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Direct mail is one of the most challenging types of marketing collateral to design. The temptation is strong to simply try to replicate past successes and stick with what you know works, but if you want to truly succeed, you have to be willing to try something new. Not every direct mail has to completely reinvent the wheel. The important thing is to find some way to set yourself apart from your competition – whether that’s a creative new type of packaging or simply an attractive logo. Here are some top tips for creating an innovative direct mail piece, along with cool designs that demonstrate those principles. Exclusive offer: Save 15% on Adobe Creative Cloud now 01. Create a mascot or character A mascot can help give your company a faceA fun character can help to humanise your client’s company and encourage people to identify with your message. This Society of Design Etiquette campaign pictured above uses four colourful mascot characters to promote good design principles. 02. Explore subtle textures A spot varnish creates a luxurious feelIt often helps to engage potential customers on multiple sensory levels. The use of foil stamping in Erre’s direct mail design pictured here is visually subtle, but gives the black envelope a luxurious texture to the stripes that recipients can feel as they handle and open it. 03. Use die cut windows creatively Have fun with die cuts, like Caroline HensonA die cut window can express the company’s purpose or values in unexpected ways. This high-concept promotional piece for a hairdresser by Caroline Henson, 'Get rid of your roots', urges the user to visually 'drain' a yellow design of its darker elements. It's an effective visual representation of dyeing brown roots out of somebody’s blonde hair. 04. Get confrontational An element of surprise can stop recipients in their tracksKengo Maeda's Night of the Living Dead direct mail design features an extra flap styled to look like a zombie’s hand. When inserted into a person’s mailbox, the hand can be left dangling out, creating the appearance of a fearsome monster creeping out from inside. It’s a confrontational image that immediately draws the recipient’s eye. 05. Tell recipients what's inside The benefit of opening this envelope is clearA solid call to action is an essential part of any direct mail campaign. Most people tend to look at the address area of an envelope first, so that’s one of the best places to put your call to action (as Tartan Marketing has done here by writing 'For the love of wind power: Member perk pack inside' on the front of the envelope). Make sure it’s clear, concise and gives recipients a reason to look inside. 06. Find engaging ways for recipients to open This direct mail begs for interactionAnother great way to encourage recipients to open your direct mail piece is to make it open in an unconventional way. Warren Hardy for BMW added a perforated pull-tab to this piece that mimics the path of a vehicle cutting through a field of snow. It’s the sort of element that begs the recipient to interact with it. 07. Try special finishes Foil stamping doesn't need to be shiny to make an impactFoil stamping is a creative and versatile imprint method that gives direct mail pieces a little something extra. Bamboo Living’s portfolio design features a white, non-metallic foil to make the logo stand out while also maintaining a natural, organic look. For other brands, a shiny metallic or coloured foil might better complement the design. 08. Show off your product Show the recipient what's inside the mailSeeing is believing, so showing off images of a client’s products or services is often much more effective than simply talking about them. Company Folders uses images of its products to engage recipients of this sample packet envelope. 09. Seal your envelope in a unique way These stickers are a fun touchSometimes the smallest touches make all the difference. For instance, instead of just sealing your envelope in the usual way, consider using a colourful sticker such as the bowling balls used for this festive envelope from Masterskaya Vkusa. 10. Think outside the box A controversial approach from TouchDirect mail marketing doesn’t always need to be in a conventional envelope. Plenty of unusual 3D objects can be sent through the mail. This hand-delivered fake blood bag from Touch is a controversial piece designed to get people talking. 11. Include a free gift Make sure your gift will survive the journey intactOffering recipients a free gift (such as a promotional product or other small item) gives them an excellent reason to look inside; it contains something they may actually want. For instance, this unique desert-themed direct mail campaign by MDG Advertising for MDVIP includes a miniature cactus. 12. Provide something useful Not all direct mail ends up in the recycling binConsider going one step further; instead of including a gift inside your direct mail piece, make the entire direct mail piece a gift. Here’s a cool example: the World Wildlife Fund mailed T-shirts to various schools with the terms of its design contest printed on them. Related articles: How to design a business card: 10 top tips 100 brilliant print adverts Create special print finishes in InDesign View the full article

Route One Print has put together an ebook that contains everything you need to know to successfully market yourself as a freelance graphic designer – and it's totally free to download. Download The Freelancer's Marketing PlaybookGetting your name out there is one of the trickiest – but most important – things for a freelance graphic designer to master if you're to build a successful business and win the clients you want. The Freelancer's Marketing Playbook is packed with useful tips to make that happen. It covers a whole range of different marketing strategies. There's advice for striking the right notes with your digital strategy, but there's also a thorough guide to marketing yourself offline, as well as advice for networking effectively. What's inside? By downloading the ebook, you'll learn everything you need to establish a consistent personal brand to attract the right clients. While a solid digital foundation is all-important, a personal approach is far from obsolete. There are plenty of tips for networking with confidence and honing your offline marketing skills. Once you've started making contacts in the real world, they'll need to find you online so they can see what you're capable of – that’s why The Freelancer's Marketing Playbook also includes advice for improving the SEO of your website and other digital marketing strategies. Your new contacts will have no trouble finding your digital portfolio. Download your copy today to start building trust and nurturing relationships with prospective clients, so you can supercharge your freelance business. About the makers Route One Print is the UK’s largest trade printer. Its aim is to make trade-print easy for graphic designers and print resellers with white label packaging, reseller tools and a smooth order process that helps its clients' businesses grow. View the full article

Imagined scenes that leave you with a sense of wonder make you want to find out more and see what’s just around the corner. Good world building is all about gathering up enough information for you to discover the story inside a composition, and become immersed in it. When drawing and painting a world, ask yourself how the world functions, the relationships between characters in it, and the overall mood and feel you want to set. This allows you to logically and organically develop the story and design. How does the air taste? What can you hear? How do characters get around? Defining your image with subtle rules gives it some authenticity and life. This piece captures the life of someone living in a quirky cliff-top home that overlooks misty, expansive plains. The environment has a sense of personality, spring freshness, and calm, and a cohesive visual language. Through seeing the thought process behind this image's creation, you'll gain an understanding of how to build stories in your paintings. 01. Throw down shapes Find inspiration in shapes and colours to get things goingGather references that inspire and interest you, to use as a visual anchor to refer back to during the painting process. Also consider the mood and theme of the scene: if you want it to feel fresh and bright, throw down shapes using dawn colours such as periwinkle blue and pale yellow. This part is always a mess, but it’s worth it. 02. Define story through line Add the details that tell the storyNow you have a rough stage, start to tell the story. Working over the top of the thumbnail, consider where you want this world to be set. This scene is high up in the mountains, clouds drifting far below, with a house organically built into trees. To imply the mechanics of daily life here, I added in a couple of delivery aircraft. 03. Introduce rough colours Use colours early to bring ideas to lifeWork with what gives you the most inspiration. I put in more colour pretty early. Although many people work in greyscale initially, I find it holds my imagination back and leads to fewer happy accidents, so I play around with colour combinations and look for exciting contrasts – like the coral orange of the gestured-in rooftops. 04. Streamline your image to help with the painting process Set the scene with item placement and a sense of spaceExpand and reduce the detail in your image until you find a balance you're happy with. Define the planes of the environment a little more clearly so that it gives your brain the mental breathing room to process – too much information is overwhelming. It'll also enable you to clean up your lighting to get the mood you want. 05. Identify your setting Create solidity with your selection of sceneryGood world building means the materials and environments should be in keeping with the story you’re trying to tell. I want this place to feel safe and secure even though it’s high up and precarious, so I bring in deep-rooted trees and moss-covered rocks to make this location feel like it’s stable and has been here a long time – and it won’t go anywhere fast. 06. Develop focal points Achieve cohesion through repeating shapesRepeating shape language throughout an image makes it cohesive, so when I create the ship silhouettes, their design is influenced by the shape of the rooftops and greenhouse bubbles. The ships transport plants around in a whimsical way, which will require sunshine and water. I also add details like airbrakes and a rope ladder, for practicality. 07. Carve away Carving shapes with brushes for focal pointsWhen rendering I’ll create shapes and then carve into them with textured or square brushes, defining sharp edges that create focal points. I do this especially for grass trims around cliffs, or on craggy rock formations. Because of this I rarely use lots of layers, preferring the organic approach of painting over forms before erasing them. 08. Flip your image Change the perspective with a mirror imageA trick as old as the invention of the mirror, but flipping your image to check its composition is wholly necessary, as it's a great way to pay attention to your little quirks of drawing. I tend to tilt my compositions due to the hand and angle I draw with, and thus the composition can slide off the page. I darken the rocks in the corner and pull the foreground cliff edge up to balance the image. 09. Get into the details Make a house more of a homeNow it’s time to make this world feel personal, I ask myself how the inhabitants would decorate their treehouse. In my mind they grow mountain flowers for sale, so I dot baskets around outside and fill the ‘bubbles’ with foliage. Those rooftop platforms would experience lots of rain, so I cover them in plants, too. There’s so much beauty to be found in messy details – make use of it. 10. Make changes where necessary Move things around until it feels rightDon’t be afraid to drastically change your composition if it isn’t sitting right. Here, I need something that balances out the bottom left, and the combination of the house and the airship is getting too busy. I use Free Transform to move the ship, and change its colour palette to the white of the clouds and the pink of the roof tiles, which connects it more to the scene. 11. Consider verticality in the scene Use tools to help bring a sense of depth to the settingThe two ground planes are sitting at the same height, which makes the image dull to look at and doesn’t communicate scale well. I increase the airship size even further and use the Free Transform tools Perspective and Skew to warp the bridge into an angle that implies downward traversal, which then pushes the mid-ground down and back. 12. Add figures for scale Indicate scale by adding a figureAdding figures is a universal way to communicate scale to a viewer. I gesture in an airship pilot with a thought to what they’re doing; I want this piece to capture a relaxed moment during a routine morning pickup. When adding someone to a piece, their posture is the most telling thing about their character. I act out this pose to achieve the exact, unhurried vibe I want. 13. Hint at a story and raise questions Inferred relationships between figures adds to the storyI add another figure to provide context as to who lives or works at the treehouse, but also to imply a relationship between the two figures. Raising questions is the best way to pull a viewer into a scene. What is the nature of their relationship? Do they have a history? The over-the-shoulder glance implies a bit of a crush, and that’s a cute detail I can’t resist. 14. Polish the composition Let compositional flow lead the viewer onAs humans we naturally follow the eyeline of other people, so I have a pleasant compositional loop happening through the pathway and the gaze of the figure in the distance. I emphasise that loop by adding airship contrails, which has the added effect of implying there’s a bigger world out there than just these two. That’s always incredibly exciting – just imagine what it could be! This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 151. Buy it here. Related articles 20 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching How to use digital tools to create a hand-drawn look 6 manga artists to watch out for View the full article

