Lamp with shade, retro flip clock and photo frame free vector graphics

A common nightstand lamp with a classic light bulb, next to a gray metallic, retro styled flip clock which shows the time to be 12:45 AM. The clock has a shiny rectangular case with round corners. On the wall behind them, covered with a seamless pattern of fleur-de-lis and medieval cross symbols there is a small oval photo frame. The table lighting source has a soft lampshade with a simple floral repeating pattern and a shiny circular base. It projects some bright light areas behind it.

The idea for this project came when i decided to combine two of my previous graphics which felt like they would just might work very well together. In the original design, the lighting source was a blue desk lamp with a curved arm. However, it wasn’t long before i decided to switch it with the current version. Besides the fact that it would have made for a very (unnecessarily) elaborate graphic, the old one made less sense as far as general style and purpose goes.

Just like with pretty much all of my reworked pieces, i tried to keep it as simple as possible with just a handful of paths and effects which couldn’t have been replicated otherwise. That’s how i gave up on a lot of clipping and opacity masks, along with plenty of inner glow and drop shadows. Instead, i went for stacks of fill layers with various gradients and blending modes. The two patterns used for the wall and the shade were variations of symbols I’ve drawn during an earlier session. You can deconstruct it and use  just the elements you need in your designs, or the whole image for your blog. Of course, you can even substitute that cute dog with a photo of your favorite pet.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to include it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Eco-friendly compact fluorescent light bulb free vector download

A long, simple compact fluorescent lamp composed of one u-turn shaped white tube. The energy saving light bulb has a green recycling sign on the white plastic where the electronic ballast resides. The eco-friendly household item is featured against a green seamless background pattern made from the repeating image of a maple leaf.

This is a rework of a previous illustration which had a more  complicated structure, employing mostly basic visual effects of a considerable number of shapes. For this version, i went in a completely different direction in order to achieve a much more simple solution with just a handful of paths. Most of the lighting is done by superimposing stacks of  fill layers, either solid or gradient (both linear and  radial). The background symbol was created from a photo taken a couple of years ago, which i traced and then managed to reduce the number of anchor points.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Bald mexican with sombrero sleeping on hammock in the desert

A partially bald, fat Mexican man dressed in a plain white costume and wearing black boots is sleeping on a hammock tied between two cactus plants in the desert. His right arm is almost touching the ground, casting long shadows along with the plants. He has a large nose, thick eyebrows, a swirly mustache, a ponytail and has his mouth open. A large sombrero is balancing on the man’s belly, with a black scorpion crawling over it. In the background there are some barren rocky peaks, with the scorching sun low in the sky behind them.

The design process involved drawing the basic shapes with a graphic tablet to achieve some natural shapes. Once that was done i went and simplified the paths. You’ll find the character, background and  foreground on separate layers for easy editing. This was actually a remake on a previous illustration, improving mostly on the man’s figure and fixing some lighting issues.

If you’re interested in using this illustration, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Moorish fleuron ornaments and leafy swirls – free vector graphics

Groups  of floral ornaments inspired mainly by the lavishly ornate mihrab from the Great Mosque of Cordoba. The set consists of over 20 symbols with all sorts of Moorish themed designs ranging from simple leafy swirls to intricate curly fleurons.  It also  includes three seamless background patterns made by combining some of the graphics. All the elements are saved as swatches for ease of use. You can simply drag and drop them into your files, either as they are or tweaked to your own needs.

The design process involved manually tracing the paths and then fine tuning each anchor point to achieve curves with a natural, flowing rhythm. For the patterns, the biggest issue as  usual was ensuring continuity and coherence between the several items used in each case. You might find them to work best as background elements either in a website or to complement some ornate romantic design  for print.

If you’re interested in using these ornaments, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to include them in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

15 grunge mug coffee stains – free vector graphics

15 different coffee stains vector graphic marks made by different mugs, teacups and glasses with round bottoms. This is based on a previous set of  just five models which i’ve decided to update. You’ll be able to find anything from very thin full circle symbols to very thick ones which are only partially visible. Along some of them there are also punctual stains dripping from the base, similar to those left by ink drops. Although they appear to have roughly the same size, the graphics are saved as black and white swatches at their original sizes in order to have a better idea about their actual look.

The design process involved (the dirty job of) creating the actual stains on a couple sheets of white paper. They were then scanned into the computer and cleaned/erased all the wrinkles and other unnecessary shades of gray. Applying a threshold step allowed for better control over the amount of details preserved. This also meant speeding up the tracing process and improving the overall results.

If you’re interested in using the graphic, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Shiny spoon, fork and knife on napkin – free vector download

Simple tableware set consisting of four items, namely a teaspoon, spoon, fork and knife on a cream colored paper napkin with red lipstick marks spread all over it. The silver cutlery shines,  having  all sorts of diffused reflections due to the relatively soft light coming from the side, which also helps create some soft shadows. Beneath the shiny metallic items there is a table cloth with a repeating diagonal pattern consisting of  green rhombuses, each with one of three stylized icons (white signs of plates, forks, spoons and knives). These can be used as standalone graphic elements when needing a quick icon for a restaurant sign or other food  related things.

