Rss Bot

Some fonts are so maligned, they've become a running joke even for non-designers. Others are over-used to the point of near-total exhaustion, or misused so much we've forgotten their original purpose. It takes skill and experience to choose the right typeface, and the nuances of different types of font can make a huge impact on a brand's personality, or the tone of a piece of design. There are thousands of options out there, and yet certain fonts are everywhere. Some seem to make a mockery of the art and craft of typography in and of themselves, while others just seem like a lazy, default fall-back option. But is all the hatred justified? Read on for five of the most-hated typefaces, and why some of them might well deserve a second chance... 01. Comic Sans: the butt of all jokes Based on comic book speech bubbles, Comic Sans was originally intended to make 'Microsoft Bob' more friendly Let's get this out of the way early. Regularly mocked by designers and non-designers alike, Comic Sans is the clown in the room – the darling of children's playrooms, dodgy PowerPoint presentations, ramshackle lemonade stands and passive-aggressive workplace signage the world over. People really love to hate this font. It's famed for being amateurish, silly, chosen by people who want something informal and jaunty, but are 'designing' their poster in Word – and Arial or Times New Roman just won't cut it. We get it. In so many situations, Comic Sans is horrible. But consider its name: it's not called 'Comic' Sans because it's comical, but because it's based on the type in comic book speech bubbles. In fact, it was originally designed by Vincent Connare to give 'Microsoft Bob', a helpful dog bundled with Windows 95, a warmer, more playful tone in his speech bubbles – but was never actually used for that purpose. It wasn't meant for use outside of comic speech bubbles, and yet it's absolutely exploded worldwide. There are campaigns to ban it, and it's become an easy short-hand reference for bad typography. The reality? It's actually perfect for its intended use. It's also great for accessibility, and is officially recommended by the British Dyslexia Association. Its crime isn't use, it's misuse. Give Comic Sans a break. 02. Helvetica: death by ubiquity? Posters promoting Gary Hustwit's Helvetica documentary, by Experimental Jetset – set in Helvetica, of course Ubiquity breeds contempt, and in many ways Helvetica is a beautifully crafted typeface that has become a victim of its own success. It has become the 'safe choice', the neutral option – or for some, an easy way to be effortlessly cool and timeless. But its ubiquity is partly due to the fact it's not always used for the right reasons. Released in 1957 as Neue Haas Grotesk, and renamed three years later, Helvetica is the poster boy of the International Typographic Style, or Swiss Style – in fact, 'Helvetica' is Latin for 'Swiss'. It was embraced by cutting-edge designers throughout the '50s and '60s, and its popularity has continued to soar since. A dizzying number of brands have used Helvetica, or modifications of it, for their logos over the decades – from American Airlines to The North Face, Panasonic to Post-It, and countless more besides. Clearly, that becomes an issue in terms of standout, and brand personality. Helvetica is a great typeface. But it's not always the most appropriate choice. It's terrible for large passages of text, for instance, where its tight spacing and uniform weight interfere with legibility. It's also not as neutral as people assume: Gary Hustwit's feature-length documentary discusses how in some contexts it will blend into the background, while in others it will smack you in the face. Apply critical thought to your type choices: while Helvetica can be a lazy default option, it can also be perfect for the right project. Don't abandon it just on principle, but remember there are alternatives to Helvetica out there. 03. Papyrus: the target of SNL parody Papyrus is much-maligned and widely misused, but can actually be effective in the right context Everyone loves a bit of faux-Egyptian, slightly distressed type, right? Well... not so much. Papyrus is right up there with Comic Sans in the pantheon of hated fonts, and while Helvetica inspired a thoughtful documentary, Papyrus has the honour of being ripped into by Saturday Night Live. The skit, starring Ryan Gosling, mocks how a global blockbuster like Avatar could seemingly just type 'Avatar' into Word, and change the font to Papyrus. Besides movie posters, the font may also be irksomely familiar from everything from faux-rustic cafe menus, to church programmes, to online captchas. Inspired by Biblical times, Chris Costello created Papyrus in 1982 as a side-project while working in an agency. He later sold it to Letraset... who licensed it to Microsoft. It's now thought to exist on over a billion computers worldwide. There are entire blogs dedicated to the overuse and misuse of Papyrus, but as with Comic Sans, the blame shouldn't be levelled at its creator. It's a little baffling that such a distinctive typeface, influenced by the look and feel of ancient Middle Eastern civilisations, could be applied to so many modern contexts – the fact is, it can't. That's not to say it's not fit for a purpose; it's just not fit for every purpose. 04. Mistral: the oft-misunderstood script Mistral changes tone entirely in sentence case and all-caps, as shown in these designs for Drive and Straight Outta Compton Script fonts in general, and handwriting fonts in particular, get a lot of a flak. Bradley Hand – popular amongst teenage girls in the '90s, and now splashed across all manner of invitations, school announcements and story books – is a case in point, as it actually looks nothing like natural handwriting. Mistral, however, has a rather more interesting heritage – designed to evoke the sophistication and elegance of postwar France. But it's often tarred with the same brush as other script fonts, especially when misused. The problem is, rather like Comic Sans and Papyrus, Mistral is widely available to non-designers who don't think twice about butchering it. Originally designed to mimic a sleek, sultry 'autograph' style of writing when in sentence case, Mistral changes tone entirely when in all-caps – and looks like it's been angrily spray-painted by a teenager. Both tones of voice can be effective, if used properly. Once again, the issue here is misuse in the wrong hands. Set large passages of text in Mistral in an attempt to mimic handwriting and you're in trouble. And the shouty, more edgy all-caps approach is all-too-often diluted by badly designed signage. The examples above show how effective Mistral can be in the right hands. 05. Trajan: the king of movie posters Trajan's widespread use in film and television transcends genre conventions – but are we bored of it now? Just as the movie world seemingly keeps the same gravelly voiced individual on standby for every new trailer, the designers of its marketing materials are rather attached to one typeface: Trajan (with Bank Gothic as an eager understudy). The range of applications are vast, and transcend genre and mood entirely. Since the 1990s, Trajan has graced disaster movies such as Titanic, sci-fi flicks including Minority Report and Stargate, touching dramas such as A Beautiful Mind, and fantasy epics Game of Thrones. There's seemingly nothing this pseudo-Roman serif, which came helpfully bundled with Adobe Creative Suite for years, can't communicate when it comes to movies. In some ways, it's so over-used as to become little more than background noise as part of a movie poster, so you focus on the title rather than the font it's set in. Like the gravelly voiceover man, it's become part of the short-hand vernacular of the movie world – just another familiar trope, which has its place. But it's also an opportunity for more independently minded poster designers to stand out from the crowd with something radically different. Related articles: 5 classic fonts that are still on trend (and why) 7 logos we all love to hate (and lessons we can learn) 5 types of font and what to use them for View the full article

Android, Debian and Ubuntu users are still at risk. View the full article

Bypass works on iOS 12 and Apple's latest iPhone XS model phones allowing an attacker to access contacts and photos. View the full article

Search engine optimisation doesn't have to be complicated. Using SERPstash Premium: Lifetime Subscription, you can easily improve your search engine rankings. This tool makes SEO simple by breaking the often complex process down into three steps. First, identify, analyse and filter keywords that are relevant to the industry you're in. Second, research backlinks to figure out which sites are linking to your or your competitors' websites. And third, run an audit that will help you figure out which areas may need improvement. You'll also be able to find out your site's current rankings, so you'll know where you're starting from, and you can also test whether your site is mobile-friendly. Check out SERPstash Premium: Lifetime Subscription for just $29 – that's 94 per cent off the regular price. Related articles: 5 ways to boost your website's SEO Climb the Google rankings: How to master SEO 10 must-know SEO tools for search success View the full article

