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Smartphones and art galleries haven't always been a match made in heaven, but thanks to the launch of Smartify this could be set to change. Released yesterday, Smartify is a free app that uses image recognition technology to scan and identify artworks in certain museums and galleries. Its aim is to give people a greater understanding of the masterpieces they're looking at. In short, it's like Shazam for the art world. Unveiled yesterday at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, Smartify is now in use at over 30 of the world's major galleries and museums. The app is also open to having other venues involved, all you'd have to do as a venue is get in touch with the Smartify team via its site. 10 apps for endless design inspirationAs well as providing current, quality-checked information on pieces of art, either via text or rich audio commentary, Smartify gives users the chance to save their favourite works into a personal collection. The app also provides recommendations of potential galleries that people should visit based on their activity. Fire up an image on Smartify and you are seriously looking at that image. This one's Paul Emsley’s portrait of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge (2012) at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 2017. © SmartifyOn its website, the Smartify team explains that the app came about through a group of four friends who enjoyed visiting museums and encountering art. This first-hand experience and artistic appreciation can be found at every stage of the Smartify app and its business model. "Our values reflect those of a business started by a band of creatives, and the straightforward and inclusive style they promote," the team explains. "The approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility, letting the artwork tell its story." Oh look, it's Frans Hals’s The Laughing Cavalier (1624) at The Wallace Collection, London, 2017. © SmartifyThanks to the creative team's love of art, they donate their time, services and a portion of profits to venues around the world who are struggling with limited resources. "Staying true to our core values has helped us create a company we’re proud to run and work for," they explain. Related articles: Spotify for typographers font library launches The 30 best iPhone apps for designers 20 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching View the full article

There was a time, not so very long ago, when art schools and ateliers were your only options for attaining a higher art education. Typically providing a strong, foundational background for artists with varied aspirations, they were (and still are) a fantastic direction to take when seeking out a career in the creative arts. Unfortunately, that rounded, long-term education comes at a cost, and particularly for those living outside of Europe, that cost could be prohibitively high, leading to mounting debt and insecurity at the pivotal point in a young artist's career. Luckily for our wallets, online art schools have emerged over the past few years that offer a vast range of courses Luckily for our wallets, online art schools have emerged over the past few years that offer a vast range of courses that can rival the bricks and mortar schools in scope... as long as the student is willing to develop a strong work ethic and the drive to work from home (and for some of the best art individual tutorials around, see our roundup of 100 brilliant painting and drawing tutorials). Online education options differ dramatically, from the more traditional foundational courses that can last several months, to individual lessons tailored to fit one subject, from class-based seminars to inspirational podcasts and more. Through this article we'll explore 10 of the most exciting schools and courses available online right now, tackling a wide range of subjects to give you a feel for the potential open to you. Whether you aspire to work as a concept artist or 3D modeller in the games industry, a matte painter or animator for films, or a freelance illustrator who gets to paint monsters all day long while still in your pants, there's an online school for you. Hopefully, this selection will help you pick a path that best suits your personal goals and budget, supplementing existing studies or creating a plan for you to follow from beginning to end. 01. Schoolism Kei Acedera's acrylic painting Arya. Although mainly focusing on digital art, there are traditional media courses availableSchoolism has rapidly become one of the best-known online art schools. This is thanks in part to its prolific founder Bobby Chiu being a well-known and supremely well-respected artist himself, and the diverse team of instructors it has collected. The roster includes the likes of Craig Mullins, Terryl Whitlatch, Nathan Fowkes and other titans of the entertainment industry. The courses available are as diverse as the people teaching them, covering more traditional topics such as gesture drawing (essential for aspiring animators and concept artists), oil painting techniques, anatomy and colour and lighting fundamentals, as well as character and creature design, watercolour techniques, digital painting and storyboarding. Basically, pretty much all areas of expertise that you can think of in the industry are covered here. Schoolism operates around a one-year subscription model for $29.95 per month. Within that year you're able to work on a single course, but have the option to switch at any time for a minimal fee. It's a smart system that enables the student to cover several topics within that year if they have time available and are able to work efficiently. It's also possible to receive video feedback from the tutor directly, but this costs $998 per year, and positions are limited. Registering for a class gives you access to pre-recorded lectures, which are then available to be streamed throughout the duration of the subscription (assuming you don't switch course) and there's a Facebook group available in which to share work for critique by students. 02. SmArt School The school offers full mentorship courses with artists such as Rebecca LeveilleSmArt School, "A Smarter Art School", has an illustration-focused curriculum with a seriously impressive roster of teachers including Donato Giancola, Todd Lockwood and Greg Manchess, alongside a varied selection of special guests such Lauren Panepinto and Jon Schindehette. It was founded by Rebecca Guay, known for her work on Magic: The Gathering and other high-profile clients. She says that, "SmArt School brings some of the most recognised, celebrated artists and illustrators working today to the small-scale teaching format. "In these small classes, students truly mentor interactively with these great artists in very personal, productive ways to the great benefit of their work and their possible successful future in the art world or illustration industry." Unlike the more traditional online school structure that typically revolves around pre-recorded tutorial videos with space for critique, SmArt School's classes are taught live using GoToMeeting. Classes are taught over 13 sessions across three months, priced at $2,500 for each course. And while the majority of them focus on illustration techniques in a more traditional teaching environment, there are also bootcamp classes for new students who haven't had comprehensive lessons in how to draw figures, or any other foundational experiences. 03. CG Master Academy Mahendra Suryadi, who created this image, is one of CG Master Academy's featured students CGMA, or Computer Graphics Master Academy to give it its full name, is unique in the online art school space in that it offers three comprehensive curriculums, which operate in a similar manner to a more traditional art school, with a heavy emphasis on structured learning. The three main programmes available are Foundation and Design, Character Design, and Environment Design, and each begins with foundational training before taking the student through every necessary step to become adept in that particular field. This is achieved by undertaking a series of individual masterclasses presented in a set order, which are taught by an impressive range of industry professionals including character designer Nate Wragg, senior concept artist Aaron Limonick and Dreamworks' head of story Steven MacLeod. Students are presented with a certificate upon completion of their chosen program, along with individual certificates for each class attended. You may also take masterclasses in isolation, rather than as part of the full course. They cover topics including analytical figure drawing, Perspective, character design for film and games, building a personal brand, fundamentals of design, animal drawing, and many other areas of skills that are crucial for developing a successful career in the entertainment industries. Classes last 10 weeks and are priced at $699. 04. Vilppu Academy Glenn Vilppu is an industry veteran with half a century-worth of figure drawing experienceThe name Glenn Vilppu is well known among artists across the globe, particularly with animators who often study his methods of gesture drawing when they begin their artistic journey. As a veteran educator with over 50 years of teaching experience on the human form, it should come as no surprise that his school, Vilppu Academy, centres around figure drawing and anatomy. These skills are vital for artists in most fields, a deep understanding of the figure being crucial for concept artists, illustrators, modellers and animators, and Glenn's focus on communication through drawing sets it apart from the other schools listed here. "All artists must deal with the differences in their interests and the order of importance they give to various elements," says Vilppu. "I don't teach a style, I teach tools of communication and give direction to acquiring knowledge. Knowledge coupled with the development of skill and feeling is what creates the magic. There are no rules, just tools." Vilppu Academy offers seven courses with subjects ranging from drawing essentials through figure drawing, anatomy, sketching and composition. Each course lasts from six to 10 weeks, with prices ranging from $600 to $900. "This classical-based programme provides artists of all levels with the fundamental tools of visual expression – understanding of movement, form, light and composition – to be applied to their particular style and genre through streaming lectures and demos, critiqued assignments and live video chats," says Vilppu. 05. Learn Squared Jama Jurabaev leads the introduction to 3D concept design class Learn Squared was founded by veterans of the entertainment industry, and the site aims to innovate in the education space with its unique approach: rather than having a single tutor leading a class, here you're presented with two top-level professionals, one of whom teaches the other. Students receive the same tutorials and guidance that you would expect on a traditional course, with the added perk of watching another artist put the knowledge into practice. As Learn Squared co-founder Andrew Hawryluk explains, "The core concept we hope to get across to our students and the artistic community at large is that everybody has to start somewhere. The skills you'd learn from these other, new fields of art might benefit your main artistic endeavours in ways you would've never previously imagined." It's a fascinating angle on education, shedding light on the process of learning itself. Each course contains eight weeks of video tutorials across a range of subjects including environment painting, 3D concept design and title designs for film. Modern art techniques are at the forefront of most of the courses, with a heavy focus on creating an effective pipeline for working in the entertainment industries. Pricing falls into three categories for all courses: $65 for the basic package, which gives you access to a single course of video lessons and community access with lifetime access; $125 for the Learn Squared package, with over 10 hours of tutorials and the ability to download files; or $500 for the Professional package, adding weekly live mentorship sessions and homework review. 06. Gnomon With over 20 years' experience in games, Pascal Blanche's 3D Character Concept and Design course is popular Certainly one of the best-known art schools, Gnomon was founded in 1997 by 3D artist Alex Alvarez. Gnomon's online courses are designed for artists seeking visual effects training direct from Hollywood, USA, with the added convenience of learning from home. They cover a wide variety of subjects from 3D character concept design to compositing, modelling and sculpting both traditionally and in 3D, and pretty much any other avenue of training for the entertainment industry. The range of professionals teaching at Gnomon is similarly vast, with big names including Pascal Blanche, senior art director at Ubisoft Montreal; Maddie Scott-Spencer, texture artist at Weta Digital; and Craig Elliot, production designer at Sony Pictures Animation. Gnomon's online courses are taught live through its slick interface, which features webcam integration and screen sharing. Classes last 10 weeks and tuition costs between $993 and $1,323, depending on the course. It's worth noting up-front that Gnomon's online courses are only available to residents of California and those living outside of the United States. 07. CGWorkshops Rob Chang, who featured in early issues of ImagineFX, offers Becoming a Better Artist CGSociety is a social art hub featuring industry news, features, forums and challenges, as well as a strong body of workshops dealing with the more technical side of artistic training. These CGWorkshops cover subjects such as advanced matte painting, FX for video games, rigging techniques, stylised character creation and cloth simulation, taught by a collection of film and game industry names such as lead character technical director Wade Ryer, award-winning animator and previs artist Bevin Carnes and CG artist Rob Chang. Courses last between five and 10 weeks, and prices range from $499 to $998. They operate along the same lines as other schools: each week students are presented with a pre-recorded lesson with homework and a social space to share work and critique. There's scope for exposure on several courses with some teachers sharing their student's work online, and student work is often featured on the main page of the website. 08. Ctrl+Paint Matt Kohr has created a great, largely free resourceMatt Kohr takes a slightly different approach to the other online schools listed here, as his website, Ctrl+Paint, is predominantly free. This makes it accessible for artists of all levels, and the fact that most of the material is available through YouTube just adds to that philosophy. It's a fantastic place to start developing your artistic skills. Ctrl+Paint focuses on digital painting, and its lessons are placed in order so that students are taken from an overview of digital painting and the basics of traditional art techniques – learning how to study, draw shapes, crosshatch – through to using advanced digital painting tools and techniques, using colour, constructing a portfolio and more. It's an incredibly thorough resource with well-explained lessons condensed to engage with the varied audience it no doubt attracts. New videos are released regularly and there's free access to Matt's Photoshop brushes and tools. Premium lessons offer an in-depth look at key subjects over several episodes, with prices running from $10 to $55. The Concept Art Starter Kit, as an example, contains videos on design basics, creating boss and house designs as well as icons and general world design, and would be ideal for artists interested in working for an indie game studio. 09. Gumroad Espen Olsen Sætervik is one of hundreds of artists making the most of Gumroad Okay, this one isn't actually an online art school, but over the past couple of years Gumroad has become the de facto place to go for art tutorials and thus deserves a mention in this article. It was started as a space for creative types to share and sell their work, but more recently has been heavily adopted by professional concept artists, illustrators and 3D modellers as a space to sell their own tutorials. Gumroad doesn't offer up a syllabus or comprehensive series of lessons in the manner of the other art schools discussed here, nor does it offer anything in the way of classroom support or feedback outside of email. Instead, it functions as a pathway directly into the minds of your favourite artists. There is an enormous range of topics available through Gumroad, with an equally vast range of presentation styles. A typical Gumroad video might offer an hour or more of video footage with voiceover describing the process, bundled with the actual source files so that the student can open them up and tinker around, deconstructing the artist's process. Prices and quality can vary wildly, but are typically around $3-$20. Think of Gumroad as a nice way to supplement a more complete course. 10. The Oatley Academy Founder Chris Oatley has created a brilliant school Founded by Disney artist Chris Oatley, this school has a slightly different feel to the others in that its approach deals as much with the psychology and thought process behind becoming a professional artist, as it does with the actual lesson structure. "We believe that education should mean transformation," says Oatley. "There are many places where you can pay for information, but not many places that actually offer a true, transformative art education. We say that if we're not changing lives, we're not doing our job." Community involvement plays a large part in this experience, with the site placing a heavy emphasis on engaging with fellow students and learning to critique each other's work in order to grow as artists. Courses fall under two categories: Mentored or Self-Guided. The mentors include Chris Oatley, Dreamworks' visual development artist Jenn Ely, Nickelodeon visual development artist Sarah Marino and illustrator and storyteller Maike Venhofen. Two main ongoing courses, The Magic Box and The Storytellers’ Summit, are priced at $17 per month and $19 per month, respectively, while individual online workshops are also available. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 135 and has been updated. Subscribe here. Related articles: 10 of the best free Udemy courses for designers How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials 4 first-class ways to make your design education count View the full article

