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Design Mobile Game Design Designing the Characters and Scene Character Design: Part 1

Kyla Thompson
Kyla Thompson
3,831 Points

Why is it better to draw your sketches in Photoshop vs Illustrator?

Working on Mobile Game design, and wondering why we are using Photoshop for sketches when Illustrator is vector based.

Illustrator is vector based graphic designing tool. Vector means when even you resize 10,000 times quality maintains as it is. If you designing logo, banner, characters , better to use illustrator .

Photoshop is pixel based graphic designing tool. If you are editing photos, image use Photoshop.

Thas Eagans
Thas Eagans
Courses Plus Student 2,533 Points

Also Photoshop is used by most, and primarily preferred over Illustrator. Popular demand. I have both illustrator and photoahop. I'm great with PS, and the skill is preferred over illustrator, which is why I hardly ever use it.

</TREagans>

2 Answers

I think Photoshop has very good options to customize the brushes, which means more fluid sketching and painting. this is the reason why most people tend to sketch quickly in photoshop and vectorize it in illustrator. It really depends on the artist's preference, some might like sketching in illustrator itself. Personally I think sketching in photoshop with a tablet feels more natural than in illustrator. As other members suggested, it depends on familiarity with the software.

This is the only comment that answers the question in the context of this course and this specific video. Later in the course we use Illustrator, so why not just start there? The personal preference makes sense, as well as the point about more fluid sketching and painting. I'm curious if anyone has other reasons they can share (for starting in Photoshop, then later tracing and refining in Illustrator).

Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,148 Points

There is no way to say that PS is better than AI. Completely different tools, for different purposes. It's like asking what's better, a nail gun or an electric drill? Depends on if you're wanting to use screws or nails, right?

Many graphics are pixel based graphics, still. You still really can't truly replicated complex pixel based graphics with vectors. So it kinda ends up depending on what your graphic style is going to be. If your graphics are fairly flat in color, vector is likely the better option. If they are more photorealistic you'll be pretty much stuck using pixel based imagery. Anytime you can use vector, I would.

There are some creative tutorials to create things typically done with a raster image in vector. There are also other programs coming out that are starting to blur the lines between pixel and vector based imagery. PS has the ability to draw in vector, it's just not as powerful as AI.

However, I do agree with the above statement that any branding drawings or designs really should be done vector based.