When someone finds out that I work in watercolour, their immediate response is often “But watercolour techniques are so hard!” An unsurprising reaction, perhaps… 13 incredible examples of watercolour tattoo art I discovered watercolour as a teenager, and instead of being intimidated by its unpredictable nature, I saw endless possibilities. I gradually realised that watercolour offers a unique, collaborative relationship with the artist – one that isn’t so straightforward and requires experimentation, openness and most importantly, patience. By its very nature, watercolour appears to be a difficult beast to tame. After all, its primary vehicle is water! It’s key to bear in mind that there’ll always be an element of surprise when working with watercolour. Over time and with lots of experimentation and implementation of tried-and-true techniques, I’ve learned first to control what I can, and as for the rest, work intuitively and allow watercolour to be watercolour. At times it will take the wheel whether you like it or not, but you’ll live for those moments when it pleasantly surprises you! As well as having an open mind and endless patience, working with watercolour requires a particular setup, proper materials, a little technique and a lot of experimentation. In this series, I’m going to share with you how I work with this incredibly versatile and exciting medium and make the best of watercolour’s delightfully protean nature. 01. What different watercolour papers are available? Click to see the image full size Watercolour paper comes in three textures: hot, cold and rough. Both cold and rough watercolour paper have a bumpy texture, and will give you more vibrant colours. However, I enjoy working with hot press because the smooth texture enables me to achieve sharper details. Watercolour paper also comes in various weights. I recommend starting with 140lb. The heavier it is, the less likely it is to buckle under a lot of water. Aim to use top-brand papers such as Arches or Strathmore, because the quality of your paper is very important. 02. Choose your brushes From left to right, size 1 squirrel hair mop brush, Kolinsky sable brushes sizes 6,3,2,1,0, Size 1 liner sable brush Watercolour brushes can vary widely and it can be tough making a decision on which ones to buy. There are both synthetic and natural hair brushes available for watercolour use, and each have their own strengths. I prefer to work with Kolinsky red sable brushes, because the natural fibres hold liquid better than synthetics can, although they are more expensive. Brushes come in many shapes as well, though I most commonly use Rounds ranging from size 0 up to 6. 03. Select the right palette for you A nice perk to working with watercolour is that it can always be re-wetted when dried, so an old palette can be brought back to life in a snap Responsible watercolour artists typically use a large palette divided into wells for their colours. My particular method of working with limited colour palettes has landed me on a small, cheap eight-well palette with two mixing areas. I keep several around, including larger circular palettes in rotation, so that I can dedicate one per painting. This is useful when I’m working on more than one piece at a time. 04. Pick your paints Here are some of my most frequently used watercolours, along with speciality Finetec gold and silver pans Watercolour paints most commonly come in tubes or pans. I prefer to use watercolour tubes because I can achieve better intensity right off the bat. I work with several brands, but my favourites are Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton for basic colours, and Daniel Smith for speciality colours and those that granulate nicely. My techniques for creating texture take advantage of the pigment separation that comes with these speciality colours. Student-quality watercolours won’t get you very far, so I’d recommend spending a little extra on the good stuff, since you’ll have it for some time anyway. Some of my current rotation of watercolours are over five years old! 05. Get additional tools Click to take a closer look at some of Kelly's favourite tools My favourite part of working with watercolour involves the tools that push the medium even further. I most commonly use kosher salt and ice cream salt for texture effects (the latter creates larger texture). I’ll also occasionally mask to preserve an area of paper with the aid of masking fluid or tape. This article was originally published in issue 162 of ImagineFX, the world's leading digital art magazine. Buy issue 162 or subscribe here. Related articles: Paint a mischievous hare in watercolour Create a striking figure painting in watercolour How to create glazes with watercolour View the full article

You're reading Apple Steps Into the Future with MacOS 10.14 Mojave, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Mojave is Apple’s latest version of its macOS, launched more than 34 years after the first Macintosh shipped in 1984. Mojave [Mo-HA-vey] is a North American reservation in the area between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The new name follows … View the full article

Popular email marketing service Mailchimp has launched a new brand identity and design system. The rebrand comes courtesy of COLLINS, working alongside Mailchimp's in-house design team. Notably, it sees the company doing away with its much-loved script logo design in favour of a sans-serif wordmark, and introducing a cheerful yellow as its brand colour. Although we've seen a number of companies say goodbye to their script-based wordmarks in recent years, to its credit Mailchimp hasn't joined the ranks of bland, identikit san-serif logos. The new wordmark uses a custom typeface that is equally full of character. Freddie, Mailchimp's simian mascot, has also had a makeover. The hat and cheeky wink remain firmly in place, but he's now a simplified, single-colour silhouette. The shift also means Freddie can appear alongside the wordmark as part of a more unified system. "Our beloved logo script and Freddie icon had hierarchy issues and never appeared together," explains Mailchimp. "This meant the icon wasn’t always recognisable on its own. Through a process of iteration and refinement, we've developed a wordmark that lives in harmony with the Freddie icon to build equity for both." Quirky photography and illustrations give the design system plenty of energy In 2013, Jessica Hische updated the company's original script logo, making it lighter and more legible. However, this time around Mailchimp has taken the plunge and gone for a full-blown rebrand, introducing completely new design system, and dropping the camelcase styling (it's no longer 'MailChimp' but 'Mailchimp'). Mailchimp describes the mood as "playful and expressive". Cooper Light has been adopted as the brand's main typeface, while a sunny Cavendish yellow brand colour introduces a shot of energy into the system. The new look also uses illustration much more heavily, in a distinctive, off-kilter style. "Our new illustration, motion and photography systems act as the perfect counterpoint to the standardised core brand elements. These expressive parts of our brand are more organic and playful while still communicating a message," says Mailchimp. You can find out more about the rebrand on Mailchimp's website. Read more: All hail the new Uber logo 7 logos we all love to hate (and lessons we can learn) Google logo sparks 'correct design' debate View the full article

To mark World Cleanup Day earlier this month, Futura DDB has turned rubbish into art. The studio worked with Ecologists Without Borders and a group of volunteers to gather rubbish found in the fields and streets of Slovenia. They then turned their findings – from drinks cans and batteries, to bottles, tires, helmets, clothing and furniture – into letters. The images were vectorised and will be made available as a free font. Designers will be able to use what the team call ‘the cleanest font in the world’ in its original, full-colour format, or as a silhouette variant. Granted, it might not be your most widely-used font, but Futura DDB suggests it could be useful for NGOs or any individuals hoping to raise awareness of littering problems. Take a look at how the font was made in the film below. “We want to encourage people to learn and understand the importance of the right behaviour towards nature and proper waste management. That’s why we were extremely happy that we were able to create something memorable from trash, together with hundreds of volunteers collecting it,” says Ecologists Without Borders president Urša Zgojznik. “Now we can finally write and send a clear message to the world as there are more appropriate places for trash than nature.” [Via Branding.news] Read more: How to get a million followers on Instagram 5 classic fonts that are still on trend (and why) 12 colours and the emotions they evoke View the full article