When it comes to building websites, WordPress is a popular platform for good reason. All you need is a professionally designed theme from Visualmodo to give your site the style and function you want right off the bat. You can get lifetime access to these top-rated themes right now for just $39 (approx £30). The WordPress themes put together by the experts at Visualmodo make it easy to streamline any web project you're working on. The service's library of expertly crafted themes are easy to plug in at any time and immediately get a wide variety of features that you need. The themes are customisable and flexible, made to fit just about any project. But if you're having trouble making one work for your site, the award-winning customer service from Visualmodo can help you get everything online. You can get a lifetime of access to WordPress themes from Visualmodo on sale for 84% off the full retail price. That makes your total just $39 (approx £30). It's a great offer for themes that will make your site look and feel even better, 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: 25 brilliant WordPress tutorials 20 websites that use minimalism beautifully View the full article

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For most of its early life, thanks to technologies such as PostScript and laser printers kick-starting the desktop publishing revolution, Apple was the natural and obvious choice for creatives. But with the arrival of the iPod in 2001, the appeal of the mass-market started to seduce Apple. Today – with apps such as InDesign and Photoshop running with feature-parity on Windows as on Mac; with PC makers finally waking up to our desire for beautiful hardware; with Apple’s focus being directed away from raw computing grunt at the very high end; with over half of Apple’s revenue coming from the iPhone alone; and with new platforms like VR making such huge demands on hardware – Apple has to work hard to reassure us not only that it cares about creative pros, but that it cares about the Mac at all. Get Adobe Creative CloudAnd so at its developer conference this year, it teased the iMac Pro – what it calls a workstation-class computer in the iconic iMac all-in-one design. iMac Pro: release date Expect shipping of the iMac Pro in early 2018Apple says that it’s coming in December. Be warned, though, that the last time Apple introduced a pro-level Mac, the ’trash can’ Mac Pro, supplies were so constrained that although orders opened mid-December, ship dates quickly slipped to February and then April. It’s unlikely this will happen with the iMac Pro, though, both since it should be simpler to make, being based on a familiar chassis, and also because there’s not quite the same level of pent-up desire for it as there was for the Mac Pro following years of neglect of the metal tower design. Expect shipping early in 2018. iMac Pro: rumours It looks just like the existing 27-inch iMac 5K, save for the fact that it’s black – ‘space grey’ – and dammit, Apple, your juvenile little trick has worked. It looks awesome – the shiny black glass bezel now playing with the matt dark grey ‘chin’ rather than fighting the silvery aluminium. There’s a black trackpad and mouse too, and a black keyboard which now also includes a numeric keypad. Powerful components generate a lot of heat, though, and that’s part of why slim all-in-ones like the iMac have often used laptop-grade CPUs, GPUs and so on. The iMac Pro has implemented two huge – though probably very quiet – fans as well as a large heatsink and extra venting to give it an 80 per cent increase in thermal capacity; basically, ’things can run hotter and it will be okay’. You can run two additional 5K displays off the iMac Pro.And that’s good, because you can configure the CPU up to 18-cores (up from the default 8, or 10), Turbo Boost-ing up to 4.5GHz. Graphics is courtesy of a brand new chip making its debut in the iMac Pro, the Radeon Pro Vega (in 8 or 16GB), offering up to 11 teraflops single-precision computing power – three times faster than the previous best iMac GPU. You can run two additional 5K displays off it, for a total of more than 44,000,000 pixels. Plus, RAM config now tops out at 128GB, double the previous iMac limit. I/O is fast too, with four Thunderbolt 3 ports (sharing two controllers) and, for the first time, 10Gb Ethernet – though of course your network has to be spec-matched if you want to take advantage of this additional speed. Vast power So there's vast power to be tapped, but remember that even if you're a creative pro at the top of your game, you might not need – never mind be able to access – all that power. An 18-core CPU doesn’t necessarily mean ’things will be faster’; the apps you use have to be programmed to run across multiple cores. The best laptops for video editingIf you do a lot of compute-heavy tasks, such as 3D rendering or video exporting, or if you’re working in visual effects or VR, the CPU/GPU pairing here is going to make your life easier. But for more traditional 2D or print-focussed designers, plenty of RAM and a fast SSD in a less meaty machine would be more relevant. We don’t know how much the configuration options will be – although you can be prepared for costs to mount. And we don’t even know how much it will cost in a currency other than USD (thanks, Brexit). But we do know it will start at $4,999. That’s a big number, but – apples-and-oranges and incomplete though the comparison may be – Apple says a comparable built PC is a couple of grand more, and of course wouldn’t run macOS. As beautiful as the iMac and its wide colour-gamut 5K Retina display is, though, it might simply be the wrong set of compromises for compute-heavy, it’s-never-fast-enough pro users. You’re dependent on Thunderbolt for expansion and future-proofing, and despite the improved thermal conductivity, there’s an inherent dichotomy in putting the very most powerful components in a slim all-in-one. Happily, Apple also teased that, basically, they’re having yet another crack at getting the ‘Mac Pro’ right, saying that they are “working on a completely redesigned, next-generation Mac Pro architected for pro customers who need the highest-end, high-throughput system in a modular design, as well as a new high-end pro display.” That’s all we know for now, but Apple definitely has our attention. Is the iMac Pro the ultimate desktop for creatives? Whether the iMac Pro, in the interim, is the ultimate desktop for creatives depends on each creative’s needs. It’s certainly going to be powerful and capable, it has good headroom for nearly all creatives save the most demanding 3D, VFX and VR workers – thanks to that 128GB RAM ceiling if nothing else – and, let’s embrace our inner 12-year-old, it would look pretty badass in a studio. However if your work requires apps or specialist hardware that aren’t available for macOS, needs or would benefit from a touchscreen, takes you away from the desk a lot, or demands more flexibility than an all-in-one design allows, it’s not going to be for you. The Surface Studio, custom-built towers from specialists or rigs from big brands, and even cloud computing render farms might be more what you need. And of course the iMac Pro might simply be overkill for the kind of work you do. Still, we’re happy that Apple is, at worst, merely giving the appearance that it still values us in the creative industries, and recognises that we have specific needs that consumer-grade hardware can’t address. Some have jumped ship already, and the siren song of the iMac Pro may not be exciting enough to lure them back, but at least Apple’s singing it. Related articles: Review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2017) Review: Microsoft Surface Book The best graphics tablets of 2017 View the full article

There are many ways to approach creature design and ideation, and it all depends on what you want your end result to be. Look to the natural world for inspiration, as this can help you come up with some odd-looking creatures. One of the best places to spark off ideas is with a Google search – try exploring deep sea fish, unusual birds and bizarre insects. How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorialsWhen designing a fantasy creature, always have in mind where this beast’s habitat might be, what it might eat, whether it’s nocturnal, and whether it's something's prey or a predator. All of these things will influence the final design. For instance, if you had a large herbivorous animal, ask yourself what does it eat? Who hunts it? If it has natural predators then what – if anything – has it evolved to protect itself? Speed? Armour? Poison? All of these questions should go through your mind at some point. They’ll ensure your creature feels like it might exist in real life, and that’s when the magic starts to happen... 01. Mix'n'match with care Combine aspects of different animals to make a new oneTo help fill your brain with creature ideas, watch nature documentaries and look through wildlife photos on Pinterest or general Google searches. There’s nothing quite so strange as the natural world and you can combine aspects of different creatures to make a completely new one. But try to avoid making a chimera, which is to take the body of one animal and the legs of another and the head of yet another: it doesn’t really feel like it’s something that could exist. Instead, imagine what would happen if two of those creatures had babies. What would they look like? 02. Combine flora and fauna The mushrooms on this craggle's back help him hide in the undergrowthA fun way to make something new is to combine flora and fauna. For this craggle (a cannibalistic fairy caterpillar) I wanted a creature that could hide in plain sight to ambush his prey. His prey, the wiffle, are fond of psychedelic mushrooms, so the craggle hides among these mushrooms, and is able to do so because there are fungi-like growths on its back. The wiffles don’t have a chance! 03. Design with logic in mind Tusks help this tarlak defend himselfThis is a tarlak, one of the inhabitants of the world that I created for my upcoming book Strangehollow. This bristly, hairy chap has been influenced by warthogs and wild boar. I wanted a forest-dwelling vegetarian that was pig-like and used his tusks to dig the ground for delicious root vegetables of some kind. He also needed to be able to look after himself if he was attacked by one of the local predators. His tusks would make formidable weapons against even the most persistent of carnivores. 04. Make the most of the eyes Big eyes are a fast track to cutenessFor creating something super cute, go for big eyes because they’re a sure-fire way of conveying the ‘awwww’ factor. This little chap was inspired by squirrels and pugs. His snub nose and big wide eyes give the impression that perhaps he’s not too bright, and most definitely a little highly strung, too.
 05. Reimagine mythical beasts Look outside the reptilian world for inspirationDragons. Who doesn’t love them? I like the idea of a dragon that’s evolved to live in forests and so has developed growths that look like branches – the ideal camouflage for an ambush predator! For inspiration for dragons you can look at all kinds of creatures. The usual ones to study would be Komodo dragons, crocodiles and other lizards, but check out less obvious creatures that will leave you with an unconventional dragon, which hopefully will have more variety. Birds are great for that dead-eyed, carnivorous stare – even a chicken has that... 06. Look at animal skeletons This dragon contains aspects of the hippopotamus skeletonAnother way to make your dragons more interesting is to take aspects of mammals and other toothy creatures and add those to your dragon. For this red beast I used inspiration from animals with tusks, wild boar and particularly the crushing jaws of a hippopotamus. I used to live near a natural history museum that was filled with the most amazing animal skeletons. If you have anything like that near you, take some time to go there with your sketchbook to gain inspiration for your creatures. The hippopotamus skull was particularly amazing to see and definitely influenced this dragon. 07. Create a story This creature hibernates for years at a timeIf you’re not sure where to start, think of the story behind the creature. I created this dragon who eats dead trees. I started with the idea that he would go around eating the dead wood in the forest, then I thought, well, what happens when he’s eaten it all? He hibernates! Sleeping for years at a time while grasses and plants and small trees grow all over him, camouflaging him while he’s away in dreamland. 08. Remember to bring the fun This cheeky brownie distracts forest walkersWhen I was designing my brownies, I imagined them as annoying little beings who try to distract you as you’re walking through the forest, in order to lead you off the safe path to where they can rob you of all your belongings. I imagined them leaping about, maybe yelling compliments (of a sort) to you as you went on your way through the forest. This is the creature that appeared as a result. If in doubt, adding a nude pink bottom is highly amusing. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 151. Buy it now. Related articles: How to paint outdoors 15 tips to improve your brush skills How to draw a dragon: 7 pro tips View the full article

