11 Best Open Source Illustrations Ranked by a Designer
When it comes to design projects, illustrations play a crucial role in capturing attention, conveying messages, and adding a personal touch. They have the power to make design projects more engaging, memorable, and unique.
However, finding high-quality drawings that match your project’s requirements can be daunting, especially if you’re on a tight budget. That’s where open source illustrations come in!
Open source illustrations are released under open licenses, allowing free use, modification, and distribution. They are often created by talented artists, illustrators, and designers contributing to open source projects.
This article will cover what open source illustrations are and their benefits. From there, we will dive into the meat of the article, and I will share the best open source illustrations I’ve encountered. They all have free and paid resources, so you can choose the option that suits your needs and budget.
By the end of this article, you’ll have the best open source illustrations to take your design projects to the next level. Let’s get into it!
What are Open Source Illustrations?
Open source illustrations are available under open licenses, allowing users to use, modify, and distribute them without any restrictions. They offer cost-effective and customizable illustrations for designers and are often created by talented artists, illustrators, and designers who contribute to these projects.
These drawings can be found in vector formats, such as SVG, AI, or EPS, making them easily scalable and customizable. They can be paid or free, but usually, the free drawings require attribution.
Benefits of Using Open Source Illustrations
Using open source illustrations provides several benefits for designers, especially for startups and small businesses with limited budgets. Here are some of the key benefits of using open source illustrations:
- Cost-effective: Open source illustrations are a cost-effective option for businesses. They are often free to use, modify, and distribute, saving you money compared to hiring a designer.
- Diverse illustration styles: Open source illustration resources regularly expand their collection to provide a diverse design library of drawings. They offer trendy characters, stylish illustrations, and customizable elements that match project requirements and design aesthetics.
- Time-saving: Open source illustrations save time and resources for designers. They can be used as a starting point, allowing designers to focus on other aspects of their projects.
- Flexibility and control: Open source illustrations offer the flexibility to combine, mix, match, and ultimately control illustrations to create unique visuals. Customize these illustrations to align with your project’s brand identity and color scheme for a cohesive design.
Now that we know what open source illustrations are and their benefits, let’s see the best ones!
11 Best Open Source Illustrations: Ranked by a Designer
Here are the best open source illustrations that I’ve come across that have both paid and free options:
- Smash Illustrations
- Olio Constructor
- Business Characters by Icons8
- Handz
- Headz
- Homies
- Superhuman
- Unco
- UI8
- Streamline Illustrations
- Getillustrations
Some of the open source illustrators mentioned have been used by organizations like Microsoft and Google.
1. Smash Illustrations
Features
- Over 250 colorful and trendy characters, objects, web elements, and scenes
- Compatible with Sketch and Figma
- Available as SVG illustrations and in PNG formats
- Design characters using the generator
- Customize your character by using pre-made elements and styles
- Perfect for web and app projects
- The Pro plan offers over 500 drawings and 24/7 support
Smash Illustrations provides an extensive library of over 250 vibrant and trendy characters, objects, web elements, and scenes, and over 500 drawings on their Pro plan. Its compatibility with Sketch and Figma stood out, making the integration into anyone’s design workflow seamless.
The availability of SVG images and PNG formats makes it incredibly convenient for web and mobile applications.
One of the highlights of Smash Illustrations was the character generator, which allowed me to design custom characters easily. I also appreciated the option to customize characters further by using pre-made elements and styles, saving me valuable design time.
For those looking for even more options, the Pro plan is a fantastic choice, offering over 500 drawings and 24/7 support. It’s a comprehensive resource that I would highly recommend to designers. To get unlimited access to all assets, it’s only $149 per year, which is reasonable, along with one free product every month and updates.
Rather than drawing these illustrations manually using complicated design software, Smash Illustrations significantly enhances anyone’s design process!
2. Olio Constructor
Features
- Compatible with Figma
- Vector scenes, characters, and objects depicting business, workdays, and the latest technologies
- Great for landing pages and fits well on mobile screens
- Flexible customization
- Mix characters and objects to create unique scenes
- Additional packs with a variety of illustration styles
Olio is an awesome illustration constructor and one of my favorite sources for open source illustrations because of its compatibility with Figma, making it incredibly convenient for your next project. Its wide range of vector scenes, characters, and objects is great for depicting various business scenarios, workdays, and the latest technologies.
Whether I’m designing for web or mobile, Olio Constructor seamlessly fits into my workflow, offering flexible customization options to suit my project’s needs. I especially appreciate the ability to mix and match characters and objects to craft unique scenes, and the additional packs with various illustration styles add lots of versatility to my designs.
3. Business Characters by Icons8
Features
- Library of high-quality 3D mix-and-match illustrations of people in business attire
- Use graphics for free with attribution!
- Recolor using the graphic editor
- Launching more 3D drawings soon
Business Characters by Icons8 is an excellent resource offering a diverse collection of high-quality 3D human business characters and objects. These assets can be utilized in any creative project, providing a professional and polished look.