While you can create textures yourself, there are several great sites that can provide you with new and interesting textures for 3D work. One of them is Creative Bloq, as we've got 40 superb free textures for you to download and use today. But if there's something specific you're looking for, here are 10 great websites where you'll find thousands of quality, high-resolution textures for 3D work to choose from. 01. 3D Textures At 3D Textures you get those all-important maps, tooJoão Paulo's collection of free 3D textures isn't as big as some other libraries, but the quality of them is great and they come with the added advantage of diffuse, normal, displacement, occlusion and specularity maps. You can download them one by one, but if you buy Paulo a coffee he'll give you a link to the folder containing all of his textures so you can grab them all easily. 02. Texturer Visit Texturer for a comprehensive selection of high resolution texturesTexturer is a creative resource for 3D artists, designers, web designers and animators, providing a comprehensive selection of high resolution textures. For ease of use, all textures are organised into categories and sub categories, featuring everything from brick, buildings and doors to animals, food and fabric. 03. Texturemate Designer Bill Scott shares his resources on TexturemateTexturemate is the online repository of Bill Scott, an electric engineer who also works as a web designer and graphic designer. Here, Scott shares textures, stock photos, brushes and other design resources he creates. The site has a fantastic library of free textures, all organised in named folders so you can easily find exactly what you're looking for. 04. 3D Total 3D Total has thousands of free textures available3D Total is a brilliant resource for CG artists, which includes training, an inspiration gallery, 3D assets and a free textures library. Currently, 3D Total has 16,631 free high-res royalty free images, which you can search through by category or using the search tool provided on the site. Note: images offered here are subject to this License Agreement. 05. Marlin Studios Computer graphics company Marlin Studios has been providing low poly 3D models and textures to the community for over 15 yearsMarlin Studios has been providing low poly 3D models and textures to the computer graphics community for over 15 years. Head to the site's Samples page where you'll find freebies from its texture packs. It offers less generic textures, including samples such as sci-fi textures, textures of Asia, classic architectural ornaments and much more. 06. Textures.com Textures.com features everything from animals to X-RaysFeaturing everything from animals to X-Rays, Textures.com features a wide array of textures for 3D work that you can download once you've registered for an account. You can browse by texture type or view the latest additions to the site. There's even a small selection of tutorials for you to try. 07. 3D Texture 3D Texture includes categories such as cloth and fabric and glass and metalLike CG Textures above, the 3D Texture gallery is a showcase for texture libraries and backgrounds. Browsable categories include cloth and fabric textures, glass and metal textures, sky textures and vehicles/car textures. You can also view new and the most popular images, as rated by the site's members. 08. TurboSquid TurboSquid's good for textures as well as modelsNot only is TurboSquid an extensive library of pro-grade 3D models, but it also hosts "the world's largest collection of textures". It's certainly crammed with stuff and encourages its users to submit their own textures for sale. Simply search for what you need, then narrow down your choices by checking compatibility with 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Maya and many more modelling apps. Related articles: 13 best SketchUp textures 22 mighty Maya tutorials to try today 30 inspiring examples of 3D art View the full article

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We're gearing up to bring you the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017 discounts on creative tools in just two weeks, but in the meantime, we've got you a great daily deal on a Photoshop mastery course bundle. Adobe Photoshop is the standard for photo editing and so much more. You can make your work stand out by learning to use this powerful Creative Cloud design tool by learning from experts with the Adobe Photoshop and Editing Mastery Bundle. You can get this collection of courses on sale now for just $41 (approx £31). Photoshop can be an intimidating program when you first fire it up. There are tons of tools and features that might look foreign at first. This bundle will take away your fears by quickly teaching you the ins and outs of the app so that you can master every aspect of it. You'll get access to five courses packed with 31 hours of instruction on everything from utilising vectors to colorising photos, and much more. Your photos will look incredible once you finish working your way through this bundle. The Adobe Photoshop and Editing Mastery Bundle usually retails for $306, but you can get it on sale right now for just $41 (approx £31). That's a saving of 86% off the retail price for an unmissable bundle for any creative, so grab this deal today. With our exclusive offer to save 15% on Adobe Creative Cloud now, it's the perfect time to tackle Photoshop. About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. Related articles: Save 68% on a great tool that converts images to vectors 14 brilliantly creative Christmas gifts for kids Get 15% off Adobe Creative Cloud with our exclusive deal View the full article

Some people start to get that festive feeling the second that the shops clear the Halloween decorations from their shelves, while others wait for the launch of heart-warming Christmas ad campaigns or a good old-fashioned advent calendar to start the Christmas countdown. You'll usually find chocolate in advent calendars, but artist and king of the creative side project Mr Bingo has decided to shake things up with his 2017 Advent Calendar. Instead of a tasty treat hidden behind an infuriatingly difficult to open door, the Hate Mail illustrator has decided to draw 25 naked people and cover them in his own personalised rub-removable opaque gold ink that users scrape off throughout the month like a sexy scratch card. This isn't the first time that Mr Bingo has created a scratch and reveal advent calendar, but the 2017 version does have a few notable exceptions. Unlike before, everyone on the advent calendar is a real person who sent pictures to Mr Bingo. (Just to make it clear: he did ask for them. He hasn't just made the most of a barrage of unsolicited nude photos.) On top of this, everyone on the calendar is dancing, plus the whole thing is printed on high quality paper, which – according to Mr Bingo – makes is "a bit more fucking arty." The artist himself treats people to his own naked form on Christmas day. As well as plenty of nudity, the calendar also comes with a separate track list of the tunes each person is dancing to. Alternatively, you could listen to them yourself in this Tweet. Each calendar is hand screenprinted and signed by Mr Bingo. And don't worry if you've got children, according to the artist "it's just naked people dancing, there's nothing perverted and no hidden surprises!" If you want to get your hands on Mr Bingo's 2017 Advent Calendar, you've got until 10am on 28 November to order the piece of art for £38.50 (around $50) including worldwide shipping. Related articles: Count down to Christmas with this UX themed advent calendar 10 amazing calendar designs How far is too far when it comes to self-promotion? View the full article

It's a moment that, for better or worse, has come to mark something of a milestone in the festive countdown: the John Lewis Christmas advert 2017 is here. A two-minute emotional rollercoaster, accompanied by a slowed-down acoustic version of a classic tune and the niggling awareness that you are being manipulated for commercial gain. This year's advert is tells the heartwarming tale of a young boy who befriends the noisy monster – Moz – under his bed. The 2017 campaign pulls out all the stops. Once again John Lewis has partnered with advertising and design agency adam&eveDDB and this year has also called in Academy award-winning screenwriter Michel Gondry, known for directing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, no less. With music videos for the likes of Björk and Daft Punk also featuring on his CV, perhaps this particular director was intended to add a little edge to the year's commercial spot. Exclusive offer: Save 15% on Adobe Creative Cloud now As usual, there's also some notable special effects efforts. While the studio has gone back to basics with Moz, who has been brought to life in true Sesame Street style by two men in a monster suit (we like to think one was sat on the other's shoulders, but perhaps not). His facial expressions were later added with CGI and mo-cap technology. The campaign is part of an advertising splurge from John Lewis, whose budget has risen by £140m to bring the total figure to almost £6bn in the last quarter of 2017, according to the Advertising Association. It marks a trend for businesses to go all-out in the festive season in a big to make up for flagging profits. Won-over viewers can pick up their own plush Moz toy from John Lewis stores (although the likeness between the advert version and the toy equivalent is not exactly uncanny) or share their thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #MozTheMonster. The advert is the latest in a long and effective run of Christmas collaborations between John Lewis and adam&eveDDB. Last year's advert CG showdown included Buster the Boxer bouncing on a trampoline with all his woodland friends, while in 2015 a lonely man on the moon made an unexpected friend in a young girl with a telescope. It has also worked its magic on another major 2017 festive project – Virgin Atlantic's Where I Want for Christmas. The clever campaign enables the airline to get in on the gift-giving game by offering a way for people to contribute to the cost of a flight for their loved one. However, so far #MozTheMonster has garnered a mixed response, with viewers left disappointed and commenting on a muddled message (we agree with this one – why does it end with the boy losing his special friend?). If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, let us know on Facebook or Twitter. Related articles: 14 brilliantly creative Christmas gifts for kidsView the full article