Light is something that always inspires painters – whether it’s the sun shining on the stones of a building or a flower in a vase catching a ray of sunshine. In fact, a dustbin in an interesting light could make a better artwork than a beautiful landscape in a dull light. How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorialsDepicting light with oils can be challenging, but it is always rewarding. It has more to do with tones than colours. Getting a correct relationship between all the different tones of the painting is what will make the light effect credible. A typical mistake is to paint elements in their original colour rather than the colour they appear to be – for example painting a house white, while in fact it looks rather grey as it stands in the shade. Observe well and constantly compare things in connection to others (is this tree lighter than the house? Is the house lighter than the car? etc…). As a general rule, the values are closer together in the background, while in the foreground they are more contrasted and can showcase the lightest and darkest tones possible. With all this in mind, here are a few tips to help you depict light in your oil paintings. 01. Work thick Use thicker paint for light areasTo paint light with oils, use thicker paint for the light areas than for the dark ones. Start on a toned canvas or board that can work as your mid tone. That way, both light and dark brushstrokes will be visible. Then thinly paint the darker areas, making sure some of the background is still showing through to give it depth, then gradually build layers of lighter colours with more paint, finishing with thick impasto marks for the brightest highlights. This will create a strong focal point, as the eye is naturally attracted to the lightest colour and the thickest brushstrokes. 02. Work thin Working thin can work well for areas with lots of lightAn alternative to working thick is to cover the canvas with a light and warm background, such as pink, then build darker layers but leave the background showing through for the lightest areas. This is similar to the watercolour technique that uses the white of the paper as the white in the painting. Obviously it only works if the colour you want to achieve is the colour of the background. This technique might not have the impact of the impasto but it has a delicate, ethereal quality that works very well for subjects such as sunsets. 03. Mix light and dark Capturing interesting shadows will also emphasise brighter areasLight only exists in contrast to dark. Whatever you’re painting, you’ll probably have to make sure you include plenty of dark areas to make your light stand out. Whenever you want to make an element lighter you have two choices: use lighter paint or make its surrounding darker. Highlights are fun to paint, so the challenge is often to make the shadows interesting. If you observe closely you’ll see they contain a lot of subtle nuances of light reflected in them, so it’s best to keep them thin, and possibly let some of the ground colour show through. 04. Consider the colour of light Sunlight isn't always yellowBeginners sometimes make the classic mistake of thinking light is always yellow, putting thick yellow highlights everywhere, regardless of whether the sunlight is falling on blue sea or on a green jumper. But light can’t be painted on its own – it depends on the colour of the elements it hits. The key is to observe and avoid assumptions. It is also tempting to use a lot of white but sometimes it will make the colours cooler and less vibrant. Use the minimum needed, especially when painting bright red to avoid turning it pink. 05. Paint the path of light Light travels in interesting waysThe light will be convincing in a painting only if the painting is considered as a whole. Try depicting the path of light across the whole canvas – see what it hits, where it runs, and keep it consistent. It can be easier to group elements as masses rather than as individual objects, for this. Focus on painting the light falling onto planes from one corner of the canvas to the opposite one, as if you're following the flow of a river. A highlight will occur every time a plane changes direction, such as the corner of a table or the edge of a face. This article originally appeared in issue 9 of Paint & Draw magazine. Buy a copy here. Related articles: How to get started with oil painting 10 essential oil painting tips and techniques 26 phenomenally realistic pencil drawings View the full article

Typeface collections are a fundamental yet expensive asset, which leads to lots of creatives (whisper it) stealing them. Thankfully, a new cloud-based font library called Letrs is here to help fight piracy and shake up how designers work with typefaces. Touted as a "Spotify for typographers", Letrs offers an enormous library of fonts for a monthly fee. It means designers will no longer have to buy fonts – instead you'll just use what you need. It offers a way to easily manage a library of fonts and there's also the option to collaborate with a team, so you can share groups of typography styles with your co-workers nice and legally. Best free fonts for designersThe app (which has been in Beta up until now) is ever-growing and currently offers roughly 2,400 fonts from different foundries for users to play around with, all for a single monthly fee. Letrs hasn't revealed exactly what this monthly fee is yet, but we have asked for this information. With a launch date scheduled for tomorrow, we shouldn't be left waiting too long to find out what the damage will be. The service already has thousands of fonts free for subscribers"We plan to change the way agencies, design studios, and independent professionals consume digital fonts," Letrs says on its Twitter profile. To use Letrs, simply download the app, install the software and register. From there you'll be able to use any of the fonts from the catalogue, or even to use and manage your own typefaces by dragging and dropping them into the system. Once you've downloaded Letrs you'll be able to access your fonts from any computer. Letrs is also totally compatible with all Mac OS apps. To choose a typeface, simply click on a style and you're away. Watch the Letrs team explain everything that the app has to offer in the video below. The idea of a cloud-based typography library is a great one, and Letrs provides a handy alternative for designers who don't want to sign up to Typekit. Just like Letrs, Adobe's Typekit is an online subscription library of high-quality fonts. As it is, Typekit offers more typefaces but its pricing structure varies depending on how many styles you want to access. Letrs could be an alternative for designers who don't want to go through Creative Cloud, and if the catalogue's collection continues to grow, it could even work out to be more cost-effective. (It all depends on that mysterious subscription fee.) Related articles: Smart typography tool generates font pairs in an instant 50 top typography tutorials The 28 best typography apps View the full article

As we click back into action after the summer holidays, we’ve been focused on buying guides this month on Creative Bloq. Whether you’re looking for a new graphics tablet, or the best laptop for photo editing or graphic design, we’ve got you covered. 11 tools every graphic designer should have in 2017But what about new tools for graphic design out this month? Happily, there have been plenty of new releases that aim to speed up your workflow or increase your industry knowledge. From brilliant new books to brushes, actions, hardware and software, you’ll find nine of the best new graphic design tools right here... 01. The Elements of Logo Design: Design Thinking, Branding, Making Marks Buy The Elements of Logo Design, UK: £24.99 Buy The Elements of Logo Design, US: $25.21 Designer Alex W White has put together this new, comprehensive guide to learning the art of logo design. With over 400 examples taken from across advertising, editorial and web, the book seeks to give readers a clear understanding of universally shared graphic design principles, before applying these principles to logo design. Chapters cover everything from logic in design to hierarchy and structure; how to build a logo using type, image and space; semiotics; and more. If you’re interested in learning more about the art of branding, The Elements of Logo Design: Design Thinking, Branding, Making Marks will make for a fantastic resource. Also read: 25 logo design tips from the experts 02. iPad Pro (2017) with iOS 11 With the final release of iOS 11 this month, Apple's top-end iPad and the wonderful Apple Pencil have received some significant updates, turning the pair into an unbeatable portable companion for your desktop. The new dock has support for drag and drop, and is supported by Split View functionality, which powers up multitasking capabilities to provide desktop-like functionality. And thanks to Apple's A10 X processor, this is a seriously powerful tablet. Meanwhile, iOS 11 updates to apps such as Serif’s Affinity Photo and Savage’s Procreate help make the iPad Pro a fantastic tool for photo editing, designing and illustrating on the move. Also read: iPad Pro (2017) with iOS 11 review 03. The Design of Dissent, Expanded Edition: Greed, Nationalism, Alternative Facts, and the Resistance Buy The Design of Dissent, UK: £16.99 Buy The Design of Dissent, US: $16.37 A new, expanded edition of Milton Glaser and Mirko Ilic’s 2005 tome has been released this month – this time with celebrated designer and writer Steven Heller’s input, too. Within the 296-page book you’ll find a global collection of socially and politically driven graphics that voice dissent, challenge status quo and speak truth to power. From the Arab Spring to the Obama presidency, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, the election of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin’s continuing influence, the Women’s March, the ongoing refugee crises, immigration, environment and humanitarian issues, and much more, this title totals over 550 images. It not only stands as a testament to the power of imagery, but also acts as an urgent call to action. 04. Really Big Bundle of Illustrator Brushes Buy the brushes: $29 Guerillacraft has bundled up 367 Illustrator brushes for a bargain $29. Inside the bundle you’ll find a 1950s artist brush pack, pencil craft brushes, mid century-inspired brushes, ornamental style and a lot more. (They’re suitable for Adobe CS3 and above.) 05. Notes: Colorful Geometric Pattern Notebook Buy the notebook UK: £6.09 Buy the notebook US: $7.98 As the weather changes we’re still in back-to-school mode, which makes this colourful new geometric-patterned notebook from Nifty Notebooks especially timely. It’s wide-ruled, with 175 white pages. And at 6 x 9 inches it will fit in your bag as well. If you’re looking to offset the approaching winter with a splash of colour as you jot down ideas and notes, this one’s for you. 06. 18 Procreate Smudge Brushes Buy the Procreate brushes: $8 Seeing as the redesigned Smudge tool has been greatly improved in Procreate 4, Swiss-based Creative Market user MiksKS has created a set of brushes specifically for smudging and blending. So what do you get? The 18 brushes include a range of textures and colour blending effects, such as charcoal and pencil, paint and watercolour and more. However, they’re best used in Procreate 4, so you will need to update to that version before using these brushes. Also read: 30 of the best Procreate brushes 07. Fog Effect Photoshop Action Buy the fog effect Photoshop action: $4 Speaking again of changing seasons, this handy fog effect Photoshop action will speed up your autumn designs no end. It’s just $4, adjustable, compatible with CS3 and above, and comes with a useful Help file as well. Also read: 60 free Photoshop actions 08. Lightning and Electricity Brushes Buy the lightning and electricity brushes: $6 You get 102 high-res lightning and electricity Photoshop brushes in this $6 pack. If you’re looking to add drama to a thunderstorm or some extra shock into your latest design, this bundle is worth a look. 09. Pioneers of German Graphic Design Get Pioneers of German Design, UK: £70 Get Pioneers of German Design, US: $77.90 Author Jens Müller explores the relationship between the groundbreaking early inventions of Germany's graphic design pioneers and the nation's explosive politics in this fascinating 384-page title. Telling the story of German graphic design from the late monarchy to the Wirtschaftswunder after World War II, the book looks at how Lucian Bernhard prompted a revolution in poster design, and how Wilhelm Deffke and Karl Schulpig invented the modern logo. It also includes a section on Herbert Bayer, who expanded the language of form at the Bauhaus, as well as celebrated typographer Jan Tschichold. This is a highly recommended read for anyone with a deeper interest in graphic design. Related articles: 5 must-read books for design students The 60 best free Photoshop brushes 10 top design-related movies View the full article

