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There are plenty of word processors out there that you can use, but they all come with their own baggage. Nisus Writer Pro is a lightweight and powerful tool for writers that provides a perfect workspace for any project. Get it on sale today for 50% off the retail price! Nisus Writer Pro is an absolutely essential tool for anyone writing on a Mac. This word processor provides everything you need to write the way you want to. It automatically saves your work, makes it available through iCloud, and maintains document versions so you can see your revisions. With RTF support, it can produce documents that can be opened on just about any machine and in any program. You can get Nisus Writer Pro on sale now for just $39 (approx £30). That's a saving of 50% off the retail price for a handy app that makes writing a breeze. Grab this deal today! View the full article

You can have the best pencils in the world, but unless you know how to draw with them, they're pretty useless. You're fairly sure you know how to hold a pencil, right? Well of course you do... but are you holding it correctly to draw? The grip we use for day-to-day writing is very inefficient and will limit you in many drawing scenarios. Quite simply, drawing from the fingers and wrist alone (which is the narrow range promoted by the standard hand writing grip) doesn't release the full potential of movement that drawing from the entire arm and shoulder affords us. 26 phenomenally realistic pencil drawingsWhen it comes to drawing, you need to retrain years of accumulated muscle memory that is dictating the way you make marks. Once you weed out these bad habits, your visual vocabulary will broaden with each drawing session. A better grasp of your pencil will literally lead to a better grasp of drawing, because once you gain greater certainty and control over any given drawing medium, the confidence to explore what can be done with it becomes more accessible. Learn to wield your drawing tool like a pro with these steps to pencil precision... 01. Learn the two basic types of grip There are two basic types of grip: Tripod and OverhandThere are several ways to hold a pencil. Most are variants of two main grip types; Tripod and Overhand. Both can be used when holding different kinds of drawing media, but you may notice a tendency to grip tubular media (pencils and ink pens) with the Tripod grip and bulkier media with the Overhand. Both have their place, but the Overhand method is generally considered a more adept approach. Before we explain why, let's looks at the Tripod grip. 02. Learn the Tripod grip The Tripod grip uses the thumb, index and middle fingerThe Tripod grip is the grip we use when writing with a pen, so it's also known as the Writing method. You grip the pencil using the thumb, index and middle finger. The barrel of the pencil should rest naturally in your hand's web space. Avoid closing the web space, as this forces the barrel to rest on the knuckle of the index finger and promotes strokes using finger gestures only. Avoid grasping at the tip of the pencil, too, as this can limit line length(s) and lead to hairy, less fluid continuous lines. When to use the Tripod grip The range of movement of the Tripod grip is limited, but it can be useful for detailing small sectionsAlthough the range of movement of the Tripod grip is limited, it can be useful for detailing small sections of a big drawing. Try to move your grip as far up the barrel as you can to encourage articulation of the elbow and drawing from the shoulder. The Tripod grip is more appropriately used when working in a small sketchbook – A4 or smaller. Try not to rest your hand on the paper, as this can hinder wrist articulation. 03. Master the Overhand grip Using the Overhand grip can feel alien at firstIf you've never used the Overhand grip, it feels alien at first, but the benefits are worth the retraining. Place your pencil down on a flat surface. Now with the thumb and all four fingers, pick up the pencil. All fingers should grip the outer side of the barrel while the thumb grips the opposing side, retaining a light grip at all times. When to use the Overhand grip The Overhand grip will increase the versatility and range of marks you can makeOverhand grip combined with a correctly sharpened pencil will increase the versatility and range of marks you can make by introducing the edge of the pencil. For example, when drawing on a vertical surface (easel) holding the pencil vertically (and with the full edge touching the paper), pulling downwards creates a single line, but moving the edge horizontally left/right will lay down a thicker line of tone. 04. Get more from the Overhand grip Move your index finger away from the outer edge of the pencil to the top of the barrelMove your index finger away from the outer edge of the pencil to the top of the barrel. This enhances your control of the pencil by acting as your pivot and pressure control. Rolling the wrist forwards means less edge is in contact with the surface, leading to a thinner, sharper line weight. Roll back the wrist and you apply more edge to the surface, broadening and also softening the line quality. 05. Try these Overhand grip exercises One way to shift line weight is to introduce minor shifts in wrist angleAnother way to shift line weight is to introduce minor shifts in wrist angle, as you draw a continuous line start to twist the wrist to increase/decrease the amount of edge contact with the surface. To build muscle memory try this exercise: Plot several Xs randomly over a surface; now begin linking these Xs with lines, some short, others continuous, fluctuating line weights as you go. Use four Xs close together (north, east, south and west) to practice drawing ellipses. 06. Make some marks Gain confidence by exploring the types of mark you can make with your chosen gripGain confidence by exploring the type of marks you can make using this grip. The foundation of every drawing can be broken down into three basic components; line, shade and texture. The more ways you have of creating these, the more varied your drawing vocabulary will become. Marks can be generated by the following factors; direction, angle, speed and pressure. Try filling a sheet of paper with experimental marks that capture these qualities. This article originally appeared in the ImagineFX bookazine How to Paint & Draw. Related articles: 100 amazing Adobe Illustrator tutorials How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials How to improve your character drawing View the full article