Cursive, or handwriting-style, lettering can be joined up in a smooth and flowing manner, or feature a mixture of joins and pen lifts. It might be hand-drawn or based on one of the many handwriting fonts available. Being more casual than a serif or sans serif typeface, a cursive logo can be a good option for any brand wanting to come across as friendly, approachable, and family oriented. Here we select our favourite examples of cursive logos from global brands. 01. Harrods High-end London department store Harrods strikes a balance between formality and friendlinessSince 1834, Harrods has been the premier department store of London, England. Occupying the high end of the market, the store occupies five acres of land and contains 330 departments. But for many years, that caused a problem, because these all had different visual identities and there was a lack of a consistent brand message. In 1967, Marcello Minale and Brian Tattersfield – aka Minale Tattersfield – were tasked with devising an overarching identity for the store. The understated design they created, based on the store owner Charles Harrods' signature, hits the perfect sweet spot between austere tradition and friendly inclusiveness. Relatively unchanged since, it now adorns not just the storefront but numerous products, from bags to apparel, so has a high monetary value in its own right. 02. Virgin The Virgin logo was a child of the punk eraIn the early days of Virgin Records, its original logo was about as different from its current one as you could imagine. Designed by the great English artist and illustrator Roger Dean, this psychedelic extravagance featured a naked set of Siamese Twins and a suggestive-looking dragon. But when owner Richard Branson signed the Sex Pistols to his label in 1977, whose generation-defining slogan was ‘Never Trust a Hippy’, it was clear that a new design was needed. A stark red, graffiti style design was the result, and was much more in keeping with the times. It’s a sign of how quickly punk style was adopted by the mainstream that it’s survived pretty much intact ever since, and now promotes such mundane fare as fizzy drinks, air travel and insurance services. You can read more about the development of the Virgin logo on the company's website. 03. Paul Smith Paul Smith’s autograph-style logo has helped propel his fashion empire to greatnessSignature-style logos work well when the brand and its owner are inseparable, and that’s certainly the case with the famous logo for British fashion designer Paul Smith. Known for his idiosyncratic take on traditional English tailoring, Smith has grown an empire of more than 300 shops worldwide with an annual turnover of £200 million (around $263 million). And this quirky but elegant logo fits in well with his ethos of ‘classic with a twist’. As elegant as his shirts and suits, this cursive logos speaks to the style and panache of the genius behind the brand. So it’s surprising that it’s not actually based on his signature at all: it was designed by a friend of his called Zena. 04. Kleenex Saul Bass’s classic logo for KleenexSince Kleenex tissues came on the market in 1924, it has been the number one brand of facial tissue in the world. So it’s not surprising that its logo is so recognisable. But what you may not know is that one of the best-known iterations of Kleenex’s logo was designed by iconic designer Saul Bass in the 1980s. His upbeat and friendly design (above) used a style of joined up lettering that’s subliminally full of ‘smiles’, striking the right emotional note for a product otherwise connected with weeping and illness. The redesigned version by Sterling Brands in 2008The Bass logo was subtly redesigned in 2008 for owner Kimberly-Clark by Sterling Brands, curving the logo itself to add to the lighthearted sense of bounciness in the design. 05. Barbie Barbie’s current logo is little different from the 1959 originalFirst created in 1959 by Ruth Handler and inspired by a German doll named Bild Lilli, Mattel’s Barbie has been the best-selling toy brand in the world for more than five decades. That’s partly down to a ruthlessly consistent approach to branding. This has resulted in Barbie virtually ‘owning’ the colour pink, while her handwritten logo has become one of the most instantly recognised in the world. First introduced in 1959 at the New York Toy Show, this cartoony cursive logo has gone through many iterations, but the current version is almost identical to the original, highlighting just what a clever creation that was. There’s a real verve, playfulness and confidence to this design that speaks to the subtle sophistication at the heart of the Barbie brand. 06. Kellogg's The Kellogg’s logo has remained broadly consistent over the last centuryMany cursive logos come with company-approved backstories, and the Kellogg’s logo is no exception. Legend has it that in the early 20th century, founder William Keith Kellogg would sign each packet of his corn flakes personally, as a guarantee of their quality. This signature style logo began to become standardised in the 1910s and 1920s, and quickly became one of the globe’s most recognised logos. The latest version was created by the Kellogg’s marketing team in collaboration with Interbrand in 2012. The changes over the years have been so incremental, though, that few people outside the design world (or the very advanced in age) are likely to have noticed any difference. And that’s a good thing. Brand consistency is hugely important with a product like breakfast cereal, where the goal is to sustain people’s love for their favourite brand (often hard-wired during their formative years) throughout their lives. 07. Ford Many assume Ford’s logo is based on Henry Ford’s handwriting, but it was actually his chief engineer’sWe like to think multi-tasking is something new, but people had it covered in times past too. Take the classic stylised Ford script, which was developed by the company’s first chief engineer, Childe Harold Wills, in 1909. Wills, the chief contributor to the design of the Model T Ford, was also known for designing and printing business cards, so used the calligraphy from his own cards to crate the letters of the Ford logo. The oval was added in 1912, and not a huge amount has changed since, the most recent update being carried out by The Partners. The Ford logo is now inseparable from the brand, and even though the company has never claimed it to be the signature of its founding father, Henry Ford, the cursive style still helps to evokes a warm, friendly and familiar connection to the brand. 08. Wendy's Wendy’s has switched from all-caps to a cursive style Founded in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy’s has since become the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain, behind Burger King and McDonald's. Its logo has always offered a more family-friendly vibe than those of its rivals, with an emblem based around a stylised portrait of founder Rex David Thomas's daughter Wendy. Until recently, the wordmark was based on all-caps, classic Western-style lettering. But its most recent redesign in 2013 changed this to a hand-drawn, marker-style cursive logo. This update makes the logo both simpler and more streamlined, and more personal and family-oriented, and was accompanied by a similar clean-up of the girl-in-pigtails emblem. 09. Disney Is it Walt’s signature or not? Well, yes and noSo what about Disney’s logo? Surely that was based on founder Walt Disney’s signature, right? Well, yes and no. Firstly, this now-classic logo didn’t actually come into existence until almost two decades after Walt’s death. And secondly, photos of the founder’s original signature show little similarity between that and the logo. What it does seem to be based on, though, is his “official” signature, which was signed on his behalf by an employee, Hank Porter, thousands upon thousands of times, to save Walt time and energy that he could better devote to business matters. Either way, that doesn’t stop Disney’s world-conquering logo being a must-include on our list of world-conquering cursive logos. 10. Coca-Cola Coca Cola’s Spencerian script has become an icon of modern design Many products that are world-famous now didn’t actually pay much attention to branding in their early days. But for Coca-Cola, it was a key ingredient right from the start. Way back in 1885, just after John Pemberton had come up with a new drink based on kola nuts and coca leaves, his partner and bookkeeper Frank Mason Robinson came up with the name and a logo based on script lettering. Robinson suggested the name Coca-Cola because he felt that two capital C’s would look good together in advertising. He couldn’t have been more right, and that decades-long headstart means that rival brands have struggled vainly ever since to break Coke’s hold as the world’s go-to cola. Related articles: The 17 best startup logos of 2017 The top 10 big-brand logos The 10 best free graphic design courses online View the full article

Developers using the Twillo platform to build enterprise mobile communications apps have put call and text data at risk for exposure. View the full article

If you are an artist learning how to draw and paint in a representational style, chances are that you have used a reference image in your work at some point. Having a photo reference can be a powerful tool. However, it can also hinder you if you don’t know how to compensate for the photo’s inadequacies and distortions. Every project is different, but these are the key principles you should follow to use references correctly. 01. Don’t copy the reference exactly Don't be tempted to copy every pixel of a photo referenceThe temptation to copy every pixel of a photo reference is always there for an artist. People and things in obviously don't look the same in a photo as they do in real life, so remember that a reference is there for you to gain information about the proportion, values, edges and colours. In order to get a realistic result, you will most likely have to deviate from the reference. Sometimes that deviation will be extreme and other times it will be subtle. 02. Ask if a photo reference is necessary Sometimes it's better to work from lifeThis may seem like a simple question, but it’s important to ask yourself this up-front. Working from life will give you the most realistic and effective result. That isn’t always possible, but make sure you aren’t just using a photo reference by default. If you can quickly set something up in your studio, without too much hassle, then do it that way. 03. Take the reference photo yourself Don't settle for an almost-right imageWhen possible, you want to take the reference photos yourself. Each project demands something a little bit different from a reference. It can be tempting to just search quickly on the internet and work with a reference that is not quite what you need. If at all possible, take the extra time and photograph the reference yourself. 04. Look for 'weird' elements When we see something strange in a photo, we readily accept it. We don’t question the oddity, because of a camera’s inherent ability to document reality. However, as an artist, we need to watch out for those things that might look strange when transferred to canvas or paper. Forced perspective, odd angles or lighting, or even heavy lens distortion can show up in photos. If you are on the lookout for those strange areas you can compensate accordingly. 05. Avoid over-exposed references Over exposure covers a multitude of flaws in the faceI often see artists utilising references from fashion photographers and other focused fields of photography. Most of the time, this type of reference will not provide what they need. For instance, fashion photographers purposefully eradicate shadows on the face in order to give the model a pristine and flat look. This covers a multitude of flaws in the face, but provides the artist with no information on the structure. 06. Focus on lighting Lighting should be the most important considerationThe lighting in a reference photo should be the most important consideration for an artist. In order to understand the structure of what you are drawing or painting, you must have proper lighting. The lights and darks need to be clearly visible and understandable. The more straightforward the lighting, the better it will translate to a work of art. 07. Remember that photographs harden edges Photographs naturally harden the edges of each objectPhotographs naturally harden the edges of different values, unless a filter is applied. A soft transition from shadow to light on a model’s cheek will often look quite harsh in a photo. When you draw or paint from a reference, make sure you err on the side of soft edges. That little bit of compensation will help keep your art from looking flat and unrealistic. 08. Do colour studies separately The distortion of colour in photographs can range from subtle to extremeVirtually every one of us has taken a photo with the wrong white balance setting, only to find later that our picture is an overwhelming shade of blue or orange. The distortion of colour in photographs can range from subtle to extreme. The best way to combat this problem is to observe the objects in real life, gather as many references as possible, or do colour studies separate from your reference. Related articles: How to get harmonious colours in paintings How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials 7 must-know painting techniques for artists View the full article

