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If you need to emphasise your wording, the best italic fonts are the perfect solution. Taking their name from Italian designed calligraphic typefaces, italic fonts are traditionally slanted to stress the importance of certain words or phrases. And because italic fonts have such a long history, type designers have created a range of stunning options. Whether you want to trace italic fonts back to their calligraphic roots, or experiment with more contemporary alternatives, you’ll find what you need in this roundup. We’ve scoured the internet to bring you the best italic fonts in a range of styles and budgets to suit most needs. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, check out our guide to the best free fonts for further inspiration. We've also got the best script fonts, fun fonts and a guide to font pairing. 01. Monotype Baskerville Italic Classy and clear, you can't beat Monotype Baskerville Price: $35 Download here Taking its name from the renowned writer and printer John Baskerville, this typeface is popular with designers thanks to its stylish, high-contrast forms. The regular font is classy and clearly legible, making it perfect for a variety of formal writing purposes. Meanwhile the italic version lends itself perfectly to advertisements thanks to its elegant serifs. Whether you want to use Monotype Baskerville Italic in its standard or italic form, there are lots of flexible buying options. The entire six typeface family can be yours for £161, or you can purchase individual families for £35 each. With semi bold and bold styles available, there’s lots of scope for this designer favourite. 02. Orpheus Italic An old typeface gets a modern revival Price: £67.99 Download here Orpheus was created by Walter Tiemann back in 1928, but it’s been dragged into the digital age by type foundry Canada Type. This updated version includes Euphorion, the name Tiemann gave to his italic Orpheus style back in the day. The serif family flows nicely in its regular set, but the italic version practically flows across the page or screen. Armed with a variety of ligatures that can be purchased separately, Orpheus Italic has the potential to add a touch of sophistication to your messaging. 03. Maryleen FY Take a romantic break with Maryleen FY Price: From $25 Download here As its tagline suggests, Maryleen FY is a smooth italic font that will lend an air of romance to your written messages. Describing itself as “a hybrid between didone, cursive and sans-serif”, Maryleen FY brings a variety of shapes to the table that would easily lend themselves to promotional materials. If you want to get your hands on this refined italic typeface, there are three buying options to choose from. A desktop licence will cost you $25, while the e-publishing license will set you back $50. Finally, there’s the app license, which comes to $250. 04 Roos Italic Get the Renaissance look with Roos Price: $25 Download here Representing an expansion and digitization of Sjoerd Hendrik De Roos typeface De Roos Romein, the Roos family by Canada Type perfectly captures the shape of the famously distinguished font. Not only is the typeface well-regarded by designers, its italic styling is considered to be one of the most beautiful realisations of the form. Recalling the shapes of Renaissance lettering, Roos balances its width, slopes and ascenders perfectly between its Roman and Italic forms. 05. FF Seria Italic Subtle but stunning, it's FF Seria Price: From £49 Download here One of the more recent entries on this list, FF Seria was created by Dutch type designer Martin Majoor in 2000. Available in six weights, this set includes four italic variants, including regular and bold options. As you can see from the image above, it’s one of the more subtler italic entries. However this doesn’t take away from its effect. When paired with Seria Regular, its slender letter forms still provide emphasis without going over the top. What’s more, this classy font won’t cost you the earth, as prices range from between £49 and £65. 06. Arvo Italic This blocky italic packs a punch Price: Free Download here We’ve seen plenty of calligraphic serifs so far, but Arvo shakes up the formula a bit thanks to its slab-serif design. However just because it’s a bit more blunt doesn’t mean it won’t prioritise your lettering either on screen or in print. Made up of four families and first released by Google Fonts. Arvo is free for you to download. What’s more, Arvo supports languages that use the Cryillic script. We could see this italic font working especially well on web design projects, and with two italic weights to choose from, designers still have room to experiment. 07. Adobe Caslon Pro Italic William Caslon's legacy lives on Price: $35 Download here Seasoned typographers are probably already familiar with the name Caslon. Eminent type designer William Caslon started releasing typefaces in 1722, and this Adobe set revived by Carol Twombly uses his specimen pages to bring it up to date. With a variety of text sizes available, this practical font is perfectly suited to books, magazines, and corporate communications. Each style can be purchased individually, with the italic set costing $35, or you can buy the complete set for $169. 08. Operator This typewriter-inspired font hammers home its message Price: From $199 Download here Describing itself as a “typeface rooted in the traditions of typewriting”, Operator builds on this aesthetic while moving away from the mechanical restraints. The result is a functional font with “colourful italics” that are especially suited to programming environments. The complete font contains 64 weights and will set you back the rather hefty sum of $599. However the basic set, including those colourful italic letters, is available to buy on its own for the much more manageable $199. Related articles: The best monogram fonts How to add fonts in Photoshop Old English fonts: 12 of the best View the full article

A second vulnerability could be used to prevent access to almost all of a site’s existing content, by simply redirecting visitors. View the full article

The zero-day Zoom flaws could give local, unprivileged attackers root privileges, and allow them to access victims’ microphone and camera. View the full article

If you're in need of a little light relief, and some colour inspiration, then we've got just the website for you. Colors.lol collates together some beautiful colour palettes with some pretty funny adjectives, resulting in a list of 'overly descriptive colour palettes'. It's a bit like when you're browsing the paint colours available from some of the more expensive brands, but better. Our current favourite colour names include: scrappy lipstick, unstatesmanlike reddish grey and unrelished sunflower. There's also horn-mad fawn (we don't know, either). Apart from having a giggle at the colours, you can get the Hex codes of any you like, and filter your results by colour. If you want even more colour in your life, then don't miss our guide to colour theory. Click to visit colors.lol Colors.lol was created by UX developer Adam Fuhrer. Fuher created the project by hand-selecting randomly generated colours from the Twitter bot @colorschemez and then matching them with an adjective from a list of over 20,000 words. We wonder if this is how the people at Farrow & Ball work out their paint colour names, too. Fuher has previously done some other cool projects, such as visualising every Pantone Colour of the Year and generating glitch art. We like this new one best, though. It's a welcome distraction for us at the moment, and we're currently relishing the prospect of including all these names in a mood board. Read more: The best pencils for colouring and sketching 7 colour trends to watch in 2020 How to use colour to shape UX View the full article