Adobe suffered at a minimum a PR black eye on Friday when one of its private PGP keys was inadvertently published to its Product Incident Security Response Team (PSIRT) blog. View the full article

A crucial part of your job as a creative is to market yourself – whether you're a freelancer, in-house designer or head of a design studio. Half of this will involve having a slick, up-to-date portfolio – but the other ingredients are savvy self-promo and the ability to network. Here, we're going to focus on self-promo. The fundamental secrets for crafting a sharp self-promo campaign are the same, whatever your medium. Whether you’re using a piece of tactile print collateral to catch a commissioning editor’s eye, or enticing a prospective client to click through from your e-newsletter, make sure you hit all the right notes with these seven expert tips. 01. Think about figures first The Jacky Winter Group's field guide is simple but effectiveThink carefully about costs before you start. While you’ll be hoping for quick, positive results, be realistic about how much you can afford to spend based on current finances. Set – and stick to – a budget that won’t cripple you while you’re waiting to reap the benefits. A little budget doesn't have to mean compromising on quality, though; take a look at our guide to dealing with a tiny design budget. And it's not always the most outlandish ideas that make an impact. The Jacky Winter Group is a creative representation agency that produces an annual 'Field Guide' to its artists. Perforated pages ensure potential clients can tear out and keep any work examples they particularly like. It's simple but effective. 02. Work out your call to action A great self-promo campaign starts with a clear objective. While the ultimate aim is to win work, you’ll need to identify a more immediate call to action – whether that’s viewing your website or using your branded product. Your self-promotion materials and communication should always be created with this initial response in mind. 03. Target the right people James Curran's 30-day GIFathon got him noticed on InstagramYou’ll need to have a clear brand message in mind. You need to know exactly what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to, before you think about the how. To make sure your carefully crafted campaign reaches the right person at the right time, pick up the phone and do some research. There’s no point writing to an abandoned inbox, sending parcels to an obsolete address or targeting someone who’s abroad at a trade show. London-based animation director James Curran played to his audience with his 30-day GIFathon that saw him post a new GIF on his Instagram page every day for a month. He showed off his skills and gained around 10,000 new followers in the process. 04. Find a hook Think tactically about your target audience and what’s most likely to grab their attention. A time-pressed art editor who sees numerous portfolios may appreciate the convenience of a click-through from a digital mailer, but tactile print collateral that’s designed to wow will always cut through digital noise. 05. Execute properly Agency B&A printed examples of its artists' work on matchboxesA cracking idea is a great starting point, but the execution needs to do it justice: craft matters as much as concept. This doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money – it might simply be a case of putting in the time and effort to make your campaign great. Remember: no self-promo campaign exists in a vacuum. It’s part of a wider branding system and needs to work well with your visual identity – your logo (if you have one), colour schemes and so on – unless it’s a deliberate change. New York agency Bernstein & Andriulli showed off its illustrators' work by printing thumbnail examples onto matchbooks for potential clients to keep and use. A slightly different approach helped the company stand out and stick in clients' memories. 06. Pay attention to detail Liam Blunden repackaged his portfolio to act as a leave-behind at interviewsPay very careful attention to the finer details of your campaign and enlist other people to check over the final product before you send it. Your amazing first impression could all too easily be scuppered by a spelling error or printing mess up – you don’t want to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. And do an initial test run to iron out any delivery issues before launch. The fact that you’ve underpaid on postage, your email looks wrong on a major operating system or you’ve hidden a video from public view isn’t something you’ll want to hear from other people. When visual communication student Liam Blunden was invited to a job interview, he decided to make a lasting impression with a leave-behind inspired by the Pantone colour guides. Blunden's miniature portfolio featured a laser cut acrylic cover to make it sturdier, and was pocket-sized, perfect for carrying around. While a PDF portfolio could contain the same work, the attention to detail on this made a real impact. 07. Don’t be a stalker Contact recipients to check they received your promo, ask what they thought and suggest a meeting, but don’t become their new stalker or expect instant attention. A week is often a good time to leave it, as your promo will still be fresh in their minds without you seeming over-eager. Read more: 10 good reasons for turning down work How to get a career in graphic design: 11 pro tips The best laptops for graphic design View the full article

Every designer knows just how important it is to be able to lean on stock art from time to time. Having the right image to work with is important, and having access to great stock art makes it easier to achieve the visuals you're aiming for. If you're a designer, you need to get your hands on this lifetime subscription to Stock-Graphics, available for just $29 (approx £23). 5 tips for using stock imagery in your designsStock-Graphics is a royalty-free library that has everything you could need to make your next project come to life. You'll find a seemingly endless supply of essential assets, from one-of-a-kind vectors to a huge collection of editable images waiting to be used in any way that you see fit. There are more than 13,500 photos and 2,900 vectors available now, with new content being added every single month. Download as many images as you want and put them to use in all of your work. A lifetime subscription to Stock-Graphics usually runs at $4,999, but you can get full access on sale now for just $29 (approx £23). That's a massive 99% saving off the full retail price for an essential asset for any designer, so grab this deal while you can. 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. View the full article

Editing and illustrating digitally makes a lot of sense, especially for commercial illustration projects. Last year, I first started working on a tablet – the iPad Pro. Despite having worked in traditional pencil for over a decade, using Apple Pencil and the Procreate app came surprising naturally to me. You can work on the iPad in the same way that you work on paper, using a very basic approach – an initial sketch outline layer, which you can then build up in colour. I stick to a maximum of three layers, but often just work on one. Buy an iPad Pro Buy an Apple Pencil 01. Seek inspiration This day trip to Kent was organised by Wild Life and Sky Birds of PreyThe first step is to find subjects that inspire you to draw. A lot of my work is nature-based. I'm a huge animal lover, but living in London, getting up close and personal with nature can be a struggle. To get around this, I travel and attend Wild Life Drawing classes every few weeks. They're much like normal life drawing classes, but with animals, and are an amazing opportunity to create quick observational sketches and take lots of reference photos. The piece I've created for this tutorial stems from a mix of reference photos and sketches of a tiercel peregrine falcon. These are from a drawing day trip out to Kent, which was organised by Wild Life Drawing and Sky Birds of Prey. 20 best painting and drawing apps for iPad art02. Set up your canvas Perhaps the most appealing thing about working digitally is the ability to zoom. Depending on what the illustration is being used for, take some time to chose a canvas size. If you want this to be a printable image, make sure the resolution is high enough. I usually work at 6144 x 8196 pixels, which is huge! This means I'm limited to six Layers, but it enables me to zoom in on tiny details, and to potentially print to billboard size. Go to Settings > Preferences > Advanced Gesture Controls to ensure that Apple Pencil is the selected tool, and that Touch is set to Gestures Only. This helps avoid accidental finger painting. 03. Find your brush If you're making the transition from paper to digital, it's important not to rush into your first piece. Take some time to play around and customise the different Brush settings. Depending on your style, and which mediums you use on paper, different Brushes will suit you. Each Brush type is fully adaptable, so spend time tweaking it until you achieve a setting you're comfortable with, and don't forget to save it. I mostly stick to one customised Pencil setting, which perfectly mimics the physical colouring pencils that I use. You can also customise a fine tip to create a slight bleed (mimicking ink on paper) or create a Brush to realistically mimic the running of watercolour or ink on paper. 04. Create a rough sketch O'Sullivan combines a number of different sketches and photos into one sketchThe first step in creating a piece is to make a quick observational sketch. You can either sketch this directly onto the iPad or draw in your sketchbook then scan this in to use as a base Layer. For this example, I've sketched a simplified version of my paper sketch directly onto the iPad. I find it useful at this stage to reduce the Layer Opacity, so that my sketch is only faintly visible. I also have a number of photo references to hand. The beauty and challenge of drawing wildlife is that your subject is never quite still, so I combine a number of sketches and different photos, to hopefully capture the movement and essence of my subject. 05. Play with colour Playing with colour is an important part of O'Sullivan's workPlaying around with colours in illustration work can create distinctive results. Before starting, take time to look at areas of light and shade, and pick out certain tones to exaggerate within the piece. Choose an initial colour palette of about five main colours that work well together. Try to get these down as quickly as possible on a new layer of flat colours, under the baseline sketch Layer, using a large HB Pencil (under Sketching) or Studio Pen (under Inking). The goal is to create a sense of form, focusing on light and shade and expressing this through different colours. You can then choose different shades or tones and introduce more colours using the colour wheel. As you work, switch between colours by double-tapping the illustration. 06. Add detail After creating a base Layer, O'Sullivan then uses her customised Pencil to add detailOnce you have the base colour Layer, switch to a customised Pencil. You can change the Opacity and Size using the slider controls. Create a new top Layer on which to pick out key details from the sketch Layer. Once these are in place, you can turn off the sketch Layer. Then I usually flatten the whole piece to one Layer so I can treat the drawing as if it's pencil on paper – but that's up to you, you may prefer to blend your Layers at the end. Pick a point of most detail, such as an eye or a beak, and work your way out from there, adding detail and introducing different shades and tones from the base colours. Birds are fascinating to draw as their anatomy is so interesting, and you can break them down into key shapes and patterns in an abstract way using different line patterns and colours. 07. Resist the Undo button O'Sullivan advises not overusing the Undo button while drawingBeing able to zoom in and edit are huge benefits of working digitally, but you should resist perfection. Working in real colouring pencils means it's difficult to rub out marks and start again, so you accept all the little mistakes – my illustrations are never perfect, and I don't strive for perfection. For me, the main appeal of the iPad is being able to create art in the same way I do on paper. So I continue to resist perfection and leave in the accidents. These can make an illustration come alive, both on paper and tablet. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 268. Buy it here. Related articles: 20 best painting and drawing apps for iPad art 50 tips that will make you a better illustrator 9 iPad Pro apps that make the most of Apple Pencil View the full article

