The difference between a drawing and a vector.

[Nman625 5]

A quick question. What is the difference between a drawing and a vector? And how would one go about making a vector? Kudos to those who can clear this up for me. ^-^

[Odyssey 5,716]

Hello @Nman625,

 

Since you're looking for help regarding a question about visual art, I have moved your topic to a more appropriate section -- Creative Resources, Visual Art.

[Makazi 317]

I assume when you say 'drawing' you mean a classic raster image. In basic terms, raster graphics are drawn on a grid of pixels (the smallest unit possible on a screen); if you zoom in, you notice that it becomes blocky, or 'pixellated'. Vector images on the other hand use mathematical computations to draw geometric shapes. The cool thing about vectors is that no matter how far you zoom in, they never become distorted. 

 

Example:

 

You can make vectors with Inkscape, found here: https://inkscape.org/en/

[3k932jd22328jdsf 113]

The short version is vectors are simulated objects made with geometry and will look much cleaner thand handrawn art but many old traditional artists are ignorant ***holes and have little respect for digital art because the curves are made using mathematics (you don't have to do the math yourself the computer does) they think anyone can do it when really that's not true at all. With vectors the computer is just as much an art tool as a pencil or brush and the creativity still resides in the artist not their tool. Drawings are done on paper and done with pencils, pen, markers and other traditional art supplies. Vectors are made on computers and illustrator is the best program for making them and don't even bother making vectors in anything other then Adobe Illustrator. Vectors are computed as geometric shapes and are actually objects to the computer and Rasters are computed with pixmaps which are maps for the computer telling it what pixel gets what color. Because vectors are actual objects to the computer you can zoom in and out infinitely without degrading the images quality because the pixel density will remain constant. When you zoom in on a raster the images pixel density changes because the computer just uses pixmaps so as you zoom in the computer will just represent the images pixel as bigger groups of pixels until you zoom in so far it just looks like huge squares. In addition, factories that use machines to cut through metal like factories that make car parts for example program their cutting machines to cut along vectors and this doesn't work with Rasters because the computer doesn't compute them as actual objects. When it comes to art ON paper you are creating a pixmaps (not literally but similar) but if you zoom in close enough you will see the same low resolution look because your pen pencil or whatever you're are using is making small dots on the paper. Vector art lasks longer because it's just stored as post script on the computer so you won't have to worry about your colors fading with age or the paper falling apart. Some types of art can't be made with vectors thoug but I've already ranted long enough.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Emerald Meteor

[Vendi 407]

A rastor/bitmap drawing gets pixely when you zoom in

A vector drawing uses math to stay sharp and clear when you zoom in.

If your looking to make vectors, you should probably go with inkscape, specially if you have a low budget of absolutely free. and there are plenty of tutorials on youtube if you need them.

[Blique 211]

I'll just simplify some stuff:

 

"Drawings"/rasters are made with pixels. Vectors are made with math.

 

Pixels are squares that can only contain one color. Raster art is made when you arrange a bunch of pixels to form a larger image. 

 

The process of making a raster is very similar to traditional drawings, and is very "intuitive". Swipe the brush tool across an area, and that area's pixels change color as if it was a brush of paint. Photos and scanned drawings are all automatically raster.

 

The process of making a vector is not as "intuitive". To make something, you have to go through a series of steps. Place a dot. Place another dot. Pull a handle on one dot. Voilà, you have a curve. As mentioned above, vectors also have the special ability to stay "sharp" even when you resize it.

 

As for visual differences, vector art tends to look smooth and flat (MLP is vector), while raster art tends to look like traditional drawings/paintings. There are exceptions in styles, of course, but that's the general idea. My personal style, seen in my avatar, is "vexel" - raster/pixel art made to look like vector.