Introducing: The Oculus Rift S, the newest VR headset from Oculus. Since 2012 Oculus has been working on VR headsets (and more recently, software). The original Rift went a long way towards ensuring that the technology was here to stay, as previously VR had been the hardware that meant end-user expectations were never truly met. We tested the new machine to give you our thoughts on its design, features and performance. To create your own 3D content for use with VR platforms, you'll need the best 3D modelling software, and you may also want to check the best VR headsets to see how the Oculus Rift S compares. Oculus Rift S: Design and accessories The Rift S ships in a well-designed package, which contains foam inserts to hold things safely, as well as the controllers and batteries, so all you need to do is connect to your PC and run the setup app, which you need to download first. Setup with the Rift S is a far less system–heavy affair than the original Rift, as it only takes a single USB port and one DisplayPort (an adapter is included, should you only have a mini port). This alone is a welcome change and for some users will make a drastic difference. For example, if you use certain laptops, or a Wacom Cintiq Engine, then you will claw back many much-need ports. The headset itself hasn’t changed hugely in terms of feel, but you will instantly notice the five cameras – two pointing forward, one on each side and one upward-facing – which are the new methods for tracking, similar to the Oculus Quest. In use these are fantastic, with excellent tracking that exceeds the accuracy of the Rift and allows you to turn in space without losing tracking. It also means no more wires trailing around your room. This single feature alone will be worth the upgrade for many people, us included. The other main change to the headset itself is the removal of the headphones. Some may prefer the new directional speakers but we found we missed the older-style audio, which was also less intrusive to the people around you. However, Oculus does offer earbuds, plus you can use your own headphones, so not all is lost. Smaller changes abound too, with some material updates and a different fastening mechanism that’s more akin to a bicycle helmet, making for a more secure fit in less time. The rubber used for the bands feels less grippy, so spending some time getting the initial fitting right is well worth it. Inside the Rift S things feel pretty much par for the course. Although there have been some changes to the displays themselves, overall things don’t feel worlds apart from where we were a few years ago. The resolution has increased to 1,080 x 1,440 per eye, which is a reasonable hike on paper that never quite feels like the increase it should. It is noticeable but slight, and our impression is that the overall viewing experience is improved more by the reduced ‘barn door’ effect than the resolution. Worrisome for some users will be the slightly slower refresh rate, which is down 10 to 80Hz. We’re not sure we could tell the difference between the two but others have raised concerns about the possibility of motion sickness, and Oculus itself has said that might affect a few users. Oculus Rift S: Performance Performance is harder to rate on the Rift S because it’s a tethered system and therefore relies on the system it’s attached to, unlike the self-contained Quest. That said, when connected to our Cintiq Engine Xeon it ran perfectly smoothly when in Quill, Medium and the obligatory Beat Saber. The last area that needs discussing in this review is that of the hand controllers. These have been redesigned for both the Rift S and the Quest in order to help the Insight tracking cameras operate more accurately, which they do, in spades. The overall feel is very similar, with no notable changes to the materials, which remain pleasant to use for extended periods (the batteries last a long time, too). But the ring used for tracking has been inverted to remain more visible to the cameras. It looks odd at first but makes a lot of sense. Overall, there are some definite changes for the better, with the excellent Insight tracking system topping the charts, as well as less PC resource- hogging in terms of port usage. The materials used are also well thought-out, feel robust enough to last and are pleasant to touch. While the general experience is better, the critical element of any head-mounted display, the screens themselves, seem to have taken a back seat. While not actually getting worse, they don’t appear to have made the expected leaps and bounds they could have. But the proof is in the pudding, and that means the Rift S will succeed on the strength of its content. This is where Oculus shines, with an enormous assortment of entertainment, educational content and focused applications for digital content creation. The Rift S works incredibly well here, so well that you can easily lose hours every day working on a sculpt in Medium, or even laying out a game level in Unreal. Read more: The best VR apps right now View the full article

News just in! A super-rare discount has been spotted on the newest, shiniest model of the Apple iPad, which will save you a whopping $80 off the usual retail price. The 10.2-inch, 128GB model iPad, which would normally set you back $429, now costs just $349. Bargain. With so much time for creative projects and entertainment, having the best kit could up your stay-at-home game, making you more creative and enabling some stellar output (or least provide a fun distraction). And this 2019 iPad model certainly fulfils top kit criteria, boasting Apple's A10 Fusion chip, its 10-hour battery life, 8MP back camera, 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera and stereo speakers. Plus, its full support for Apple Pencil will pair well with any one of the best iPad Pro apps for designers. Don't have one? Here are all the best Apple Pencil deals. If all that wasn't enough, this deal also comes with a year of free Apple TV and free shipping. There's nothing to say how long this offer will last, but at these prices we don't expect stocks to last long so grab one while you can. Not in the USA? Here are the best deals on a range of iPad models in your area: View the full article