Explosions are a huge part of our entertainment, from video games to action films. However, most of the explosions you see on screens aren’t real. There are a lot of things that go into simulating an explosion. You have to think about the units you’ll be using, and consider the fuel that’s supposedly igniting it. You also have to think about how high the impact will go, the colours that’ll show up and the directions it’ll travel in. All these things and many more combine to give you the perfect explosion that looks stunning on the screen. Mighty Maya tutorials to try todayIn this tutorial, I'll show you how to craft a realistic explosion using Maya’s nParticles and FumeFX. 01. Fire up FumeFX Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageFumeFX is easy to use with solid built-in tools. It has great interaction with V-Ray and other renderers, making it the go-to option for the industry in both production and video game design. The latest version claims that it works up to twice as fast as version 3.0, so it’s also a great solution for optimising your workflow. 02. Optimise the scene Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageBy having a car going towards the origin point to capture velocity, it can interact with particles at a high speed to make an explosion look realistic. If you want to do something similar, you should optimise your geometry. Make a low-res version of your geometry to use in the simulations, then later it can be replaced with a high-poly version when it comes to rendering. 03. Decide your scales Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageBefore you get to any of the simulations, you must have a working set-up. You should decide on the unit you’ll be using. Centimetres are good but metres are even better for real-world scale. Use a scale reference, such as a human being, to make sure all of your simulations and objects are proportional. If the scale is off then it won’t look realistic. 04. Generate Particles Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageFumeFX needs something to burn – some sort of initial geometry that the fire of the explosion will come from. So, generate nParticles by changing Maya’s interface to the FX module, going to the nParticles menu and selecting Create Emitter. This gives you an Omni emitter to generate a point or sphere, depending on the version of Maya. These particles will be ignited later on. 05. Ground Plane and Self Collision Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageNow you need to create an explosion from the particles. The first thing is to add a ground plane. Go to the Nucleus node and then Ground Plane. There, check the Use Plane option and it’ll add an infinite plane for the particles to interact with. Go to the nParticleShape node and under Collisions, make sure Self Collide is checked. You should have a stream of particles on the ground. 06. Change to Volume Emitter Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageGo to the Emitter node and under Basic Emitter Attributes, change the Emitter Type to Volume. Afterwards, under Volume Emitter Attributes, change the Volume Shape to Sphere from Cube. Under the same tab, set the Volume Sweep to 180. You should have a hemisphere that’s emitting particles at 180 degrees. Take the Emitter and rotate it to make sure that the flat side of it is parallel to the ground, where you can then place it. This will give you the basic ‘shape’ of the explosion as it interacts with the scene. 07. Set the Particle Rate Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageYou should have a puddle of particles on the ground, being generated from the Volume Emitter. Let’s make some changes to the particles. Go to the Emitter and change the Rate to something high, like 6k to 10k. Don’t worry about the resource usage on your computer, you’ll only be emitting the particles for a frame or two. Go to the nParticleShape. Set the Particle Size to something comfortable that you can view easily. This will help you to gauge how your explosion is behaving within the scene. 08. Particle production Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageIn the Emitter node, key in the Rate. Before the frame you want the explosion to happen, set the Rate to 0 to ensure that no particles are born before that frame. In the frame of the explosion, set to your desired Rate, for example, 6,000. Then set the following one or two frames to that same high rate. 09. Ending particle production Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageAfter you’ve started the explosion, you should have three keys. In the frame you want the explosion to end, set another key for 6,000 and set it to 0 in the next frame to make sure the particle production stops abruptly. You can also make the Emitter smaller or bigger to control the size of the explosion. This won’t affect the velocity of the particles, just the timeframe in which they begin, continue exploding, and abruptly stop. 10. Adjust the particles’ lifespan Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageGo to the nParticleShape and under Lifespan, change the Lifespan mode to Random range. Set the Lifespan value to something like 0.2 or 0.3 and the Lifespan Random to a similar value. You can use your own values according to your settings – you want the particles to be generated, then stop, and start dying, but feel free to to tweak the timing. 11. Tweak particle velocity Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageYou can’t make the particles slow down (move outwards slower) under the Basic Emitter Speed Attributes since the Speed attribute is greyed out, thanks to the Emitter type being set to Volume. So, to change the velocity, go to the Volume Speed Attributes tab and change Away from Center as required. Some particles should move at different speeds for added realism. 12. Create the FumeFX node Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageYou should have a dome of particles being generated, spreading out and dying, some moving at different rates to others. Next, you can start simulation in FumeFX. Simply go to the FumeFX shelf and click the icon on the far left that’s called Create FumeFX node. A cube should appear in the scene. This is the working area of the simulation – the area where the simulations will be calculated. 13. Optimise the FumeFX node Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageClick the newly formed cube. You should be in the fumeFXShape node. First, set the Width, Length and Height to fix the explosion area better. Then you can focus on the Spacing. The lower the spacing, the better and more resource-heavy the simulation will be. 14. Further optimisation Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageThe Boundless setting has an X, Y and Z setting. Change it to +Y to make sure the simulation goes as high as possible. In the same area, you’ll find the path where the simulation data will be saved, often in gigabytes. In the Viewport tab, you can also set whether or not to see the simulation in the viewport. 15. Particle source in FumeFX Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageNow you can generate the first simulation. Make sure you have the FumeFX shelf selected and then, from the Outliner, select the nParticles object. With that selected, click up in the shelf to the fourth button from the left. You will have a new object in the Outliner that ends with ‘_source’. FumeFX now knows that these particles are to be ignited during the simulation. Next page: Add turbulence and sparks, and finish up your explosion 16. Caching the particles Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageSelect the nParticles Object from the Outliner and go up to the nCache bar. Select Create New Cache>nObject. This will re-simulate the particles you created and store them in the computer to make them easier to use again and make sure nothing changes in the simulation over time. If you want to delete a previous Cache, you can do so via nCache>Delete Cache. 17. The first bang Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageSelect the fumeFXShape node again. You should see some icons: a picture frame and a play button. Click the picture frame to open the simulation display, then click the play icon to start the simulation. If your explosion looks more like burning debris than an explosion, you need to go to the particle_source object and change the Radius to give it a bit more oomph. Experiment until it looks right. 18. Create sparks Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageTo create sparks flying off the explosion, create another Emitter. You’ll need to go through all the steps again but this time, generate fewer particles, speed them up, and make them live longer. Create a second particle_source and connect it to the main FumeFX node by going to the relationship editor in the node and selecting the second particle_source as well. This is optional, though. 19. Burn rate Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageIf the explosion seems to end too quickly, go into Simulations>Fuel>Burn Rate and edit that. If you’re playing with settings, run a simulation after every single tweak. 20. Adjust Turbulence Noise Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageIf your explosion looks too small you can use two settings: Vorticity and Turbulence. In the FumeFX node, under Simulation>Turbulence Noise, make the Scale smaller and play with the Detail slider. This brings more detail into the explosion, making it appear bigger. You may find that you need a larger or smaller number for your scene. 21. Adjust vorticity Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageIn FumeFX node under Simulation>System, you’ll find the settings for Vorticity. This means the small orbiting bubbles that form due to the rising hot air. Change the Vorticity type to Vorticity II and play with the Vortices Scale to find a good look for the explosion. 22. Tweak smoke Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageMosts explosions won’t look right without the smoke. To tweak this, go to Simulation>Fuel and turn on Fire Creates Smoke. You’ll also find Smoke Density under that, plus a tab dedicated to Smoke. The settings in there are fairly straightforward. Smoke Buoyancy, for instance, makes the smoke rise up. while Dissipation Strength controls how quickly the smoke disappears. 23. Prepare for Render Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageAt this point, you probably have a nice explosion that runs perfectly but doesn’t look all that good. Some settings still need editing before rendering. In the FumeFX node, you’ll find a tab called Rendering Settings, which contains sub-tabs for Fuel, Smoke and Fire. Explore these settings to learn more. 24. Experiment with fire Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageThe colours of the fire generated from the explosion are driven by a gradient by default. You’ll find it in FumeFX>Rendering Settings>Fire>Fire Color Tab. From left to right, the colours show how the fumes will progress. The ideal look is hotter at the centre. Experiment to see what looks best. Also, the Intensity setting in Fire affects the alpha channel. 25. Edit smoke Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageMaking changes to the Rendering Settings doesn’t mean redoing the entire simulation. You’ll even see the impact of your changes in real-time in the FumeFX Preview window. To edit the gradient of the smoke, go to FumeFX>Rendering Settings>Smoke>Smoke Color Tab. Try darker colours – from 20 to 40 – as explosions usually have dark smoke. 26. Remember to simulate Click the icon in the top right to enlarge the imageRendering the explosion is fairly simple. You can use lights from your rendering engine of choice to make the explosion more realistic. If the explosion doesn’t cast shadows by default, you can find these settings in the Rendering Settings tab as well. You can create a number of amazing things using these techniques, just remember to simulate after every single tweak. Continue tweaking until you’re happy with the outcome. This article originally appeared in 3D World issue 223. Buy it here. Related articles: Build a custom Maya interface Create a meteor shower in 3ds Max 30 inspiring examples of 3D art View the full article

