own. With a basic knowledge of Illustrator and plenty of time on your hands, it’s really not that difficult to get started.

1. Vector Portrait (J-Ro-20)

J-Ro-20 used Utopia to create this portrait of a blonde beauty.

 

2. Bubble Girl (temabina)

Made using Illustrator with texture added in Photoshop, the bubbles in this portrait look superb. But am I the only one a little freaked out by the lack of eyes?

 

3. Vector Portrait (Tusami)

Tusami’s self portrait was inspired by the film Scanner Darkly, a movie entirely animated using a process of interpolated rotoscoping.

 

4. Just Like the Bee’s (stelz)

Just Like the Bee’s took 10 hours to create using Illustrator CS3. It was worth every minute.

 

5. Vector Portrait (Wolfshield)

This is a really successful example of vector portrait work. I particularly love the way the colours of the lily are mirrored in the subject’s skin tones.

 

6. Portrait of the Girl (Alexxx1)

Portrait of a Girl is incredibly realistic. The flowers, in particular, are beautifully coloured and shaded.

 

7. Vector Self Portrait (Trixel)

The most striking thing about this work of art has got to be the hairdo. Whether or not Trixel really has a pink and purple mane in real life, we’ll never know!

 

8. Vector Self-Portrait (Aeonna)

Another portrait with excellent hair! The face appears a little over-exposed, but the colours running through the hairstyle work a treat.

 

9. Kayleigh - Vector Synthesis (djzmudpony)

Vectors, fills, lenses, transparencies, gradients and mashes make this particular portrait the masterpiece that it is. It took 35 hours to produce and I can see why.

 

10. Portrait (Larin-Nickolay)

This particular piece is my favourite in the list, simply because it goes against the grain of what you expect to get from vector art. Fragments of colour swirl in a facial pattern.

 

11. Heather Vector Portrait (Kastemel)

Vector artworks don’t have to be high-tech to look great. There are only a handful of colours in this piece, but it looks terrific.

 

12. Burcu Vector (Deviantyurai)

It’s all about the eyes in this vector, made using Illustrator. They give the viewer a real feeling for the subject.

 

13. Vector Self-Portrait (lazer27)

Another simple vector portrait which really works. This particular example is as much about what’s been left blank as what’s been coloured.

 

14. Self Portrait April 09 (Jared Nickerson)

The subject of this artwork has a serious demeanour, but on the inside he’s all rainbows and sunshine.

 

15. Portrait (Helen Kaur)

This Angelina Jolie-esque beauty has been jazzed up with bright, vector colours, from her rainbow coloured hair to her shimmering pink lips and piercing blue eyes.

 

16. Vector Portrait! (Enrique Cifuentes)

The lady in this portrait is becoming ‘one’ with her surroundings as her dress blends together with the wallpaper behind her.

 

17. Vector Girl (Maris Kaskmann)

This slumped-in-front-of-the-screen pose is familiar to many of us. The colours are a little random in this piece, but somehow it works.

 

18. The Show Must Go On (Cristiano Siqueira)

Cristiano used a Wacom tablet to draw this glamorous, if not rather wrinkly old lady, in vectors.

 

19. 21:14 (Tilo Gobel)

Colours and lines turn a photograph of a man sitting in a deli into a living cartoon. The red colour scheme sets the mood.

 

20. Petrelli (Luke Morgan)

The sharp lines on the face of the subject of this portrait leave the impression of an angry and severe individual.

 

21. Baby Girl Julia (Madeleine Goranzon)

Vector portraits don’t get any cuter than this. Like an image taken from the front of a rusk packet, Julia beams with glowing babyishness.

 

22. Geek (Morgan Jones)

‘Look into my geeky, bespectacled eyes’ and you will see a really cool vector complete with trendy quiff.

 

23. Rockstar (Greg Allen)

Green is the only colour used in the portrait of this glam-rock heroine. Check out those incredible eyelashes!

 

24. Vector Portrait (mftalon)

Glamorous lady with long dark hair on a red background which makes this vector so popular.

 

25. Pop Art Terry (DogFromSPACE)

‘Colourful’ is certainly the word you would use to describe this particular piece. The yellows and oranges on Terry’s skin make him look as though he’s bathed in sunlight.

 

26. Michzn (nicaprio)

Nicaprio uses pastel tones to bring this image to life. The pattern on the cardigan is particularly well done.

 

27. Self Portrait Vector (justinyap90)

Reminiscent of African artwork, the artist has split this portrait up into strips of colour for a very clean, modern look.

 

28. Abstract Vector Portrait 2 (thepixelpunch)

Using vectors tends to add clarity to most pieces, but quite the reverse is true of this abstract portrait.

 

29. Portrait of the Artist (Fatricio)

Produced entirely in Illustrator, this commissioned piece looks superb thanks to the vibrant colour selection.

 

30. Vector Self (agrivaine)

Using Illustrator, agrivaine was able to transform a photograph of herself into something which closely resembles a hand-painted sketch.

 

 

About the Author

Tom Walker is passionate about art and design. He is currently a full time designer and blogger at one of the UK’s leading print cartridge suppliers where he reports on developments in technology, reviews hardware like the 364XL ink and posts on their blog about advertising and design.