My name is Craig Black and I’m an independent designer, lettering artist and typographer running my own studio from my hometown of Gourock in Scotland. Like many other designers' right now, my life is a little chaotic. The coronavirus pandemic has struck and, as a result, the world has seemingly changed forever. For me personally, my wife being pregnant, an elderly relative in lockdown in a care home and several members of my family on their own in self-isolation is making this a very scary experience. On top of all that, I've got a business to run. Free online resources for artists and designers stuck at home What I am about to share with you is actionable steps that I have taken to ensure my business and mental wellbeing survive these difficult times. I really hope that this insight provides some value to the community. Take it as you wish, but these are the things that have worked for me, and can hopefully help you on this tricky journey. If you've got time on your hands, also read: How to draw: the best drawing tutorials 01. Get in the right mindset The right mindset is more important than ever before. I’m an incredibly positive person – it’s the way I’ve programmed my mind to make my life the best it can be. I always believe there is opportunity to be found in even the darkest of moments. It helps that my wife, Ally, is a mental health nurse and she recommended the following tips, which work to help safeguard my mental wellbeing: Ensure you maintain a structured routine – set your alarm as you would for work, have breakfast, a shower and get changed out of your pyjamas in preparation for starting work. Schedule a lunch break, a finish time and try to stick to a sensible bedtime as you would during a normal working week. Try to keep your day structured, as much as possible, as you would normally for work. This will help separate work time from chill time, which can get easily mixed up when working from home. Get daily exercise to give yourself a break away from work and take time to think about the things that you are grateful for. Try to maintain a healthy and balanced diet - if you are eating well, you generally tend to feel better overall. Try not to slip into the habit of eating unhealthily and ordering numerous takeaways through boredom as this will ultimately leave you worse off physically, mentally and financially. Limit the amount of time you spend on social media and instead focus on spending quality time with loved ones, or getting stuck into a great book or a piece of artwork. Embrace the downtimes – if there are things you have been meaning to do for a while and not got round to, now is the time to do it. My wife and I have only just got round to putting up our wedding photos and we got married almost a year ago. Doing things like this make you feel more productive and you end the day with the satisfaction of having achieved something that you otherwise wouldn't have. Take things one day at a time, but also keep an eye on the bigger picture. The world is chaotic and it can look very doom and gloom, but eventually this situation will end. 02. Cut your costs With much of the world on lockdown, people are understandably spending less right now. One immediate thing you can do to look after your own finances is to look at how you can cut your costs. Go back to basics, think about what you really need, what is essential for you to get by. Look into securing revenue in the short term. Does that mean cutting down on the takeaway meals and do more cooking at home to help bring the costs down? There is lots of financial advice online, depending on your circumstances, but here are a few quick ideas that might help: Adobe has discounted their membership programme and have a 60-day free membership deal. Many mortgage lenders are offering a three-month payment holiday, which may come in handy. Contact your credit card provider to see if they are also able to suspend payments for a period of time. It's important also to try to help everyone survive this incredible challenging time. One thing that I've introduced to help my clients is to extend more favourable payment terms. For example, rather than 50 percent deposit and 50 percent completion fee, I have adapted that to a four stage payment structure, which sees them pay a 25 percent fee over a project duration to help their cash flow. It’s important to talk to your current and past clients. Check in to see how they are doing and how you can help them out? Focus on the relationship with your client, revenue aside, as those bonds are the key to future work. Unfortunately some clients will be struggling and potentially unable to survive this current crisis. Where possible, you want to get that information as soon as possible to help you adapt to the situation. Once the economy recovers, you want to be firing on all cylinders as every brand and businesses will be wanting to get back to their successful state as soon as possible, and you need to be ready to help them get to that level with your creative magic. 03. Adapt your service Consider pivoting either the services you offer or the markets you serve. For example, if you're an illustrator who specialises in editorial design, can you adapt your services across branding, packaging, digital and motion graphics as well? My biggest asset is my versatility in typography and lettering, as it means I can work across a number of verticals. I’m hugely fortunate to have projects continuing on and new ones coming in during this challenging time but I know a huge factor in making that happen is my skillset and relationships with those I'm collaborating with. I’ve realised that it’s easier to offer new services to existing clients than it is to find new clients for existing services. So your focus should be on the challenges and the needs of your client in this present time and how you can adapt to that situation. Creatives are problem solvers, so help your clients with their problems. If the issue is not within your remit to fix, be helpful and, where possible, point them in the direction of someone who can help. People will remember even the smallest acts of kindness when this is all over. Another avenue to investigate is working as a consultant or teacher. Maybe you could share your skills in an online workshop? Make it your goal to come out of this crisis and into the future positioned to win. Look further ahead than everyone else in the market and bet on yourself to succeed. Having that goal will shift your mindset from negative to positive. It will truly make a difference. One thing I say to myself every single morning, as part of my visualisation process and positive affirmations, is: “I commit today to do what it takes to succeed. I take responsibility for where I am”. This rings so true for me, take responsibility for the situation you’re in, own it and try everything in your power to overcome all the challenges that you face. The creative community is a hugely resilient bunch. We're all in and will come through this together. Stay well and keep safe – we've got this. Read more: How to work from home more productively Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus You'll want to join this joyful Instagram art club View the full article

If you want to hone your drawing skills, you'd be hard pushed to find a better tutor than legendary artist Aaron Blaise. Specialising in creature art, Blaise's creative career spans over three decades, with 21 years spent helping to create some of the greatest animated films ever made. We're talking classic Disney – Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, to name a few. No longer at Disney, these days Blaise spends his time passing on his extensive artistic knowledge via in-depth tutorials and workshops. Aware much of the world is at home right now, Blaise has been offering his learning either for free or at a heavily discounted price. And his most recent deal has got to be the best yet. Instead of charging $50 to attend his live, six-hour animation workshop, Blaise has knocked the price down to just $5! That's less than $1 per hour to learn from the renowned artist. And you can follow it up with even more free how to draw tutorials, covering everything from animals and people, to landscapes and nature. Blaise's introductory course will demonstrate his approach to animation techniques in a live, interactive format, covering the following in detail: 2D animation intro – discover how to animate a bouncing ball Animation Demo – Blaise animates a flour sack in real time to demonstrate motion and acting Lip sync: Blaise explains his approach to animating dialogue Q&A: Ask the legendary artist a question Blaise says in his YouTube video above: "We know lots of people are stuck at home so we want to make this easy for everyone to join. This class is great for young kids too if you want something to keep them busy for six hours." Sounds great to us! The live online workshop takes place on Saturday 11 April, starting at 1100 (EST). This is a live web event so you can attend from anywhere in the world. Mark it in your diary and sign up to the event over on the Aaron Blaise website today. Read more: Postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics won’t get new logo Illustrator for iPad now available in beta You'll want to join this joyful Instagram art club View the full article