With over 700 million users per month, and the highest per-follower interaction rate of any social network, Instagram is a big part of many people’s lives, and is therefore big business. There are currently one million active advertisers on the platform, 80 per cent of users follow a business, and as people increasingly use Instagram to find designers or illustrators to work or collaborate with, or buy from, using the platform well is vital for creatives. If you want to make money through Instagram, you need to create engaging posts that reach as many people as possible. But it’s not quite as simple as it sounds – using the platform well isn’t all about cramming your posts with hashtags, taking stylish photos of your breakfast or even necessarily having the most followers. In 2016, as well as introducing the hugely popular Stories, the platform made some changes to its algorithms. The change means that users’ feeds no longer show photos in chronological order, but according to a user’s interests and relationships. In other words, the more relevant and engaging Instagram thinks your posts are to your followers, the more they are prioritised – meaning that creating the right sort of post is now more important than ever. So how can you harness your feed to make more money? Read on for our eight top tips... 01. Switch to a business account Switching to a business account is straightforward The quickest and easiest way to get insight into your Instagram account is to switch from a personal to a business account. This provides you with insight into your followers, enables you to see how your posts are performing, and create promotions. It also means you can add a ‘contact’ button to your account. To switch your account to ‘business’, go to Settings, and select Switch to Business Profile. In order to do this, you will need to have a business Facebook page, not just a personal profile. 02. Write a clear bio with a link Gavin Strange succinctly explains his multiple projects and skills in his bioYour bio needs to tell users who you are, what you do, and to show your personality. As Instagram is a visual platform, an out of focus, grainy profile picture will not do. Use a clean image that shows who you are/what you are selling or promoting clearly. Your bio is the only place on Instagram where you can post an active link, so choose that link wisely – linking to your website, shop or perhaps a recent project. If you are likely to continually change where you want people to look, you can use a Bit.ly link, and then update where the Bit.ly directs to rather than having to keep updating your bio with a new link. Gavin Strange, a senior designer at Aardman with over 12,000 followers, has an extremely effective bio. It tells you what his day job is, the name of his alias (JamFactory), mentions his book, shop and other projects. He also piques interest and uses humour to make you want to find out more, and includes a link to his website and shop’s account. 03. Treat your feed like a portfolio Your feed should be as visually cohesive as possible and should get across your sense of style. “I think followers like it when it’s a bit of a consistent feed, so that they know what to expect,” says illustrator Bodil Jane, who has over 140,000 followers. "Be a curator and take an outside look at your feed – it's your portfolio," is Strange's advice. Doodle artist Jon Burgerman, who also has over 100,000 followers, agrees: “It takes people a long time to recognise your work, and people find it difficult to associate you with more than one or two things. So it’s smart, if you’re only concerned with building up an audience, to do the same thing over and over,” he says. He does, however, add that he becomes bored of posting the same thing. “My primary concern, however, is to entertain myself. If I’m not engaged in what I’m posting, how can I expect others to be?” he says. To achieve this ‘visual cohesion,’ approach your feed like you would your portfolio. Think about how your shots will look next to each other, and add variety. Don’t take them all from the same angle, consider using a ‘colour theme’ and think about the filters you’re using and what they say about you and your work. Add carefully curated behind-the-scenes or ‘work in progress’ posts to show your personality and make users feel they are getting unique insight. 04. Use captions and hashtags Instagram might be a visual platform, but the right caption can complement your image and further engage your followers – often a short caption and a relevant emoji or two is enough. Occasionally include a call to action in your posts, such as reminding people where they can buy your work or asking them what they think. Research and use trending hashtags to increase your posts’ visibility, but don’t go overboard, as 10-15 hashtags is enough. Mike Kus, who has grown an audience of over 800,000, says that getting a balance between more generic and specific hashtags is key: “The more generic your tags, the more people will be using them. For example, millions of photos are tagged #sunset, so the chances are your picture of a sunset will be buried in seconds. "If you tag your pictures very specifically, using something like #hamspteadheathsunset, there will be fewer pictures but also fewer people searching that tag. It's about finding a balance.” 05. Use video and Instagram Stories Videos tend to get more comments than photos, so use apps such as Hyperlapse and Boomerang to create short clips. Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours, are another fun way to engage with your followers. Since Instagram’s algorithm change, Burgerman now prefers to use Stories, and has even been approached about ‘Instagram Story-ing’ an event. “I enjoy posting on the Stories feed more now, I think there’s more room to be creative in that space than in the actual main feed,” he says. 06. Engage with others A smaller number of engaged followers is preferable to a large number of unengaged ones, so interacting with others on Instagram is key. “Anyone who leaves a comment, I like that comment to acknowledge that I've read it,” says Kus. “If someone leaves a conversation comment or a question, I get back to the user. It's fun interacting with your following and people appreciate you getting back to their questions.” Never comment asking for likes, but do follow other people who do similar work to you and be supportive of them. You can also use the Repost app to repost other’s posts, for example, your customer’s pictures, and experiment with creating your own hashtag – encouraging people to use that hashtag when they post about you. 07. Post regularly and at the right time Post once a day or more, but don’t jam people’s feeds by posting too many images at once. According to Sprout Social, Monday to Friday at 2am, 8am or 5pm are optimum times for posting. Mondays tend to drive the most engagement and 3pm is the least optimal time to post. You can schedule posts through Later if these times are tricky for you. If you are hoping to reach an audience in another timezone, think about how you can adjust these times accordingly. 08. Act as if you were an influencer Being an Instagram ‘influencer’ is one way to make money from the platform. Kus, who has partnered with brands such as Land Rover, Getty and LG, suggests considering such partnerships as you curate your feed. ”Try to post regularly and post material that you're passionate about and would like to do more of. This way, when you do get approached by a brand, it will hopefully be a brand that has some kind of connection to the work that you put out,” he says. Bodil Jane also suggests choosing who you partner with carefully. “I feel like I have a responsibility to just support brands that I really like, not just selling everything to my followers,” she says. “When I’m browsing through Instagram I don’t like to see clearly sponsored posts. So, I feel like there should be a creative side to it.” Related articles: 5 golden rules for social media strategy 7 ways to craft a killer self-promo campaign What are the next big branding trends? View the full article