There are a range of painting techniques you can use for digital painting, but sketching a 3D scene such as a castle from scratch can be difficult. Picking the best angle for a complex 3D scene can be challenging from black and white sketches. Moreover, if you're not a fast modeller, attempting to make a 3D base might slow you down. Enter SketchUp, a simple 3D drawing tool that is surprisingly easy to learn, with functions to speed up the painting process. Here we'll take you through how to use this free tool to create 3D bases that we'll then take into Photoshop to turn into digital paintings. Best painting and drawing apps for iPadWe'll share how to understand a complex scene from every possible camera angle. We’ll also explain a few important digital painting notions along the way, such as value structure, applying textured brushstrokes, adjusting colour temperature, painting over photo textures, adding character for scale and so on. So, let’s get started. 01. Explore SketchUp's core tools You don't have to master the essential tools to create a good model quicklyOur goal with this software isn’t to master it completely, but rather to get to grips with the essential tools that you need to accomplish the modelling process quickly and effectively. The tools you'll probably use the most are the Line, Arcs and Rectangle tools, the Push/Pull and Offset tools and also the manipulation tools, such as Move, Rotate and Scale. 02. Add recognisable architecture Using reference imagery gives you a quick idea of how the image will lookTo speed up the modelling process, use real-world architecture references to help you place features such as windows, arches and towers. Here we cropped some photos of Las Lajas Sanctuary, in the Columbian city of Ipiales. To apply the textures, click the object faces, then select the small folder icon within the Material panel to browse to the texture you want to use. Placing this rough texture pass on the basic 3D volumes helps you decide when you're ready to continue with a more detailed modelling pass. 03. Model a simple 3D base A rough 3D model is a perfect foundation for paintingHere’s the model we're making in SketchUp. As you can see, this isn’t a fully completely 3D scene. Some structures are floating in the air, and the edges can be worked on a little bit more. But this is more than what you need as the base of a painting. Don’t fall into the trap of making everything perfect in 3D. We’re making concept art here, not a 3D final product. 04. Use SketchUp's various Style mode SketchUp Styles work like Photoshop filter effectsStyles dictates how your model will be displayed in SketchUp, a bit like the filter effects on images in Photoshop. You can view the model as line art, brush work, simple textures and so on. For this painting base, we need two Styles: line art style and the simple style. We’ll use them as passes to guide the painting process. 05. Enhance the shadows Shadow settings let you choose the location and time zone of your sceneShadow is a powerful tool to create interesting compositions. The Shadow setting in SketchUp enables you to pick a specific time zone, date and time of the day, to see the effect of different shadows and light on your model. 06. Explore different camera angles Rotating the 3D base lets you find the best angle for your paintingSketchUp's Scene Management tool enables you to save different camera angles. Being able to examine your scene from 360 degrees is probably one of the biggest advantages of having a 3D base, compared to traditional thumbnail sketching. Not only you can rotate your camera freely, you can also easily adjust the field of view. This makes it possible to use a wide lens and telescopic lens. In the Scene Management window, you can click the different thumbnails to switch between the saved camera angles and to pick the best option for your painting. 07. Move into Photoshop Passes can be loaded into SketchUp quickly thanks to a handy Photoshop functionNow after all the hard work you’ve done in SketchUp, bring the passes that you need into Photoshop. Just in case there are many passes to be imported, you don’t need to open each of them and drag them one by one into the painting window. Photoshop has a great function for this: simply go to File>Script>Load Files into Stack. 08. Spread on some colours Don't let the 3D passes restrict your painting styleIt’s important to let the 3D passes work as a guide for you, without allowing them to limit your creation process. Here we reduced the simple texture layer’s Opacity and created a new layer on top of it. We then used a textured brush to spread colours freely on the canvas. As you can see, you don’t need to let the colours on the basic texture layer dictate the palette – we used a light purple/blue tone to bring up the colour vibrancy in the painting. The best free Photoshop brushes09. Overlay the 3D layer Resurfacing the 3D base helps to nail down architectural detailsAt some point during this freestyle painting process, you'll need the 3D base back to give you more guidelines for the architectural structures. So, duplicate the simple texture layer and overlay it on top of the painting. Adjust the Opacity of the layer to blend it with your image. 10. Add depth and lighting Backlighting and foreground fog give the scene some depthTake a step back from the painting to analyse its value structure. Here we planned to do a backlit lighting scenario, so at this point we brightened the sky to pop out the castles’ silhouette. We also applied a fog layer at ground level, to give the foreground more breathing space and the image greater depth. 11. Bring in photo textures Photo references can still be used at this stage to add detailApply photos to the top of the painting to add more details to the main castle structures. Here we used some cathedral photos from a trip to Mexico, as the architectural details are ideal for the upper part of the castles. We cut out the parts that we needed and used the Transform tools to distort the perspective to make them fit nicely with the painting. 12. Paint over the photos A small textured brush continues the feel of the paintingBe careful with the photo integration part, because you don’t want it to destroy the nice brush feel that you’ve developed so far. Use a small textured brush to continuously paint on top of the photos so they can blend better with the rest of the painting. Paint on top of the photos and erase part of the photos, repeating this cycle for as long as it’s needed. 13. Develop edge contrast Edge contrast silhouettes keep the different forms distinctTo keep the brush feel in your paintings without the impression of losing details, use edge contrast. Every important form, object and character in your art needs a clean silhouette. The silhouette can be painted with textured brushes, but its value needs to maintain certain contrast levels with its surrounding values. This ensures the viewer can distinguish the forms without being distracted by the brushstrokes. 14. Add life and hint at a story Nothing says story time like a big old dragon!We are almost finished. At this stage, add some characters to show the scale of the scene and to hint at some vague storyline at the same time. Here we added a dragon to further enhance the fantasy theme of the painting. We also added some birds in the sky – an old but effective trick to bring some life into large-scale compositions. 15. Make final adjustments Only click OK when you're completely happy with the paintingFinish your painting with a few adjustment layers to tweak the contrast, colour temperature and brightness of the scene. You could also apply a subtle chromatic aberration to the image (simply to go Filter> Lens Correction…> Custom, and play with the Chromatic Aberration sliders). Click OK once you're happy with the result. This tutorial originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 147. Subscribe here. Related articles: How iconic fantasy film posters were made 15 fantasy portrait tips How to create 3D textures using SketchUp View the full article

You're reading The Inspiration Behind Brutalism in Web Design, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! A stripped-down internet inspired by architecture of the 90s. Brutalism in web design, in its most basic form, incorporates stark colors, bold and unforgiving shapes and layouts, and typography that is often clumsy and oversized. By now, we have all experienced some form of the brutalism web design trend that has gained traction over the […] View the full article

Whether you’re designing a brochure, poster, flyer, website or app in your agency work, you’re probably going to need some imagery to bring it to life. The standard go-to is photography, but don’t discount the idea of going down the illustration route. There’s something about illustration that can sometimes engage with audiences better than even the best photography. Perhaps that’s because it takes a step back from the starkness of real life, when photography can sometimes seem too immediate and obvious. Perhaps it’s to do with our deep and lasting relationship with illustrated children’s books. Or maybe it’s just because it offers a great way to convey simple shapes, silhouettes and ideas quickly and simply, without any associated surface noise. So what kind of illustrations should you use, and how? In this post we offer eight pointers about how to get the most from illustration in your designs. In an ideal world, of course, you’d always be able to commission your illustrations. But timescales and budgets don’t always allow for that, especially when the best illustrators can be booked up for months ahead. The good news is that iStock by Getty Images isn’t just a world leader in stock photography, it’s a major provider of stock illustrations too. So it’s the perfect place to find a huge range of exclusive, royalty-free illustrations by high-end professional illustrators, plus powerful search tools to help you find the perfect images quickly. 01. Minimalism can be magical Seagull Ocean Banner by filo. This illustration could be used, for example, in the header of a website about boutique seaside hotels When looking at illustrations for inspiration, the designer’s attention will often be drawn to detailed, intricate artworks. But after you’ve finished marvelling at the artist’s talent, you also need to step back and ask how well it will actually function in your design. Because to grab people’s attention and conveying a concept quickly and easily, you’re often better off with something simpler. That doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful, of course. Some of the most aesthetically pleasing and engaging illustration work out there harnesses minimalist styles, including the wonderfully concise work of Misha Petrick, the stripped-down stylings of Christian Jackson, and the simple pop culture forms of Dennis de Groot. 02. Make an emotional connection Young couple in love outdoor, by Grandfailure. This illustration could be used, for example, as the hero image of an upmarket dating app Ultimately, the holy grail of any design is to forge an emotional bond with the viewer. So why not go straight for the jugular, with an illustration where a sense of emotion is already baked in? If you do go down this route, of course, you need to steer clear of cheap sentiment and focus in on the kind of work that genuinely pulls at your heartstrings. After all, if it does for you, it’s more likely to do so for others too. Illustrations that evoke strong feelings in the viewer include the intense and raw work of Ivana Besevic, the delicate, feminine lines of Weronika Siwiec and the wistful wonderings of Kailey Whitman. 03. Confound expectations Open your mind to the wonders of the universe, by Yuri Arcurs. This illustration could be used, for example, for a sci-fi book cover or promo Sometimes you really want to arrest a viewer’s attention with your design. That’s something that high-quality photography can achieve, of course. But by freeing themselves from the real world, illustrators have the ability to go further in turning reality on its head and producing something truly fantastical. Illustrators with offbeat and original visions include the likes of surrealist Sebastiao Peixoto, the softly subversive Langdon Graves and the king of cut-out colour, Pierre-Paul Parisea. 04. Maximise colour Future City by SmallArtFish. This illustration could be used, for example, as an editorial illustration for an article about the latest smart home tech ‘Make the colours pop’ may be the client demand designers hate to hear. But have you considered that the illustrations you use can do that job for you? More and more illustrators nowadays are playing with bright, vivid and kaleidoscopic colours, and their creations can all help bring an otherwise unremarkable design to life. Illustrators known for their strong use of colour include Malika Favre, known for her ‘less is more’ approach; Laura Breiling, who takes a bold and daring approach to editorial illustration; and Kiki Ljung, whose geometric styling are filled with a sense of fun. 05. Harness the power of retro Pop art woman crying thought, by timoph. By adding text to the empty thought balloon, this illustration could work well as part of a social media campaign for a youthful brand While once nostalgia was just nostalgia, now terms like ‘retro’ and ‘vintage’ describe an approach to illustration that’s not about looking back but looking forward. In the iTunes era, when a cheesy 80s pop song can share space in the chart with the latest Grime release, retro all about requisitioning, remixing and reinventing the past. Illustrators working with an inventive take on retro include Zara Pickens, Mads Berg and Tad Carpenter. 06. Experiment with styles Line art close up of a young woman's face Whether you’re working in print or digital design, the temptation is to use illustrations that fit in with mainstream contemporary style. But if you’re looking for a way to make your design stand out, maybe you should consider seeking out work that takes a different approach to the norm and experiment with illustrative approaches. The faux-naiive cartoon stylings of Jean Jullien, the seductive ‘glitch’ oil paintings of Andy Denzler and the dreamy swirls of James R Eads are just some of the illustrators pushing the boundaries and playing with your expectations in delightful ways. 07. Delve into doodles Joy Unstoppable by dino4. This illustration could be used, for example, on a flyer for an arts and music festival Doodles were once just something you did by yourself when you were bored. But in the 2010s they’ve become a new and exciting sub-genre of illustration. Doodle illustrations are a great option for a design that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and encourages the viewer to engage with it in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Noted illustrators working with doodles include Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, Jon Burgerman and Pez. 08. Craft Origami made hot air balloon and cloud by thanaphiphat. This illustration could be used, for example, on the e-newsletter of a romantic-themed travel company The rise in digitisation that has swept popular culture over the last couple of decades has prompted an equal and opposite counter-revolution in the form of physical, craft based illustration. Many of us crave the physical, tangible and touchable, and you can harness this trend in your designs by using illustrations based on paper art and other physically based techniques. Illustrators working with craft materials include paper artist Elsa Mora, Zack Mclaughlin, who uses wood and feathers, and multimedia illustrator Kim Sielbeck. To see all of the illustrations featured in this article, and thousands more, check out the wide range of stock illustrations at iStock by Getty Images. Until the end of the month, you can also get 10% off credits with code ZKFPC46N at checkout. View the full article