To create this cover for ImagineFX magazine, I went through some pretty well-established steps from my creative process, which can be applied either to character design work or more elaborate illustration work. My aim with this workshop was to focus more on the chosen subject matter than on art techniques. However, it turned out to be more of a lesson on why it’s so important to spend enough time on planning out your pieces properly, so you don’t have to spend your time fixing mistakes later on. How to draw: the best drawing tutorials A job with even the tightest of deadline is manageable if you put in a basic amount of ground work. So read on to learn some dos and don’ts about how to deal with feedback, avoid and fix mistakes, and check out where I nearly mucked things up big time! 01. Work up initial character ideas Start with a basic sketch of your idea After I receive the brief and collection of reference material, I work up a very basic sketch. The ImagineFX team have a pretty clear idea of what they want for the piece, so for the technical aspect it’s more about making something interesting out of some subtle character nuances. That turn of the head, the crook of the smile, the eye contact. These gestures will eventually play a pretty central role in selling the image. 02. Create key shapes Focus on key shapes as you make a new sketch I have a good idea of what I want to do with the figure and her pose, so I sketch it out. I focus on the key details and overall shapes that would both work well and enable me to show off some interesting tribal elements. After I send off my sketch, I receive an edit for the angle of the face, but the rest of the details are approved. 03. Combine sketches to check for errors Create a clean piece of line-work to work from Using the previous sketches as a base, I combine the elements into a single sketch, and then set to work creating a clean piece of line-art to work from. It’s now that I run into my first mistake. At this stage I should have taken a step back and constructed the face properly. Had I done so, I would have seen what would later be revealed as I began to add colour and light. This does happen from time to time, and it comes down to the fact that you can get away with a lot more in a drawing without it becoming problematic, than you can in a painting. 04. Start on the colours Use reference to inform your colour choices I decide on a simple desaturated background to begin with, choosing to focus on a lot of contrast and colour play on the character. During this point in the process I spend time looking up some references. As well as taking some deep dives on Google and Pinterest, I enjoy leafing through Jimmy Nelson’s Before They Pass Away. This is a book about tribal societies around the world, and is filled with beautiful photos on each of them. 05. Introduce light and shade Take care over the details at this stage Once the colours are established, I move on to the lighting and shadows, and in the process run straight into my second mistake. I like to put down my shadows using a Multiply layer: first laying them in very simply and directly, before going over and softening up any edges that need it. I’ll usually spend a good amount of time in this stage to make sure I have something I like before moving on, and while I don’t rush it here, I should have spent a lot more time working out my details beforehand. Yet I had a somewhat painterly result in mind, and this was my second mistake. I had spent time researching the subject matter, but none on working out the precise execution, and this will come back and bite me in the proverbial ass. 06. Fix the background Larger brush strokes can create an abstract feel When I have all the lighting information established, I pop a Normal layer on top of everything and begin to paint for real. At this point, depending on how well I’ve done in the other steps, I usually get to have a lot of fun rendering out neat little details, pushing and pulling volumes, and designing all the little elements that gives a viewer a reason for a second look. It’s during this stage that I decide the background is looking dull, so I try to rectify things with larger brush strokes. I want to leave it abstract, yet use it to help move the eye. However, because I’ve already established the light on the character, I can’t alter the main elements in the background. 07. Streamline my workflow Commit to your work by compositing layers (click the icon in the top right to enlarge the image) As I began to find something I can push to a finish, I decide to commit to what I’ve got so far. So I duplicate all the composite layers that make up the character and combine them separately. This enables me to more easily work with the Smudge and Mixer Brush tools. 08. Go back to the background Sometimes it's best to step away from your work before making changes At this point I realise that I’ve stared at this painting for too long, so I leave it for half a day before coming back to it. And of course, by then I’ve had just enough time to let my insecurities get to me, and so began to fiddle some more with the background. 09. Tackle the values in the scene Think about the effect you're trying to achieve in the background It’s at this point that I look for values rather than colours, and begin to play with the idea of stormy clouds in the background and cold light from an overcast sky contrasting with the tons of reflected light from the landscape. I work more on the character, too – getting her to a place that’s close to her final appearance. Once there, I send it in for ImagineFX’s final approval before finishing. 10. Act on feedback You can't beat some good art direction After the second round of feedback I go to work addressing the team’s notes. In general, there was a call for more colour and a brighter background, perhaps something that would read like a sandstorm. I like the idea of that as a palette, although the sandstorm itself might look odd with the character being so formally dressed. I end up getting what I had wanted before, however – a nice, rough, painterly background – and thanks to the art direction this really helps the image. 11. Increase the contrast Pushing the contrast can create a striking figure The second round of feedback had also done away with her tribal scar patterns, and so I want to leverage the details of the figure in another way, by really pushing the contrast within the figure. Using a Curves adjustment I achieve something I like. Then I begin to do a second round of rendering on top, collapsing all contributing layers down into one for ease of painting. 12. Solve lighting and anatomy issues Lighting the figure correctly is really important As I’m wrapping things up, I decide that the contrast between the background and foreground light isn’t working for me, so I use a Darken layer to alter the colour of the front light, which sets up a clearer contrast. This is something I should have planned from the start, and could have done a much better job in setting up so that the overall effect would have worked better, but sometimes you just have to improvise. I also have to deal with my sloppy initial drawing when I finally realise that the face is reading too wide. I use the Lasso tool to make the necessary adjustments. 13. Add finishing touches Simplify your image at the end of your process One last round of rendering, when I push a few details around and simplify some of the busier parts of the silhouette, and I’m ready to call it done. I add a final Curve adjustment layer to gently move the colours into the blues, to contrast a little more with the background. Lessons learned from my process Overall, I’m happy with how the piece has turned out, although the path I took in getting here was less than optimal. Solid planning prevents poor performance and in this case it’s proved to be true, if not disastrously so. Spend your time where it matters: the initial stages is where you’ll ultimately make or break your image. Check that the fundamentals are solid, that your choices aid the image, and always have a plan that you can refer to. That way you won’t freak out too much when you realise you’ve screwed something up, and you’ll always find a way to finish the piece. I hope this workshop has been helpful, and I also hope the fine people at ImagineFX will have me back sometime in the future! This article originally appeared in issue 162 of ImagineFX, the world's leading magazine for digital artists. Buy issue 162 or subscribe here. Read more: 5 ways to improve your digital art skills How to draw a dragon: 16 pro tips How to draw a face View the full article

More than 20 percent of GitHub repositories containing an attack tool or an exploit proof of concept (PoC) are written in Python. View the full article

Researchers said the vulnerability "is very easy to exploit." View the full article

Coding means different things to different people. When it comes to finding the best laptop for programming, there are a few things to consider. The heart of programming in any language is not particularly demanding – you’re only writing lines of text, which any computer should be able to manage. However, it’s always nice to have some horsepower under the hood. More memory will mean today’s heavyweight Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as Visual Studio will run buttery-smooth, and it becomes easier to make changes when working with complex website layouts that have huge amounts of background code. Large, complex programs compile faster with a faster processor. And while burning the midnight oil for hours when working on a large project, comfortable ergonomics make a big difference, so you’ll be grateful for a great keyboard and decent screen. The best keyboards for designers What’s more, if you think your new idea is going to be the next big hit on Apple’s App Store, you need a laptop running MacOS to use Xcode, Apple’s IDE that’s used exclusively to develop applications for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Similarly, if you’re considering working with game development, within an environment such as UnrealEd or Unity as part of your project, you can’t ignore graphics performance either. Here’s our pick of the best laptop for programming, suitable for a range of budgets. Using a larger 15-inch laptop such as this Dell XPS 15-9570 rather than a 13-inch model for coding makes plenty of sense. It gives you space to lay out windows in your IDE, or see a full-sized GUI for a high-resolution phone or tablet app. In code view, it means you can fit as much text as possible onto a single line, so it’s easier to run through your application. There’s enough space to split the screen, with code on the left and a preview of your app or webpage on the right, which will save some serious time when reloading your work. In addition to the large 4K screen, the XPS15 offers strong performance. Compilation times will be accelerated if you opt for a six-core model, and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti gives this machine some 3D grunt in game design tools as well. For more information, take a look at our sister site TechRadar's Dell XPS 15-9570 review. Despite dated stereotypes of programmers being stuck in bedrooms and offices, many coders see the profession as highly sociable – whether it’s working together on group projects, or attending one of the numerous workshops and conferences that exist all over the country. In that case, you might prefer an alternative to the larger laptops we’ve suggested and instead, put portability at the top of your wish list. The 13-inch Asus Zenbook UX-430 is an ultraportable option – weighing just 1.25kg and measuring 15.9mm – without a massive price tag. However, even though the Zenbook is slim and well priced, it has a specification that’s still great for coding work. While Apple’s MacBook and the now-ancient MacBook Air are the most portable Apple laptops in the range, the 13-inch MacBook Pro received a tasty update this year that makes it our first choice for working with Xcode to develop apps for iOS and MacOS when on the go. Quad-core eight-generation Intel CPUs are now an option, delivering across-the-board performance improvements, making this MacBook both portable and powerful. While it might weigh slightly more than the aforementioned MacBook models, the performance boost will be worth it when running taxing processing tasks, such as heavy-duty coding projects. And since Macs can run Windows just fine via bootcamp or in a virtual machine such as Parallels, you’ll be able to use your Mac to develop apps for any platform on Earth. For Android developers, a Chromebook might seem a natural choice for the best possible integration with Google’s software and services, with full support for running Android software natively. However, Chromebooks are designed to be highly affordable, with available features and performance suffering to bring the price down. While a cheaper Chromebook can still work fine for those who are new to coding (especially children just learning coding skills, for example), the Pixelbook has been designed to compete with the bigger boys in laptops. It still runs ChromeOS, which supports Google’s Android Studio development tools, but the hardware is right up there with a standard Windows laptop. As of writing, full Linux support is in beta as well. You get a dual-core Intel Core i7, 8GB or 16GB of ram and up to a 512GB SSD, with a high resolution 12.3-inch QHD display, delivering 2,400 x 1,600 resolution. It also folds down into a tablet, as per 2-in-1 Windows devices, used in conjunction with an excellent stylus. The brushed aluminium design is absolutely unrivalled by the cheaper Chromebook models as well, with a very comfortable chiclet-style keyboard, and plenty of ports. Rounding off our pick of the best laptops for programming is the ThinkPad p1. With this model, Lenovo has taken the kind of computing experience most of us assume is only possible with a desktop workstation housed in a large box under a desk, and not only made it portable, but squeezed it into a form that in thickness, is close to an Ultrabook. It’s the only laptop of this size that offers professional-grade Xeon processors, with up to six cores, an Nvidia Quadro P2000 graphics card and up to 64GB of memory. You can stuff it with up to 4TB of nVME SSD storage, and opt for a 15.6-inch 4K display that’s not only touch-sensitive, but colour-accurate too. It’s a great general-purpose workstation, capable of all kinds of visual design work and heavy lifting processor-intensive tasks. Of course, it works great for coding as well. That’s partly thanks to Lenovo’s excellent keyboard design, but in general, the ThinkPad P1 is superbly built, including a semi-rugged chassis that can survive light knocks, a very healthy selection of ports, retaining two original USB Gen 1 ports, as well as two newer, Thunderbolt capable USB type C ports and HDMI. Make no mistake, if it’s raw performance you want, this is the laptop to go for. Read more: 10 web skills that pay The best laptop deals for 2018 The best mouse of 2018 View the full article

A lack of authentication in Apple's Device Enrollment Program could allow attackers to scoop up Wi-Fi passwords and VPN configurations. View the full article

