Fish Illustration as an Unconventional Element in Web Design

1. Fish Illustration in the Details
2. Fish Illustration: When, Where, and How to Use It
   1. Background
   2. Logos
   3. Banners
3. Creating Flat Fish Illustrations
4. How to Create Fish Illustration in Adobe Illustrator
5. Fish Illustration Vectors
6. Pinterest Fish Illustration Inspiration
7. Illustrations by TemplateMonster
8. Final Word

When it comes to creating a truly unique website, a web designer must think outside the box and come up with something truly special. Thus, many web designers look through some classic patterns and various types of illustrations or clipart before starting work on a particular project.

In fact, there is a vast variety of design elements that one can use for creating a website, so you definitely will not have to limit your imagination. Moreover, pretty often successful web designers use quite unconventional elements that others will not even think of.

One of these unusual elements is the use of different kinds of illustrations. As a matter of fact, an illustration can liven up any website’s design and make it rather creative, elaborate, and sophisticated. Well, today, we are going to take a look at a lovely zoological illustration known as fish illustration. When, where, and how do you use it in web design? Keep reading to find it out.

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Fish Illustration in the Details

It is pretty clear that the fish illustration is basically images of fish that are used in fashion, interior design, and, certainly, in web design as well. In fact, zoological illustrations and prints are widely used in fashion. Moreover, some animalistic prints such as leopard (even though you might hate it) are already classic patterns that are among the main trends of pretty much every season. Thus, the fish illustration is as well among the most popular elements in both fashion and digital design.

As a matter of fact, fish illustration is not limited to plain fish images. It also includes fish scale patterns, seafood, sushi, and even mermaids. So how, when, and where do you use this illustration?

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Fish Illustration: When, Where, and How to Use It

First things first, it has to be said that a fish illustration is definitely not a design element for all occasions. Due to its strong connection with seafood, it is probably the best illustration for a restaurant, food delivery service, cooking blog, or recipe website. Well, if you are working on one of these websites, you definitely want to consider spicing it up a little bit with some lovely fish illustrations. So how exactly can you use this very illustration in web design? Here are some ways to do that.

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Background

Fish illustration can serve as a lovely background for a recipe blog or sushi delivery service website. Moreover, such a playful background can really make any website look trustworthy and friendly. So add some fancy fishes to your website background in order to make it more attractive for potential customers.

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Logos

Another way to use fish illustration is certainly in logos. Well, it goes without saying that a fish logo will only suit seafood restaurants or sushi bars, yet if you are currently working or will be working in the future on such a project, then do not hesitate to use some fancy fish illustrations on a logo.

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Banners

Finally, you can use some lovely fishes on the website’s banners. Certainly, a fish-illustrated banner will work great for cooking blogs, recipe sites, and seafood restaurants, so you might want to give it a try.

These are the three main ways to use fish illustrations in web design, but do not limit yourself to only these three options. In other words, if you come up with some other great ideas to use fish illustrations, then go ahead and try them out. The main point here is to make fish illustration fit the theme as well as the main message of the website you are working on.

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Creating Flat Fish Illustrations

Well, if you have already decided to use some fish illustrations in your project, you might want to know how to come up with a decent one. So here are some simple steps for you.

1. Make a sketch
   Think of the form and shape you want your illustration to be and make a little sketch either on paper or on your iPad.
2. Outlining
   Turn your sketch into a vector outline, using Adobe Illustrator. Trace the lines with the pen tool, smooth them, and adjust your composition.
3. Coloring
   Color your outlines.
4. Work on the details
   After you are done with coloring, you want to work on some details in order to give your illustration additional glow.
5. Adding textures
   This step is optional, yet if you feel like your illustration is rather plain, then you can try using some textures in order to liven it up a little bit.

Here is a more detailed guide on creating flat illustrations if you want to find out more information about it.

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How to Create Fish Illustration in Adobe Illustrator

Well, let us now go deeper into the process of creating illustrations and figure out how to make a fish illustration in Adobe Illustrator. Here is what you do.

1. Create a new canvas in Adobe Illustrator.
2. Draw the outline of a fish using the Ellipse Tool, and adjust the shape if needed using the Free Transform Tool.
3. Fill in your shape with some gradient color using the Gradient Tool.
4. Using the Pen Tool, draw a single scale then head to the Effects > Distort & Transform > Transform effect and apply the scales on the fish’s body.
5. Use the Pen Tool to draw the fish’s head, gills, and fins. You can use various gradient effects on these elements in order to make them more realistic.
6. Use the Ellipse Tool to create your fish’s eyes and the Pen Tool to draw its face.
7. Group all the elements of your fish together.
8. Save your illustration.

Here is a detailed video guide that will help you get a better understanding of how to make a fish illustration in Adobe Illustrator.

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Fish Illustration Vectors

If you want to use fish illustrations in your project, you don’t have to necessarily make them by yourself; you can use some vector images instead. Here is where you can find some excellent fish vectors.

• Freepik
  Freepik is a great place to find some free vector images, and fish illustration is no exception.
• Free Vectors
  Free Vectors is among the best platforms to find some cool fish illustration vectors for free.
• Vecteezy
  Vecteezy is another place to find both free and premium fish illustrations for your current and future projects.
• FreeVector
  FreeVector has some lovely fish vectors to show off too.
• PngTree
  Finally, PngTree is as well among the greatest vector resources that will never let you down.

As you can see, there is a huge variety of decent resources to find both free and premium fish illustration vectors. So you don’t have to struggle with your own fish illustration for ages, just pick some good ones from these resources and use them in your projects.

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Pinterest Fish Illustration Inspiration

Certainly, Pinterest is a great online platform where you can find hundreds of cool fish illustrations. Well, let us have a brief look at some of the loveliest illustrations from Pinterest just to have some inspiration for your future projects.

Fish Illustration Collection by Syllabubble

Danielle Rose Fisher Illustration & Design

Fish Illustration Collection by Leon Yi-Liang Ko

Fish Art Collection by Barbara (Olyve) Harvie

Fish Illustration Collection by Zengo Anna Csonka

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Illustrations by TemplateMonster

Another cool place to find some premium illustrations for your projects is TemplateMonster marketplace. There you can find hundreds of illustrations for literally all occasions and fish illustration vectors are no exception. Here are a couple of fancy fish illustrations from TemplateMonster.

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Final Word

Fish illustration is indeed a pretty unconventional design option that can make various types of websites truly fancy. At the same time, such an illustration will not work for all kinds of sites since it has a quite strong connection with food. Yet this is perhaps its greatest advantage because fish illustrations will perfectly work for cooking blogs, recipe sites, and, certainly, for seafood restaurants and sushi delivery services websites.

Moreover, there are many ways you can use these illustrations in web design, for example, on banners and logos, or as a website background. In fact, websites with fish design elements look playful and lovely, which attracts more visitors and potential customers. So, to use or not to use fish illustrations in web design? Definitely to use!

Have you ever used fish illustration elements in your projects? Let us know in the comment section below!

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