Most designers choose to freelance because they love their craft and they want the freedom to do it on their terms. That, or they loathe the foibles of traditional employment, like the nine-to-five grind, meaningless meetings, or how Greg from marketing thinks his wacky ties are the same thing as a definable personality trait. 20 top tools for freelancersWhatever your reason for freelancing, it always comes with a cost: responsibility. Quite simply, the financial side of running your own business is difficult. There's a lot to know, and even more that can go wrong. That said, freelancing can empower more meaningful work, a better work-life balance, and a bigger bottom line. It's never easy, but it is almost always worth it. Here I'll explore the four most common financial challenges that freelancers face on a daily basis – and how you can overcome them effectively... 01. Define a pricing structure The cliché formula is that time equals money. But as a freelancer, your time is worth more than just a financial figure: it's the opportunity to experiment, to build relationships, and to make room for what really matters to you. That said, tying a financial figure to your time is an important aspect of making the most of your working hours and ensuring you don't go bankrupt. "Understand that you're really selling time, since services take time to provide," says Josh Hoffman of Epic Freelancing, an online community for freelancers. "Whether you actually charge per hour or not is one thing, but it's imperative that you get a handle on how much time you're investing relative to how much you're making." Assuming you're a full-time freelancer, the simple way to calculate your hourly rate is to take what you want to earn in a year and drop the zeroes. If you want to earn £45,000 this year, you need earn at least £45 for every hour you spend on your business. The maths to get to this figure is simple. If you take two weeks of holiday a year, then you've got 50 weeks in a year left. Working 40 hours a week, you've got 2,000 billable hours a year. Many new freelancers bill by the hourCut those billable hours in half because (at least) 25 per cent of your time will go into business upkeep, such as marketing your services and invoicing (and chasing) clients, and roughly 25 per cent of your income will go on things like taxes, a pension and insurance. These incidentals add up to approximately 50 per cent of your time. That's why you can take what you want to earn in a year (e.g. £45,000) and divide it by the 1,000 billable hours in a year to reach your hourly rate (e.g. £45 per hour). Remember, these are ballpark estimates, not fine-tuned figures. You can adjust this basic idea to take into account how much holiday you want to take, how many hours you plan to work per week and how much you pay out in tax, insurance, and so on. You can bill a client by the hour, day, week, or month. You can even bill by project or deliverable. In my experience, the most common billing method is by the hour. Charging by the hour makes sense when you're first starting to freelance because it's so simple and easy. Clients don't need an explanation for what's being provided; they are quite literally paying for your time. However, hourly billing has shortcomings. Tracking your time in hourly increments can be useful, but it's also an easy way to lose focus. Clients tend to nitpick the details of your invoice with this style of billing, which can become a time sink. This is particularly true with short billing periods, as you reveal more about how you're spending your time. It's easy for a client to look at your itemised invoice and systematically dismantle its contents. Some clients will begin to micromanage you, or even worse, undervalue what you do. And Co is an invoicing, contracts and payments app for freelancers Also bear in mind that as you move forward in your career, you'll get better at what you do. You'll be able to do it faster too. Your reward for being better should be working less, but instead, an hourly rate starts to slow you and your earnings down. It also discourages regular clients, because if you're better and faster than you used to be, you should be charging more – but most clients will squirm at a rate increase. "If you can do the highest quality work, in half the time, you should be paid the same or more than the other guy," says Leif Abraham, co-founder of AND CO, an app that supports freelancers. "Instead of raising your rate, you should structure your gigs to charge for the value you deliver." That's why most first-time freelancers charge clients according to the time put into a project. More experienced freelancers charge for both time and effort, and are also better at convincing clients they can deliver value. 02. Understand and sell your value Don't undervalue your work; plenty of clients will do that anywayDesigners with less experience tend to undervalue their work. Most clients have the same bias. To them, a logo looks like a few letters, a squiggly line or two, and some nice colours. They don't see the time, effort and training that went into the final product, nor do they necessarily appreciate why a logo is worth the bill. Ultimately, it's your job to bridge the client's 'understanding gap' and to communicate the value of your work. The best way to do this is to align your work with a client's concerns. A client's specific interests will vary from business to business and person to person, but clients usually care about the same two things: making money or saving money. "Connect the dots between how your services will put clients in a position to make more money, save more money, or ideally a combination of both," says Hoffman. 25 logo design tips from the expertsA logo is more than a two-tone symbol. It's more than a business' first impression, too. "It's an opportunity to catch people's attention in a noisy world," explains Hoffman. "By better catching people's attention, you'll be in a better position to compete in the attention economy, wherein attention is the foremost currency. In other words, you won't touch people's money if you can't command their attention." Freelancers who have things figured out charge for the value of their work. They take the time to explain this value in terms that matter to their client. To get better at this, when you first meet a prospective client, try to understand what problem led to them hiring a designer and what they are hoping for as a result. Perhaps their outdated logo sticks out on their site like a sore thumb, and they're hoping a new one will convince their customers to pay their premium prices. Once you have your information, leverage your work as the bridge between the initial problem and the potential solution. Doing this aligns expectations and positions you as the key to your prospective client's success. Whatever you charge, frame it with the negative implications of not fixing this problem and the positive benefits of having you solve it. Next page: more money-making tips for freelancers The best laptops for graphic design03. Figure out your client's problems Work out how your clients will benefit from hiring you, and sell yourself on that basisFreelancers typically bill according to what others are charging or what the freelancer has charged in the past. Instead, they should be billed to the client's needs or goals, such as, 'Why does the client need this?' and, 'What are they trying to accomplish?' Even if you ask the client these questions, their answers may not be perfect. Ambiguities often arise because the client doesn't completely know the answer, or they haven't explored the issue in great depth. You should help them find out, and if they continue to be an obstacle, try to help them understand that you're not looking to rip them off; you're looking to meet their needs and goals in the most effective way possible. Brennan Dunn of Double Your Freelancing suggests asking yourself the following four questions: What series of events led the client to seek you out? What problem pre-empted contacting you? (Note that these first two are not always the same thing.) What effect will this problem, left unsolved, have on the client's business? And what will solving the problem do for the client and their business? "Specifically," Dunn says, "what's the financial upside for the client if you solve the underlying problem?" Essential tools to manage a freelance design businessThe answer to those questions will inform how you quote the client. If a client is building a website to sell tens of thousands of dollars' worth of product, they should be willing to spend a portion of that profit to make sure the website facilitates this. Present yourself as a catalyst for the results that the client needs or wants. This way, you're not an expense: you're an investment in the client's business. They're going to spend a little money on you now because you're going to help them make more later. Keep in mind, more money isn't always the client's goal for the project, but it is almost always a factor in the equation. Whatever your client is looking for, present yourself as a guide for the client getting there. "No one has ever paid you for design," says Dunn. "Let that sink in for a second." "Clients hire us because they need our design to do something valuable for their business," continues Dunn. "Once you internalise that, it affects how you market yourself, how you sell, what you deliver and what you charge for it." 04. Learn to negotiate your rate Don't lowball yourself; start with a high price then let clients negotiate you downAlways avoid reducing your rate to accommodate a client. For a lower rate, you should be reducing the scope of your work or the deliverables. The only time your rate should be reduced without a decrease in workload is if you're getting something out of the deal that makes it worth it for you, such as a longer commitment from the client (so you don't have to spend as much time on marketing or finding new prospects) or better usage terms. If you must negotiate your rate instead of the scope of work, start at a high figure. Few clients will say no outright. Instead, they'll try to negotiate you down. "It's far easier to negotiate down than up," says Joe Phelan, a freelance designer with over 10 years of experience. "If a client thinks they are getting a good deal, more the better." In some instances, a client may forgo negotiations and just say yes. If that's the case, it's probably time for you to increase your base rate." When you enter negotiations, don't approach it as a cutthroat, you-against-your-client scenario. Instead, approach it as you would any other project. Work with your client to define the scope and deliverables, and negotiate your rate from there. This exercise gets the client mentally and emotionally invested in the idea of your services and what you can accomplish together. If the client's budget doesn't meet your rates, reduce the scope or deliverables, not your rate. "With art and design being so subjective, it's best to outline the processes involved as much as possible," says Phelan. "Talk the client through your thoughts and ideas. Listen to theirs. Build trust and understanding." You should always come prepared with evidence proving the value of your services. A case study that communicates how your work solves problems or meets clients' needs is a persuasive tool and a tangible proof of concept. Salary surveys are widely available and knowing that range is always worthwhile. Professional associations are also quality resources, as are others in your industry. Never reveal your past salary, even if pressed. Typically, a client will assign this value to you as a benchmark, and you'll be negotiating against your past self. Rather, focus on what you're worth right now. Always have your minimum acceptable rate in your back pocket and never negotiate below that. Finally, don't underestimate yourself and your value. It doesn't matter is another designer is charging half what you are. You're not them. Your style and your various points of difference are why you command your rate, and that's why anecdotal evidence – even from quality salary surveys – should be a tool to use, not a rule to obey. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 268; buy it here. Related articles: 9 things nobody tells you about going freelance 5 top money management tips for freelancers in 2017 6 ways to boost your freelance profile View the full article

Banking Trojan Retefe is adopting new WannaCry tricks, adding an EternalBlue module to propagate the malware. View the full article

