Is THIS just a simple shape/object with an image as a "texture" fill?

[TomkatDF1]

So, this is apparently an Illustrator file...
As a relative newbie, I'm strying to figure out how this was accomplished.
A "live trace" for something like this would generate THOUSANDS of paths/anchors, and not look nearly this good.  Is this just a simple shape/object in the shape of the skull outline, with an image as a "texture?"

[Myra Ferguson]

Do you have the file? If so, you can start to see how the file was set up by looking at the Layers panel (Window > Layers) and the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).

There are likely a variety of combined techniques used to achieve this look possibly including 

• Mirror Repeat, Reflect, or Distort & Transform > Transform effect
• Gradient Mesh
• Drop Shadow effect

Also, more advanced effects may be created using the Astute Graphics plugins.

[TomkatDF1]

Unfortunately, I do not have the file.
The only reason I ask is that it looks for like a PHOTOSHOP object than an Illustrator (which always I always assumed looked more animated/cartoonish)  The detail on the skull looks photo-realistic, which makes me believe it is a texture, rather than a bunch of individual paths.

[Doug A Roberts]

How do you know it is an Illustrator file?

[Doug A Roberts]

It could conceviably be an Illustrator file with thousands of paths, or it could be a pixel image. There's no way of knowing from this.

[TomkatDF1]

It could conceviably be an Illustrator file with thousands of paths, or it could be a pixel image. There's no way of knowing from this.

By @Doug A Roberts

 
Wouldn't that have a massive hit on performance?  Maybe I should re-phrase the question...
What would be the best way to create such an image, in Illustrator? 

[Doug A Roberts]

Wouldn't that have a massive hit on performance?  

Yes.

What would be the best way to create such an image, in Illustrator? 

With thousands of paths. Images like this are much better suited to pixel painting/editing software.

[TomkatDF1]

What would be the best way to create such an image, in Illustrator? 

With thousands of paths. Images like this are much better suited to pixel painting/editing software.

By @Doug A Roberts

Assume you don't have any pixel painting/editing software such as Photoshop...
It would be possible to create an object/shape outline that matches the skull, (well enough so that any tiny imperfections could be hidden by a black stroke and/or drop shadow) then just use the image as a "texture," yes?

[Doug A Roberts]

Where would you get the image from?

[TomkatDF1]

Where would you get the image from?

By @Doug A Roberts

I'm guessing a downloaded image reference... in this case it even looks like the skull could be a screenshot of a detailed 3D model.

[Doug A Roberts]

I'm not sure what the point of Illustrator is in this scenario. Yes, you can add pixel images to Illustrator and draw clipping paths around them. I thought you were asking how to create the skull in the first place.

[TomkatDF1]

I'm not sure what the point of Illustrator is in this scenario. 

By @Doug A Roberts

My guess is... because the skull is part of a larger, vector image/logo - and the point of Illustrator is to have scalable vectors, instead of pixels.  If the source image is high-enough resolution, I think you could make it work quite well.

[Doug A Roberts]

Placing a pixel image in an Illustrator file doesn't make it into scalable vectors.

[TomkatDF1]

Yes, I realize that.  But the object outline you've "textured" it with is a scalable vector (and the image/texture can be embedded in the file, yes?)  If the source image is high res... you should be able to upscale quite a bit without issues.

[Doug A Roberts]

Do you mean to introduce this image as part of a larger vector composition? Yes, you could do that, but it would be no more scalable than the original pixel image.

[TomkatDF1]

I'm just trying to figure out and re-construct how that image/logo was made.  I have a hard time believing that it's tens of thousands of individual paths (which would be need for that level of shading and fidelity) - I can't imagine the GIGS of RAM and the CPU, GPU needed to keep the app running at a usuable speed.

[Doug A Roberts]

Well you already mentioned several possibilities, such as a pixel painting or a 3D model.

[TomkatDF1]

Except I know for a fact that it was done in Illustrator.  I'm just trying to "figure out" the process.
My "best-guess" scenario is an image textured onto a skull-shaped path/object.

[Doug A Roberts]

How do you know it was done in Illustrator?

My "best-guess" scenario is an image textured onto a skull-shaped path/object.

By @TomkatDF1

So what created the image?

There are two possibilities here:

1. It's a highly-detailed vector image created from thousands of paths.

2. It was created in some other software.

I'm finding it hard to grasp what you imagine "an image textured onto a skull-shaped path/object" to be except an image created in some other source than Illustrator.

[TomkatDF1]

I think we've had a misunderstanding.  I can easily imagine the image used to texture the skull-shape path/object as being created in some other software.  What I'm trying to figure out is if/how that image is being utilized in Illustrator.  I am 99.99% sure that the skull is NOT a highly-detailed vector image...
I have 20 gigs of RAM and a 4GHZ CPU, with a dedicated GPU, and I can slow my machine to a crawl with less detail than that.  However, the design is being touted as "fully-scalable" so my somewhat-illustrator-newbie brain is trying to figure out if I've missed something.  Would my specs be considered on the "low-end" for Illustrator design, etc?

[Doug A Roberts]

Where did you find the image?

If it was created in other software and placed in Illustrator, it is not 'fully scalable'.

Your computer is not low-end; Illustrator itself hits performance walls regardless of hardware. But regardless, some people do create photorealistic things in Illustrator. It's unlikely but not impossible that this is vector content.

[TomkatDF1]

Where did you find the image?

By @Doug A Roberts

I don't really want to "call out" anyone or any company, as that's not my intent.  Is there a way to private message, on these forums?

[Doug A Roberts]

You can click on someone's name to view their profile and send PMs.

[TomkatDF1]

You can click on someone's name to view their profile and send PMs.

By @Doug A Roberts

PM sent... thanks!

[TomkatDF1]

Here is what I think the process was...

1. The skull and hat were textured, shaded, and rendered in a 3D modeling program.
2. A "snapshot" (2D view of rendered object) was then saved as an image.
3. That image was used to texture a skull-shaped fill/outline in Illustrator.

I could be wrong, but the detail and shading is just so "perfect" that I just don't see how it could be done via live-trace, due to the resulting number of paths that would bog-down performance.

Am I way off base and completely wrong, here?  Have I missed something?  If you were designing a logo with that graphic... how would you do it?
I'm sorry for being such a pain.