What’s particularly attractive is that you can access these graphics FOR FREE with attribution, making them accessible to anyone. The graphics are also customizable, making it easy to recolor them to suit specific branding, web design, etc.
Stay tuned because Business Characters by Icons8 promises to launch more 3D drawings soon. Be the first to know about it by subscribing.
Read my Icons8 review!
4. Handz
Features
- 3D illustration library of hands in a variety of races making different gestures
- Use for social media, websites, blogs, email newsletters, etc.
- Works with Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, Figma, and Blender
- Free library includes source (.blend) files, 320+ PNG files, 12 hand gestures, 9 skin colors, and 3 sleeve variations
- Paid library ($19) includes everything from the free library, including 1,200+ PNG files, 11 hand gestures, 6 skin colors, and more
- Wide variety of skin colors
- Ultimate customization
Handz is a versatile 3D illustration library featuring a diverse collection of hands in every race, showcasing various expressive gestures. It’s perfect for enhancing social media posts, websites, blogs, newsletters, and more. It seamlessly integrates with popular design software such as Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, Figma, and Blender.
The free library has many valuable assets, including source (.blend) files, over 320 PNG hand images, 12 distinct hand gestures, 9 skin colors, and 3 sleeve variations. For an even more extensive toolkit, the paid library (available for just $19) offers everything in the free version plus 1,200+ PNG hand images, 11 unique hand gestures, 6 skin color options, and more.
With a wide variety of skin colors and the ability for ultimate customization, Handz is a one-stop resource for designers and creators looking to enhance their projects with lifelike and expressive 3D hand drawings.
5. Headz
Features
- An alternative to Apple memoji
- Money-back guarantee!
- Compatible with standard design tools like Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, Figma, and Blender
- 400,000 3D head combinations
- Over 2,300 rendered PNGs
- It also comes with 3D pets
- Easy customization using Blender
- Hands with 11 gestures included
- Short Blender tutorial on how to customize
- Packs with only males, females, and pets for $19
- Males, females, and pets pack for $39
Headz is a customizable alternative to Apple’s Memoji with a money-back guarantee. Compatible with popular design tools, such as Sketch, Photoshop, and more, Headz empowers designers with 400,000 3D head combinations and over 2,300 rendered PNGs for easy integration into designs.
What sets Headz apart is its inclusion of 3D pets to create virtual companions. The customization process is made through Blender, and the package offers an extensive selection of hands with 11 different gestures for added expressiveness. A short Blender tutorial is provided to help users navigate the customization process.
Headz offers different package options, including packs featuring only males, females, or pets for a cost-effective $19. The package containing males, females, and pets can be purchased for $39, making it an attractive choice for those seeking versatility and variety in their virtual character creation.
6. Homies
Features
- Includes high-quality 10 3D characters, 10 backgrounds, 15 scenes, and 78 objects with free updates for $58
- Free demo version available
- Ultimate customization with Blender and Figma
- It can be used on mobile or desktop
- PNG files
Homies is a budget-friendly digital asset package for those looking for 3D design enthusiasts. For $58, you can access 10 meticulously crafted 3D characters, 10 captivating backgrounds, 15 immersive scenes, and a vast collection of 78 objects. Updates are free, ensuring you always have fresh content to work with.
The nice thing about Homies is that you can try it out with a free demo version to explore its potential. You can personalize your projects from there using popular design tools like Blender and Figma.
Homies offers their assets in user-friendly PNG file formats for mobile and desktop use. Elevate your digital design projects with Homies’ affordable and versatile 3D drawings!
7. Superhuman
Features
- Build your 3D avatar unique to your brand
- Over 1500 elements for an endless amount of colors, outfits, and emotions
- $48 Superhuman pack includes 50 characters, over 240 facial expressions, free updates, and more
- $78 Superscene package includes superhuman, emoji, characters, and objects
- Create in Figma and edit in Blender
Superhuman allows users to create 3D characters tailored to their brand’s identity. With a vast library of over 1500 elements, you can mix and match different colors, outfits, and emotions to design unique and engaging characters.
The $48 Superhuman pack offers incredible value, providing access to 50 characters, more than 240 facial expressions, free updates, and other exciting features. Meanwhile, the $78 Superscene pack extends the creative possibilities by including superhuman characters, emojis, and objects.
Bring your creative visions to life, starting in Figma and further enhancing in Blender.
8. Unco
Features
- 3D drawings for branding that are funny, unique, and textured
- Edit in Blender and Figma
- Includes 13 funny characters, 114 colorful technology objects, 6 bright circle icons, and 10 scenes
- Excellent for web, mobile, or other editorial purposes
- Apply animation effects
Unco is a creative resource for 3D branding drawings that inject humor, uniqueness, and texture into your visual content. Designed using the powerful tools of Blender and Figma, Unco offers a dynamic library of assets that includes 13 quirky characters, 114 vibrant technology objects, 6 eye-catching circular icons, and 10 captivating scenes.
These elements are ideal for web and mobile and allow users to apply engaging animation effects, making it an excellent choice for businesses and brands looking to add a playful and distinctive touch to their digital presence.