An old RAT learns an old trick. View the full article

After weeks of speculation, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were officially postponed last week in response to the spread of coronavirus. The new dates have now been announced as 21 July to 8 August 2021, with the Paralympic games moving to 24 August to 5 September. While the dates have changed, in a potentially surprising move, both games will maintain their current Tokyo 2020 branding. While it might seem an odd decision at first (since the games are no longer, you know, in 2020), the branding has appeared on advertising and billboards across the world (take a look at some of our favourite billboard advertising examples). It's also all over tons of merchandise including a gold bar worth $15,000, as well as the games' new relay torch. We can't even begin to imagine the marketing operation that would be involved in changing the name. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch This is uncharted territory for the International Olympic Committee, as it's the first postponement in the history of the games (they were cancelled 1916, 1940 and 1944 because of World Wars). It is also the first time ever that the Olympics won't be held during an even-numbered year. According to Tokyo's governor Yuriko Koik, that's another reason to maintain the same name: "An odd number is out of the question" she said, according to the Wall Street Journal. As confusing as it might seem, we're glad to see the 2020 branding remain. Not only does it sidestep a pretty major marketing headache, but acknowledging the year the games were supposed to take place (and how they'll forever be named in history) feels like an appropriate act of defiance in the face of adversity. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach sent a message of hope to athletes across the world (below). Plus, there are already so many brilliant example of Tokyo 2020-themed graphic design, from the wonderfully eclectic official posters, to these delightfully minimal Team GB prints. At the very least, we're glad they still say the correct year. Related articles: Design sheet for the iconic 1964 Olympic logo unearthed We can't stop watching these Tokyo 2020 pictograms Paris 2024 Olympic logo is mercilessly mocked View the full article

A user flow is a visual representation of the different paths a user can take within a product or a website. It’s an excellent user experience (UX) tool that allows designers to evaluate as well as optimize the UX of …View the full article

If you want to thrive at Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, this is the master bundle for you. Learn everything you need to go from zero to 100 with the Mastering Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop: Zero to Pro Bundle, now 97% off. Packed with nine courses and over 300 lessons, this bundle brings you everything you need to turn any raw shot into a stunning work of art. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced Adobe CC student, you'll get something out of these comprehensive and in-depth courses. Here are the best free Photoshop brushes, to go alongside your new knowledge. Get Creative Cloud Master in-depth concepts in Photoshop and Lightroom You'll learn crucial software tools and techniques and start editing photos and videos like a pro with some of the top photography program tools in the world. 27 hours of extensive content brings you step-by-step tutorials that will guide you through learning and mastering in-depth concepts in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. With plenty of features that empower you to create stunning visual content, you'll learn everything from adjustment layers to blending modes to make your raw images pop. You'll acquire new techniques and tips on controlling and fixing highlights and shadows using curves, figure out how color wheels works, learn best practices for adjustment layers using LUTs, and more. You'll also soon be proficient in Lightroom techniques such as color grading, skin retouching, final touch-ups, creating color profiles, and more, bringing out beautiful portraits for any type of project. The possibilities are endless. You will also gain certifications of completion for each course, making it a great asset to add to your portfolio and next endeavour. Hands-on exercises in each session will allow you to practise what you learn in real-time and also help you advance your workflow to edit images seamlessly, quickly, and flawlessly. 24/7 access to the content will let you come back time and time again to review each technique whenever you need guidance. While lifetime access to this bundle is priced at almost $2,000, The Mastering Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop: Zero to Pro Bundle is currently price-dropped to only $39.99 – that's 97 per cent off. Learn the latest and greatest in editing artistry and continue to grow your career in 2020. Read more: Lightroom vs Photoshop: What's the difference? How to add fonts in Photoshop 71 Photoshop shortcuts you need to know View the full article

Adobe has begun inviting users to beta test its upcoming iPad version of Illustrator CC. First announced in November, the app is due to be released sometime this year. Signup for the private beta opened alongside the announcement, and some Twitter users have now begun sharing screenshots of their invitations (below) to test the software. So if you've already signed up to the beta, you might want to check your email. Following the release of Photoshop for the iPad, Illustrator will be the next app designers are clamouring to install on their tablets – and perhaps even more reason enough for the currently uninitiated to purchase one of Apple's tablets (check out our best iPad deals if that sounds like you). Illustrator on the iPad was one of the big announcements from Adobe MAX 2019. Back then, we highlighted six super-cool features we couldn't wait to get to grips with, from manipulating symmetrical designs to accessing over 17k fonts. And with 2020's brand new iPad Pro now available (bringing a brand new processor and trackpad support to the device), Illustrator for iPad is sure to be one hell of a powerful tool. While few details have emerged from the beta's lucky invitees yet, MacRumours recently shared a hands-on video of the app in action: Adobe claims to have redesigned Illustrator "from the ground up" to take advantage of touch capabilities and the possibilities offered by the Apple Pencil. While this is an exciting prospect, we hope Adobe has learned a few lessons from the underwhelming launch of Photoshop for iPad. After promising the complete Photoshop experience, Adobe dropped a product that was missing several major features, leading to poor App Store reviews (take a look at our own Photoshop for iPad review). Still, Adobe promised to keep adding features to Photoshop for iPad – last month saw a huge update add long-awaited smart selection tools. Just how complete the Illustrator experience for iPad will be at launch remains to be seen, but we can't wait to try it out. If you haven't signed up yet, check out Adobe's Creative Cloud plans. Related articles: Illustrator alternatives: 6 of the best Adobe gives Creative Cloud users 2 months free - here's how to get it Adobe software list: Which apps do you need? View the full article