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You've just taken a new brief from a new client and now you're sitting at your desk waiting for inspiration to strike. Do you really expect the perfect logo design to pop up, fully formed, in your mind? If you do, you could be in for a long wait. Instead, it's up to you to seek out logo design inspiration. If you let a wide variety of ideas collide inside your brain, gradually they should coalesce into the logo you're looking for. The trick is knowing where to look for inspiration in the first place. Below are some suggestions of places you could start – but remember this can never be an exhaustive list because inspiration can come from anything, anywhere... 01. Look beyond the obvious Classic logos are a good place to start... but make sure you don't stop thereCast your net far and wide. Don't just look at the top 10 best logos ever (although that's not a bad place to start). You need to also look beyond that, at design in general and at the wider world. Whenever you see something that stands out or appeals to you, for whatever reason, file that thought. Let it inform your design process and contribute as your new logo starts to evolve. 02. Just doodle Don't overthink things – start with some free doodles (photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash)Sometimes you can overthink these things and end up getting nowhere, so why not cut your conscious mind out of the loop and instead let the creativity flow, unguided, with a bit of random doodling? You may well end up with a page of pointless scribbles, but somewhere in the disjointed mess of lines you might spot something that fires up that essential spark of inspiration. 03. Explore design websites On sites like Behance you can filter search results to logo designs There are a number of dedicated logo design sites, including Logo Gala and Logo Moose, as well as Creative Bloq's dedicated logo news channel. But you should also widen your research to include other graphic design sites, and art and design sites in general, like Dribbble, Behance or DeviantArt. Explore further down the results pages to visit sites you haven't seen before and also narrow your search to put the spotlight on logos in the same industry or belonging to companies of similar size, aspirations and values. 04. Plunder your client's history Take a dive back into your client's logo design historyCheck out all the various logos your client has employed since the company was founded. This can be particularly interesting if they go back for many decades. You may be able to hark back to the past, if the client would like to position itself as a heritage brand, or you might be able to radically overhaul tits original logo into something fresh and modern. This has the advantage of built-in continuity even as you present a new image. 05. Explore your client's future Discuss with your client its plans for the future – what does it envisage for the next 12 months or the next five years? Are there changes of direction imminent or new products coming on stream that could have some bearing on the logo you design? You need to future-proof the logo because businesses do change over time. Take, for example, Carphone Warehouse: no-one buys carphones any more – so should it lose a highly successful brand that has taken years to build by changing its name to something more appropriate? 06. Phone a friend A fresh eye can provide you with valuable insights (photo by William Iven on Unsplash)While it makes perfect sense to get as much information as you can from the client, sometimes there's nothing quite so helpful as a fresh pair of eyes. If you have some ideas worked up, take them to a friend who has absolutely no connection to the project, and see what they think. Often someone's untainted opinion can be just what you need to fire the imagination. 07. Build some mood boards The Matboard is a great mood board tool Mood boards and brainstorms can help you to straighten out your thoughts and mix up different images and ideas of all shapes, sizes and themes. Play with keywords and synonyms and gather a multitude of inspirations from different sources onto a single mood board to see how they combine. 08. Trawl through your own design archives It's probably a fair guess that for every logo you design you probably come up with a couple of dozen sketches before you decide which one to develop further. Never throw away these early ideas, as they form a valuable resource. Just because one of your early sketches didn't work for a previous client, it doesn't mean it won't work at all. Go back through previous work that you've done but not used and you may find the seed that, with a bit of nurturing, could grow to become the logo you're looking for. 09. Blast your brain with random images Check out the Creative Bloq Pinterest boards for a blast of inspiration Scroll through Google Images and Pinterest on both related and unrelated subjects to your client's logo needs. Then add the results to your mood board. Pick a colour here, a shape there, a word, a typeface... then see how these different ideas could work together. 10. Stay receptive At the end of the day, inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time. Be receptive to the ideas that flow through your mind. Sketch something as it comes to you and then revisit it later to see how it might work within the parameters of your brief. At these early stages of the design process you need to allow your creativity full rein. Give yourself plenty of ideas to work with and then take the best elements from each and discard the rest. 11. Do something else Give your mind a break from the task at hand (photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash)If you've tried everything and nothing's coming up, don't try to force it. Take a break and let your brain get on with other things. Go to see a film, play some video games, cook a nice meal or just have a lovely nap. It's amazing how just getting away from the problem at hand and thinking about something else can result in a sudden flash of exactly the right kind of inspiration. There's no point just waiting for inspiration to hit. The more you search it out, the easier you'll find it. You'll develop an eye for what works and what doesn't, and how you can apply this to your own nascent designs. Read more: 10 commandments of logo design 15 fantastic logo fonts 5 things to research before designing a logo View the full article

If you scrolled through Twitter at the weekend, you might have stumbled across the quickly escalating Twitter storm centred around a poorly worded tweet from typography legend Erik Spiekermann. The situation erupted after new author on the block Laura Kalbag proudly announced that after three years of hard work she'd written a book called Accessibility for Everyone. Spiekermann took issue with the wording of the message: You could argue that Spiekermann didn't send this Tweet, he just typed the textA bitter argument ensued, playing out in the beats we've come to expect from heated Twitter exchanges: Spiekermann explained the intentional irony behind his Tweet; Kalbag accepted his apology; strangers accused the typographer of being a misogynist; and the hate levels rose. JK Rowling even weighed in to give the story the status it needed to be catapulted to mainstream attention. As is the case with these sorts of altercations, picking apart who said what, when, can be an exhausting affair. And while Spiekermann's original message is unnecessarily pedantic in its aim to highlight the valuable input of literal bookmakers, he was quick to apologise to Kalbag and to recognise the hard work of writers. Is Twitter still worth it? This isn't the first time an argument like this has boiled over on Twitter. Getting a nuanced or humorous point across can be difficult given the site's 140 character limitation: misunderstandings occur often and jokes frequently fail to stick the landing. Throw in an increasing backlash to new logo and branding projects, and the question arises: is it time for designers to leave Twitter? Is it still home to the conversations, communities and opportunities that creatives can be part of to stay connected and informed? One reason why Twitter might have become an angry echo chamber for some is because its position in the digital landscape has changed over the years. "Twitter used to be a gimmick, but it’s now become part of everyone’s life," says type and logo designer Rob Clarke. "I initially used it as a place to get in touch with other like-minded designers around the world." "It worked for me – I even eventually met up with people after only speaking to them online. It still is a great way to network and promote recently launched projects. I’m not sure it makes us better designers but it certainly keeps me up-to-date with the industry." The increasing amount of hate on Twitter is worrying for Clarke, though, who has seen the aggressive behaviour which used to be limited to blogs spill over to reach a wider audience. "I see it as similar to road rage," he explains. "Anonymous people behind their keyboards shaking their fists. Just seeing web links and animated cat GIFs is boring but I’m not sure Twitter, with it’s limited amount of characters, is the best platform for debate and discussion." "It seems we are now living in a much more turbulent world of social networking so I think those with a large following and big reputation need to think/re-read before they press send." Think before you Tweet So is Twitter still a useful way to keep up with industry news, promote work and discuss industry issues with fellow creatives? Or are pedantic rows like this all that's left ? We, er, asked Twitter – and here's what was said: Meanwhile, some people still hold on to Victorian values when it comes to designers. An overwhelming majority of people who responded to the Tweet agreed that there's still a lot of fun to be had with Twitter, as long as you keep a cool head and don't post statuses in a hurry. However, the whole situation might make Spiekermann revaluate one of the gems of wisdom from his recent Creative Bath talk, namely that designers shouldn't make excuses. "We are judged by our work, not our words," he states. Maybe in the future he'll add a caveat about Tweets. Related articles: Meet the Twitter designer who shuns all social media 25 names every graphic designer should know Why it's time for designers to stand up as creative activists View the full article

It may be the end of the summer, but there are plenty of hot new web design tools to get stuck into. One of the standout tools this month has to be Video Indexer from Microsoft, which can do some very clever things with video. There is also a handy static website builder, and a tool that will help you out when working with SVGs generated in Illustrator. Beyond that there’s the usual roundup of new resources that make our lives that bit easier. Ready? Here we go! 01. Microsoft Video Indexer Extract insights from inside your videosMicrosoft's Video Indexer uses artificial intelligence to search for spoken words, faces and other characteristics within videos. It can detect when a scene changes and when text appears in a video, and can produce an audio transcript. Somehow, it can even look for particular emotions. You can use it to extract useful metadata that makes it easier for people to find your videos. 02. Supernova Supernova converts mobile designs into fully-fledged native appsSupernova turns Sketch designs into working native iOS and Android apps in a few minutes, enabling designers to create functioning apps without any coding. It converts design layers into native components and deals with responsive layouts for you. It’s currently still in beta, and free to try. 03. Parallax SVG Animation Tools A great way to work with SVGs in IllustratorHand-editing SVG code can be a pain, so someone built this post-processor for SVGs produced by Illustrator. It uses layer names to create attributes, classes and IDs so they're much easier to select in JavaScript or CSS. 04. Fontface Ninja This free browser extension lets you dig into different sites' font infoFontface Ninja is a browser extension that lets you play around with and buy fonts on any website. Hover on a font on any site to see its name, line height, size and other specifications – you can even try it out by typing in an overlaid box to see how it will look for the text you have in mind. If you like it, the download or purchase link is provided so you can click straight through. 05. Publii Sites created with Publii are based on static HTML files, making them very safeThis is interesting: Publii is a desktop app that makes it easy to build stylish static websites. It’s geared up for building blogs in particular, and uses Google AMP technology for speed, and also handles layout on different devices for you. Running a static site is a great choice if you’re worried about security, as it makes your website much less vulnerable to intrusion. 06. JPNG.svg Keep your images light with this helpful toolCombining the transparency of a PNG with the compression of a JPG, this tool uses SVG to make PNG files smaller. Plus, it works in all modern browsers. 07. Uploadcare 3.0 Uploadcare works on any device and supports files up to 5TB in sizeUploadcare is a fast file uploader that deals with storage, processing and delivery. It will optimise your files and deliver them via its super-fast CDN. Version 3.0 offers some major improvements, including face recognition, colour extraction and image enhancement features. 08. Stockio These stock assets are free to useStockio is a great stock resource that offers thousands of photos, videos, vectors, icons and fonts that are free for personal and commercial use. 09. Vecteezy Editor Customise Vecteezy content directly in your browserVecteezy offers free and premium vector art and now it has an editor that can be used to make changes to Vecteezy artwork or to create your own vectors from scratch. It’s quite a handy way to edit vectors in the browser, and it works in Chrome, Chromium and Opera. 10. Sketch for Designers Supercharge your Sketch designsBilling itself as 'A growing collection of the best Sketch resources', this site curates some of the most useful plugins and apps for Sketch so you can get the best out of the software. Read more: UXPin releases free Material Design UI library 8 great business cards for UX designers Free Flash alternative is here View the full article

