When you’ve not created a new vector in a while, Adobe Illustrator can seem very scary. And if you’ve been creating vectors as long as I have, you don’t want your first vector in over a year to be a “run of the mill” one or predictable. You want to set yourself a challenge, whilst still in your comfort zone.

How to Create a Pop Art Tribute to Egyptian Icon Oum Kulthoum, in Adobe Illustrator
One of the most iconic and celebrated women in the Middle East is Oum Kulthoum. A diva of her time, she was an iconic Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress from the 1920s through the 70s, known also as the “Voice of Egypt”. She was also given the honorary title of “Kawab-Al-Sharq” in Arabic, which means “Star of the East”. Her vocal ability and music was unique in style and influenced generations of Arab/Middle Easterners.

How to Draw Hair Step by Step
Hair is very difficult to draw, because what we see is different than what we know. You can’t simply draw all the hairs in the form of lines, because that’s not what we see when we look at hair. What we see must be simplified to lines and shades, and there are many ways to do it.

Create a Backlit, Elegant Female Portrait in Illustrator
This tutorial was originally published in February 2011 as a Tuts+ Premium tutorial. It is now available free to view. Although this tutorial does not use the latest version of Adobe Illustrator, its techniques and process are still relevant.

How to Paint a Bold, Glowing, Colorful Portrait in Adobe Photoshop
How do I master color? It’s a question all artists ask themselves throughout their careers. And knowing how to challenge yourself is the first step to your answer. So in this tutorial, we’ll be exploring a unique technique of using rich, vibrant colors to paint a portrait in Adobe Photoshop.

How to Create a Vector Portrait With Curly Hair in Adobe Illustrator
This tutorial was originally published in November 2012 as a Tuts+ Premium tutorial. It is now available free to view. Although this tutorial does not use the latest version of Adobe Illustrator, its techniques and process are still relevant.

How to Create a Quirky Line Art Portrait in Adobe Illustrator
I know so many illustrators who practise their craft on their own face. Whilst I’ve tried in the past to vector myself, I can’t stand to stare at my own face for a couple of hours.