Hey there!

I am creating my own web design and development business, and I know a great deal of (X)HTML and CSS, and am getting pretty familiar with PHP. When it comes to creating graphics for a website, I have a good vision, but it's hard for me to actually make them because I'm still learning a lot about graphic design.

Anyways, for my Web Development business, I want to create what I believe is a "Flourishing" effect (Example) for my website, and possibly on business cards, etc. The image in the link I provided is actually pretty much what I want to create, at least with some of the vines and leaves (I understand I won't actually be able to create a graphic like that for quite some time!). Can you guys tell me, or direct me to some tutorials about how to create flourishing graphics like that. Thanks so much!

By the way, I have Macromedia Fireworks or Paint Shop Pro (8) to work with.

Thanks again!

-Colin M.

Sothink, Couph Couph

Like the title of the image already suspects, it's probably a vector based image.
Vector based images usually aren’t created with general image software like Macromedia Fireworks or Paint Shop Pro (I’m not 100% sure about Paint Shop Pro).


A very good (and simple to use) program to create vector based images is Adobe illustrator.

Hope this can help you.

PSP can do Vectors

Illustrator is superb, but expensive for a hobby designer

Inkscape is a free vector tool

and fireworks can do vectors too, of course

this is illustrator based but using the pen tool and autoshapes tool in fireworks you could do pretty much the same thing.

basically you need to learn how to use the pen tool

have you searched for vine art or tutorials?

or search for some vine art in vector format thay you could purchase and play with.

also the dingbat fonts in windows provide some floursishes and swirls you could also convert to paths in fireworks and play with

Actually, you don't even need vectors for that kind of an effect. There are a TON of brushes available for those leaves,flowers, vines, swirls and curls - in both Photoshop and PSP formats. I suggest you head over to DeviantArt and have a look through the application resources section for such brushes. Also, if you see a PS brush, many of the artists also offer PNG image packs so you can make your own brushes in your application of choice.

if you're still interested i'm just doing a simple tut on how to make it in vectors - takes a little while but it's easier to edit and scale up or down, and to antalias against different backgrounds or artwork: just an addition to the brushes idea from LadynRed

i'll post back when i've done it.

well this a fireworks way of doing it - at least my way -
http://pp.kpnet.fi/prescott/stuff/vines/

a tut and a fireworks png with the vines if you want them

you could of course just draw the whole lot with the pen tool but i'm not gifted enough to produce really smooth curves without a lot of bother!

what annoys me most is how nice these things look in general but how they seem to be on every other site (the remainder having pseudo Vista style glass effect things they're not very original looking anymore i'm afraid .

thanks a lot for putting that tutorial together davemies, I really appreciate it! Your right about how they are over-used sometimes, so I will be experimenting with a bunch of different ideas. It makes me feel good though now that I know how to make some basic vines!

Also, thanks to everyone who gave me some places to go for different brushes.