For many designers, the idea of pitching for work is something that terrifies them. If you want to land big projects, though, you're going to have to bite the bullet and pitch alongside other interested agencies. That's fine if you're a confident public speaker; the rest of us could use some encouragement and tips, however. Pitching isn't something that comes naturally to most designers; you might be able to create an inspiring mood board with ease, but when it comes to presenting your work to a room of strangers (or more likely at the moment, a video conference) you could find yourself flailing. With practice, you'll become more relaxed about every pitch, but to help you get there here are seven copper-bottomed tips that'll set you in good stead. Why creatives shouldn't pitch for free 01. Do your research Whatever great tips you pick up for delivering irresistible pitches, there's no escaping the fact that if you want to get it right, you're going to have to spend time up front doing your research. You need to know everything about the client, its product or service, who it's targeting, who its competitors are; all of that and much more before you can properly start building your proposal. There's no shortcut here, but doing your research properly will pay off handsomely; you should come out of it with the best possible understanding of what you need to do, and when it comes to the actual pitch you'll be able to confidently answer any questions the client has for you. 02. Get the right tools Even if you don't do PowerPoint, a presentation tool such as Prezi will help you get your ideas across Now more than ever, having the right tools to hand is an essential part of the pitching process. While you're putting your pitch together you're bound to need prototyping and moodboard tools, but what's really going to matter when it comes to the actual pitch meeting is having a presentation tool that can show off your ideas to best effect. Bear in mind that if you're pitching right now it's almost certainly going to be over a video conference rather than in person, and a well-prepared presentation is a must. Remember, though, that if you're presenting online you should take the time to familiarise yourself with whatever video conferencing platform you'll be using so that when the time comes you can share your presentation easily. Nobody likes to sit around awkwardly while someone's frantically trying to figure out how to make screen sharing work. 03. Go off-script if you need to Be prepared to think outside the brief so that you can come up with solutions that the client hasn't even considered Clients often think they know what they want, but you're the expert and you might well have a better idea of what they actually need. If you feel that the solution that would work best for a client goes outside of their brief without affecting the budget, make a case for it within your pitch; it could be the idea that tips the decision in your favour. And when it comes to the pitch itself, be prepared to deviate if necessary. Once you're talking with a potential client, their questions might suggest directions that you hadn't previously considered, even if you've done the most thorough research. If you can think on your feet during the pitch and throw out fresh solutions that aren't part of your prepared presentation, you're again demonstrating your suitability for the job. 04. Don't pitch for free It should hardly need saying, but in the current climate it needs reiterating: don't pitch for free. Budgets are likely to have taken a hit in these uncertain times, but the bottom line is that if you're preparing a pitch, you're putting in the hours to provide clients with creative solutions, and you need to be paid for your work. If a client's insistent that a free pitch is going to be worth it for the opportunity, you need to ask yourself if they really value your work and whether you really want to work with them. In most cases you should just walk away. 05. Forget about the opposition Chances are that a client's going to be talking to other agencies during the pitching process, and knowing that, you might start to worry about who the competition might be and what they're coming up with. That's only natural; all you can really do, though, is put it from your mind and concentrate on generating the best pitch you can. As Michael Johnson told Computer Arts back in 2013, "I used to get obsessed with who I was pitching against. The downside of that is that you start to second-guess how they would approach their presentation. You need to be like Arsenal Football Club. Arsenal will play like Arsenal – they won't change the way they play depending on who they're up against." Do your own thing rather than focusing on the other guys. 06. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse When it comes to the actual pitch you have just one chance to make the best possible impression, and to do that you're going to need to rehearse. If you've spent ages writing up and fine-tuning your pitch you're going to feel that you already know it inside-out; however if you want to turn your well-chosen words into a winning presentation then there's no substitute for rehearsal. Merely reading out your pitch is a dangerous game, especially if you're nervous about public speaking. You'll constantly have an eye on your written words and you won't be engaging with your audience. But if you take the time to read your pitch out loud, over and over, you'll soon become much more comfortable with its rhythms and you'll be able to deliver it in a much more confident and conversational manner; you'll also be able to deal with the inevitable questions and interruptions without feeling flustered. 07. Don't get disheartened if you're turned down Rejection's no fun but it's all part of the pitching business Even when you've done all the research, prepared a set of top-notch materials and delivered a cracking presentation, there's always the possibility that a potential client prefers someone else's pitch. And while nobody likes rejection, it's all part of the pitching business; you can't win 'em all. Don't take it personally; take it on the chin and move on. Also, don't feel that all your work's been wasted; keep everything on file because you'll almost certainly get a chance to re-use some of it in future pitches. Along the way you'll have generated ideas and approaches that could fit equally well with other clients, so make sure you have them to hand when the time comes. Related articles: How to be a better speaker: presenting and pitching tips 3 top tips for pitching over Skype 7 rules for creating the perfect pitch View the full article

Isolation has been made bearable for many by the efforts of the creative community and Quarantine Art Club is a wonderful example of this. Set up on Instagram by children's illustrator Carson Ellis, the daily challenges are a fun and unique way to stay connected – plus learn something new. Ellis' challenges range from more easily interpretable themes, such as 'garden' (see the image above) to specific skills, like 'continuous line contour drawing'. They've elicited an eclectic mix of responses, from children to professional artists. (Whatever your standard, it won't hurt to have a read of our art techniques post before dipping your artistic toe in.) The assignments often contain nuggets of creative wisdom, which could be valuable for your creative process, like assignment three (above), which explains how to use prompts to create new artwork. Our favourite response to this challenge came from Juli, with this super-fun "cat in a mini bikini, dancing ballet". Ellis also gives instruction on how to master a new artistic skill like continuous line contour drawing (see below). We love this poignant response, which goes back to basics with snail mail. Assignment Five: Treasure Map was inspired by Ellis' niece and nephew, and resulted in this Corona map. Whereas this response from Clark, aged 5, is super-imaginative. The project has engaged many in artistic expression, and the expert edge Ellis brings to the series provides unique insight into the creative process of an illustrator. We also love Noel Fielding's art club that's going on over on Twitter, which has some gloriously random results. Check out the rest of Carson Ellis' Quarantine Art Club over on her Instagram page, and find other assignments such as Self Portrait and Who Do You Love. Ellis' children's book, Home, also happens to be one of our favourite picture books – find out more in our rundown of the best picture books around. Read more: Illustrators depict their perfect self-isolation scenario The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching 20 phenomenally realistic pencil drawings View the full article