The year 2017 is my 10th as an illustrator, so here I've compiled 50 pearls of wisdom to help fellow illustrators. For a while I've been thinking about what I've learned on that journey, and how I can communicate it. I'm not a writer, so like with many other things I needed to find a way of working first. How to be an award-winning illustratorFor more than half a year I jotted down my thoughts as one-liners while working on illustration jobs. I collected a list, covering a range of facts, simple observations, bold statements and hyperbole. In the following 50 tips, I offer seven steps of in-depth advice first, followed by 43 quickfire thoughts, tips and tricks on the next page. As with all in life, take these – my subjective views on life as an illustrator – with a grain of salt. May they be of help on your own journey. 01. Forget style Avoid being compartmentalised by staying fluidIn the illustration world, especially among young illustrators, people seem obsessed with talking about style – how to find a style, whether they should have more than one style, and so on. It has been said countless times, but I'll say it again: Just work and your 'style' will emerge (see how I can't help but use the word with inverted commas). Steadily working and observing your own drawings will help you to discover things in them that could be the seed for a whole body of work. If you are obsessed by somebody else's work, try copying it as an exercise (do not present it as your own, though). In that process, you will notice what suits you and what does not. I found doing such an exercise so tedious that it sent me running back to my own stuff very quickly. When working on an actual job, style is rarely a topic of conversation. I very seldom receive older images of mine as a reference for what is expected of me. My 'style' (I cringed a bit when writing that) has broadened nicely over recent years. Clients often even give me complete trust and thus freedom to choose what I think will work best. 02. Use paper Paper can be essential in the early stages of a projectDigital methods of creation have undoubtedly become indispensable for communication and allow us to be immensely effective when finalising our work. But let's be honest: we cannot think on the screen yet. I've noticed that with a piece of paper in front of me, my sense of composition comes more naturally than it does on a screen. My hands and eyes are interacting with the area of the paper and measuring distances constantly. When sketching on the computer, I find that placing everything correctly requires a lot more tweaking. It is harder to keep a sense of the bigger picture when working digitally. Similarly, I also tried writing with a fountain pen and noticed how words and sentences started to flow out, like ink, naturally onto the paper. Thoughts formed easier than when I was typing on a keyboard. Paper is one of the oldest technologies we have. Cultural creation has been based on it for millennia. Let's not abandon it just yet, especially in the early stages of a project. 03. Remember that digital tools aren't magical Ask yourself if you need that new kit or just want itNew software versions, texture packs, Photoshop brushes, Wacom tablets, iPads and Apple pencils are the tools of our trade. Even when working in analogue, it is almost impossible to steer clear of digital tools entirely. And while a tool can be motivating for a while, it is too easy to get obsessed by a constant need for the new. I think the problem is the way that we approach these tools as if they have magical properties. We imagine ourselves working with the tool in scenarios that are not realistic, and often do not reflect our actual way of working. For example, take the idea that if I only had that new iPad Pro, I would go out and make on-location drawings. But if I have never done an on-location drawing before in my life, the iPad will probably not get me to do it. Apply some sobriety to your kit wishlist – are the items on it actual needs or just wants? Ask yourself which of the tools that you already own have really had an impact on your work, to help you decide. Digital tools usually develop incrementally. So it's not often that a revolutionary product or software feature comes along that improves our way of working dramatically. Therefore, don't expect wonders from a new digital tool any more than you would expect any huge transformations from a new pencil. 04. Be realistic about time Pulling all-nighters really isn't very productiveIt is easy to make unreasonable assumptions about what you can achieve in one day. For example, having the idea that: "If only I hunker down properly today, I could finish the whole project." The end of the day will inevitably roll around and crush your plans. Nobody can really work for a full eight hours every day intellectually. It is impossible to stay focused and to concentrate on pushing a project forward in a meaningful way for such a long time. Many novelists do not write for more than four hours a day. A recent move to a six-hour working day in some Swedish companies even showed an increase in productivity. The way you think you are working is probably not congruent with the way you are actually working (see tip 22). We are constantly frustrated by our progress, while at the same time, we are – with a little discipline – remarkably consistent in our output. Why not accept reality and use it to our advantage? Plan more realistically to be less frustrated. Time can also be on your side. Looking at your work again tomorrow, instead of rushing it out today, will give you a more objective look and maybe even provide the chance to make the final tweak to push a drawing from good to great. 05. Don't steal other people's ideas You might copy an idea by accident, but don't do it on purposeI don't think copying ideas has a place in illustration. I pride myself on coming up with the right image, and thus the right idea for a given text. If nothing else, that is what separates me from stock art. And in times of a large, aware online public, it also seems foolish to steal ideas and not expect to be found out. That being said, I'm convinced that you can copy an idea entirely by accident or subconsciously. For each final illustration I make, I provide two or three (hopefully) original ideas. That amounts to me generating several hundred ideas per year. The numbers are high. As illustrators, our personal and professional backgrounds are often similar, so the symbols and references we have in our minds may also be similar. I think that having the same ideas is inevitable at times, however unlikely a mere coincidence seems at first glance. So please reflect on your outrage the next time it happens. 06. Know that big clients come with big hierarchies The bigger the client, the more pressure you'll have to faceWhen graphic designer Kurt Weidemann redesigned the logo of German railway Deutsche Bahn in the early '90s, there was uproar in the press because he received a record fee of 200,000DM (about £152,000 in today's money) for his design services. For this fee, however, Weidemann had spent endless hours explaining his work to mid-level executives, and sat in many mind-numbing corporate meetings. He also got a lot of flak from the media when the design was finally revealed. On the surface, making an editorial drawing and one to be used in an advertising campaign is not that different. The higher fee for ad jobs is justified by the client buying a more comprehensive license. Where is the problem? Here it is: When working on ad jobs, you are usually working opposite a team of people in various positions, who are in turn responsible to a team representing the client. The result is that you are facing a hierarchy – or even two hierarchies – who all have a say on the outcome of what you are drawing. The result is a strictly controlled environment, and that means many revisions before everybody is happy. Like Weidemann, you are faced with a corporate machine. Unlike Weidemann, you might not have enough standing (or stamina) to protect the integrity of your work until the finish line. That is what you are compensated for. 07. Know thyself If you want to succeed, learn to recognise your strengths and weaknessesWhile you're studying illustration – either formally, or by yourself – you are exposed to great work by others. You feel jealous of your peers and in awe of the masters. You're inspired, you're confused, you try to create, and then you're frustrated by what you produce and how badly it compares. And in spite of it all, you're still driven to make something, so you try again. Although you are dealing a lot with your emotions in that whole turbulent process, you might not have learned to observe yourself and what you are doing yet. To be successful, you need to find out a lot of things about yourself first: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? This is easier said than done, but start with simple things first. For example, what are your most productive working hours? Whether you work best at 6am or midnight, don't miss out on these hours, and try to plan the rest of your day around them. Once your needs are taken care of, you will become less anxious. You are the person you have to work with for the rest of your life, so get to know yourself. Be disciplined, of course, but also be accepting and tolerant. Next page: Quickfire tips and tricks for illustrators You can see more of Stolle's work on his website, danielstolle.com As I've been working over the last few months I've jotted down the following one-liners. They're things I've noticed about the craft of illustration as well as the business side of working in illustration, advice I've given to new illustrators and tips for staying productive. 08. Drawing is thinking. 09. Thinking hurts – do it anyway. 10. Hands can be as expressive as a face. 11. Craft has not gone. Being taught the craft is just harder. 12. Deadlines are sacred, but pay dates are not. 13. Don't show your bad ideas to the client – they might choose them. 14. The headline might change at any moment – do not base your idea on it. 15. Try to find inspiration and aspiration from outside the field of illustration. 16. There are sadly no shortcuts to a good drawing. Making one usually involves work. 17. In print, everything looks a bit darker than on screen. 18. Learn to be okay with being with yourself. 19. Being organised can get in the way of being efficient. Sketch as big as possible20. Read the email again. Carefully. 21. Sketch as big as possible, especially when doing portraits. Small sketches amplify mistakes. 22. To achieve minimalism, it is sometimes easiest to strip things away from something that isn't minimalist at first. 23. The client publishes first. 24. A picture without a human element is hard to relate to. 25. For likeness, head shape is just as important as actual facial features. 26. If an image looks off, flipping it may reveal any flaws. 27. Don't always draw everything in the centre of the image. 28. Time is often lost while transitioning between tasks. Make a conscious effort to switch faster, or better: avoid too many switches. 29. Imagine every drawing is going to be printed big. Good drawing is not lost when scaled down. Creators are greater than critics30. If you have to explain the idea, it's not a good idea (unless you are working with a stupid person). 31. No one is easier to draw than a bearded man. 32. Sometimes pieces that would look good in a design portfolio will not look good on a magazine page, and vice versa. 33. Tracing is like a crutch. Sometimes you need a crutch, but who wants to walk with one all the time? 34. 2B or not to be. 35. Every line you draw in a person's face makes them older. 36. Be prepared for a format change. 37. Your feeling about what constitutes a good idea will differ from your client's. 38. Focus and concentration can be trained. 39. Creator > critic. You're first idea might be the best40. The first idea might be the best, but don't rely on it. 41. Progress > perfection. 42. Don't let your inbox make any *bleeping* sounds. 43. Colour Practice > Colour Theory. 44. The older you get, the better you understand time. 45. On some days, it just doesn't work. 46. The wrists and back are easy to wreck. 47. On some people, the upper part of the legs is longer. On others, the lower part is longer. 48. All sketches look better after scanning. 49. You can learn something from anyone's drawing. 50. Being able to edit yourself is as elusive as it is valuable. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 267. Buy it here! Related articles: Why illustrators should care about copyright Pro tips for illustrators How to break into children's illustration View the full article