When it comes to online art classes, it really is true that you get what you pay for. Invest in high-quality tuition, delivered by leading professionals, and you'll soon find your ability as an artist improving by leaps and bounds. In this post, we've brought together 10 excellent art classes that we reckon are worth every penny. Number one on our list is Drawing Essentials with Glenn Vilppu, in our view the best online art class you can access right now. That's because it drills down into the fundamentals you need to master before you can develop your skills. And it does so in a way that speaks to a beginner as much as an experienced artist. How to choose the right online art class for you When it comes to choosing the right art class for you, there are a number of factors you need to take into account. These include what skill level you currently have: beginner, intermediate or advanced, as not all classes will be relevant to your level. It's also worth checking who's teaching the course, and what their credentials are. That said, just because they're university-level tutors may not mean their classes are any good, or vice versa if they're not; so it's always worth checking out the reviews and testimonials on their site. (If they don't have a section for these, that in itself should set off alarm bells). The best pencils: colouring, drawing and sketching More obviously, different art classes require different media. So check what materials you'll need, as this could significantly affect the overall cost of taking the course. It's also worth seeing whether videos are downloadable, whether course work is provided, and whether there's an option to get feedback on your work from the tutors. (That's unlikely to be the case if you're going for one of the cheaper classes, of course, but once you're moving into the hundreds of pounds, it's probably something something you should expect). If you can't find what you're looking for here, be sure to check out our other quality how to draw tutorials, covering a variety of subjects. Here are 10 of the best online art classes around... 01. Drawing Essentials with Glenn Vilppu Glenn Vilppu is a big name in art education, and for good reason; his six-week drawing class is the best of the best Pros: Covers fundamentals; critiques available Cons: Expensive; time commitment required One of the world’s most famous art teachers, Glenn Vilppu instructs professionals at animation, game and film studios worldwide, as well as universities, art schools and private art academies. And the one problem he constantly comes up against is that many students walk into the class without knowing the fundamentals, such as how to hold a pencil correctly. So this six-week course attempts to fill those knowledge gaps, and is aimed not just beginners but any artists, even professionals, who have never studied formally. At $600, it’s not cheap, but bear in mind you won’t just be passively watching video lectures. The aim is to replicate the experience of attending a real-life art class; so you get your work critiqued weekly, alongside group discussion and the opportunity to get answers directly from Vilppu. You’ll also be able to see critiques of the other students as well, as would happen in a regular live class. Once you're done, Vilppu also offers some world-class figure drawing classes on his site. He strongly recommends you don't jump ahead, and take this class first, however knowledgeable you think you are. 02. Drawing and Sketching for Beginners by Robin Slee Robin Slee's introductory course is a great way to dip your toe into the water Pros: Cheap; feedback offered on work Cons: Only for total newbies; videos not downloadable Right the start of your journey, and want to know what all this art stuff is really about? This introductory-level class on Udemy is a great place to begin, and at $19.99, it's far from a huge financial commitment. Tutor Robin Slee, a self-taught freelance digital artist and illustrator, is keen to get you started on the right track, and covers fundamentals like how to hold a pencil correctly and how to make marks. That might sound childishly basic, but these are not actually intuitive things (as we mentioned in the previous entry, even experienced artists get them wrong), so it's pretty useful to nail them at this early stage. And Slee's instruction is clear, simple, jargon-free and easy to follow. The course consists of over three hours of video content, segmented into 25 modules, accompanied by practical exercises for you to download. There's also a dedicated Q&A section where you can post your questions, ask for feedback, or share your results from the course. 03. Draw and Paint Online: Beginner's Art by Peter Stanyer Peter Stanyer offers high-quality, interactive art tuition at a very affordable price Pros: Covers fundamentals; feedback provided Cons: Requires time commitment; not the cheapest Internationally renowned artist, author and tutor Peter Stanyer has taught art for over 20 years at many different levels in further and higher education. Aimed both at complete beginners and more experienced artists who enjoy recreational drawing, his online art classes will teach you the techniques you need to draw with confidence. All the fundamentals are covered here, including mark making, tone, colour, shape, composition, perspective and more. Requiring around 30 hours of study, this class involves a number of assignments made up of carefully structured, practical, drawing or painting projects. With personal tuition and feedback from Stanyer thrown in as well, this course offers excellent value at just £148. 04. How to Paint: Absolute Beginners Acrylics Course with Will Kemp Learn the foundations of working with acrylic paint in this three-and-a-half-hour online art class Pros: Low price; suitable for beginners Cons: No feedback; just 3.5 hours in total Are you someone who “dreams of becoming an artist but keeps putting it off until you have more time?” If that’s you, then this relatively short and snappy art class could be the kick up the backside you need. Over three-and-a-half hours, Will Kemp - an award-winning artist who’s studied in Italy, run his own art gallery and taught in museums and schools - explains the foundations of working with acrylics and why they're the simplest and most effective way for a beginner to learn to paint. You learn about setup and materials, colour mixing, pigment choice, brush-handling and palette-knife techniques, as well as gels and mediums. Once that's out of the way, you're then encouraged to complete three paintings (a still-life, a landscape, and a seascape) using three different colour palettes. This class is split over seven video lessons, which can be either streamed or downloaded. Kemp suggest you take time off for a “painting week”', in which you take a different lesson every day; alternatively, you might prefer to study one every weekend. He also includes downloadable reference material and although you won't get feedback on your work, at just £49, it's still a bit of bargain. 05. Mastering colour with Richard Robinson Struggling to get your colours right? Richard Robinson can help Pros: Tight focus; low cost Cons: No feedback; only two hours long Fine artist and teacher Richard Robinson asked his students to name the biggest stumbling block when it came to painting, and an astonishing 72 per cent said it was getting their colours right. So in this two-hour art class, which can be both streamed and downloaded, he explains everything you need to know, from how the brain sees and analyse colours, to the key to colour relationships. With 40 practical exercises to complete and 159 pages of printable lesson notes, this class is suitable for everyone from beginner to advanced. It's pretty cheap at just $45, but if you're still not convinced, you can ‘try before you buy’ by viewing the first chapter free on the website. 06. Figure Drawing Fundamentals with Stan Proko Learn how a body is shaped, how it moves, and then how to draw it realistically Pros: Great value; comprehensive instruction Cons: Feedback prioritised for premium subscribers Historically, art schools have always taught a systematic process for drawing people that can be applied to figures of any body type, set in any position. Running across 15 and a half hours of downloadable video, this class delivers exactly that. It's taught by Stan Prokopenko, an accomplished fine art painter who works for the Watts Atelier school in California and shares his knowledge with millions online through both free YouTube videos and more weighty, paid-for courses like this one. Aimed at both beginners and experienced artists looking for a refresher, this figure drawing class will teach you how to draw human figures by breaking down shapes into simple forms. You’ll learn about structure, gesture, balance, exaggeration, proportions, shading and more. And for just $89, you can't say fairer than that. 07. Painting portraits with Mark Carder Mark Carder has painted Presidents, so he's in a good position to teach you about portraiture Pros: No-nonsense style; videos are downloadable Cons: Not right for beginners; no feedback Mark Carder is a highly regarded artist who has painted commissioned portraits of two US Presidents and a US Secretary of State, among others. His online art class demonstrates and explains the process of painting portraits using a photo as your source material. Carder’s style is direct and to the point, with zero waffle and targeted advice throughout, covering how to photograph your subject, draw the face, blend fleshtones, work with a limited colour palette, match colours, and maintain a likeness throughout the process. Some of the specific techniques Carder outlines are a little unusual, and the class doesn't cover how to draw a portrait from life. But if that doesn't put you off, these eight hours of downloadable videos, aimed at intermediate and advanced artists, are top quality, well structured, and offer fascinating insights from an artist at the top of his profession; all of which isn't bad for $100. 08. Charcoal Drawing with Aaron Blaise Disney's Aaron Blaise offers you the benefit of his expertise and experience when it comes to drawing with charcoal Pros: Famous tutor; engaging style Cons: Not right for beginners; no feedback Aaron Blaise spent 21 years of his life as an animator on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Lion King and Brother Bear, which he co-directed. He’s now left the movie business, but Disney’s loss is the art world’s gain, as he’s turned his hand to teaching digital painting. And it turns out he’s very good at it. In this art class, Blaise creates a charcoal drawing of a lioness, in real time, across five hours and 30 minutes. He draws from a photograph, and you can download a high resolution version of this image, print it out, and follow along at home. Blaise’s commentary is insightful, informative and really helps you follow what he’s doing. He always strikes the right tone: always helpful, never patronising. You'll need some basic drawing skills to follow this class, so it’s not suitable for total beginners. But overall, this is a high-quality class for anyone wanting to get to grips with charcoal, wildlife drawing, or both; and £45 seems a pretty fair price. 09. Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style Yuko Shimizu offers an invaluable insight into the secrets of ink drawings as part of a Skillshare subscription Pro: Comprehensive guide; short and to the point Cons: Requires Skillshare subscription; no feedback Yuko Shimizu is a Japanese illustrator based in New York City and a veteran instructor at the School of Visual Arts. In this online class, hosted on the Skillshare platform, she offers a detailed guide to essential inking and drawing techniques. Subjects covered include the differences between types of papers and inks; basic brush, nib, and ink techniques; Asian vs. watercolour brushes; and sketching and scanning essentials. In short, there’s a huge amount of ground covered in this 90 minute class, made up of 15 separate lessons, and everyone from the novice to the experienced inker will benefit. You can’t actually buy the course separately; you’ll need a Skillshare subscription to unlock it. But at just £7 a month you might fancy that anyway; and at time of writing there's a two-month free trial offer, with the option to cancel at any time. 10. Activate the canvas with Nancy Hillis Want to shift from representational art to something more abstract? Then this is the online art class for you Pros: Unique approach; potentially life-changing Cons: Expensive; no feedback given Fed up of making representational art, and want to walk on the wild side? This five-module, self-paced art class will guide you through your first steps in abstract painting. You'll discover how to experiment, loosen up as artist and unleash a brand new perspective on your art. In each module, Nancy Hillis, abstract artist and psychiatrist, walks you through a systematic process for reflecting on your inner landscape and mindset. Included are a written lesson and between three and seven video demonstrations that walk you through ways of “activating the canvas”. There are a few pricing options, but the cheapest one costs $197 and buys you one year of access to the class, which is suitable for both beginners and experienced artists; because it’s not really about technique but unlocking your creativity. In return, Nancy says, “You'll learn exciting ways to create bold, raw, immediate and alive paintings by activating the canvas intuitively.” Read more: 5 ways to improve your digital art skills How to paint like a 19th century master 18 watercolour techniques every artist should know View the full article