If you've found yourself scrolling mindlessly through Instagram more than normal lately, you're not alone. While you're on the platform, you may as well have a go at playing 'What font style are you?', Monotype's Instagram filter game. It only takes a minute or so and provides some light-hearted diversion. It works a little like the sorting hat in Harry Potter, in that there are only so many possible outcomes, and that the sorter is placed on your head – albeit virtually. The sorter then whizzes through a list of fonts until it lands on the one that it deems right for you. We tried it twice and we got Stencil, and then Global. We're pretty happy with that. If you want more Insta tricks, see our post on how to change the font in your Instagram bio, as well as our tips on boosting Instagram engagement. How do you get this Instagram filter to give it a go for yourself? You'll need to be on mobile first of all. The easiest way is to go to Monotype's Instagram page. There, click on the filters button, which is a smiley face (we didn't know that either). You'll get a video of the game in action; click 'Try it' and give it a go yourself. Make sure you hold down the button to record and don't just take a photo, as that won't work. Click on the smiley face tab to see the filter in action Monotype's filter is similar to another one doing the rounds, 'What font are you?'. The filter can be accessed from Elliotisacoolguy's page and works in exactly the same way. Some people, however, have not been too pleased with their chosen font: We think a one-off Comic Sans isn't too much to worry about, but if you get it across both games, you may need to do a little soul searching, or perhaps check out our list of free fonts for some more typography inspiration. Read more: The best monogram fonts 36 perfect font pairings Great free script fonts View the full article

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It's hard to find the time to improve your skills while working full-time. But if you happen to be at home due to the current circumstances, you may want to take advantage of this great bargain on a 40-hour course bundle offered by The School of Graphic Design. The classes guide you thoroughly through the processes and skills required to create incredible designs, while allowing you to dive deeper into the features of your design software (here's our roundup of free graphic design software, if you're in need of more). Here is just some of what's included: Graphic design masterclass: Beginner This course provides you with a basic foundation in branding and design. Not only will you learn about the process of creating things like logos and branding packages, but also layouts, composition and more. You will also use real-world projects to learn the intricacies of software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Mastering these tools should speed up your design workflow considerably. Get Creative Cloud Graphic design masterclass: Intermediate Building on what was covered in the beginner's class, this course will further develop your design skills in the Adobe Creative Suite. In fact, it assumes you have some basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator. You will learn more and gain more experience by completing an entire digital marketing campaign from start to finish. But this class addresses more than just improving your marketable skill set. It also dives into the practical aspects of running a business. You will learn how to price freelance projects and the best way to present your services to potential clients. Adobe CC masterclass: Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, InDesign This class offers more than just the essentials of these popular design software programs. You will also review the fundamentals of good design for logos, websites, mobile apps and more. Graphic design mastery: The branding and design process Branding is one of the primary factors in marketing these days. Designers who are knowledgeable about branding provide a highly desirable added value to corporations. In this class, you get hands-on experience constructing a full design and branding package, including creating a 3D package design, as well as a working wireframe of web pages. Photoshop manipulation and editing masterclass This course is a deep dive into photo editing, retouching and manipulation. From spot healing to swapping heads, you will be replicating several projects the instructor has completed for real-world clients over a 14-year freelance career. The complete graphic design theory for beginners course The fundamentals of design in this course will provide you with a solid understanding that you can build on with more advanced skills and tools. In addition to the basics of color theory and composition, you will also learn about typography, user experience, current trends and more. Logo design mastery in Adobe Illustrator A company's logo is one of the most important elements of its brand, which means that logo design is an extremely valuable skill to have. This course covers all aspects of developing outstanding logos. Not only will you study logo design theory, the creative process and how to use Adobe Illustrator tools, but you will also learn about the practical details of how to work with clients and the best way to show off your work in a professional portfolio. Buying all of these courses individually would normally cost $1,400, so this is a chance to get your hands on a bargain. The School of Graphic Design Mastery Bundle is only $39, today. Read more: The best Photoshop tutorials How to Photoshop someone into a picture Adobe Software list: Which apps do you need? View the full article

Brands are responding to coronavirus in various ways, from offering free services to reminding people of the importance of social distancing. One trend that has emerged out of the latter is socially distanced versions of brand logos, with car manufacturer Audi the latest brand to join in. Posting a simple animation to its Twitter page, Audi's new socially distanced logo sees its usually interlocked rings (representing four manufacturers which merged in 1932) disconnecting, accompanied by the words 'keep distance'. The rings aren't exactly observing the two-metre rule, but the message is clear enough. But then things get a little confusing as the rings join back together, with text underneath that reads 'stay together'. We can see what Audi is trying to do. The idea, we think, being that if we observe social distancing rules, we will one day come back together and be closer than ever. Kudos to the brand for helping to try and spread the 'stay safe' message, however, in terms of encouraging people to remain distant from each other, it misses the mark somewhat. McDonald's apologises after tasteless logo change The animation ending after the rings disconnecting would have been a much clearer, more powerful message. Or maybe, as Twitter user @opiniontweets_ suggests, slightly different wording? Audi isn't the only car brand trying to promote social distancing. Volkswagen posted a similar clip to is YouTube channel, showing its famous V and W going their separate ways. Here's hoping brands are creating these new campaigns with the sole intention of promoting social distancing. However we can't help but think their time and money might be better spent looking at other ways to help the world deal with this crisis. Maybe they could follow the lead of the creative community, which has come out in force in support of each other. Don't miss our roundup of free online resources for artists and designers that are being offered amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Read more: Get 25% off Adobe Creative Cloud (for a limited time) Polaroid rebrand is an instant pick-me-up Apple gives Final Cut Pro X free for 3 months View the full article