This file is a rework of a previous vector graphic i had done some time ago. As i wasn’t really content about the way that turned out, this was the perfect opportunity to completely redo the lighting effects, while also learning a thing or two about the topic. The main idea was  to improve its realism while also simplifying the design and removing some unnecessary effects.  The end result uses mainly a number of fills with different gradients, each with a proper blending mode. A simple blur effect was used to soften the shadows.

If you’re  interested in using the graphic, please check the licensing page on this blog. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead.

To download the archive click here.

Ornate fleur de lis symbols – free vector graphics download

Set consisting of twelve fleur de lis symbols in one-color designs. Six of them are simple monocromatic shapes while the remaining ones have different hollow ornaments on the inside as well. They all feature various types of curls, fleurons and the spade like shape in the middle. Inspiration came from various history and architecture books, which pictured details from medieval castle facades or from extended ornaments built around a certain coat of arms. You can use them straight up after download, tweak them around a bit to suit the exact needs of your project or break them down and employ the resulting shapes for your specific design scenario. If you’re interested in downloading the background texture as well, just visit my Flickr photostream (see the menu on the right) and you’ll find it there along with others.

As always check the EXIF for licensing. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead. Attribution is not required, but it’s greatly appreciated where possible.

To download the archive click here.

Set of tire tracks brushes – free vector graphics download

Set of 8 truck and ATV tire tracks brushes of different sizes and geometric shapes, each colored in a different earth tone hue. The patterns range from simple alternating ones with two or three threads to more complex variations with several irregular shapes on each side. Some of the caterpillar tracks have larger gaps between them. Each of the track is saved as a swatch, with proper clipping, so you can simply apply it to the strokes.

I came up with this set of vector graphic images after working on a website for an off-road vehicle dealer. Because the animated Flash header already featured some ATVs racing on a dirt track, it wouldn’t have made sense using the same idea as the background of the site. That’s why i went for a simple dirty green gradient with all sorts of fading tire tracks overlaid on top. This gave it a nice touch without cluttering the page or distracting the viewers. While i could have easily went and bought any of the previously available stock vector graphics, i thought it would be more fun and creative to try and create my own.

As always check the EXIF for licensing. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead. Attribution is not required, but it’s greatly appreciated where  possible.

To download the archive click here.

Black and white stripes on classic clapperboard

The idea for this vector graphic came while browsing a visual foreign language dictionary, when i reached the entertainment section. Among items such as scene props, the director’s chair, microphones and others was a tiny thumbnail of a classic clapperboard. It felt interesting to see if i can make something similar out of just a few simple paths. Yet, before i started working on it, i did a brief image search on Google and Wikipedia if i remember exactly to find what other variations were there.

After about half an hour or so, I had a rough idea about what i wanted to look like, combining features and design elements from the different models i could find online. So i started building up the different path and went for a simple font. Given the nature of the design, it was better to keep it as simple as possible, without too many graphic effects so that it would be able to scale correctly both up and down.

It has three labels for the production title, director and director of photography which feature the texts “Big action movie”, “Wise guy” and “Art kid” respectively, written next to them. The lower side shows the roll, slate, shot and take number along with a handwritten white date.

As far as licensing goes, you’ll find a thorough description in the EXIF. You’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead. If unsure about things being covered in the license, just send me an email and I’ll be happy to answer you. Attribution is not required, but it’s a great motivator to continue publishing this type of free files.

To download the archive click here.

35mm colored photo film cartridges free vector download

About a year ago, while in the process of uploading fresh content on my soon to be closed artsilo.com website, I thought about adding free vector graphics downloads. They were harder to find than stock photos and offered a fun and relaxing way to improve my skills and challenge my creativity. Based on the feedback I’ve received ever since, I’ll be transferring most, if not all of the files, to this blog. Also, I’ll be revisiting some of the designs and make sure to fix or improve those elements which no longer seem right. On top of that, if i manage to find ways to simplify the design process, that’s even better.

Today’s download consist of a set of four 35mm colored photo film cartridges  each inscribed with one of the basic ISO settings, commonly found on the market.  They’re brand agnostic, or as some might call them no-name, so you can easily put your own logo if that suits your project. Although there were other effects that could have improved its photo realism, i tried to keep things as simple as possible to maintain compatibility with open source software.

Because it’s in a vector format you can easily adapt it to your own needs. For example you might want the film strip to extend a little further or to overlay some existing design. As you probably know, you’ll be able to do that in a couple of minutes by adjusting a clipping path or changing the opacity of a certain object. As far as the whole design process went, there isn’t anything particularly special about it. All i did was to observe and break it down into visual bits which i then replicated as vectors. As a result, if you’re wondering how’s been done, all you have to do is get the files and start to examine them.

As far as licensing goes, you’ll find a thorough description in the EXIF and i’ll soon add it as a standalone page on this blog. Basically, you’re allowed to use it in both personal and commercial projects. While, you shouldn’t redistribute it or link directly to the file, you can link to this post instead. If unsure about things being covered in the license, just send me an email and I’ll be happy to answer you. Attribution is not required, but it’s a great motivator to continue publishing this type of free files.

To download the archive click here.

Just as always, if you have an idea which you’d like to see transformed into a vector drawing then tell me about it and I might do it in the future.