Vector Pioneer

IMO the best part of any creative conference is the people you meet. This year at the Creative South Conference, I met John Ingles, a long-time veteran in communication arts. He illustrated products for Porsche, Yamaha, etc., in vector form long before stock image houses were typical, and vector art was the best way to deliver high-resolution images (resolution independent actually) for any usage.

John helped beta test Illustrator in the late '80s, and the art he created using Adobe Illustrator 3.0 to make the following vector-based illustrations is jaw-dropping when you consider that version didn't have the following functionality at that time:

• No Preview Mode building (Outline Mode only)?
• No Layers
• No Mesh Tool
• No Gradient Mesh Tool
• No Offset Path Functionality
• No Rubber Band assist when building with the Pen Tool

Yet John masterfully figured out how to do it with the tools and functionality available in version 3.0 to produce his illustration.

The level of realism in this Porsche vector illustration is stunning, considering it's over 30 years old now. John would build the starting and end shape and use the shape blending functionality in Ai to achieve the same results someone would get now using the 'Mesh Tool.' It was a painstaking process.

Here is Outline Mode view on this Porsche illustration. Outline Mode is the visual environment he had to create the vector artwork in since, at that time, you couldn't build in Preview Mode. So he'd make adjustments, save his file, then render it in Preview Mode to see how it was progressing.

This back and forth method was modus operandi with Illustrator in those days. Unfortunately, only the competition at the time, Aldus FreeHand, could build in Preview Mode, and that was the app I was using myself starting in 1991.

Here is a violin vector illustration John created around the same time.

He illustrated all kinds of products, such as this Yamaha speaker. The level of detail is amazing. Vector art in the late '80s and '90s was used in the same manner as CGI today, but with less flexibility, since it's locked into a fixed perspective.

Need a some vector art tennis shoes? Try these on for size.

Meeting John and his wife De was one of the highlights of attending the Creative South Conference in Georgia. John's depth of knowledge about Illustrator and his work history filled in many memory holes for me and connected many dots. It was fun getting to know him and hearing about his creative journey and experience.

John's job was ultimately phased out with changing times and technology, and the company sold. But, like any creative pioneer, he learned new skills as a web developer and coder and focused on starting his new creative business with his wife, Smiley Graphix Studio.

John and his wife's latest creative venture is based on their mutual passion for the outdoors, nature, and the environment and can be found at WildRooted.com.

You can also follow John on his social media accounts:

• Twitter: @sgraphixstudio
• Instagram: @s_graphixstudio
• Facebook: @smileygraphixstudio and @John.ingles.9