Convert sketches to vector art

Turn my black ink sketch of the mascot into clean vector art ready for the brand guidelines. Vectorize the linework into a single scalable path, create flat color fills on separate layers, keep the character proportions intact, and save a PDF and an editable file for Ben in brand by Wednesday afternoon.

Before I hand the mascot vectors to Ben, make approval simple: preserve the sketch’s organic line feeling while smoothing jittery strokes, balance line weight with the flat fills, and call out any areas where the sketch loses detail when scaled down to 48px.

I traced an ink sketch into vectors and the result looks stiff compared with the original. Ben expects the handmade character but the vector smoothing removed the rhythm. I don’t know whether to increase fidelity, keep more anchor points, or apply a brush stroke. What’s the most likely cause and the best immediate steps to regain the hand-drawn feel while keeping the file clean?

Over multiple mascots and hand-drawn pieces I keep oscillating between vector work that’s too smooth and files overloaded with anchors. It costs time to iterate with the brand team. What principles and one repeatable workflow should I adopt so converted sketches keep their character and remain editable for future tweaks?