WordPress powers tons of the web, from simple sites to some of the most elaborate. If you’re looking to become a web designer, mastering this popular platform is a must. Learn the skills you need with PressShack University WordPress Training. You can get lifetime access to these training tools on sale now for 96% off the full retail price! WordPress is a great tool for getting a website up and running quickly, but it can do so much more than it appears at first glance. PressShack University Wordpress Training walks you through 39 hours of educational courses that will arm you with expert knowledge on how to make the most of the very malleable platform. Pick up tricks of the trade and must-have information while building your design skills – and there's always new information being added. You can get lifetime access to PressShack University WordPress Training on sale for just $39 (approx £30). That's a huge saving of 96% off the retail price for this invaluable training. Don't miss out, grab it today! View the full article

To paint a figure that looks believably wet requires you to take a number of factors into account – a key one being the type of fabric they are wearing. Start with an unclothed figure to drape the wet clothes upon. Follow these tips to find out how to draw a character who's just been caught in a downpour. How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials01. Start with an unclothed figure Sketch the figure first (Click the arrows icon in the top right to enlarge the image)Start out with an unclothed figure – this makes it easier to work out how the material will cling to the form. For this example, we're using a female figure with longish hair and flowing skirt. It’s important to understand the character's figure, because wet clothing will cling to it more closely than dry. I sketch out a pose of what will be a young woman holding up her skirts slightly. This is done with Pencil and Paintbrush tools in SketchBook Pro. 02. Consider wet clothing Drape the wet clothing on, thinking about how the fabric would behave (Click the arrows icon in the top right to enlarge the image)Sketch out clothes on a new layer. Remember that the extra weight of the water will cause the fabric to hang straighter than if it was dry – wet hair will behave in much the same way. It's important to consider what fabrics the figure is wearing – think how wet leather looks and behaves differently to wet silk or cotton. While treated leather can have a degree of stiffness and water resistance, silk quickly becomes waterlogged and clings to the forms beneath it. 03. Explore colour Rain affects the colours of clothes, too (Click the arrows icon in the top right to enlarge the image)On another separate layer, block in solid colours – here we picked a green for the skirt and white for the blouse. Shading helps with the volumes. Paint with browns and purples on several layers set to Multiply. Being wet will affect the colour of clothes and hair, so limit the spread of the highlights, where you want areas to look wettest. The figure's white blouse appears semi-transparent where it sticks to her skin. 04. Pay attention to details Add details for realism (Click the arrows icon in the top right to enlarge the image)You can emphasise the impression of being drenched by remembering that body posture plays a part. Wet clothes are less comfortable and heavier, so consider how this will influence the character's pose. It will also affect how they move, and even how they behave – a wet person might choose a different route through a house to avoid spoiling an expensive rug, for example. Your figure work is likely to have more character if you give them a back story. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 146. Buy it here. Read more: Improve your character drawing How to draw a ghost Get better at figure drawing View the full article

You're reading Crazy Sliders – 10 Ways of Taking Sliders to the Next Level, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+! Every other website seems to include a full-screen slider. It is a tested way to quickly and unobtrusively interest users with important stuff such as featured products or portfolio pieces. Its realization is pretty banal. In a nutshell, it is just a container with two controls where the content is circling in the loop. Nothing […] View the full article

Like most artists, I find inspiration in all manner of places. These are my ultimate design classics, that inspire me (and why)... 01. The Eames Lounge chair The Eames Lounge chair and ottoman were first released in 1956 after years of development by designers Charles and Ray EamesI first sat in this chair when I was about 10 years old. It was the first moment when I realised that everyday objects were actually designed, and that changed my life in many ways and started a life-long love affair with mid-century furniture design. There is something incredibly beautiful about design that is both aesthetically pleasing as well as practical and comfortable. There is nothing in the Eames Lounge chair that is superfluous. Everything is thoughtful and beautifully crafted. 02. Omafiets (Dutch Grandmother bike) The Omafiets, originally designed in 1892, is one of the most popular choices of bike in the NetherlandsGrowing up in Amsterdam, these bikes were so common that I used to take the design of them for granted. It wasn't until I moved to NYC and started riding around the city that I realized just how special this bike is. From the compliments I get on an almost daily basis, to the simple design features that make city bike riding comfortable and practical, I love it. The protective covers on the rear tire enable you to cycle comfortably in the rain, and the lowered frame makes getting on and off the bike in a skirt or long jacket a breeze. Plus the elevated steering wheel enables you to weave in and out of traffic without having to physically turn your head. This bike has been completely optimized for city commuting and is the single most important design piece of my daily routine. 03. NYC Subway poster from Massimo Vignelli Massimo Vignelli designed the New York City subway map for the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1972When I was in grad school, I called Massimo Vignelli's design studio (he was in the phone book) to send me a copy of this iconic piece of design. When I didn't get a response, I spent days hunting around eBay to get an original copy of this 1972 subway map and it now hangs in my home studio. The beauty lies in its simplicity – the lines run at 45 and 90 degree angles only, which turns the organically messy subway system into a stylised utopian plan of New York. 04. Old Northwest Airlines logo Northwest Airlines used the above logo from 1989-2003, created by design agency Landor AssociatesI'm not a logo-head by any means but when a friend of mine asked me if I could see why the (old) Northwest logo was amazing, I took a close look at it. I realised that the typography not only stylised the 'N' and the 'W', but the angle of the logotype also isolated a little arrow that actually points to the North-West. It's one of those subliminal things you don't see right away (like the arrow in the FedEx logo) but once I discovered it, I was truly blown away. It made me want to be there in the room when they finally 'got it right'. 05. Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair The Wassily chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925-1926I spent months hunting down this chair on Craigslist but, since I was in grad school and didn't have much money, I wasn't able to pay the hefty price tag. After typing in keyword after keyword and getting insanely high price tags, I decided to search for 'leather and metal chair' instead. Low and behold a post came up from a woman in New Jersey who was selling two original Wassily chairs for $200 total. I convinced my friend to drive out to the middle of New Jersey and as we were driving into the MacMansion suburb I realised the seller probably had no idea that these chairs were iconic design pieces. When I walked in, she said, "my dad had these weird uncomfortable chairs in his office in Manhattan. I am sorry they are so ugly and uncomfortable, so if you would like to take them with you now, I will give them to you for $100." My jaw almost dropped to the floor when she showed them to me among her drab interior of Crate and Barrel furniture. I took them home right away and never did tell her the real story behind the chairs. Some people will never be wowed by them and that's okay. Beautiful design isn't always practical or for the masses. Don't miss Anton & Irene at Generate London for their popular workshop and talk about achieving real work/life balance in the studio Irene Pereyra is half of New York-based design studio Anton & Irene, who will be hosting a workshop at Generate London on 20 September that will teach you how to quickly come up with a solution to a client brief, and create a convincing presentation that sells your idea, within just a couple of hours. Anton & Irene will also talk about their experience on how to establish a good work/life balance while producing creative work for both. Reserve your spot today! If you buy a combined workshop and conference pass, you will save £95. This article was first published on 28 January 2015. Related articles: Léonie Watson on making accessibility integral to web design process The rules of responsive web typography Aaron Gustafson: The future of adaptive user interfaces is inclusive View the full article