Choosing Christmas gifts for kids can be tricky, especially this side of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you're tired of buying the little people in your life presents that become discarded just a few days later, then we've just the solution. We've scoured the internet to bring you some brilliant gifts that will really get your kids’ creative juices flowing. Whether they’re aged two or 12 (or 22), we’ve found Christmas presents for kids of all ages. We’ve covered all bases as well. From stocking fillers to under-the-tree extravaganzas, there's something here to satisfy even the most inquisitive of younger minds. And if you're looking for consumer electronics for bigger kids or adults, take a look at the following articles: The best Wacom tablet deals, The best laptops for graphic design, The best monitors for designers and The 6 best smartphones for designers. By the way, we know it's early for Christmas chat – M&S started it, so blame them. Read on for our pick of the best Christmas gifts for kids... Best Christmas gifts for kids under £20/$25 01. Trunkaroo Ages: 3-8 Price: £20/trunk or a monthly subscription If you've ever felt at a loss as to how to keep your kids entertained, or you're on the hunt for that extra special gift to spark their creativity this Christmas, look no further than Trunkaroo. This brilliant DIY brand offers all the necessary materials, instructions and ideas for a craft project in a single ‘trunk’. With a strong focus on making STEAM (science, technology engineering, art and maths) interesting and magical, trunks include everything your kids need for hours of hassle-free fun and learning. You can purchase single trunks or join Trunkaroo on a monthly subscription, for which you’ll receive two trunks direct to your door. It’s a fantastic, hands-on way to keep little ones entertained. --- 02. Tynker Ages: 7+ Price: From $8 per month (yearly subscription) If your kids are digital whizz kids, they’ll appreciate a subscription to Tynker this Christmas. Suitable from ages seven and up, Tynker is a complete learning system that teaches kids to code, giving them crucial 21st century skills. The first level sees kids starting to experiment with visual blocks, using a Lego-like visual language to learn fundamental programming concepts. They then progresses to JavaScript and Python as they design games, build apps, program drones and make incredible projects. "My son Woody began experimenting with coding in the past year or two," says illustrator and designer Ben O'Brien. "I really like the look of Tynker, which sells itself as more gaming or toy-based, as kids can use it to code things for Minecraft, for robots or drones and to build games." Fancy a free coding option? Scratch is aimed at kids between 8-16. It lets them program their own interactive stories, games, and animations – and share their creations with others in the online community. --- 03. Farmer Christmas picture book Ages: 2-8 Price: £8.99 Get your kids in the festive mood with this beautifully illustrated, large-format children’s picture book, Farmer Christmas. The magical tale follows three children as they set off on a festive countryside adventure. It'll have your kids peering out of their bedroom windows on Christmas Eve to catch a glimpse of Farmer Christmas and his trailer full of presents... --- If your little ones have a passion for drawing, who better to teach them than celebrated illustrator Quentin Blake? This little sketchbook would make a great stocking filler for any budding young artist. With lots of tips and hints from the brilliant man himself, there's plenty of room for kids to unleash their creativity and draw amazing illustrations. It also comes complete with a quality sketching pen and two watercolour pencils in a handy attached case. --- Help your little one learn about the world around them with these fun-filled activity cards05. Mindful Kin Ages: Whole family Price: $12.89/£9.50 Ok, so a box of cards might not seem like the most exciting present for your kids to open. But there’s so much more to these than meets the eye. A set of 20 simple and fun mindfulness-based activities written for young children – but suitable for the whole family to do together – these cards help little ones learn about the world around them. They explain how to help manage thoughts and feelings, and teach a range of relaxation techniques too. Guaranteed that after you’ve tried a couple of these with your little ones, it won’t be long before they’re wanting you to read them another card. --- Make learning with your kids fun with this beautiful infographics bookInfographics make learning easy and fun, and this series from Big Picture Press and Simon Rogers is no exception. Bright, colourful and full of information to keep enquiring minds occupied, these are a brilliant way to engage curious young adults. And you might even have some luck with older kids who aren't particularly excited by science and education. This one focuses on technology, but the series also looks at the human body, animal kingdom and space. --- Best Christmas gifts for kids under £50/$75 Nothing sparks the imagination quite like LegoWe couldn’t write a list of creative gifts for children without including Lego – a toy that will no doubt be on top of many a kid's (er, and adult's) wish list this Christmas. The popular little brick has exploded in recent years, with Lego sets available in pretty much every theme you could think of. It's hard to pick a favourite, but for this list we're going for Red Creatures, from Lego's three-in-one Creator sets. Each of these sets comes with enough Lego pieces to build not one but three models, which means more play time and great value for money. Prices vary depending on what set you choose, but themes include: --- This fun, hands-on kit teaches kids how circuits and electronics workIf music is your kid's jam, then this lovely little synth kit would make the perfect Christmas gift. It's a fun, hands-on kit that teaches children how circuits and electronics work. "I had to help my little boy build this – he's seven", says Ben O'Brien. "But there was enough for him to do in the building, and then it's just fun to play with. This company make lots of other things too, all of them are ace." "Great packaging, too, for design-savvy parents," he adds. --- These fun play houses will keep kids entertained for hoursHow many times have you bought your kid a lovely gift, only for them to be more interested in the box it came in? Well, here's a gift where the box is essentially the present. Paperpod produces a fantastic range of innovative, highly interactive, safe and affordable cardboard playhouses; designed and manufactured in the UK from recycled corrugated cardboard. Great for letting kids' imaginations run wild, you can choose from designs including a rocket (pictured), teepee, aeroplane and car. Environmentally friendly and guaranteed to keep kids entertained for hours, what more could you possibly want? --- The Wacom Intuos is a brilliant tool for young ones to get started with digital art. Designed for both right and left-handed users, budding artists can easily draw, paint and sketch on a computer with the ease of pen. Intuos Draw also comes with ArtRage Lite drawing and sketching software, and online tutorials to get your little ones off to a flying creative start. --- Best Christmas gifts for kids under £100/$125 Kids can bring their creations to life using all manner of mediums at this luxury art easelAfter a more traditional drawing and painting method? Look no further than this gorgeous, small person-sized art easel. Here, tiny fingers can experiment with paint, chalk, pens, crayons, markers, and more, all at one convenient station. It’s also designed to let children use several different art media: on one side is a chalkboard, on the other is a dry erase board, and in between the two easel sides is a dowel for holding a butcher paper roll. The easy-to-clean design makes it very parent-friendly, and with not one but two available art stations, there will be no arguments about who gets to use it first. Winner. --- It's impossible to ignore how tech-savvy kids are, with little ones often about to use digital devices more efficiently than their parents. If you're after a tablet for your kids this Christmas but can't – or don't – want to spend hundreds of pounds, then the Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet is an excellent choice. It comes complete with one year of to Fire For Kids Unlimited, giving you access to over 5,000 popular apps and games, videos, books and educational content from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and many more. Built specifically for kids, there are also easy-to-use parental controls and a kid-safe browser that keeps them safe from inappropriate content. And the best bit? The Fire 7 comes with a two-year, worry-free guarantee that means if they break it, simply return it to Amazon and the company will replace it for free. No questions asked. --- Best Christmas gifts for kids over £100/$125 We already had Lego, we know. But this is educational Lego – so it scores extra points. Deigned to help develop coding and constructions skills, this STEM toy lets children build, code and play with five different robots: Vernie, The M.T.R.4 (Multi-Tooled Rover 4), The Guitar4000, Frankie the Cat, and The AutoBuilder. It comes with an interactive motor, colour and distance sensors. Simply download the free app and control your creations. We're impressed. --- 14. Mud Kitchens Watch the look on your kid's face if you surprise them with their very own Mud Kitchen this Christmas Ages: 2-7 Buy: £250-£530 In this ever-growing digital age, there's nothing quite like getting back to nature to spark creativity. Mud Kitchens provides the perfect space to encourage kids to get outside and explore the world around them. “The benefits to playing with mud are vast. Research has shown that it can make children healthier, smarter and happier,” says Mud Kitchen founder Natalie. “They’re not just for mud but can encourage other sensory play such as water, foam, bubbles, dried foods and sand.” Every kitchen is handmade using quality timber and comes fully assembled. Prices start at £250, which includes UK-wide delivery (surcharge applies to Ireland and Jersey), personalisation and utensils. A two-month payment plan is also available to spread the cost and still guarantee a Christmas delivery slot. The team will be taking orders for Christmas until December 10 (subject to change), so make sure to get your order in asap. Only available in the UK. Liked this? Read these: How to get the best Cyber Monday deals 2017 The best drawing tablet The best laptops for graphic design View the full article

At its core, design is all about solving problems, and a well thought-out client brief with genuine depth and substance can be the perfect catalyst for great design. But what if you’re the problem? Self-branding can be one of the hardest exercises for a designer: it’s just too close to home. And issue 273 of Computer Arts will help you tackle just that, as part of a self-promotion special. Plus there are no fewer than four covers to choose from, featuring different self-promotional phrases in striking, vibrant colourways – see above. Buy Computer Arts issue 273 now! In a special report, CA issue 273 explores different approaches to ‘brand you’, and how finding that distinctive niche to occupy can become the cornerstone of effective self-promotion. Pro advice for branding yourselfBalancing out this more holistic approach is a guide to the art and science of social media, and how to get the most from different platforms. It’s not an exact science, but a bit of insider knowledge can make all the difference. Master social media, including 26 pro tipsGreat self-promo doesn’t have to be about crowing your own brilliance from the rooftops, though: sometimes it can pay to ditch the ego and let the work speak for itself, like Ragged Edge. The studio has been biding its time and growing steadily stronger since it was founded a decade ago, until breaking cover with its D&AD Pencil-winning Camden Market rebrand – as revealed in a video profile in CA issue 273. Ragged Edge reveals how to run a studio with no egoAnd after Jamie Ellul’s rousing column a couple of issues back extolling the virtues of a small but perfectly formed studio, this month it’s Greg Quinton’s turn to pitch the counter-argument: with The Partners due to merge with four other WPP stablemates to form a 750-strong mega agency, he argues that bigger can be better, creatively speaking. Also in Computer Arts issue 273 FutureDeluxe discusses its surreal and stunning OFFF London titles Behind the scenes on SomeOne's rebrand of The Inner Temple The hottest new design, illustration and motion work Part four of the junior designer manual covers digital asset creationSubscribe to CA today from just £16/$37 Buy Computer Arts issue 273 here. And to make sure you never miss an issue of Computer Arts, subscribe here today! View the full article

Microsoft published guidance for Windows admins on how to safely disable Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) fields in Office that are being used to spread malware in email-based attacks. View the full article

