Introduction
Hi, I'm Lillian, co-founder of Dalé Zine Shop and Gallery in Miami.
Today I'm going to show you how I turned my sketches into designs that could be printed on merchandise.
In this tutorial, you'll see how I trace my sketches, so they end up as vectors and ready to be placed on a tote.
In this stage,
Sketching ideas for merchandise designs
I'm just really sketching out ideas and seeing what sticks.
This one looks great.
Let's take a picture of this one and get it into Illustrator.
Importing sketches and tracing with vector tools
I've locked the sketch layer, so I don't accidentally move it.
Layer 2 is where I'll be tracing the sketch using a combination of the Pencil and Pen Tools.
I'm tracing this part with the Pen Tool.
I can always refine the outline later.
I'll draw some of the more fluid parts with the Pencil Tool.
Now I'll hide the sketch layer.
This looks good.
Refining strokes for a bold vector look
Let's thicken up our strokes to get a bold, contrasty look and feel.
Final touch, let's add some type to finish this off.
Adding typography and final touches
I hope this mini tutorial has inspired you to get started on your own merch.