It's time-consuming to cut through the ocean of free fonts online, especially web fonts, to find the real gems that punch above their price tag. With this in mind, we've rounded up the greatest free web fonts from around the internet to get you started. There are various methods to source and license web fonts, including subscription-based models such as Typekit and Fontspring, which boast libraries of quality typefaces that are becoming increasingly popular with professional designers. If you're on a tight budget, however, or are just looking to experiment on a smaller project, there are plenty of good web fonts available at no cost if you know where to look. Luckily, we've done the hard work for you, and have put together this list of the best free web fonts around at the moment. There's a broad selection so there should be something here to suit every project. Don't forget to check out our articles on How to use webfonts and How to choose the right typeface for your brand, to help you out. 01. Archivo Narrow Archivo Narrow is built for high performance typographyDesigned by Héctor Gatti and Omnibus-Type Team, Archivo Narrow consists of four fonts with 416 glyphs each. It is designed to be portable and can be used across both print and digital platforms, and its technical and aesthetic characteristics of this typeface are both crafted for high performance typography. And if you like its style, Archivo Black, a heavyweight grotesque designed for highlights and headlines, is also available. 02. Palanquin Palanquin has seven weights plus a heavier display familyA Unicode-compliant Latin and Devanagari text type family designed for the digital age, Palanquin is a versatile font family that strikes a balance between typographic conventions and visual flair. It consists of seven text weights and can be extended with a heavier display family, Palanquin Dark. If you'd like to contribute to the Palanquin project you can find it here on GitHub. 03. Ostrich Sans Ostrich Sans is a gorgeous modern sans-serif, available in a variety of styles and weightsAvailable from The League of Moveable Type, free web font Ostrich Sans is a gorgeous modern sans-serif with a very long neck. The family comes complete with a number of styles and weights, including dash, rounded, ultra light, normal and black. 04. PT Sans PT Sans is based on Russian sans serif types of the second part of the 20th centuryPT Sans was developed for the project Public Types of Russian Federation. Based on Russian sans serif types of the second part of the 20th century, free web font PT Sans also incorporates distinctive features of contemporary humanistic designs. PT Sans was designed by Alexandra Korolkova, Olga Umpeleva and Vladimir Yefimov and released by ParaType in 2009. 05. Fira Sans Fira Sans was created by legendary type designer Erik SpiekermannFree web font Fira Sans was created by legendary type designer Erik Spiekermann, with additional contributions from Carrois Type Design. Designed to integrate with the character of the Mozilla FirefoxOS, the Fira family aims to cover the legibility needs for a large range of handsets varying in screen quality and rendering. 06. Montserrat Montserrat is inspired by the urban typography of the region in Buenos AiresJulieta Ulanovsky created this font because she wanted to preserve the beautiful typography she saw on the street signage in Montserrat, Buenos Aires. As the area is developed, the old posters and signs are lost. This font is distributed under an open source license and goes some way toward preserving the urban typography of the historic region. 07. Abril Fatface Perfect for arresting headlinesAbril Fatface is part of a big type family that has 18 styles designed for all kinds of uses. Fatface has a strong, elegant presence that makes for striking headlines. It's commonly paired with Lato, Open Sans and Droid Sans. 08. Playfair Display Great for squeezing into tight spotsWith its extra large x-height and short descenders Playfair Display is particularly suited to headlines, especially if space is tight. It works well with Georgia, and you'll also see it used with Oswald, Lato and Arvo. 09. GT Walsheim GT Walsheim is a popular choice for design blogsUsed by many design blogs these days, GT Walsheim is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Noël Leu and released in 2010 through Swiss foundry Grilli Type. You have to pay for the full font family, but Grillit Type kindly offers GT Walsheim as a free trial, so you can try before you buy. 10. Merriweather A good choice for long reads on screensIf readability on screens is a priority in your project you might reach for Merriweather, which was designed especially for this purpose. Merriweather is always evolving, and you can request features and stay up to date by checking creator Eben Sorkin's blog. 11. Josefin Sans Josefin Sans captures something of the Swedish design styleJosefin Sans was drawn with vintage Swedish design in mind, and has a geometric, elegant aesthetic. The letter z has a distinctive 'haircut', which was inspired by New Universal Typeface Newut from André Baldinger. 12. Gravitas One This web font will be perfect for headers and tabsDesigned by Riccardo De Franceschi, Gravitas One is modelled on the 'UK fat face' – a heavy advertising type created during the industrial revolution in England. This is a font that'll look great in a medium to large scale; perfect for headers, tabs and striking titles. 13. Jura Jura comes in four different weights, so will work well almost anywhere!Daniel Johnson wanted to create a Roman alphabet using the same kinds of strokes and curves as the Kayah Li glyphs. Jura was born and has been expanded to include glyphs for the Cyrillic and Greek alphabets. It's available in light, book, medium, and demibold weights. 14. League Gothic The League of Moveable Type delivers another stellar web fontOriginally designed by Morris Fuller Benton for the American Type Founders Company in 1903, League Gothic has been given a new lease of life thanks to The League of Moveable Type. Thanks to a commission from WND.com, it's been revised and updated with contributions from Micah Rich, Tyler Finck, and Dannci, who have contributed the extra glyphs. 15. Fjord Fjord is perfect for content on the webFjord is a serif typeface, originally designed with printed books in mind, and particularly intended for long texts in small print sizes. This will look great for your longer content on the web as it features sturdy construction, prominent serifs, low-contrast modulation and long elegant ascenders and descenders relative to the 'x' height. 16. Amaranth Play around with Amaranth and see what works for your siteThe Amaranth family is a friendly upright italic design with a slight contrast and distinctive curves. With its three new styles Amaranth works really well with almost any text type. This is a font perfect for playing around with – see what works! 17. Gentium Basic The free web font Gentium Basic was designed as a multilingual faceReleased under the SIL Open Font License, Victor Gaultney's serif was designed specifically as a multilingual face, incorporating Latin, Cyrillic and Greek scripts and advanced support in the Gentium Plus version. Gentium Basic and Gentium Book Basic are both available as free web fonts, but are restricted to a Latin character set. 18. Open Sans This free web font is crisp, clean and optimised for web and mobileDesigned by Steve Matteson, type director at Ascender Corp, this humanist sans serif boasts great legibility even at small sizes, and has been optimized for both web and mobile interfaces. This free web font has an upright feel, with open letterforms and a neutral-yet-friendly appearance that ensures versatility. 19. Signika The free web font Signika was designed with clarity in mindIn the tradition set by the likes of Meta and Tahoma, Anna Giedry's designed Signika with signage and wayfinding in mind, where clarity is key. This free web font is a sans serif with low contrast and a tall x-height, qualities that translate well onto screen. Its wide character set includes small caps, pictograms, and arrows. 20. Josefin Slab The x-height of this free web font is half its caps heightDrawing on the trend for 1930s-style geometric typefaces with some added Scandinavian flavour, Santiago Orozco's distinctive slab serif brings a distinctive 'typewriter' feel to its sans serif counterpart, and this free web font is perhaps best suited to display use. Unusually, Josefin's x-height is half that of its caps height. 21. Forum This free web font is particularly effective for all-caps headlinesAs its name implies, this is a grand Ancient Roman-style serif that is particularly distinctive as a display font used all-caps for headlines, although works stylishly as a sentence-case text face at slightly larger sizes. This free web font's elegant proportions are reminiscent of classical architecture, with semi-circular arches, horizontal cornices, and vertical columns. Next page: 20 more great free web fonts... 22. Tikal Sans This free web font takes its name from the Mayans' main cityTaking its name from the Mayans' most prominent city, Tikal Sans' characterful sharp-ended strokes are influenced by glyphs that were used by the South American civilization. Foundry Latinotype gave this web font a large, contemporary-feeling x-height for both legibility and friendly appeal, while its multiple weights ensure maximum versatility. Note: currently only medium and medium italic are available free. 23. Arvo Good arvo, mate! And a very good web font, too...Equally suited to both print and web, Anton Koovit's geometric slab serif is available in Roman, Italic, Roman Bold, and Bold Italic. Although this free web font has an almost uniform stroke width, Arvo's very slight contrast adds to its character – and it's also carefully hinted to enhance its on-screen readability. 24. Bevan Ultra-bold web fonts don't always translate to screens, but this one doesThis is Vernon Adams' reimagining of a traditional 1930s slab serif by Heinrich Jost. The letterforms have been digitised, reshaped and optimised for the web, with more open counters and stronger stems to ensure that Bevan functions as an ultra-bold display font that suits modern browsers. 25. Old Standard TT This web font has a very 'scientific document' feel to itRevisiting the Modern (classicist) serif style that was widespread in the late 19th and early 20th century but later abandoned, this style is well suited to giving style and heritage to particular types of content, such as scientific papers, or for setting Greek or Cyrillic type. The name counterbalances the 'New Standard' (Obyknovennaya Novaya) used in much Soviet typography. 26. Kreon This is a personality-packed web font which is great for blogsIdeally suited to magazine and news websites, as well as blogs, this characterful serif by Julia Petretta has a slight slab feel to it, but its balanced, low-contrast letterforms convey considerably more personality than a more neutral typewriter-style web font might, making it ideal for headlines. Sans serif and italic versions are currently in development. 27. Droid Sans Droid web font is ideal for mobile screens, hence the nameA digital-focused typeface by Ascender Corp's type director Steve Matteson, Droid Sans has been optimised for maximum readability at small sizes for user interfaces – particularly menus on mobile phone screens (hence the Android-referencing name). It has an upright stress with open letterforms, and balances a neutral feel with a friendly touch. 28. Italiana This elegant web font adds a touch of class to any siteAnother web font geared up for setting newspaper or magazine headlines, which makes it useful for carrying a brand seamlessly across print and digital. Mexico-based designer Santiago Orozco was inspired by traditional Italian calligraphy, and accordingly is well suited to projects that need a touch of elegance and Continental style. Development is ongoing, and Orozco welcomes feedback. 29. Vollkorn Hardworking web font Vollkorn is its designer's first attempt as a typefaceConsidering it's Friedrich Althausen's first attempt at typeface design, this hardworking, multi-purpose serif (the name is German for 'wholemeal') is a considerable accomplishment, and has been downloaded thousands of times. Its chunky, well-defined serifs give it confidence and energy that make it equally effective at large sizes for headlines or titles, or for larger passages of text. 30. Actor The free web font Actor has very distinctive 6s and 9sLike Poly, this free web font emerged from a university project - this time by Thomas Junold while he was studying at Aachen University of Applied Sciences at Karl-Friedrich (Kai) Oetzbach. It has a particularly high x-height that calls for generous line spacing, and also features old-style figures, with 6 and 9 particularly unique. 31. Lato This free web font is published under the Open Font LicenseA sans serif family created by Polish designer Łukasz Dziedzic, Lato is published under the open-source Open Font License. Originally developed for a client project, which was later steered in a different direction, the face is relatively non-descript when used small, but reveals its character at larger sizes, where its semi-rounded characters add warmth. 32. Average Sans Average by name... This web font is neutral and no-nonsenseAs its name implies, this typeface by Argentine designer Eduardo Tunni has relatively neutral letterforms in terms of structure and proportion, and comes in both sans serif and serif versions that complement each other nicely. It's best used as a text font, or for short, no-nonsense headlines. A serif version, simply called Average, is similarly clear and crisp. 33. EB Garamond This variation of the Garamond typeface is a great free web fontSince its roots in the 16th century, the humanist serif face Garamond has become a true typographic icon, and much copied. This particular open-source project by Georg Duffner seeks to bring the essence of Claude Garamond's masterpiece onto the web. The 'EB' stands for Egenolff-Berner, as the web font is based on a specimen created by Conrad Berner while at the Egenolff print office. 34. Ubuntu Ubuntu is a distinctive web font - and open source, of courseCreated by leading London foundry Dalton Maag, this distinctive sans serif font was developed with funding from Canonical Ltd to benefit the wider free software community, and users are encouraged to modify, improve and share the web font. Ubuntu is designed to convey personality on both desktop and mobile screens. 35. Rosario Rosario is perfect for setting paragraph typeRosario is described by publisher Omnibus as being a classic semi-serif typeface, featuring weak contrast and smooth endings. We think it's an excellent Humanist sans-serif addition to your type arsenal. Perfect for setting paragraph type, Rosario is named after the city where designer Héctor Gatti lives. The font has also benefited from TrueType hinting additions provided by Adobe via their Edge Web Fonts platform. 36. Roboto Slab Roboto Slab provides a pleasant reading experienceRoboto Slab is one variant in the wider Roboto family designed by Christian Robertson. The slab version particularly catches the eye with its geometric shapes and open curves. It works equally well as a display font or for dense copy: the letterform rhythm feels natural, making for a pleasant reading experience. 37. Oswald Oswald is a fantastic display font for headlinesOne of the first fonts to be featured in Google's Web Fonts library, Oswald has been updated more recently to include multiple weights, extended character sets and better kerning. The font is a reworking of the classic Alternate Gothic sans-serif typeface style, created by designer Vernon Adams, and is a fantastic display font for headlines and captions. 38. Stalemate Stalemate works well as an accent fontA wonderfully quaint script design by Jim Lyles, and harking back to vintage origins. This font works well as an accent or display font, adding instant "personal" impact to your typography on the page. 39. Crimson Text Crimson Text is a solid, well proportioned serifThis wonderfully refined font makes an excellent choice for copy that requires the solidity and impact of a well proportioned serif. Designed by Sebastian Kosch in the best traditions of oldstyle typefaces such as Garamond, this features beautifully rendered ordinals and uppercase forms, making it a solid and reliable choice for many applications. 40. Ledger Free web font Ledger has excellent legibility even on low-resolution screensA multi-purpose face with a large x-height, strong stroke contrast, and clearly defined serifs and terminals that all contribute to excellent readability, Denis Masharov's free web font Ledger is particularly effective for editorial use - working equally well on the printed page or on a low-resolution screen. Related articles: How to use web fonts Master accessible web typography Best free fonts for designers View the full article

