SVG Illustrations in Adobe Illustrator

SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) illustration in Adobe Illustrator is often associated with clean lines and sharp edges. That precision is its strength, but it can also narrow expectations of what the medium is capable of. As a result, vector illustration is widely accepted - and commonly applied - as flat, rigid, or visually resolved too early; an approach that is effective for many purposes, but can limit how the medium is explored when greater depth or atmosphere is required.

Even within a scalable, fully editable format, illustration can retain a sense of individuality: edges may soften, colour can become richer, and forms can take on subtle translucency or weight, with light used deliberately to suggest depth, material, and atmosphere. 

The result is work that combines technical precision with visual richness - a space few illustrators choose to explore. Nuance, softness, and dimensionality are rarely realised because the medium is still approached through convention rather than expression. 

Firstly, the perspectives shared here are drawn from my own practice and experience, and are intended as points of reflection rather than a prescribed way of working.   My aims of these ...

Kam Tang is a graphic designer and illustrator exploring the expressive limits of SVG illustration and Adobe Illustrator workflows.