There are many ways to use your design and illustration skills to generate extra income, over and above picking up freelance work. For many creatives, profit isn’t top of the agenda when planning a side project. It’s a bonus, rather than the main goal. However, even if side projects don’t bring in extra income immediately, the boost to your graphic design portfolio can lead to work indirectly – or make money in unexpected ways further down the line. Here, we explore four ways designers have branched out and turned a sideline project into a big earner. Main image: Radim Malinic and Tamás Árpádi 01. Sell digital assets Diana Hlevnjak sells patterns and textures via Shutterstock and iStock, as well as her own site Diana Hlevnjak was working for a small web design firm when personal circumstances led her to relocate to another city. She managed to work remotely for a while, but times were tough and her contract was terminated shortly before the company shut down. Hlevnjak had been selling digital assets through stock libraries for some additional income, but there wasn’t enough to cover her costs. She focused all her efforts on the task to see how lucrative it could be. “I liked the fact I didn’t have to deal with sales, clients, meetings and similar tasks that introverts don’t like,” she confesses. “It also meant I could work from anywhere.” When she first started out, the returns were low, but gained momentum as she kept putting up more and more products on more and more platforms. Hlevnjak’s focus was on graphic resources such as patterns and textures, an area she’s passionate about. This is crucial, she argues, to stay motivated when building up a large portfolio of assets. I liked the fact I didn’t have to deal with sales, clients, meetings and similar tasks that introverts don’t like Diana Hlevnjak She watches trends across illustration and design, as well as fashion, interiors and architecture. “Last summer was big on monstera and cacti plants, which came from Scandinavian interior design,” she says. Although her work is still sold on Shutterstock and iStock, Hlevnjak points out that the volume of assets on the large libraries means things that are on-trend one month are soon buried beneath new trends. She has instead been focusing her efforts on more niche marketplaces such as Creative Market, where watercolour illustrations and textures tend to fare well, as well as her own website: Polar Vectors. The strategy has paid off: Hlevnjak has successfully managed to turn an occasional sideline into her primary earner. “As a freelancer, I am accepting less and less client work, and it’s become a minority of my revenue,” she reveals. 02. Teach a Skillshare course Online courses are a practical option if you have a busy schedule Following her success on the conference circuit and growing love of public speaking, Jessica Hische decided to turn her hand to teaching – and her hectic schedule meant an online course was the best option. “I haven’t been in a position to commit to teaching at a university – I’m hardly ever in one place for 15 weeks straight,” she explains. “Skillshare was a good in-between of an on-stage talk and a more intimate classroom. You can pour more into an online course than you can a one-hour talk, but it does scale, unlike in-person teaching.” You can pour more into an online course than you can a one-hour talk, but it does scale, unlike in-person teaching Hische’s first course was based on her Penguin Drop Caps book project, which was itself inspired by one of her best-known side projects: Daily Drop Cap. Although Hische was responsible for putting together the course content, Skillshare took care of all the “production heavy lifting”, including filming and editing. Her second course took a more general angle, focusing on the logo development, feedback and the revision process. “It’s been a very good source of income over the years, especially when it first launched and they had a different model for paying teachers,” she reveals. “Initially they sold tickets to each course and teachers made 75–85 per cent of the ticket cost, but a couple of years in they switched to a membership model that does revenue sharing based on class popularity,” Hische continues. “But not every teacher earns a lot from online teaching platforms,” she warns. “You do really need an audience that’s already interested in your work to take that leap to starting a class.” Take a look at Hische’s Skillshare courses here. 03. Speak at events Even if they don't pay, speaking opportunities can open plenty of doors A common thread evident with many of the creatives featured here is public speaking – not just as an income stream in and of itself, but also as a springboard to other opportunities. Jessica Hische, Jon Burgerman and Gavin Strange have all clocked up their fair share of design talks around the world. “I was first asked to speak about my work because of Daily Drop Cap,” recalls Hische, revealing yet another major opportunity spun off from that one killer side project. “After gaining a bit of experience, the demand snowballed. I was very nervous at first, but with a little practice it has come more naturally to me. I became a good speaker, and conferences are always on the hunt for strong female voices in their lineup,” she points out. “I try not to do speaking jobs unless I’m paid, or it’s for a good cause,” reveals Burgerman. “It’s work, so I need to be paid! Otherwise there are books and movies I’d rather be catching up on.” Conferences are always on the hunt for strong female voices in their lineup Jessica Hische While talks at schools, colleges and non-profits are rarely paid, full-blown conferences tend to offer a fee, plus travel and accommodation. “Fees range between $1,500–10,000, with almost all events that I enjoy talking at falling on the lower end of that range,” explains Hische. “The more you’re paid, the more likely it’ll be a very business-like conference, rather than a looser creative event.” She has several ways of figuring out the right speaking fee, including taking into account how much prep time is involved and how long she’ll need to be out of the office. Like Hische, Strange insists on transport and accommodation to be paid as a minimum, and always asks for a speaker’s fee for more commercial-focused talks for businesses. “Depending on the size of the festival, some pay and some don’t,” adds Strange. “Over the years I’ve become comfortable having that conversation. They’re nice bonuses to have, but I didn’t get into speaking for money,” he concludes. “It’s the joy and excitement of having the privilege to do so.” 04. Write a book Gavin Strange turned reams of talk notes into a book After almost eight years of writing talks – a totally new one each year – Gavin Strange ended up with a vast bank of written notes. After speaking at The Do Lectures he was handed a book by David Hyatt, co-founder of Do. “I loved it because it was so inspiring, but it was also formatted a lot like how I structure my talks,” he recalls. “For the first time ever I thought, maybe I can write a book?” He got in touch, and the rest was history. Working closely with Miranda West, editor and founder of the Do Book Company, his book – Do Fly – took shape. Although profit is never high on the agenda for Strange’s side projects, Do Fly provides him with some royalties every quarter, and has recently been licensed to indie publisher Chronicle Books to distribute in the United States. Appetite duly whetted, Strange is already thinking about his next book – and how it could be timed to coincide with turning 40 in a few years’ time. 05. Design products Jon Burgerman has transferred his designs onto a range of items Over the years, Nottingham-born, NYC-based doodle master Jon Burgerman has dabbled in a dizzying array of self-branded merchandise, from toys, prints, books and T-shirts to mugs, laptop sleeves and wallpaper. Of course, he had to start somewhere and learnt a few lessons the hard way: “Always make things in small batches first, and see how your market reacts,” speaks the wisdom of experience. “Don’t make a thousand T-shirts. Make 10. I think there’s a basement in Nottingham that still has a few boxes of my unsold T-shirts in it,” he winces. “Hand-make stuff to keep the manufacturing costs down for low runs,” he continues. “There are lots of print on-demand sites, so make some test pieces, show them to people, and see if anyone will buy them. Go from there. Dead stock can be costly!” Don’t make a thousand T-shirts. Make 10... Dead stock can be costly! Jon Burgerman Burgerman also advises thinking about distribution from the outset, however small-scale your operation. “It’s super-easy to make stuff, but how are you going to sell it? Where will people buy it? And how are you going to ship the stuff out?” he reels off. “It’s not fun spending all day and night packing up little toys into custom-made boxes, then waiting in a huge Post Office queue to send them out,” he adds. “Then there’s things like dealing with missing packages, and grumpy customers who want everything delivered the minute they place their order.” Ultimately, it all paid off for Burgerman – but his experiences are a cautionary tale for anyone keen to sell their own products online. Thinking of creating your own products? Take a look at our guides to how to succeed as a designer-maker and our business tips for selling design goods for more advice. This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 281 or subscribe. Read more: 5 questions to ask yourself before designing a T-shirt Top tips for boosting sales of your designs online 4 great online shop solutions View the full article