mO2 is a real-time rendering system from Polish outfit, MotionVFX, that brings broadcast quality 3D animation directly within Final Cut Pro X and Apple Motion. It’s very much like Element3D for Adobe After Effects, but leverages the power of Apple’s Metal graphics system and is Mac only. The plugin is ideal if you need a fast turnaround for titles, stings, lower thirds, advertisements, logos, product shots or even a quick previz for a larger project. It outputs at broadcast quality, and can easily be incorporated with other elements, either as a separate composite or as a layer within the same project. mO2 comes bundled with a huge range of objects, materials, templates and behaviours to get you started, but you can also extrude text and SVG files, and import your own model files. Unlike Element 3D – which has received little love over the last few of years – mO2 is continually supported with new templates and model packs, including several that are free. (If you need some 3D inspiration, see our roundup of the best 3D art, or check out our post on the best 3D modelling software.) Get mO2 plugin What is mO2? mO2 is a plugin that integrates seamlessly inside Final Cut Pro X and Motion. It’s installed using MotionVFX’s dedicated mInstaller system, and is found under the Generators menu in both apps. You simply add it to a project, at which point it creates an empty scene with a default light, camera and backdrop, ready for you to add your own text, logo or objects. It acts just like a mini 3D app, enabling you to move and rotate scene elements, change the lighting, add materials and tweak the overall look. It works in real-time, negating the need for lengthy renders – in most cases it’ll export to a movie file in a few seconds. The plugin supports shadows, planar reflections, motion blur, depth of field, ambient occlusion, and has a host of post-processing effects such as bloom, lens dirt, chromatic aberration and vignetting. mO2 materials are based on PBR (physically based rendering), so with the right roughness/metallic texture maps, the results look suitably authentic. It also does transparent refractive materials too, for realistic glass and liquids. The most recent updates added alpha channel support and an opacity blend mode, enabling you to comp mO2 objects on top of background footage and add video elements within the scene. And because mO2 resides as a layer in FCP and Motion, you can always apply other effects on top, right inside the host app. Elements within mO2 can be animated using keyframes and behaviours, and it also has Instancers to duplicate your objects, creating complex sequences of swirling, spinning, scaling items. Why creatives need mO2 Instancers are used to create swarms of multiple elements from one single object, whose behaviour is controlled using Modifiers Everyone is after 3D content these days, but not everyone has the time or inclination to learn a 3D app like Maya, 3ds Max or Cinema 4D (though see our Maya tutorials if you want to give it a go). You may only need the occasional 3D logo, for compositing with other elements, while for some work – like product shots and packaging – a dedicated 3D app is complete overkill. While mO2 isn’t the complete solution to every 3D project, it only costs £155, and with Final Cut Pro X at £299 and Motion at a meagre £49, it’s a very affordable way of adding 3D to your pipeline. If you’ve moved away from After Effects due to Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription system, mO2 will ably replace Element 3D for your realtime 3D needs. Also, if your studio uses Cinema 4D for motion graphics, the plugin will happily load native C4D scene files, complete with keyframed animations, basic materials and MoGraph cloner objects, providing a fast route for final output. However there are some serious caveats: object deformations aren’t supported, so you’re limited to choreographing solid models, rather than things that stretch, squeeze and bend (although you can add some rudimentary deformation effects with MotionVFX’s other plugin, mPuppet). But that’s not to sell the plugin short: a quick look at the examples on the mO2 webpage shows just the kind of final quality you can expect – and it’s pretty damn good. How to use mO2 01. Get setup with mO2 mO2 is mainly controlled from the Inspector tab, but has some on-screen controls, plus libraries for models, materials, textures and environments We’re using Motion, but FCPX is an almost identical process. With a new project open, you add mO2 from the Generators menu, or open an mO2 template from the Project Browser. Click the Inspector tab to see mO2’s menu, and change the Transform icon to Adjust Item – this brings up the UI, with navigation tools, camera menu, post processes and so on. There’s no direct camera movement in the main canvas, so you have to use the pan, rotate and dolly tools – if you hold Shift, these operate with greater emphasis. To add an object, click on the Add icon, which enables you to load an object from the library, add some 3D text, extrude an SVG file or create an Instancer, light, null or camera. To add your own model, go Model > Import Model and select an OBJ, FBX, 3DS, glTF or C4D file. This is then stored in mO2’s own library until you delete it. All being well the model will be centred in the canvas, although you may have to switch cameras depending on how the imported scene was set up. You can interact directly with models, either by clicking on them in the viewport, or selecting them in the mO2 Inspector menu. A 3D gizmo lets you move, scale and rotate them (the rotate function is activated by clicking the tiny circles to bring up the P, B and B orbits), all of which can be keyframed. 02. Make adjustments in mO2 For this example, we chose the Soda Can project bundled in Cinema 4D’s Content Browser. It features a detailed can model, with water droplets and depth of field, and a single frame at 1920x1080 takes over 90 seconds to render (see image above) After some minor tweaks to the can model, we opened the scene in mO2, and made adjustments to try and match the C4D version. Things like white panels for reflections don’t work, so we added lights, and the can needed re-texturing, which was a relatively simple task of applying the texture map using Cylindrical mapping. We then added the built-in Aluminium material to the top and bottom, and toned down the Roughness a bit. To change the look of the scene (especially the metal and water droplets), you can switch to a different Environment, under Scene Settings. This alters the ambient lighting and reflections. It’s then just a matter of turning on depth of field and tweaking the render settings to suit. We added a simple camera move (the C4D project is static) and to preview this you either hit Play (Space bar) which plays back as fast as your GPU can handle it, or do a RAM preview (cmd + R), for a full-res, full-speed playback. To export as a movie, you go File > Share > Export Movie – a process which on our machine took about three seconds for 120 frames at 1920 x 1080. With render time frankly a non-issue, you can expend more effort on tweaking the look of the scene, adding additional animation and changing the lighting, backdrop gradient, post-process effects and so on. Every single tweak is shown in realtime, so experimenting is completely risk-free and painless. 03. Make final tweaks mO2 has plenty of uses from motion graphics to showcasing detailed models To finish off the scene, it’s a simple matter of adding another Group (Motion’s equivalent of After Effects comps), and applying effects, like light glints, colour LUTs, additional elements… whatever you need. mO2 isn’t a magic bullet: it still takes a bit of time and patience to set up scenes and get them looking how you like. But once you get used to its way of working, the sheer speed of achieving a good-looking end result becomes very addictive! Read more: Google's hidden AR tool will blow your mind Element 3D: What is it and how to use it How to Photoshop someone into a picture View the full article