Staying abreast of the latest design trends is essential if you want to produce work that catches people's attention, but when you're fully focused on the creative process it can be hard to keep tabs on how aesthetic tastes are evolving. So to give you a bit of expert advice, we chatted to Brand Impact Awards judges Caroline Till and Stuart Youngs. Caroline is one half of FranklinTill Studio, which provides Computer Arts with a monthly update of the latest design trends, while Stuart is creative director of Texture – a pioneering studio blending human ingenuity with AI. If you want to keep your work up-to-date, heed their words in the video above and the written Q&A interview below. What are the biggest aesthetic movements in design and branding at the moment? Renders that are indistinguishable from reality are a major current trendCaroline Till: At FranklinTill, we've been talking a lot about 'digital real' – designers making rendered images look as real, textural and three-dimensional as possible. Playing with perceptions of what is digital, and what is real. So much communication is now screen-based, so we're interested in branding experiences that bring products to life digitally, and make them both dynamic and textural. How can designers embrace emerging technologies in meaningful ways? Pokémon GO is a brilliant example of AR done really wellStuart Youngs: Being open-minded is the first step. There's a nervousness about AI taking all our jobs, but I don't think it's about that. AI can fit into the branding process. Take tone of voice. A machine can learn what that tone is, what kind of words they use, and create a filter for any writing for that brand to run through. It can then give recommendations for adjustments to make it more on-brand. It's a relationship of man and machine, rather than man versus machine. CT: When it comes to an emerging technology, think of it as a tool. If the brief is: 'We want to use this type of technology', rather than it being applied in a meaningful way, there's a danger of it becoming a gimmick, and you risk losing your audience. The best examples add another dimension to the project, and are in tune with the experience that you're trying to create. SY: I couldn't agree more. When you look at where VR has been most successful so far, it's in gaming. It really does enhance the experience. With augmented reality, the standout example is definitely Pokémon GO. Where you've seen it used as a platform to really engage people, it's super. If it adds to the experience that you're trying to deliver, then use it. If it doesn't, find another way, frankly. We've got a role as designers to try to create brands that are more engaging, have some substance, and add meaning to peoples' lives. At the moment, there's just too much vanilla. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 270. Buy it here. Related articles: Why colour gradients are a hot new visual trend VR: is it the future of design? When to use humour in branding View the full article

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We're gearing up to bring you the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017 discounts on creative tools in a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, we've got you a great daily deal on a tool that quickly converts any image into a vector. Every designer deserves to have access to the resources they need to bring their art to life. Super Vectorizer 2 provides you with exactly that, as it's a tool that will turn any bitmap image such as a JPEG, GIF, and PNG into a clean, scalable vector graphic, with formats generated including AI, SVG, DXF, and PDF. Grab a lifetime subscription on sale now for 68% off the retail price. Super Vectorizer 2 understands what creatives need for their most important projects. With a lifetime subscription to this invaluable resource, you'll gain a nearly endless supply of flexible vectors that will help streamline your designs. Its image-quantization algorithm traces colour, greyscale and black and white images, as well as pencil drawings. You can get a lifetime subscription to Super Vectorizer 2 on sale for just $19 (approx £15). That's a 69% saving off the retail price for an essential tool for designers, so grab this deal today. About Creative Bloq deals This great deal comes courtesy of the Creative Bloq Deals store – a creative marketplace that's dedicated to ensuring you save money on the items that improve your design life. We all like a special offer or two, particularly with creative tools and design assets often being eye-wateringly expensive. That's why the Creative Bloq Deals store is committed to bringing you useful deals, freebies and giveaways on design assets (logos, templates, icons, fonts, vectors and more), tutorials, e-learning, inspirational items, hardware and more. Every day of the working week we feature a new offer, freebie or contest – if you miss one, you can easily find past deals posts on the Deals Staff author page or Offer tag page. Plus, you can get in touch with any feedback at: deals@creativebloq.com. Related articles: Save 23% on 3D printing pen The best Black Friday deals 2017 100 amazing Adobe Illustrator tutorials View the full article

When sculpting a realistic 3D human eye to add to your library of ready-to-use assets, remember that no two eyes are exactly the same. So unless you have something very specific in mind, it doesn't matter how perfectly you copy the reference material. As long as you understand the anatomy and get the general shape right to allow the light to do its job, you can create just about anything. Eyes can be simplified into four areas: cornea, iris, pupil and sclera. A real human eye contains a lot more than this, but we are going to focus on the four visible areas because that is all we need to make it believable. 01. Sculpt two spheres To start off, create two spheres. Let’s name the first one Sclera (the white part of the eye), and its duplicate Cornea (the dome-shaped clear front surface of the eye, which works like a camera lens to focus light). Scale up the Cornea a tiny bit so it wraps around the Sclera. Make sure that the Cornea sphere is not so big that it casts shadows on the Sclera, but big enough not to intersect. With the base prepared, you are ready to sculpt. Before you jump into ZBrush, look at reference images of human eyes; you will see how different they all are. Decide which pattern you like most. 02. Model the cornea and the iris Get to work on the basic structure firstSelect the Sclera, mask out the iris (the coloured part of the eye) and push it in with the Move tool, creating an inverse dome. Mask out the pupil, remove those polygons and extend the edges towards the centre of the eye. Unhide the Cornea, mask the same area as for the iris and push it out, making a smooth dome. 03. Sculpt the iris Sculpt fibres for the pupilUsing Standard and Dam Standard brushes, begin sculpting fibres from the pupil towards the outer edge of the iris. The aim is to make them resemble the sphincter pupillae and dilator pupillae muscles that narrow and widen the pupil. Mask out a pattern with the radial symmetry, then edit it according to how you want it to look. Pull out the shape and then smooth it out a little. 04. Paint the eye Adding colour to the iris and veinsWith the base structure sorted, it’s time to add some colour and finer detail. Use mask by cavity to add extra depth when painting the iris. Draw more colourful fibres and blend them out around the edge of the iris. Use alpha maps for veins instead of painting by handTo add veins, you can download ready-made alpha maps from Pixologic’s download centre, or make your own in Photoshop. Then cover most of the white with a red mist, and then drag out vein alphas. 05. Add shine and refractions The final gloss applied to mimic real-lifeExport the eye model to KeyShot. Apply glass material to the cornea and enable two-sided refractions. No refractions would make it look as though there was an empty space between the iris and the cornea. If needed, go back to ZBrush and tweak the eye until you reach the desired look. This article was originally published in 3D World magazine issue 227. Buy it here. Related articles: 30 free 3D models The 10 best ZBrush plugins 4 simple ways to speed up your ZBrush workflow View the full article