If you switch on BBC Two tonight for your daily dose of Eggheads, you'll notice that the channel is looking different. That's because today sees the launch of 16 new idents created by British and international animators. This is the first time in two decades that the channel has been given a complete refresh, and it's hoped that the new look, which has a touch of trompe l'oeil about it, will better complement its schedule. 14 magically meticulous design style guides Created in partnership between the BBC’s in-house agency BBC Creative and brand agency Superunion, the refresh involved collaboration with the likes of The Mill, Mainframe, and FutureDeluxe. Centred around a visual signifier whose curved shape suggests the number two, the new idents tackle the same brief in a range of creative ways, with animations including colourful blobs, furry scuttling creatures, and hypnotic swirling patterns. Check them out in the video below, complete with audio created by award-winning British composer and sound designer Alex Baranowski. These new idents do mean that viewer favourites, such as the fibre optic, paint splatter and neon strip light idents, have been retired to telly heaven. And while we can still relive them on YouTube, it's sad to see them go. Maybe they'd had their time, though. BBC Two is all about pushing the envelope and providing an alternative outlook, so these new idents feel like a perfect fit. Seen in action, the new idents wrap around programme footage nicely, and the array of styles helps to keep the rebrand fresh. "The new channel branding reflects this constantly eclectic and stimulating mix of programming and I am so excited to see it help define this next stage of the channel’s evolution," said Patrick Holland, controller of BBC Two. "BBC Two exists to bring complex subjects and stimulating content to big mainstream audiences," said Mark Tierney, BBC Portfolio head of marketing, specialist mainstream. "The branding challenge is how to package that content, in all its wonderful diversity, in a consistent and memorable way that helps audiences understand what BBC Two is. This project is one of those gift briefs that has an immediate effect on popular culture Laurent Simon "This set of new idents wraps all our programmes and our trails in clear, distinctive and flexible yet consistent branding which can adapt all the time to reflect the variety of our content." Laurent Simon, executive creative director, BBC Creative added: "This project is one of those gift briefs that not only allow for the best art and design minds in the country to come together - but also has an immediate effect on popular culture with millions of eyes seeing it every day." Superunion also feels this has been a "gift brief," with Stuart Radford, executive creative director and Katherina Tudball, creative director, saying: "It’s been a privilege to work with the BBC on one of Britain’s most iconic TV brands. Collectively we’ve developed a new approach to channel identity that continuously and seamlessly reflects the breadth of emotions evoked by BBC Two’s stimulating content. Our diverse range of idents allows artistic freedom to our collaborators (much like the channel does for its programme creators), all unified by the iconic curve of the numeral 2." New idents will accompany this initial batch soon, with animations from the likes of Aardman on the way. Related articles: Behind the scenes of the BBC Winter Olympics animation BBC starts rolling out new digital-friendly font Behind the scenes on the design of the BBC's new font View the full article

If you want to design 2D, 3D, or VR games, this is the place to start. With The Unity 3D & VR Game Development Bundle, you'll learn the ropes of Unity, one of the most popular game engines in the world. Starting from the introductory level, this training will get you to the level of a top-notch, experienced game developer in no time at all. You'll master the coding and scripting knowledge necessary to build one-of-a-kind games. You'll also learn how to make money as a game developer because let's face it – if you're doing something you love and making a living that way, it won't feel like work. Learn how to make the big bucks by building 177 games in all different types of formats. Get The Unity 3D & VR Game Development Bundle for only $39. Related articles: Create an atmospheric game environment 7 tips for the perfect 3D gaming portfolio Design a playable avatar for a video game View the full article

Like any adventure in life, there is no right or wrong way to embark upon setting up your own VFX studio. But to see how others have done it, we spoke to several people who have set up on their own in the world of 3D movies. Read on to discover their hints and tips and experiences, and prepare to be inspired, regardless of where you are in your career. 01. Start small and scale up The eighth series of Doctor Who presented Milk with the opportunity to create some of its biggest VFX to date There's no question that the majority of VFX studios are born when one or more senior artists depart an established studio in order to set out on their own. This is exactly how Milk VFX came about in June 2013. CEO Will Cohen explains: "When The Mill took the decision to close the Film & TV department, a small group of us seized the unique opportunity to set up on our own." Milk got started in London with just 40 people and three key projects, Sherlock series three, Doctor Who's 50th anniversary episode, and a TV adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. From there it has grown into a studio famed for its work across high-end film and television projects. In 2017 Milk VFX ranked at number 73 in The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 Within four years, the team had gradually grown to 150 people, and opened a second small studio in Cardiff, Wales. Today it has 250 artists onboard, and has also just announced a third studio space in Fitzrovia, London. When asked how the studio was able to establish such a sturdy reputation in the heart of the industry, Cohen puts it all down to the team's combined experience. "We were very fortunate with the contacts and track record we had between us. And then, the work we were able to secure helped us build our reputation for high quality. We went on to win our first BAFTA Television Craft Award for Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor – which was like a fairytale for us." 02. Save hard and spend smart Sound investment saw Milk land work on top films such as Hercules There's the small matter of reaching the end of your first year with money in the bank, which is a make-or-break time for any new business. "We were a self-funded enterprise, we didn’t start with millions of pounds," explains Cohen. "Two key decisions helped us: investing money and energy in branding Milk properly when we set up and later (in 2017) taking on the investment from the BGF and deciding to grow the business with a proper strategy." Cohen also states that ensuring the technical scalability of the business was also a crucial factor in their early success, particularly their investment in cloud technology. Lexhag also makes equipment, 3D prints props, helps design sets, builds camera rigs and more It was a slightly different journey for Alexis Haggar when he founded his VFX studio Lexhag in 2009. "Up until that point, I'd graduated from film school and landed in the special effects industry," he explains. "It was around the time that CGI was becoming more mainstream, no longer a luxury but a necessity for many productions. Regularly we'd talk about how CG would take over the FX industry altogether. At school, I had created my Art A-Level final piece in 3D animation, so I was kind of already up to speed with some of the professional software." Haggar continued to progress his career in SFX until he met Paul McGuinness, a BBC visual effects veteran known for work across practical and digital effects. "I worked with him for a few years, gaining lots of knowledge and experience in both areas and shortly after a brilliant stint of work with him, I decided it was time to set up Lexhag," says Haggar. From there he spent the entirety of his savings on the rental of a small basement in Soho. The rest, as they say, is history. 03. Focus on your niche A bustling studio can wait, the first steps involve starting small Despite not having a wealth of experience in the VFX industry, Haggar maintains that his combined experience gave him a unique edge. "If anything, I had more of a round view of the industry. My journey was about knowing the filmmakers and working with them to create their visions." "Obviously, knowing how to produce VFX shots and having a reliable core skill is also essential, and when you win your first job you'll more than likely be hiring others to work with you, and building a team." Early on Lexhag's reputation was built on projects that combined practical and digital effects, as well as Haggar's keen interest in the horror genre. It was this that led it to work on their first television series, Charlie Brooker's Dead Set. He continues: "It's a hugely competitive market, so anything that makes you stand out is good. Having a niche and doing something very well, that you can repeat, means you can create a more sustainable business." From once being a luxury, CGI has now become a staple in television and films The unfortunate side effect of having a niche is becoming pigeonholed, something Lexhag combat by consistently learning and experimenting with new techniques or technologies. "We're a creative problem-solving company, solving story-driven challenges. Our team is multi-skilled and we love using all our skills to create; we make CGI, we shoot elements, make equipment, we prototype physical ideas, 3D print and develop props, help design sets, build characters, design camera rigs and loads more," states Haggar. For those considering a venture similar to Haggar's, he has some sage advice: "It's hard work and you have to work smart. Be prepared to do a bit of everything, not just what you love. You'll need to be the type of person that can focus their efforts, and enjoy all aspects of running a business." "As boring as it sounds, having a good accounts system and delivery pipeline will be paramount to the success of your studio and most important of all, looking after your people." 04. Don't be picky (to start with) Rob Redman claims that anyone running their own VFX studio should be prepared to spend a third of their time doing admin For owner of Pariah Studios (and the editor of 3D World) Rob Redman, it wasn't necessary to go all in with his life savings. "I was a photographer for years and I was doing a lot of image editing, which then developed into 3D," he explains. "I started Pariah Studios as a freelance, 'on-the-side' thing. It didn’t become a limited company for years, but I started building up." Redman asserts that he enjoyed the creative freedom that this kind of organic growth allowed. "I had design and 3D and camera work all running together," he adds. Early on in the life of any studio, the freedom to pick and choose projects is going to be an unaffordable luxury. As Redman explains: "At first you don’t have a reputation, or if you do it’s within someone else’s company." "You won’t get much coming in to start with, so you take it all, it's only when you start getting more that you can pick and choose. Don't forget that in another couple of years, you've got to budget for newer gear and faster computers." 05. Choose a good location This burning landscape made by Milk for Altered Carbon isn't the best location to work in Cohen believes that experience and location are important to setting up a successful studio: "We found when we started that people really want to know who you are and what you’ve done, so that experience is crucial." He adds: "Location is extremely important in terms of talent pools and clients. Especially with London – though things have shifted a little over the last couple of years, there is a significant pool of talent in Soho/ Fitzrovia and it is, of course, the traditional film business location for clients and is still where they like to be – enabling them to walk around to the various companies." Despite having some clear advantages, there's always hurdles for any fledgling studio to clear. Cohen explains that convincing potential clients that they could handle large-scale jobs was one of the biggest challenges initially. "Keeping the order book full at the same time as keeping an eye on the jobs we are doing is still a challenge today," he adds. Working from one fixed location could become a thing of the past For Redman and Haggar, location is less of a concern in the contemporary VFX industry. "These days, remote working is common and many people work from around the globe. If you're based in the UK, Soho still has its benefits, but for how long, I'm not sure," states Haggar. According to Redman: "You can be in a log cabin in the woods somewhere, as long as you've got an internet connection and you stay part of the community, it doesn't matter." The means to start your own studio are now more readily accessible than ever, but that doesn't mean it's any easier. "It's easier to set up, but harder to succeed," says Redman. "As it becomes more widespread, you'll have 300 people trying to do the same thing that only ten people were doing a decade ago." With the insight of our experienced contributors, plus enough drive and creativity, you may have what it takes to set up your own VFX studio, so why not go and find out? This article was originally published in issue 237 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Subscribe to 3D World here. Related articles: Will Brexit wreck the VFX industry? Black Panther's epic VFX Big VFX on a budget View the full article

