Trace, Draw, Repeat


Web Development

Updated Aug 14th, 2021

Tracing with the Pen tool is a great way to just start “creating.” Of all the drawing tools the pen tool is the most robust in that it can create any vector your mind can think up. The other drawing tools may be easier but none are as comprehensive as the pen tool. So learn the pen tool and learn it well. The best way to learn it is to use it, Figma has one for free. Start by tracing other people’s images and then start drawing your own to trace.

You can’t get graphics in motion without graphics and the easiest and cheapest way to get graphics is to make them yourself.

Get Started Tracing With the Figma Pen Tool

Pen Tool Tricks and Tips

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What are the reasons I love vector SVG images is that you can create whatever you want to create. Similar to drawing You start with a white canvas. Unfortunately this can be a downside tip cuz there’s a lot to fill in.

Isn’t it so much easier to just download an existing image/vector, even of you have to pay for it? Of course it is but a lot of times that takes effort to go find the image and then it either costs money or You have to figure out copyright restrictions. I mean this is a valid use case for sure for certain projects but not all the time.

If you’re going to go the custom route isn’t it easier to just take your own picture instead of drawing it out in vector format? Yes this may be valid but if what you’re trying to draw is complex or you yourself don’t want to be in the photo or you don’t want to ask somebody else to be in the photo. Let’s say you’re taking a picture of a desert landscape, sure you can go to the desert and take a picture of a model but think about the heifer in flying through a desert and getting a model and taking that photo. Of course that’s ridiculous and at that case you would be back at the question should I pay for or download an existing photo or go to the custom route.

Is this a hobby or do you actually want to position yourself as a graphic artist and potentially earn money from this? This is definitely more of a hobby for now I think it’s just something I want to practice and try to get into like a routine without spending a lot of time cuz I don’t have a lot of time. Anything I create could very easily be implemented into some sort of project because I use SVGs in my main line of work. I wouldn’t want to set a boundary on a hobby other than commit to consistently carving out some time for this. So as of right now I’m not positioning myself but if the hobby grows who knows where the path leads. I definitely wouldn’t bank or bet on the fact that this is a super lucrative field That has a ton of promise. Generally speaking it’s pretty cheap to either hire designer or download an existing image, which is why this is considered a hobby and I don’t allocate a lot of time to this hobby.

Get Into Vector

From text, a drawing, and an existing .png