Great logo design requires a complex mixture of design skills, creative theory and skilful application. Any designer worth their salt can create a fit-for-purpose logo, but truly mastering all aspects of the craft takes time. Get 15% off Adobe Creative Cloud nowOf course, logo design is just one small sub-set of branding, but the logo or brand mark remains the centrepiece of most branding schemes. We've spoken to branding professionals about the intricacies of good logo creation, and what qualifies as a great logo. So here are 25 pro logo design tips to help you improve your branding work – from the research phase, through the different stages of logo design craft, and finally the application of the mark. Logo design research and strategy Before pen hits paper on any new logo design project, thorough research is essential. Here are five logo design tips for nailing this crucial first stage of the process. 01. Understand your competition Apple cut through the traditional computing sector like a hot knife through butter in the 80s, and has since evolved into one of the world’s most valuable brandsBefore you even start working up a logo design concept, ensure you research your target market thoroughly. Your client should be able to provide some information about their competitors to get you started. Compare all the logos in their competitive set. This research may well reveal some entrenched branding conventions in that market sector, and that can sometimes help your process by playing on familiar visual associations. But bear in mind that many of the world’s most recognisable logo designs stand out specifically because they eschew trends and think differently. 02. Ask the right questions Wolff Olins’ copywriting-led branding for Macmillan Cancer Support, referenced in Johnson’s book, is built around a series of ‘we…’ statements that help answer some of the key brand questionsStrategy is becoming an increasingly important part of the branding process. What this means in practice will often depend on the scale of the project, but it all starts with asking the right questions. Michael Johnson’s book Branding: In Five and a Half Steps is dedicated to Johnson Banks’ creative process, and covers complex challenges such as formulating brand strategy in far more detail than we could ever hope to here. In it, Johnson advocates asking the following six things of the brand you’re working on as a starting point: Why are we here? What do we do, and how do we do it? What makes us different? Who are we here for? What do we value the most? What’s our personality? 03. Stay flexible during the process Branding: In Five and a Half Steps is highly recommended reading to help you get to grips with all the key stages of the branding process, and the grey areas between them Once you’ve formulated a strategy, you don’t have to set it in stone. There’s a reason that Johnson Banks’ creative process has that extra half step: that 'and how do we do it' part of the question represents the grey area between strategy and design. According to Johnson, it can be a two-way street. Some conceptual, strategic ideas that work in theory may fall apart in practice when visualised; conversely, a compelling visual solution that emerges from left-field during the design stage can feed back into stage two and help evolve the strategy retrospectively. 04. Respect a brand’s heritage North’s Brand Impact Award-winning rebrand of Co-op reawakened the affection that many consumers felt for the organisation Widely heralded as a trend, the so-called ’retro branding’ movement was kicked off by North’s much-lauded rebrand of Co-op, which reinvigorated its original 1960s mark and won one of Computer Arts magazine’s coveted Brand Impact Awards in 2016 in the process. NatWest and Kodak followed within a few months, but we argued here on CB that we should be wary of the retro design trend. However, where genuine heritage and untapped potential exists in a mark, avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water and consider bringing it to the fore. “It's vital to put your ego to one side and not dismiss designs created by others – and in doing so consider evolution as well as revolution,” argued North co-founder Stephen Gilmore in an essay in Computer Arts issue 259. 05. Remember: a logo is just one ingredient As Brand Impact Awards judges Bruce Duckworth and Mark Bonner discuss in this video filmed during 2016’s judging day, logo design is just one small part of the modern branding process. As Bonner puts it, the pyramid has inverted: people now engage with a brand through a huge variety of different touchpoints, and the logo is not always their first point of contact with a brand. Keep this in mind as you develop your logo design: stay versatile and flexible, and consider how the logo interacts with the rest of the brand experience, from packaging to tone of voice. Next page: Typography in logo design Choosing the right typeface is a critical part of the logo design process – indeed, many of the world’s most recognisable brands are wordmarks, relying entirely on typography to convey their message. Here are our logo design tips to get more from your typography. 06. Choose your typeface carefully As part of a major identity overhaul, Google abandoned its distinctive serif logotype after 16 years in favour of a clean, modern sans serifSans serif fonts have dominated logo design in recent years, often going hand-in-hand with the minimalist movement – examples include Pentagram’s high-profile rebrands for Windows, MasterCard and the University of the Arts London. In 2015, Google famously exchanged its longstanding serif logotype for a much friendlier, more contemporary sans serif. But don’t let trends cloud your own judgement: a serif font could still be the right choice for your latest project, particularly if you need a stylish and luxurious or traditional and professional feel, so take the time to research your options. 07. Tweak and refine to add personality Company Folders' design uses a tweaked typeface to form a chopper chassis If you use an existing typeface in a logotype, particularly a near-ubiquitous one such as Helvetica, there is often more pressure on other touchpoints, such as imagery, colour palette, tone of voice and so on, to develop and enhance the brand’s personality. Skilful tracking and kerning is essential when setting a simple logotype in an existing typeface. Wide-tracked type can feel sophisticated and authoritative, while tight, meticulous kerning can help lock individual letterforms together as self-contained unit. Testament to how simplicity can lead to longevity, Alan Fletcher’s effortlessly stylish V&A logotype relies on the interplay between the ampersand and the AOnce in logotype form, tweaking and modifying the typeface can also smooth links between letterforms, or add a unique twist to fit the tone of the brand – one example would be shearing off letter terminals at matching angles to give a sharp, progressive feel. 08. Consider illustrated, fully-bespoke type With only relatively subtle tweaks over more than a century, Coca-Cola is proof that illustrated type can stand the test of time in logo designSometimes an existing typeface just won’t cut it, and a hand-drawn typographical treatment feels much much more appropriate for the brand. Perhaps the most iconic example, which has evolved gradually over more than a century, is Coca-Cola. Compared with its fierce rival Pepsi, which has been through at least seven major iterations, the market leader sports much the same logo as it did in the late 1800s. If Coca-Cola had ditched that familiar scrawling script for a sans serif, like Pepsi did in the 1960s, there would have been uproar. The point is simple: get a truly unique, custom bit of illustrated type spot-on and you’ve bought yourself some powerful brand recognition with genuine longevity. (Although if all else fails, these free handwriting fonts are pretty great options). 09. Explore serendipitous letter combinations Yves St Laurent’s dollar-sign-esque lockup is a simple but effective emblemMonograms don’t have to be restricted to dressing gowns and wedding invitations, and when given the right treatment, company initials formed into a typographic lockup can make for a simple but effective emblem for a brand. This is notably true in the fashion sector – Coco Chanel’s interlocking Cs and Yves St Laurent’s dollar sign-esque lockup being standout examples. Landor’s simple but effective FedEx wordmark regularly tops lists of the best logos of all time, all thanks to its hidden arrowSometimes even the simplest typesetting can reveal serendipitous ‘accidents’ that, developed properly, can lead to twists of genius. One classic example is Landor’s FedEx mark, the hidden arrow between the ‘e’ and the ‘x’ making an otherwise plain sans-serif logotype the toast of logo design critics the world over. Try typing out the brand name in different typefaces and perhaps a similar happy accident could occur in your own work. 10. Take ownership of an entire typeface Fontsmith’s award-winning logotype for ITV was expanded into a brand-wide typeface, to ensure a consistent tone of voice across all channels and applicationsIf your client can afford it, working with a specialist bespoke type design agency such as Dalton Maag or Fontsmith to develop a fully branded typeface family can put typography front and centre of a brand’s personality, transcending the logotype and permeating all brand communications. Between them, these two agencies have worked for an array of brands including Nokia, Lush, Rio 2016, Sainsbury’s, ITV and Lloyds. “Type defines the tone of voice of a brand by its emotional qualities,” Dalton Maag founder Bruno Maag told Computer Arts in the video interview below. “A grotesque typeface such as Univers, Arial or Helvetica feels more masculine, mechanical and engineered – colder – than, say, a Frutiger, which is a humanist sans serif with more open, warm, friendly, approachable tones. Whereas a serif typeface may appear old-fashioned, or bookish.” Next page: Shape and symbolism in logo design Some of the world’s most iconic brands are recognisable when the company name is removed. An even more exclusive club has achieved ownership of a particular shape so that it doesn’t even need to be fully realised into a logo form to be associated subconsciously with its brand. Here are five logo design tips to help you master shape and symbolism. 11. Strip it back to basics A student at the time, Carole Davidson was originally paid just $35 to design the Nike swoosh: a wonderfully simple shape that can be sketched with a couple of quick strokes of a penThere are a few golden rules to which all the best examples of logo design adhere. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly: simplicity. Put thought into your concept, but don’t overwork the execution, or adorn a mark purely for the sake of it. You want ease of recognition, as well as versatility of scale and application. Think: will it work as well when used tiny in the footer of a website, as it will emblazoned on the front of a building? A great way to test the simplicity of your concept is to keep subtracting elements until you reach its most basic form. Be brutal here. Is it still recognisable if you sketch it quickly with a few rough strokes? What are its most unique, defining features? Generally speaking, the simpler a logo design, the more memorable it will be. 12. Understand shape psychology The yellow triangle, red square and blue circle have become a visual symbol of the Bauhaus School of Design - and embody a principle that can be applied to logo design, as expressed by this print by Marco Ugolini, entitled Bauhaus RevisitedThere are certain ‘clip art’ style visual cliches guaranteed to make any logo design expert gnash their teeth. Avoid common offenders such as light-bulbs to represent ’ideas’ or globes as shorthand for 'international’ at all costs. But shape psychology goes far beyond the obvious. Often used as a symbol of the hugely influential Bauhaus School of Design are the yellow triangle, red square and blue circle – the product of research by Wassily Kandinsky, who argued that shape and colour can transcend cultural and language barriers. Kandinsky argued that bright, zingy yellow complements the angular sharpness of a triangle; cool, spiritual blue is a perfect match for a circle; while an earthy, visceral red partners nicely with a square. We’ll explore colour theory in a bit more detail later on. 13. Master grids and structure Revealing specific details of the geometric construction of a logo mark to the public is increasingly common, and DesignStudio’s recent rebrand of Deliveroo is no exceptionIt’s becoming increasingly common for design agencies to air their sketchbooks in public, whether on online platforms such as Behance or Dribble, or as part of project case studies on their own websites, or released to the design press. Twitter’s new icon is built around a series of interlocking circles that, according to this diagram, conform to the ‘golden ratio’ of 1:1.618Often these workings include the technical side of a design’s composition, revealing and discussing the grid that underlies its construction and the specific curves and angles that define the shape. Such projects can be invaluable reference points to inform your own work, and can help make abstract design principles such as the golden ratio come alive in application. 14. Employ negative space Even the most subtle use of negative space can be incredibly effective. For NBC, it only takes a little notch to transform six rainbow-coloured droplets into a peacockSmart use of negative space in a mark can raise a smile, using wit to aid brand recognition. As discussed above, FedEx is an oft-cited example of smart negative space used in a purely typographic mark, but there are plenty of stand-out examples of symbols employing it too. Used cleverly and appropriately, negative space can also pack extra meaning into a logo design, reinforcing the theory that simplification through subtraction can lead to a more memorable brand mark. 15. Make use of wit and humour Turner Duckworth’s Amazon logo may seem simple on the face of it, but it packs plenty in there - not only does the arrow hint at a smile of customer satisfaction, it also points the way from A to ZNegative space is just one way to raise a knowing smile. The late, great Alan Fletcher, founding partner of Pentagram, was one of the leading pioneers in employing simple wit in graphic design, a practice that lends itself beautifully to logo design in particular. Originally written by Beryl McAlhone and David Stuart and recently revised and updated by Nick Asbury and Greg Quinton at The Partners, seminal design book A Smile In The Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design is an ideal reference if you’re keen to introduce wit and charm in your work, packed with inspirational examples from the world’s leading exponents, including Fletcher. As Quinton and Asbury say in their introduction to the 2016 version: “Wit is big business, integral to the success of giants such as Google, Apple and Coca-Cola… wit is the alchemy that turns suitcases into adventure vehicles, vacuum cleaners into household friends.” Next page: Colour theory in logo design The psychology of colour is fascinating, and plays a pivotal role in building a brand association, whether you’re crafting a symbol-based logo or a wordmark. Here are five logo design tips to help you employ colour theory in your work. 16. Understand the colour wheel At the core of colour theory is the colour wheel, an essential tool for combining colours in different ways that was originally sketched by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. The most common version features 12 colours, based on the ‘RYB’ colour model. Here, the primary colours are red, yellow and blue, with the three secondary colours (green, orange and purple) created by mixing two primary colours. Finally, six tertiary colours are created by mixing primary and secondary colours. The colour wheel basics explainedThere are six main techniques for creating pleasing colour harmonies using a colour wheel. Complementary colours are opposite each other on the wheel (such as red and green, eg Heineken, or blue and yellow, eg IKEA); analogous colours sit next to each other on the wheel; and triadic colours involve three evenly spaced colours around the wheel. IKEA’s complementary colour scheme is instantly recognisable, and makes for a punchy, high-contrast logo designOther schemes include split-complementary (which uses two colours adjacent to the main base colour’s complement); rectangular, a four-colour scheme based around two complementary pairs; and finally square, another four-colour scheme where, unlike rectangular, the colours are evenly spaced. 17. Manage colour schemes carefully Many of the colour harmonies above require careful management in order to be successful in a logo design, and colours often shouldn’t be used in equal quantities. Complementary colours can be too intense if used excessively, for instance, while analogous schemes have the opposite problem: they are gentle and pleasing to the eye, but lacking in contrast – and you should select a dominant colour, using the others as support and accent colours only. Landor’s rebrand of BP attracted its fair share of controversy for ‘greenwashing’ the oil giant, but one thing’s for sure: it’s a great example of an analogous colour schemeTriadic schemes are much more vibrant, but again pick one dominant colour of the three. For beginners, it’s often safest to opt for a split-complementary scheme as there’s a good natural balance of contrast and harmony. The Firefox logo demonstrates a split-complementary scheme in action. The dominant colour is the orange of the fox, offset by the blue of the globe, with yellow used as an accent colour on the tailRectangular and square schemes are both relatively versatile given the extra colour to play with, but again one should always be dominant – and you should pay particular attention to the balance between warm and cool colours. 18. Use colour to control mood Like BP, McDonalds is an example of an analogous colour scheme - but on the warm side of the spectrum, to invoke feelings of happiness and funYour choice of colour palette can make or break a logo design, partly for simple aesthetic reasons, but also because of the psychological associations of colours – which we touched on briefly as part of the Bauhaus theory on the previous page. On a simple level, colours on the warm side of the spectrum – such as red and yellow – are bold, uplifting and energetic, while their cooler counterparts, blue and green, exude calmness and feel more reserved. This is particularly relevant when it comes to branding: on an emotional level, in terms of how consumers feel when they look at it; but also on a practical level, in terms of market standout. Read our designer’s guide to using colour in branding for more on this. 19. Research sector-specific colour trends Sometimes ownership of a colour becomes a legal matter, as in Cadbury’s battles with Nestle to protect the use of its distinctive shade of purpleA brand 'owning' a colour in its sector can provide an enormous competitive advantage, achieving instant recognition – in some cases even without a logo, or even a mention of its name. Of course, owning an entire colour isn't easy, and it goes way beyond the logo design: skilful planning and execution is needed across all elements of the brand and its advertising. Depending on the popularity and market saturation of a particular colour, we could be talking as specific as an officially registered Pantone shade (such as Cadbury 2685C), or as general as being the only brand in competitive set to use that colour. In order to achieve colour-based standout in any given market sector, the first step is to understand what the prevailing trends are – blue, for instance, is commonly used in the financial sector, while green is frequently found in branding for environmental organisations. Sometimes it pays to avoid the obvious. 20. Don’t forget black and white Designed by Italian graphic artist Francesco Saroglia, the Woolmark logo is a triumph of monochromatic design, and is lauded as one of the greatest logos of all timeAfter all this talk of colour, it’s easy to forget that some of the world’s most iconic logo designs are purely monochrome, and make powerful use of the stark contrast that this palette affords. Of course, even if your primary logo design is in glorious technicolour, it still needs to work effectively in black-and-white for different applications. If your logo design uses colour to convey meaning, think about how you can reflect that meaning when the colour is removed. Sometimes this may mean changing the contrast between different elements of your design so that they still convey meaning when reproduced in monotone. Next page: Putting your logo design into practice Logos don’t exist in isolation: they need to be applied. Once you’ve perfected your logo design, the final stage is to bring it to life as part of a wider branding scheme. Here are five logo design tips to get this important final stage spot-on. 21. Always get a second opinion Logo for the Brazilian Institute of Oriental Studies. Presented without commentDon’t underestimate the value of a second (or third) pair of eyes to identify things that you might have missed during the design stage. Once you’ve worked up your logo design concept, always make the time to sense-check it for unforeseen cultural misunderstandings, innuendos, unfortunate shapes and hidden words and meanings. Many design studios advocate pinning work-in-progress up on the walls to enable constant peer review, but if you’re a lone freelancer then try to find some trusted peers to cast an eye over your work – and return the favour, of course. 22. Develop the rest of the brand world A logo design is just one small component of a branding scheme – and should be developed in tandem with other activation points as part of a wider ‘brand world’. This term is integral to the branding process at Shoreditch-based agency SomeOne. And as co-founder Simon Manchipp sets out in the video interview with Computer Arts above, it’s much better to achieve coherence between different elements than simply consistency. “Consistency is solitary confinement – the same thing every day,” he laments. “Cohesive is different: a more flexible, smarter way of doing things.” 23. Consider how to bring it alive In the modern branding marketplace, a static logo that sits quietly in the corner of a finished piece of design work is often not enough. Consider how your logo design could come alive in motion for digital applications, and collaborate with animation or motion graphics specialists if necessary to explore its potential. Here are a couple of examples of logos brought to life through animation: firstly, Function Engineering by Sagmeister & Walsh, which adds a playful, Meccano-like twist to the mark. And secondly, the University of the Arts Helsinki by Bond, which bends, twists and distorts to enhance the dynamic, modern feel of the type-led logo. University of the Arts Helsinki's animated logo twists and jumpsAs the VR revolution continues, more advanced immersive brand experiences are becoming increasingly accessible, and in recent years branding agencies have also explored the potential in generative design and user participation to introduce a much more dynamic, unpredictable component to logo design. This is not always possible, of course, but keep an open mind and experiment with new techniques when you can. In the video above, two Brand Impact Awards 2016 judges – ManvsMachine’s Curtis Baigent, Ben Gibbs from Wolff Olins – debate the role that interactivity and motion design could play in future of branding. 24. Help your client roll it out Manuals 2, designed by Spin and published by Unit Editions, is a fascinating insight into the world of brand guidelinesThorough brand usage guidelines should cover everything from colour options, to minimum and maximum sizes at which logo designs should be used, positioning rules, spacing – including exclusion zones from other design elements – and any definite no-nos, such as stretching or distorting. Some agencies swear by them to ensure a smooth, consistent handover to a client’s in-house team; others feel they can be overly restrictive and prescriptive. Design-focused imprint Unit Editions has published two titles dedicated to best-practice examples from around the world – Manuals 1 and Manuals 2 – that make for invaluable reference tomes for your studio bookshelf to help you get them right. 25. Deal with public criticism Like Airbnb the previous year, DesignStudio’s high-profile rebrand of Premier League attracted more than its fair share of criticism from traditionalist football fansOver the last few years, social media has become more prevalent, and every man and his dog has developed an opinion about design. Accordingly, this final point has developed from an occasional annoyance into something that anyone working on a relatively high-profile rebranding exercise should bear in mind. As we’ve set out above, a great branding scheme is about much more than just a logo design, but on platforms such as Twitter, when a newly released project is often encapsulated by a single image, this is often the first and only thing the public jumps upon. London-based DesignStudio has experienced this backlash several times in the last couple of years, first with Airbnb and more recently Premier League – it explains how it deals with social media criticism in the video clip above. Johnson Banks’ open-source Mozilla rebrand whittled down various creative routes in the public eye, taking feedback on boardJohnson Banks embraced the growing interest in design, and harnessed it during the design process itself in a hugely ambitious, fully open-source rebrand of Mozilla – involving the public at key stages of the process and enabling them to steer the creative routes chosen. Be thick-skinned: take valuable feedback on board, and let the rest wash over you. Related articles: The top 10 big-brand logos 11 places to find logo design inspiration 50 top typography tutorials View the full article