Hackers see green field opportunities in vulnerable software supply chains. View the full article

Can a mobile phone really make a significant impact on your creativity? Watch any major handset launch video, and the claims made in this regard are lofty. But actually, when you take look at the world's best smartphones, they're packed with features that could genuinely make your projects easier, more sharable and even better. (Pair them with the best iPhone apps and Android apps for creatives and you're laughing.) So what's the best smartphone in the world right now? The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 gets our vote, thanks to its magnificent screen, dedicated S Pen and all around greatness. If it's within your budget and you're not bothered about the new iPhones, we recommend you make a beeline for the Note 9. The best camera phones you can buy 10 apps for endless design inspiration But there's a lot of choice out there. In this guide, we'll walk through the top contenders in all shapes and sizes, from a variety of manufacturers and budgets, and including Android and iOS options, to help you decide which mobile phone to buy. Of course, screen quality and processing power are considerations you need to make. But we'll also tell you the best camera phone to grab if fantastic photography is a greater consideration for you, or if you're buying on a shoestring. Keep reading to discover the best mobile phones right now. The world's best smartphones right now Right now, we think the best smartphone overall is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. It's just so good in so many areas – and could be a genuine game-changer for your workflow. The colours and clarity on that massive screen will make your visual projects sing, and we love the extra functionality featured with the improved S Pen stylus that comes in the box. It means you can get so much more from your Note 9, especially on the move. The battery's been cranked up to an enormous 4,000mAh – very few other smartphones come close to this. All that RAM and state-of-the-art chipset means it'll handle pretty much any task you throw at it, including the brave new world of VR. Of course, the Note 9 isn't the cheapest option in this list of the best smartphones in the world (there are plenty of more affordable options below). And the price only escalates if you decide you want to upgrade to 1TB of onboard storage. But if you can stretch to this super-sized Samsung, you won't be disappointed. Huawei (pronounced hu-wah-wey, if you’re interested) has dramatically upped its game recently with its range of Android-powered smartphones – the Huawei P20 Pro being the best its ever produced. Boasting a Full HD display, all-day battery life and an incredible camera set up (triple Leica with 40MP sensor), the P20 Pro is really upping the competition for Apple and Samsung. Aside from its incredible camera, the phone's broad 6.1-inch screen is a real boon for seeing finer details in your designs and illustrations, or comfortably utilising the keyboard and CMS. Try as we may, it's a real struggle to pick fault with the Huawei P20 Pro – even the price is a lot friendlier than its direct competitors. If you saw us banging on about how good the Note 9 is, above, but balked at the cost, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an easy sell. The newer iteration isn't a dramatic improvement on its 2017 predecessor – but it does make the Note 8 much more affordable. It's a big, bad brute of a phablet with fantastic cameras and the kind of processing power that wouldn't look weak in a cheap laptop. Snazzy features to help you get the most from the impressive dual lens main camera include live focus for instant bokeh, and potent optical and digital zoom. It might be superseded, but on a features-price ratio, the Note 8 remains one of the best smartphones in the world. If you've been scrimping and saving (or have a very generous equipment budget) for the latest, greatest Apple smartphone, then you may as well just go straight ahead and buy the iPhone XS Max. This 6.5-inch, $1,000/£1,000+ monster of a mobile is packed with more than 3 million pixels: it's scarcely believable. We've never seen a screen on a smartphone like it. The scope it gives you to work creatively, accurately and professionally on the go is unsurpassed. The new Bionic A12 chip promises staggering processing power, helping you render images faster and work as though you were on a laptop. And being an Apple iPhone, it has a couple of best-in-class cameras. There's just one thing to remember – it's pronounced "10-S Max". If you're spending this much on a phone, you'll at least want to get the name right when you're telling your friends about it. The last of the Plus models (for now at least), the iPhone 8 Plus is the newest big-screen Apple smartphone without an X in its name. While the screen remains largely the same as the 1080p iPhone 7 Plus, the camera on the 8 Plus is its real selling point. It’s a dual-camera affair, but unlike Huawei and Leica’s offerings, the iPhone 8 Plus camera is all about that 1x to 2x optical zoom. Build quality is better than anything out there (possibly excluding Samsung's phones) and features such as 3D Touch and Touch ID with Apple Pay make it a real winner. And of course, the depth and breadth of iPhone apps for creatives is always a swaying point. A 6.3-inch smartphone for around the £200/$200-mark should ring alarm bells – it must be terribly slow to use, have awful cameras or at least be downright ugly, right? Wrong, actually, and the Honor Play is proof. Notionally intended for gamers, that massive Full HD+ display and HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset mean that it comes close to matching some of the world's best smartphones in those areas. The 16Mp dual lens main camera is well up to the job for Instagram-friendly shots (although low light photography does start to become a struggle), while its svelte dimensions and full-metal unibody cover mean the Honor Play has the look and feel of a flagship phone, too. All this makes it easily our top recommendation if you're looking for a cheap smartphone. If photography's your thing, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. Just a cursory read of some of the specs on board this best-in-class camera phone will give you an indication, starting with the 12MP cameras with adjustable f/1.5 aperture on the rear of the handset. Even in low light, the S9 Plus takes stunning snaps. It's equally impressive for video (we have a bit of a soft spot for the super slow mo 960fps function) and photos from the front camera are also excellent. Highly recommended. With so many makes and models available, it can be hard to stand out from the mobile phone mob. The Google Pixel 2 XL tries, and succeeds, by concentrating on camera functionality without costing you a fortune. It's hard not to be impressed by the photos you get with the f/1.8 aperture and 12.2MP sensor on the main camera, but give the 4K video capture and HDR+ feature a go and you'll be gobsmacked by the quality. It also packs in true OIS and zero shutter lag, and of course there's an array of compatible apps in the Play Store. Bear in mind that you'll be stuck with a bulky bezel that most other phones have now eschewed. But compare the price to some other phones on this list, and you may just be tempted to pick the Pixel 2 XL. Also read: The best laptops for video editing Sony has a rich heritage in camera tech, and the Motion Eye technology in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a continuation of that. For one, it features super-slow motion video – recording at 960 frames per second. Yes, 960! Next, there’s predictive capture, which basically starts buffering your shot a second before the shutter is pressed – and then gives you four images to pick from. Its 19-megapixel sensor also has intelligent exposure controls to automatically adjust light levels (there’s also manual focus controls), while 5-axis stabilisation should make for steady 4K videos. The other big selling point of the 2017 XZ Premium (its elder statesmanship means it's now a lot cheaper) is that it was the first smartphone to have a 4K HDR display, which means a delightful screen on which to play back your creations. Also read: The best laptops for graphic design Is iPhone XS the best camera phone for designers? The best camera for photography View the full article