Whether your specialism is graphic design, illustration or 3D art, chances are you'll have made a choice between working as a freelancer or getting a full-time job in a studio. It's a major decision – and there are big pros and cons to each. In this article, leading creative professions on both sides of the fence share their experiences to help you decide what's right for you, looking at the pros and cons of freelancing and working in a studio. 20 tips for design interview success01. Freelance pro: Choose your hours With freelancing comes the ability to choose your own clients and enjoy the finer things in life. "What I love most about my choice as a freelancer is being able to see my two-year-old son growing up every day," says Melbourne-based concept artist and illustrator Darren Yeow. "As well as being able to offer him front-row seats to an alternative look at how career and life can intertwine. And of course, getting paid to do that." 02. Freelance con: The non-creative stuff Yeow failed at being freelance. Twice. Moving back into studio roles, it's only over the past five years that he's successfully crafted a path for himself working from home – and he wouldn't have it any other way. However, he's careful to emphasise what a big decision this was. "Freelancing is a serious undertaking that requires the wearing of numerous hats to pull off successfully," he explains. "As a freelancer, you're running a small business, which requires many non-art related skills that studio artists don't need to contend with." Darren Yeow managed to paint this in his free time as well as working freelanceBut exactly what skills is he referring to? "Things like client billing and chasing payment; keeping the books up-to-date; dealing with taxes; health cover; putting funds away for retirement; insurance; paying overheads and investing in skills training are just some of the things that immediately come to mind," he says. "These are on top of actually getting client work done." 03. Freelance pro: Greater variety (if you want it) Jana Schirmer enjoys the diversity that comes with being able to pick your own projects Berlin-based freelance artist and illustrator Jana Schirmer also champions the life of a freelancer. "A nice side-effect is that you get to work on a lot of different projects, instead of just working for one for years in a studio," she says. "I love doing concept art and I love illustration, and I'm able to do both as a freelancer." 04. Freelance con: Nightmare clients When it comes to clients, however, taking the freelance route comes with its downfalls. Simply receiving payment can be a struggle sometimes. But, as Schirmer explains, it all comes down to the correct contracts. "Don't start working before you see a contract," she continues. "Once I started working for a small client when I had just started freelancing. After finishing the work, I never heard back from him. It wasn't very smart on my end." Difficult clients pop up no matter which area you work inBut as Yeow says, you can take certain steps to ensure potential clients don't turn into a total horror show. "Nightmare clients tend to be new clients, so I begin dealing with them before they turn out to be nightmare clients," he says. "First, the client understands that I intend to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship – not a dictatorship. I'm there to bring flesh to their vision, with their guidance. But I'm not a doormat, and in order to bring about the best outcome, we need to respect each other's skill sets and worth. "If you communicate this part in the right way, this won't offend good clients. In fact, most will appreciate this as a mark of one professional to another – but it will bring out red flags in egotistical prima-donna types." 05. Studio con: Nightmare clients (again) However, working within a studio doesn't necessarily mean you can escape difficult clients. "If it's clearly going nowhere I'll just step away," says Blazing Griffin lead artist Paul Scott Canavan. "Don't make a fuss. Sometimes these people are just going through some trouble and I always try not to burn bridges." Paul Scott Canavan works at indie game studio Blazing Griffin Having art-directed Distant Star: Revenant Fleet, The Thirty-Nine Steps, Dino Tribes and APB: Retribution, Canavan has worked on a range of projects and puts a safeguard in place. "I always ask for 50 per cent of the commission up front, and only deliver the final product on receipt of the second 50 per cent." 06. Studio pro: Creative collaboration While you can't escape difficult clients either way, working in a studio does allow you to flourish in creative collaboration. Gaining constructive criticism and building friendships in a studio environment can help you to produce the best work possible. "Freelance life is great in many ways – oh, how I miss 11am starts! – but there's nothing like working with a group of friends to inspire you and make every day exciting," continues Canavan. Weta concept artist Christian Pearce couldn’t agree more. "I love the people and all the interesting stuff that happens here," he says. "Weta is different to most design studios in that there's a full workshop here – engineering, model-making, 3D, moulding and casting, sculpting, paint shop – every time you get out of your chair you bump into people doing something you don't know how to do and they're really freaking good at it." Weta’s Christian Pearce, who painted this piece, is an advocate of working in a studioWhether you want to get into the industry through internships and applications, or prefer to go it alone, there's an overlapping aspect to both endeavours, as Canavan concludes: "I turned down a couple of fairly large jobs because I didn't feel ready and was afraid of meeting new people," he says. "But the longer you spend in this industry, the more you'll learn that everyone is just like you really. Take the plunge – it's always worth doing!" This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 126. Like this? Read these! How to transform a design internship into a job 20 top tools for freelancers 25 tips for staying sane as a freelancer View the full article

