Vector illustrations continue to be go-to tools for web design. Even the most minimal of layouts is likely to feature buttons and icons that were created with a vector illustration application. The endless adaptability of vectors continue to make them prime choices for backgrounds, textures and overlays, navigation elements, banners, and decorations.
So the prevalence of vectors as the web designer's building material hasn't changed. What is changing is the way they're used, and the kinds of work they're doing. Here are a few trends we've noticed:
Hand-Drawn Style
The hand-made look is not a new trend, but it definitely looks to stay strong for the next while. Designers continue to explore the textures of chalk, paint, pen and ink, sketchy lines and brushstrokes on paper backgrounds. These illustrative techniques inject a playful human element into the previously more formal fields of design.
   |   |   Here we've collected some of our latest, and best, hand drawn illustartions into one handy lightbox. |
Organic Techniques
Part of this arts and crafts craze has to do with a growing number of illustrators mixing their tools and techniques, and adapting technologies to bring their styles onto the screen, rather than having the tools dictate what they can and can't do. More and more of the illustrations you see are a combination of analog and digital, raster and vector. This organic style doesn't just lead to organic looks, but in general a broader range of illustration styles.
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iStock's own doodlemachine has a style that incorporates paint brushes, gesso, scanners and Illustrator. Check out this recent piece walking through the journey from paint to pixel: Making Painted Textures
We found this great tutorial on combining raster and vector techniques at smashingmagazine.com.
Print Inspired
One particular off-shoot of all this cross-discipline cross-polination is a big trend of graphics inspired by print. High contrast, wood block inspired, slabs of color are paired with the rich textures indicative of the pre-digital print era.
  Take a look at iStocks print inspired files |   |   |
More Pixels — More Detail
Resolutions are increasing, from the new monitor on your desktop to the screen on your mobile device. Designers are taking advantage of the extra pixels.
Increasingly there are small, detailed illustrations doing a job that might previously have been handled by a simplified icon.
The Footer is Growing
Web footers have been getting larger, and people are getting creative with that extra space. The footer real estate has become a showcase for intricate illustration.
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The Hero Vector
Designers have increasingly been using illustrations in marquee ways. We're seeing more and more illustrations front and centre, and not just overlaying and supporting other imagery.
1.  2.  | 3.  4.  | Like what you see? View the iStock illustartions used in these designs: 1. I see monster by simonox 2. How to make it in the city,Internet Success, and Help is at hand! by RUSSELLTATEdotCOM 3. Healthy fruit by simonox 4. bisnesman come again!! bymolotovcoketail |
Style Variety
As vectors become more popular and prevalent designers are more willing to make bolder style choices. While cartoon characters and Kawaii style remain popular, they aren't the only illustrative style by a long shot any more. More and more we see illustrators emulating different art techniques (water colour, sketchy lines, pen and ink), little isometric worlds and pixel art, tattoo iconography, and a general willingness to use individualized vector looks to put a unique stamp on a design.