Design Manchester is a city-wide festival of creativity and design, and encompasses over 40 talks, debates, films, workshops, exhibitions, fairs and parties all over the city. Its sixth outing is based around the theme of disruption, and there’s an awesome lineup of speakers confirmed, including Morag Myerscough, Anthony Burrill and Kate Dawkins. This year’s festival runs from 10-21 October, with workshops preceding the event on 6 and 7 October. “This year the festival celebrates the noise makers, the pioneers and the inspiring creators. The unapologetically smart and funny, the humble and inspiring. The ones with the business upfront and the party at the back” say the organisers. Read on for a taste of what to expect - for the full programme and tickets for all events visit the Design Manchester website. D(isrupt)M: Transformation by Design Morag Myerscough is part of the awesome speaker lineup The festival’s flagship event is the DM18 Conference, which takes place on 19 October and is hosted by Creative Review’s Patrick Burgoyne. There will be talks from artist and creator Morag Myerscough, graphic artist and print-maker Anthony Burrill, BAFTA-winning experience designer Kate Dawkins, DesignStudio co-founder Ben Wright, and Studio Dumbar creative director Liza Enebeis, Wolff Olins founder Michael Wolff, Matt Ipcar of Blue State Digital, and Kaye Dunnings, creative director of Glastonbury’s Shangri-La. As well as this awesome programme of talks, there will be separate areas hosting workshops, seminars, interactive installations, Q and As, craft and making. Buy tickets to the D(isrupt)M Conference The Great Debate: Should all schools be art schools? Experts will discuss the best way forward for design education Taking place in the evening of 11 October, key figures from the design industry will be exploring the tricky issue of design education. They’ll be discussing how we can improve our educational policies to meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, and the best ways to create pathways so that all young people with talent can succeed. Talks and workshops A huge selection of lectures, talks, workshops and tours are lined up for the festival. There’s a little something on everything, from coding (CoderDojo) to designer-making (Salford Makers party and workshops at Islington Mill) to architecture (DM18 x RIBA lecture with architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell), to film (a screening of Sofia Olin’s Lost in Vagueness with director intro and panel discussion), to good old design (design critic Alice Rawsthorn discussing her book Design as an Attitude). Exhibitions Art fans are also in for a treat. There are exhibitions and show going on all over the city. The extensive programme includes Life on the Outskirts: Helen Storey in The Vertical Gallery at Manchester School of Art, Drawing the Modern: the work of Gordon Hodkinson in the Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Gallery and Breaking/Faking News: Patrick Thomas in the window of Fred Aldous. Fairs Its the ideal time to pick up some contemporary art (or a print) Finally, there's a chance to shop for handcrafted printed gifts and homewares from local independent makers. The DM18 x The Manchester Print Fair will run from 20-21 October at the Whitworth on 20-21 October, with over 50 stalls (plus workshops from G . F Smith). There’s also the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair – an annual showcase of cutting-edge craft and design from over 150 designer-makers – and the Manchester Art Fair, where over 120 galleries and artists will be selling modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography and editioned prints at a range of prices. Read more: 45 awesome packaging designs 15 ways to stay motivated for longer The best software for digital artists View the full article

You're reading How to Create a Minimalist Website Design [YouTube Tutorial], originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Today I will show you how to create a minimal style website using Slides framework. In this video tutorial, I will explain how to work with the Slides App, how to use the manual, how to use the examples and … View the full article

While there are a number of other CSS preprocessors to choose from, Sass has long been the most popular option in the web community (don't know what we're talking about? Read What is Sass? first). It's feature-rich, stable and powerful. What's more, the massive community of users mean support and advice are top-notch. In this article, we offer 10 top tips for getting more from Sass. 01. Nesting The ability to mirror the nested hierarchy style of HTML in CSS is arguably the biggest improvement that Sass brings as a preprocessor to plain CSS. It stops you from repeating yourself constantly, makes project maintenance easier, and is far more pleasant to read as you can see exactly what rule relates to which selector: 02. Reference symbol When nesting, you can use the & symbol to reference the parent element. This helps in two main ways. Firstly, you can neatly nest pseudo-states or elements: ... but also to combat pesky overwrite issues: 03. Variables All variables in Sass begin with a $ symbol followed by the name (without spaces): Which makes handling global values such as colours, fonts and breakpoints infinitely easier. 04. Object variables In Sass, variables can also be stored as an object for cleanliness. Here is a small object of variables for breakpoints: In order to retrieve a variable stored in this way, you can use a built-in Sass function called map-get to return one of the variables based on a key passed in as an argument. Here we'll use it to set the max-width value of a @media query: CSS does now have the var() function to be able to create simple variables with -- prepended, but the Sass preprocessor version is much more powerful. 05. Mixins Mixins bring the power of reusable code to CSS. Rather than having to go throughout a stylesheet and change a property multiple times, you can just handily change it inside a mixin: You can also set parameters for your mixins so that you can use the same styles but with slight adjustments based on your needs. You can even set default parameters for those arguments: 06. Functions Functions and mixins can often be interchangeable and accomplish the same result, but their purposes are slightly different. As with many things in programming, the answer is use logic: mixins are used more for includes, and functions are more for returning values. For example, the breakpoint-var() function we used earlier has a return not seen in mixins. 07. @extends This is brilliant for reducing duplication in your CSS, allowing classes to share a set of properties with one another. You can even extend multiple selectors in the same rule using a comma-separated list: It can also be great for simplifying the way you name classes: The only downside to this we would raise is the drastic increase in the size of your stylesheet if you use it constantly. 08. @import There's nothing more intimidating or headache-inducing than an overly large stylesheet, particularly if you're scouring through it for a particular part. Thankfully Sass allows you to separate your styles into multiple files, and then use @import to bring then in as and when you need them! The typical naming convention for a partial is prepending an underscore before the file name and then importing it with its name. For example, if we wanted to import separate styles for buttons, we would name the file _buttons.scss and then add: @import buttons;. Just like @extend, you can import multiple imports using a comma-separated list: You can import inside a selector – if it makes sense based on the contents of your partial: And your partials don't even have to be on the same directory level: This gives you complete freedom in architecting the layout of your styles. 09. Looping You can loop in Sass using three main rules: @for – Loop for a set amount of iterations, with access to the index on each loop @while – Loop until the check in place is no longer true @each – Loop through every item in a given list If you have experience with JavaScript (or most programming languages) you will have been exposed on some level to these principles and they can be just as powerful in your styling as they are there. For example, Bootstrap's entire flex-based grid system is built in Sass using all of these heavily. A simpler example could be looping five times to quickly created a staggered fade-in animation for items using nth-child: 10. Interpolation The @each loop works really well with a powerful feature called interpolation; a way of using the content of the values you're looping (syntax is #{VALUE}) in the output itself. So, if we'd like to set up our heading rules using an object variable with keys and fonts, we could do the following: This article was originally published in creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 276 or subscribe. Read more: An introduction to CSS custom properties 5 tips for super-fast CSS Explore the new frontier of CSS animation View the full article

In this article, I will offer some hints and tips on how to give bird feathers a more three-dimensional finish. For more tips, take a look at our article on how to draw animals. I'll be using the example of a drawing of an osprey – you can see the finished thing below. Hit the icon in the top right to enlarge the image For this artwork, I used Rembrandt soft pastels and a mixture of Derwent and Cretacolor pastel pencils on Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper, which has a fine, sandpaper-like texture. I have accumulated a wide range of pastel pencils in various shades over the years, and use Derwent for its softer texture, while Cretacolor’s pastel pencils are harder and can be sharpened to fine point for the details. For most of my artwork, I like my paper to have a little ‘tooth’. However, if I’m creating a human portrait for instance, a more absorbent paper – such as Clairefontaine Pastelmat – is better, as it allows for blending to a smoother finish for skin. 01. Draw the outlines and add a base colour Blend the base colour with a polystyrene tool The first step is to draw the outline of the feathers. I work from photos to reproduce details as accurately as I can. Each feather has a base colour applied – I use the photograph to choose the range of colours I need. This base colour is then blended to create a smooth surface using a piece of polystyrene cut to a pencil shape. 02. Use three different shades One side of the feather will be darker than the other The second step is to chose three different shades (light, medium and dark) for the next layer. You need to study each feather to see where the light falls – one side will always be darker than the other. To give the striped effect to each feather, I stroke with the pencil from the feather edge towards the middle. Note the darkest parts are always under the feather. 03. Add highlights Add fine details with a very sharp pastel pencil The final step is to add highlights along the central quill using a white pastel pencil – I use Cretacolor white as it sharpens well and gives the best true white available. I then add fine details to the feather using very sharp pencils. I look at the photo again to capture the final touches and give a three-dimensional effect. Read more: Which chalk pastels should you choose? How to draw a wolf How to draw a face View the full article

Want access to thousands and thousands of premium vector designs? You probably need StockUnlimited Vector Plan: Lifetime Subscription. StockUnlimited gives you the ability to download 500,000+ vector graphics, making it the perfect one-stop shop anytime you need eye-catching visuals for a webpage, newsletter, blog, or website. Best of all, there are no hidden fees or licences you need in order to use them – enjoy them royalty free for both commercial and personal use. This one-of-a-kind content also stays fresh because brand-new designs are added all the time, so it's safe to say you'll never run out of content. Get StockUnlimited Vector Plan: Lifetime Subscription for only $34.99 – that's 94 per cent off the regular price. Related articles: 5 uses for stock images you might not have thought of Free tool lets you search for stock images in Sketch and Photoshop The 5 biggest myths about stock imagery in design View the full article