We’ve all been there. You know exactly what kind of image you need to make your design work perfectly. But you’re not sure how to go about finding it. At iStock by Getty Images, there are millions of exclusive, royalty-free stock files, and some sophisticated search tools to locate what you’re looking for quickly. But even here, you may sometimes come up against a brick wall. If that’s happening to you, here are three quick tips to help you track down your perfect image, faster. 01. Use negative search terms One of the benefits of using a stock library like iStock is that you have literally millions of images to choose from. But ironically, that amount of choice can sometimes make it tricky to narrow your search down. So to get a more finely honed result, try adding negative search terms. In other words, tell iStock what you DON’T want, as well as what you do want. For example, if you’re searching for images of pets with their owners, the search term “pets and owners” will bring up results like these below: An image search for ‘Pets and owners’ But if you’re not interested in owners with dogs, try searching for ‘pets and owners NOT dogs’ instead: The same search with dogs excluded Other examples of negative keyword searches might include, for example: ‘car NOT road’, ‘Olympic athlete NOT swimming’, or ‘cityscape NOT London’. As well as using negative search terms, you can also exclude results you don’t want using the various options in the left-hand side menu. For example, you can tell the search engine to exclude images featuring people (by changing ‘Number of people’ to zero) or images you’ve seen already (by changing ‘Upload date’ to ‘Last 24 hours’). 02. Use conceptual search terms Don’t just search for ‘business meeting’; use conceptual search terms to find images with the right vibe Searching for the literal thing or things you want a picture to include – say ‘business meeting’ – will get you part of the way to finding your perfect image. But something that will help you get there faster is to add conceptual terms. Conceptual terms narrow down your search to images that convey a certain feeling, emotion or concept. So, for example, rather than just search for ‘business meeting’, ask yourself what values you want that image to convey, and for people to associate with your client’s brand. Once you’ve decided that, add keywords that relate to those qualities: for example, ‘teamwork’, ‘collaboration’, ‘success’, ‘ambition’, ‘achievement’, ‘stress’, ‘trust’ or ‘hardworking’. These additional keywords will help you find images that convey the qualities you’re looking for much more quickly. Not sure what kind of conceptual terms to use? Then find an image you like and see which keywords the photographer has used to describe it. For example, this image of a traveller looking at a landscape has associated keywords that include ‘happiness’, ‘solitude’, ‘contemplation’, ‘sadness’, ‘loneliness’, ‘freedom’ and ‘nostalgia’. 03. Search with images, not words iStock now lets you search by image as well as by keywordsThe saying goes that ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’. And sometimes it’s much easier to say “I want an image like THIS one”, than to put into words exactly what it is about the image that you like. Which means it’s great news that you can now search iStock by Getty Images by image as well as words. Just click on the camera icon to the right of the search bar, and upload your photo. Then the search engine will deliver results that either exactly match or closely resemble the picture you’ve uploaded. Note that your JPG or PNG image must not be larger than 4000px in width and height, and must be smaller than 5MB in file size. Like an image in the library? Click on ‘View similar images’ to see more like it Also, if you see an image within the iStock library that you like, but it’s not quite right, hover your mouse over the bottom right-hand corner, and an option to ‘View similar images’ will pop up. It’s another great way to find images quickly and intuitively, without even having to type anything into the search bar. Special discount for Creative Bloq readers Finding the right image can make or break the success of your design. So we hope you’ll make use of our three tips here to really speed up your discovery of high-quality, low-cost stock imagery. To give you an added incentive, we’ve teamed up with iStock by Getty Images to offer Creative Bloq readers 10% off all iStock credits. Just use code ZNKPC46N today at istock.com to take advantage of this incredible offer! View the full article

Voter registration data belonging to the entirety of Chicago’s electoral roll—1.8 million records—was found a week ago in an Amazon Web Services bucket. View the full article

As any design company founder will tell you, running a successful studio takes a lot more than design prowess. You need plenty of guts, determination, and the kind of business savvy that may not always come naturally to creative people. Buy Computer Arts issue 270 now! With all of this in mind, the cover story in Computer Arts issue 270 sets out six of the biggest hurdles that are likely to stand in the way of your creative business’ growth, and gives you 36 gems of essential advice to help you leave them in your wake – so you don’t just survive, but thrive. CA 270's cover story reveals how to build a thriving studio, and features 36 pro tipsFor a hit of design inspiration, regular CA contributor Adrian Shaughnessy explores the eclectic world of book cover design, a field in which even the most iconic works of fiction regularly get a creative facelift – an interesting contrast, he points out, with correspondingly seminal works in music or even household-name FMCG brands. Adrian Shaughnessy discusses the art and craft of book cover designMany such brands feature in the shortlist for CA's fourth-annual Brand Impact Awards, and the hotly-anticipated winners will be announced next issue. To whet your appetite, the team took six of the stellar BIA judging panel aside during their deliberations to discuss three hot topics in branding: the need for brands to demonstrate wit and empathy, the importance of taking creative risks, and the most exciting aesthetic and technological trends on the horizon, and how to get the most from them. Six Brand Impact Awards judges share their branding insights in an exclusive video interviewIssue 270 of Computer Arts also kicks off a brand-new series dedicated to the practical skills that junior designers need on a daily basis. First up is colour correction, with the dark art of image manipulation coming in part two. Part one of CA's new junior designer manual series covers colour correctionAlso in Computer Arts issue 270 Inspiring work from around the world in Showcase, including DixonBaxi's rebrand of Storey World Illustration Award winner Aart-Jan Venema shares his tips for illustrating for an event Hansje van Halem discusses her knack for blending type with abstract patternsBuy Issue 270 of Computer Arts today, or subscribe to Computer Arts to save up to 47%. View the full article

Despite yesterday's leak of the Apple iOS Secure Enclave decryption key, experts are urging calm over claims of an immediate threat to user data. View the full article

Earlier this week, we reported that legendary musician Prince had been honoured with his own Pantone colour (a bold shade of purple, of course). But that got us thinking: what Pantone colours might other famous musicians, celebrities and icons be awarded when they pop their clogs? The designer’s guide to using colour in brandingSo, we did it. Using some of their famous songs, nicknames, outfits or just whatever sprang to mind, really (this was not a scientific colour-matching experiment), we've come up with some new celebrity Pantone colours... 01. It ain’t easy being Pantone 2276 C Kermit is more steady than Hulk, so he wins greenCould there be two better contenders for green than Kermit the Frog or The Incredible Hulk? Kermit won for us: we think that after everyone’s favourite amphibious felt thing retires (can a Muppet retire?) he should get his own Pantone green, as a tribute to, well, just being the coolest frog ever. We’ve matched Pantone 2276 C to his skin tone, which we think is a pretty good fit. 02. Pantone Black C Sabbath Batman can't have black; it belongs to SabbathThere could only be one Pantone colour to honour perhaps the greatest heavy metal band of all time. The darkest of darks, the blackest of blacks: Pantone Black C. Whether it’s Ozzy or Iommi, we reckon Pantone should get on this quicker than Mr Osbourne devours a small winged mammal. 03. Pantone 871 C Balls Becks is our king of goldRemember when David Beckham was called Golden Balls? Is he still called Golden Balls? Regardless, one of the world’s best-known footballers and style icons can only have one colour named after him: the trusty Pantone 871 C metallic. 04. We all live in a Pantone 012 C Submarine The Beatles have to claim yellowJohn, Paul, George and Ringo’s psychedelic phase was perhaps best captured by the trippy graphics in The Beatles’ 1968 animated movie Yellow Submarine. So it’s fitting that the fab four get their own Pantone Yellow – 012 C to be precise. Or perhaps we should dedicate the colour to illustrator Heinz Edelmann, the man responsible for the hallucinogenic look of the film (who sadly died in 2009). 05. The Pantone 428 C Knight This grey perfectly suits West's Batman outfit, so it must be hisNow that Christian Bale has hung up his boots as the caped crusader, we thought about honouring him with Pantone 419 C – one of the darkest Pantone colours you can have without actually being black. Alternatively, we could dedicate Pantone 428 C to the TV Batman played by Adam West, who passed away earlier this year. We’ve colour-matched this Pantone to 60s Batman's classic grey suit. 06. Pantone 2347 C Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in 1983, and have practically claimed this spicy redAnthony Kiedis, Flea et all deserve a vibrant red in honour of their rocking funk – and we can’t think of anything better than Pantone 2347 C. The American rock band has been sock-wearing for nearly 35 years now – surely for their anniversary next year Pantone can sponsor them and rename the band to Pantone 2347 C Hot Chili Peppers. C’mon, what else is its marketing team doing? 07. The Pantone 877 C Surfer Who could take silver but The Silver Surfer?Norrin Radd, or The Silver Surfer as he’s more commonly known, is a comic book character created by Jack Kirby back in 1966. He searches for planets for Galactus to devour. And his skin? Well, we think he was dipped in a vat of 877 C ink. In the rather terrible Rise of the Silver Surfer movie he saves earth, sacrificing himself. So come on Pantone, give Norrin what he deserves. 08. Pantone 1615 C Sugar, why do you taste so good? We're so sorry the Stones don't get red, but they win this muscovado sugar shade of brownOK, we’re scraping the barrel a little bit now, and Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts are probably not best associated with brown (we could have matched the Rolling Stones' famous lips logo to a red, but that’s already been taken by the Chili Peppers). It just so happens that Brown Sugar is our favourite Stones song, so we're awarding the band with Pantone 1615 C. Thank you, and good night. Related articles: How to pick the perfect colour palette every time The designer’s guide to using colour in branding Colourful 80s-inspired font is an optical workout View the full article