9. UI8
Features
- 1099 vector illustration packs in a variety of styles
- Web and mobile-compatible
- Different types of drawings like isometric, patterns, food, etc.
- Prices range from $2 up to $78
- Wide variety of popular formats, including Figma, Blender, Photoshop Sketch, and more
UI8 is a versatile resource offering an extensive collection of 1099 vector illustration packs spanning various styles and themes. These drawings are compatible with web and mobile applications, making them an excellent choice for UI and UX graphic designers.
The library includes diverse drawings, such as isometric, patterns, and food-related graphics, catering to a broad spectrum of creative projects. Prices for these high-quality vector packs range from as low as $2 to $78, making them accessible to anyone on any budget.
Additionally, UI8 drawings are very flexible as they are compatible with various popular formats like Figma, Blender, Photoshop, Sketch, and more. This ensures seamless integration into any design workflow.
10. Streamline Illustrations
Features
- 213 free vector drawings and 3 illustration sets
- 29,978 premium drawings and 27 premium illustration sets
- A wide variety of styles and types, like geometric, abstract, realistic, and playful
- Download in SVG, PNG, JSX, and PDF formats
- Customize color and background
Streamline Illustrations is a versatile resource with a growing collection of vector drawings for graphic designers. It offers 213 free vector illustration resources, 3 illustration sets, 29,978 premium drawings, and 27 premium illustration sets to meet all your needs.
It offers diverse styles, including geometric, abstract, realistic, and playful designs. They offer downloads in various formats (SVG, PNG, JSX, and PDF), and you can customize the colors and background of the drawings.
11. Getillustrations
Features
- Offers 18,925 drawings with a standard commercial license
- A wide variety of styles, like 3D, outline, and flat
- Lots of categories like pets, music, tools, travel, etc.
- They release new premium illustration packs weekly
- Lots of free drawings for personal use and commercial projects (link attribution required)
- Editable vectors to match your brand
- Every illustration is designed based on the market
- Custom requests to fit your brand
- The library is continuously being updated
- Made by professional illustrators
- Compatible with the most popular design apps: Figma, Sketch, Photoshop, etc.
- Extensive file formats (.ai, .pdf, .png, .xd, etc.)
Getillustrations is a versatile platform with 18,925 drawings and standard commercial licenses. It offers various styles like 3D, doodles, and flat to suit different design needs. With categories like pets, music, tools, and travel, you can easily find drawings for any theme.
The platform delivers fresh content regularly, with new premium illustration packs introduced weekly. It offers a wide range of free illustrations for personal and commercial projects, though attribution is required. These editable vectors can be easily customized to align with your brand or project needs.
Getillustrations is dedicated to quality, crafting illustrations that align with market demands. You can also submit custom requests for brand-specific illustrations, and they’ll get back to you in 24 hours.
This platform stands out with its team of professional illustrators who create high-quality and visually appealing artwork. The platform seamlessly integrates with popular design applications like Figma, Sketch, and Photoshop and offers a wide range of file formats (.ai, .pdf, .png, .xd) for versatility in different projects.
How to Choose the Right Illustrations for Your Project?
When looking for the best illustrations for your project, there are four main things to consider:
- Project objectives: What message do you want to convey, and what’s the overall tone or style you want to achieve? E.g., a playful and whimsical feel or a sleek and professional look?
- Audience preferences: What would resonate most with your audience? Are they more drawn to realistic images or abstract designs?
- Brand identity: Your illustrations should be consistent with your brand’s overall look and feel. Consider factors such as color palette, typography, and overall aesthetic.
- Licensing restrictions: To use illustrations legally, it’s crucial to understand licensing. Open source illustrations often require attribution, so follow the creators’ terms.
Final Thoughts on the Best Open Source Illustrations
Open source illustrations are a valuable resource for designers needing high-quality visuals for their projects without having to illustrate them from scratch. They offer a range of benefits, including cost-effectiveness, customization options, and a wide variety of styles.
Whether you’re looking for playful characters, professional icons, or versatile elements, there’s an open source illustration library for you.
Ultimately, I hope you found my list to be helpful! When choosing the best illustrations, consider your project objectives, audience preferences, brand identity, and licensing restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are open-source illustrations?
Open-source illustrations are freely available images or graphics that anyone can use, modify, and distribute. They come with licenses that permit both commercial and non-commercial use. These illustrations are a valuable resource for designers as they save time and money by providing high-quality assets for their projects.
Where can I get free illustrations from?
There are lots of websites where you can get free illustrations from. Websites like Open Peeps by Pablo Stanley, Blush, Drawkit, Business Characters by Icons8, Handz, Streamline Illustrations, unDraw, Phonies by Growww, and Getillustrations, offer free illustrations! Most require attribution.
How can I make my own illustrations online for free?
You can make your own illustrations online for free using these tools:
Are unDraw illustrations free?
Yes, unDraw illustrations are available for free. They can be used for both personal and commercial purposes without any restrictions.