After the Undo button and layers, blending modes are one of the most powerful tools in the digital toolbox. In most cases, you’ll probably just find yourself flipping through these Photoshop actions until you find the effect you want, experimenting with the unexpected. However, sometimes it’s good to know exactly what some of the more commonly used modes do and when to use them, to help you make creating a digital piece a little bit easier. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this article. Get 15% off Adobe Creative Cloud nowThe blending modes in Photoshop operate by interacting with the pixels that are placed beneath them. They're split into a few different groups – main ones you will likely work with are the Darken, Contrast and Lighten groups. Of these, the main blending modes that I used for my example created in Photoshop are Multiply, Overlay, and Screen, respectively. Once you get a feel for how these blending modes interact with your piece you can find any number of uses to make your process easier. Let's have a look at how each of them works. Multiply blend mode Multiply is perfect for pencil scansMultiply is a fantastic tool at many stages of your process. Because white on a Multiply layer is omitted, it’s great for placing pencil scans into your piece to be coloured. It can be used for blocking in the initial shadows on colour flats, or for creating freckles or tattoos that interact with the skin tone of your character. Overlay blend mode Overlay is a flexible blending mode for coloursI find Overlay to be the most versatile Blending mode. When using lighter colours it creates a luminous glow, and darker colours can create rich shadows. It’s useful for blocking in your lights on colour flats, creating bloom and glow, pores and skin texture, and adding touches of saturated colour to the shadows’ edges. Screen blend mode Screen adds opaque lightingScreen only adds lightness when applied. In addition, this light is more opaque and less saturated than what Overlay would create, which makes it ideal for creating atmosphere like fog or smoke. Layering in some soft Screen layers can also help push objects in your scene back in space, to create more realistic depth. This article was originally published in ImagineFX magazine. Related articles: 60 free Photoshop actions 5 best laptops for Photoshop How to manage colours in Photoshop View the full article

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Between $150 million and $300 million in digital currency called ether remains inaccessible today after a user said he “accidentally” triggered a vulnerability that froze the funds in the popular Parity wallet. View the full article