If you're spending a lot of time at home and want to hone your creative skills, this new offer from Adobe might be of interest. Right now, residents of the US, Canada and Mexico can get 25% off an annual subscription to Creative Cloud until 5 April 2020. The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This offer is available until the 5 April 2020, so sign up before then to get the discount. Already a CC customer? You can currently get two months free on your subscription – here's how. If you're not in the US, you can find any current deals in our dedicated Adobe Creative Cloud discount article, or you can find the best prices in your area below: Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

To download the accompanying files for 3D World issue 259, simply click this link and a zip file will automatically download the content to your Mac or PC. If you've missed this issue or other editions of 3D World start a subscription. If you have any problems downloading this content, please email: rob.redman@futurenet.com Read more The best cities for 3D artists OctaneRender: A beginner's guide 3D art: 27 stunning examples to inspire you View the full article

Polaroid has reclaimed its original name and drawn on its previous visual identity in a rebrand that sees the instant film pioneer come full circle. Though you may not have noticed the existence of Polaroid Originals in the first place, this arm of the brand is officially no more. The entire company has now unified, in an explosion of colour, under the flagship brand name: Polaroid. To mark the occasion there's also a new camera, the Polaroid Now. The Polaroid Originals brand was created in 2017 when Netherlands-based group The Impossible Dream merged with Polaroid. This branch of the business continued to manufacture instant cameras, while Polaroid itself pursued non-camera related products. The rebrand aims to "give clarity to people" by unifying the brand under a singular identity that has analogue cameras at its heart. And the whole thing is a rainbow-filled explosion of cheerfulness we can't stop looking at. Need a new camera? Check out our pick of the best cameras for creatives. Or if you want to improve your photos, try our tips to boost your photography skills. The five-colour rainbow spectrum takes on a number of forms across the visual identity The new designs feature a dripping series of five-colour rainbow stripes under the Polaroid wordmark (which retains the original typography), plus a rainbow swooping down for the new cameras to bounce off. The rainbow spectrum iconography has been a core part of all Polaroid branding since the 1970s, (apart from a brief spell in the '90s when things went monochrome), and the Originals brand retained it, albeit in a somewhat minimalist version. But the new, unified Polaroid branding embraces the rainbow at a whole new level. "As this new decade marks a new chapter in the Polaroid story, it’s a moment for us to celebrate that heritage, while keeping our sights set on the future," says Polaroid CEO Oskar Smolokowski. "The new identity for 2020 reflects this, boldly reclaiming the colour spectrum as uniquely Polaroid." The Polaroid Now comes themed in different colours The Polaroid Now is an analogue camera for the modern age, with an improved autofocus system, longer battery life and accurate flash. Polaroid's renewed focus on the instant camera has repositioned the brand for a new era, tapping into the instant gratification modern consumers crave. Polaroid has acknowledged the timing of the rebrand launch, and plans to play a "meaningful role" during the Covid-19 crisis. The company wants to work with its supportive online community through its channels, to create content and share ideas to keep the creative vibe alive. And let's be honest, all that colour certainly helps bring a bit of cheer. Unlike recent logo redesigns from BMW and Nissan, Polaroid's makeover isn't all about going flat, which is quite refreshing. This celebration of brand heritage has a cool retro vibe that also feels totally up-to-date. You can check out the video above for Polaroid's logo evolution. Read more: The best camera for beginners in 2020 Smartphone photography: 6 expert tips How to use photography in design View the full article

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The BBC has launched a series of videos using clips from classic comedies to communicate a simple message to the public: "Seriously, stay at home". The beeb has managed to find impressively appropriate clips from four beloved shows (The Mighty Boosh, I'm Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and Miranda) to tell us all to stay indoors to slow the spread of coronavirus. Appearing on BBC television and social media, the ads feature humorous scenes on the theme of isolation or staying at home. For example, the clip from I’m Alan Partridge (below) shows Alan preparing for a James Bond-a-thon in his caravan, with a hilariously strict timetable ("1:15 - Goldfinger, strawberry Nesquik, fishcakes"). The ad ends with the text: "Set a routine to get through staying in". If you're looking for more advertising inspiration, check out our best print ads ever. The clip from the Mighty Boosh, meanwhile, features the Isolation song from the episode The Legend of Milky Joe, in which Howard and Vince become stranded on a desert island with only some rather sinister coconuts for company. Boosh fans have no doubt been singing this to each other for days: Next up is a hilariously appropriate clip (below) from political satire The Thick of It, featuring Peter Capaldi's famously foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker telling his staff: "Right people, listen up. It’s a fucking lockdown right now. This is the fucking Shawshank Redemption, right, but with more tunnelling through shit and no fucking redemption." While the other three clips will appear between shows on TV, this one remains, thanks to the language, online-only. And finally, a clip from Miranda (below) features her conducting a piece of classical music for an orchestra of kitchen utensils and groceries, after telling the viewer, "previously in my life, I've proved that living alone can be genuine fun". The four ads are an entertaining way of getting across a serious message – and ending a comedy clip with the word 'seriously' is a smart way of bringing that home. The appropriateness of each clip is impressive (who knew so many comedies made explicit references to isolation and lockdowns?) but of course, the BBC has a rich history of programming to delve into. While not every brand's response to coronavirus has been a success (such as McDonald's recently-deleted social distancing logo), this is a simple but effective offering from the BBC, as well as a reminder that there's lots of classic comedy available to cheer us up while we're all stuck at home. Related articles: Illustrator gives free drawing lessons to inspire kids stuck at home Iconic logos reimagined for the age of coronavirus Controversial BBC competition produces some incredible fan art View the full article