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Samba released three security updates, including two related to SMB connections that could be abused by an attacker already on the network to hijack connections and manipulate traffic or data sent from a client. View the full article

There can be few brand turnarounds as mind-boggling as Lego's. Here is a Danish toy manufacturer, with its roots carved by Ole Kirk Christiansen – a small-town furniture store owner – that has spawned into the biggest brand on the planet. Its fleet of movies, spin-offs and tie-ins propelled Lego beyond the likes of Apple, Ferrari and Sony to become the most recognisable and commercially successful brand on the planet. And Lego has managed this with effortless cool, embracing and entertaining children and adults alike. That's some story. And it's an even more interesting story to tell. As The Lego Ninjago Movie, the latest Lego box-office banger hits big screens in the US, it's worth taking a look at how Lego rewrote the rules of brand innovation to become the megalith it is today. How to challenge brand stereotypesBroad building blocks "What Lego has is a way to bring out kids' and, frankly, adults' imagination, creativity and with joy," Dan Lin, CEO of Lin Pictures and producer of the Lego movies told Adweek earlier this year. In recent years, Lego has achieved this by adopting creative ideas in new and more daring ways. To understand the broad-mindedness of the Lego brand, we have to look back to the 1940s. Having found success in manufacturing wooden toys, Christiansen embraced a seismic shift in product engineering by purchasing one of the first available injection-moulding machines and producing his bricks in cellulose acetate. Taking on the advice of an outsider – British toy maker Hilary Page – Lego moved the interlocking studs to the top of the brick, and by 1958, the modern brick design was realised. Amazingly, bricks from 1958 are still compatible with the most modern design. Why change a winning formula, after all? Amazingly, the first brick design is compatible with modern setsLego's story is well documented – Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson's brilliant exploration of the brand, Beyond the Brick: A Lego Brickumentary explores the history and impact of Lego and is well worth a watch – and its seminal revival and growth holds important lessons for creatives working with ailing brands. But it's not just the movies and franchise tie-ins of recent years that mark Lego out as an innovator. Lego's very DNA is forged from chance-taking creativity. So what lessons can we all learn from what is now deemed the most valuable brand on the planet? We've found the following four pieces of advice from the Lego success story. 01. Use disruption as a force for good Lego's success shows that disrupting the status quo can be a force for good that can help cement your brand's reputation for progressiveness and innovation. Children's toys used to be all made from wood. That was a given ideology that every manufacturer adhered to. Plastic was, in the late 1940s, the preserve of kitchenware and furniture, and it had no place in the toy box. When Christiansen decided to produce Lego blocks in plastic, his critics lined up to take pot shots at him. Ole Kirk Christiansen took a chance on plastic when everyone else was still making toys from woodPlastic was cheap, mass-produced and lacked the 'feel' of wood that made toys dear to kids, the critics said. But these critics couldn't see that there were alternatives to the accepted rules of the time, and only Christiansen had the metal to disrupt the given order of the day to try something bold and new. 02. Have a purpose Holding an unflinching creative vision is key for a successful project. Sure, parameters and requirements can change. Ideas can be flung back at the drawing board, and even tossed in the bin. But once set upon, staying true to your creative vision is one step in guaranteeing a project's focus and success. Lego's overarching philosophy is ‘good quality play'. The company believes that this enriches a child's life and lays the foundation for their growth into adulthood. With a self-proclaiming brand motto that 'Only the best is good enough' it's easy to see how a determination to deliver on its purpose and philosophy is key to Lego's success. By sticking to a core philosophy, Lego has avoided pitfalls and criticisms that other brands might not have. Famously, when it first introduced its Star Wars franchise of figures and blocks, it received criticism for associating 'war' with children's toys. But by sticking to its core philosophy of ‘good quality play' that enriches children's lives, it managed to align what was a savvy corporate move with its core ideology as a toymaker. 03. Listen to your fans By the mid-1990s, the Lego brand hit a trough. Sales were down, even though the brand was expanding into new markets at a dizzying rate. New Lego sets included entire cities, medieval castles and space collections, while the brand moved into clothing and computer games, theme parks and playing cards. A sales dip in the mid-90s saw Lego refocusing on its core ethosSo what did Lego do? Its first stop was to call in a management consultancy to examine its business. What it found was that the brand had drifted too far from its core philosophy. So Lego pulled in more help – this time from from its core users. It recruited from a pool of young Lego enthusiasts who lived the motto of the business and told the brand it needed to refocus on what it does best. 04. Figure out what works (and what doesn't) Since the 1970s, Lego bricks and characters have been used to create fan films. Whether recasting Star Wars in bricks or inventing original stories, by the 2000s Lego-based shorts were nothing new, and had long been on the company's radar. Against the odds, a full-blown Lego film was a runaway successWhat was new was the idea, in 2008, of a full-blown Lego movie. Franchised films are a stable Hollywood earner – based on theme park rides (Pirates of the Caribbean), video games (Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy and more) and comic book characters (The whole Marvel and DC worlds). The likes of He Man, GI Joe, Transformers and My Little Pony were toy franchises that hit the big and little screen in classic cartoon form. But Lego opted for something different, and something totally original. The Lego Movie doesn't feel like CGI, but doesn't seem like traditional stop-motion either. The brand went on to continued success with its Lego Batman Movie"We wanted to make the film feel like the way you play, the way I remember playing. We wanted to make it feel as epic and ambitious and self-serious as a kid feels when they play with Lego," said Chris McKay, animation supervisor on The Lego Movie. It's safe to say that the movie managed exactly that, and cemented Lego's place as a brand so confident in its core philosophy, it's willing to rejuvenate and take creative chances that other brands simply can't dream of. Related articles: Is no branding the best way to get attention? Transform your design workspace with this awesome Lego tape Lego art: 40 designs that will blow your mind View the full article

Branding is more than just a snappy slogan or clever logo – it's how customers connect with your service across all sorts of platforms. And designers who specialise in creating memorable brands have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to make people respond to a company in certain ways. We've already seen how colours can influence the ways people perceive a brand, thanks to this useful infographic that helps you pick the perfect palette. Now the new Typography in Branding infographic from cohesive brand creators Iconic Fox is here to show you how typography is a design decision that needs careful consideration. Best free fonts for designersBy breaking typography choices down into three main styles – namely serif, sans-serif and script – this infographic reveals how the different typefaces have been used by brands over the years. Each style is also introduced with a series of characteristics and popular associations to inform readers of how they’re best applied. For example, serif fonts are linked to tradition and reliability, so they’re well suited to print media brands, it says. On top of this, the infographic also takes us on a trip through time. Every typeface is split into key time periods that help to give some context as to why particular styles have produced certain associations. To use our old friend, serif typefaces, we see that the style can trace its roots all the way back to 1460 where it has a strong link to calligraphy. Perhaps this set the foundation for the typeface genre becoming the respectable style we feel it to be today? Explore the infographic in full below, and on the Iconic Fox website. And thanks to plenty of style suggestions, there are lots of ideas to investigate on your journey to find or create the perfect typeface for your brand. Click the icon in the top-right to see the full sized infographic Related articles: 21 outstanding uses of colour in branding 50 top typography tutorials How to choose the right typeface for a brand View the full article

We all love a good movie, but rather than tune into the latest action film or comedy, why not take a look at some of the many awesome design movies and documentaries out there? There’s nothing better than seeing what some of the great designers have done to help boost your creative ideas and spur you on. With new for 2017 Netflix series Abstract: The Art of Design booming, it's clear there's a huge appetite in the design community for films about other designers and areas of design. So in no particular order, here’s a rundown of 10 of the best classic design documentaries to catch, featuring famous names and inspiring stories, covering everything from typography to street art. 01. Why Man Creates, 1968 Seminal artist Saul Bass and Mayo Simon created animated short documentary Why Man Creates in 1968. An early classic, the film discusses the nature of creativity and is as much inspiring today as it was 50 years ago. 02. Helvetica, 2007 American director Gary Hustwit celebrates 50 years of the typeface with a feature-length documentary focusing on the wider conversation about how type affects our culture. Released in 2007, the documentary has received widespread recognition and been shown at over 200 film festivals, museums, design conferences, and cinemas worldwide. 03. Design and Thinking, 2012 Directed by Mu-Ming Tsai, Design and Thinking examines how design can influence the world of business and social change and calls on creative minds to work together to change the world. Interviewees David Kelley, Bill Moggridge and Tim Brown put forward the idea that attempting to ask the right question is more important than providing firm answers. 04. Objectified, 2009 Following on from Helvetica, Gary Hustwit’s second film looks at the world of design engineering and the creative concepts behind everyday objects such as toothbrushes to tech gadgets. He also completed a trilogy with his third film, Urbanized, which looks at the design of cities. 05. Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight, 2009 Wendy Keys’ debut documentary offers a glimpse into the brain behind the iconic I ❤ NY logo and New York Magazine. Released in 2008, the film illustrates the full-breadth of Glaser’s artistic work and has become a design docu classic. 06. PressPausePlay, 2011 Directed by David Dworsky and Victor Köhler, PressPausePlay interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era to ask: Does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? 07. The Universe of Keith Haring, 2008 Christina Clausen plays homage to Haring’s iconic career, told through archive footage and a series of interviews from the likes of Jeffrey Deitch to David LaChapelle to Yoko Ono. 08. Sign Painters, 2014 This pay-per-view documentary from Faythe Levine and Sam Macon depicts the fascinating stories of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the US, celebrating the specialised art form. 09. The Cool School, 2008 A documentary depicting the art scene of 1940s America, The Cool School tells the story of how a small group of creatives gave birth to the LA art scene. Walter Hopps and Irving Blum, owners of the Ferus Gallery, painters Ed Ruscha and John Altoon, and architect Frank Gehry are just some of those featured. 10. Beautiful Losers, 2008 Directed by Aaron Rose, founder of the now-closed Alleged Gallery in New York City, Beautiful Losers depicts the work of a 1990s collective that championed a 'do-it-yourself' style - influenced by skateboarding, graffiti and hip hop. Liked this? Read these: 4 classic movie poster designs making a comeback 10 famous designers’ online portfolios and what you can learn from them Best free fonts for designers View the full article

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