Poster design is a field where artists and designers can really get creative, trying out ideas that would be too flamboyant or over the top for other mediums. Posters sometimes go wrong, as we have seen, but when they go right, poster art can be truly inspiring. Using posters for advertising and promotional purposes began back in the 1870s. Initially they were black and white and heavily text-based, but the introduction of Jules Cheret's three stone lithographic printing process meant artists could soon develop striking, colourful poster designs. Create your own posters with Adobe Creative Cloud We've picked a varied selection of our favourite posters, with examples of both commercial releases and personal projects, iconic posters and more recent masterpieces. The creatives who created these poster designs have experimented with illustration, typography, optical illusion, mixed-media, negative space and more. Let's start with some classics... 100 amazing Adobe Illustrator tutorials01. 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition in Weimar Joost Schmidt’s 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition poster is a classicJoost Schmidt’s now iconic poster for the 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition shows a cross comprised of circles and squares, and includes the Bauhaus logo designed by Oskar Schlemmer. Produced for a competition, the poster had to incorporate the logo, exhibition information, venue details and the date. Schmidt was one of the pioneers of Bauhaus typography, and the original version of this poster was placed in 120 railway stations in Germany. 02. Metropolis One of the surviving copies of Metropolis sold for a record £398,000 in 2005German graphic artist and painter Heinz Schulz-Neudamm designed this art-deco poster for the premiere of Fritz Lang's groundbreaking 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis. Only four known surviving copies of the poster exist, one of which took the record for being the most expensive ever sold, after reaching a record price of £398,000 in London in 2005. 03. Lord Kitchener Wants You Widely known as Britons Wants You, this poster has iconic statusThis hugely influential 1914 advertisement by Alfred Leete – often referred to as 'Britons Wants You' – became an icon of the enlistment frenzy in Britain during WWI. The poster features Lord Kitchener, the British secretary of state for war, above the words “wants you”, and set the tone for hundreds of copycat posters the world over. 04. Books Influential designers like Paula Scher have been inspired by the constructivist movementRussian constructivist Alexander Rodchenko experimented with graphic design after retiring from painting. Books combines photography and graphic design, and Rodchenko’s depiction of immediate communication is characteristic of official Soviet art of the period, which sought the best method of conveying the messages of the Communist state to the masses. 05. Thor: Ragnaro The new Thor poster was unveiled as part of the San Diego Comic Con festivitiesThe official Thor: Ragnaro poster design was warmly received by designers and fans alike, thanks to its refreshing and sophisticated visuals. A psychedelic Photoshopped masterpiece, the poster harmoniously positions key characters to build a sense of excitement around the film. 06. The Evil Dead Ollie Moss' posters designs have gained a huge followingIllustrator Olly Moss is well known for his clever, minimalistic poster designs. As well as this officially licensed screenprinted poster for a 2010 screening of The Evil Dead, he’s also created posters for the Harry Potter posters, The Jungle Book, Star Wars Trilogy and more. 07. Stranger Things Kyle Lambert's Stranger Things poster is a modern classicOne of 2016's biggest TV events, Stranger Things came out of nowhere and grabbed everyone's attention thanks to its gripping supernatural story and pitch-perfect retro stylings, and Kyle Lambert's stunning poster was a vital part of the whole package. Briefed to create a 1980s-style poster reminiscent of classic, hand-painted movie artwork, he created this using an iPad Pro and Procreate; you can read about his process here. 08. Ford adaptive poster Created by Ogilvy & Mather Istanbul, Ford's clever 'adaptive poster' was used to promote the company's new adaptive lighting technology. Using an optical illusion, the poster was designed to allow people to experience its Adaptive Front Lighting System that reacts to steering input when going round corners. As the viewer moves around the multi-layered poster, the perspective shifts and allows the viewer to 'see' round the corner. It was launched in authorised Ford dealers and certain locations around Europe – and you can see how it was done in the video above. 09. Barack Obama 'Hope' poster The Hope' poster was created in one dayWith his roots in the skateboarding scene, South Carolina-born graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey built a name for himself with his 'Andre the Giant' guerrilla sticker campaigns – but it was his involvement in the 2008 US Presidential election that really catapulted him towards global recognition. Fairey's now-iconic Barack Obama 'Hope' poster, featuring a four-colour portrait of the then-Senator in red, beige, light and dark blue, also came in 'Change' and 'Progress' varieties, and was created in a day. Having started life as a screen-printed poster (which sold out almost immediately), the design spread virally across the United States and the rest of the world as a symbol of what American politics could potentially become. The revelation the following year that Fairey had based the design on a photograph by Associated Press photographer Mannie Garcia without permission – and later admitted to destroying evidence in the ensuing legal battle with AP – led to community service and a hefty fine. Amongst designers, it's now as much a symbol of copyright infringement as it is a piece of political iconography. But whatever the circumstances of its creation, its influence during the election campaign was enormous. 10. IRIS The poster showcases Iris' love of fashion in the backgroundCreated by Gravillis Inc, this poster for the IRIS movie is up there with one of the best ever. Putting Iris herself in black and white whilst showcasing her love of fashion in the background using bold and bright patterns is a clever and wholly original idea. 11. Le Chat Noir Le Chat Noir's iconic poster design has inspired over 100 years of poster designPerhaps one of the most well known posters of all time, this iconic advertisement for the Parisian entertainment establishment, Le Chat Noir, was created by Swiss-born French Art Nouveau painter and printmaker, Théophile Steinlen. It epitimises the Bohemian, Art Nouveau style and Cabaret culture of late nineteenth century Paris that stemmed from the legendary venue, which, in its heyday, served as an artist salon, music hall and busy nightclub. 12. The Look of Silence We love this illustrated effortThis film was made in 2014 but it wasn't released in the cinema until 2015, and was released with a more commercially viable poster – but this illustrated effort is our favourite. Look at that red! 13. We Can Do It! Feminists and others have seized upon the uplifting attitude to remake the image into many different formsPerhaps one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century, American graphic designer, J. Howard Miller's beloved Rosie the Riveter was designed to boost morale in during WW2. This poster is still used today and re-modelled on everything from modern feminist texts to tattoos as well as spawning numerous parodies. His bold, modern illustrative style, mirrors the comic books popular at the time and defined an era of advertising. 14. Maze Runner: Scorch Trials Negative space reigns supreme with this poster designMaze Runner: Scorch Trials was one of 2015's unheralded blockbusters and whilst it did release the usual offerings when it came to posters, this clever design makes use of negative space and we adore it. Putting the character in a test-tube like shape is also a great little inclusion of the plot. 15. Moulin Rouge French artist Toulouse-Lautrec captured Moulin Rouge characters perfectly in this poster designThis poster design for the Moulin Rouge is another by French artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. When the cabaret opened, Lautrec was commissioned to create a series of posters, with this design being one of his most well known. The piece features images of Moulin Rouge dancer La Goulue and her partner Valentin le Desosse. Lautrec captured La Goulue's provocative kicks and Valentin's lanky frame perfectly in this design. 16. Luke Drozd for the Green Man Design by Luke Drozd Gig posters are an arena in which graphic designers can really indulge their passion for both art and music. So, it's always a delight to see music festivals and designers coming together to produce something incredibly special; that's exactly what Green Man and the UK Poster Association have done here. "The festival asked us to create a series of limited edition prints for some of the acts playing at the festival," explains designer Luke Drozd. "Eight acts were chosen in total, and they show the diversity of acts that are playing the festival as well as the diversity of talent exhibiting at the UKPA stall. Each poster was created as a limited edition A2 screen print." 17. Vintage Heroes Avid gamer Grégoire Guillemin recreates his favourite superheroesComic book lover and avid gamer Grégoire Guillemin often creates superhero inspired designs and these minimalist vintage posters have hit the right spot when it comes to inspirational graphic design. The likes of Batman, the Green Hornet and the Silver Surfer are all included in the retro re-imaginings. The gorgeous typography teamed with the brilliantly sketched superhero illustrations have had us falling head over heels for the series. 18. TWA Artist David Klein used bright colours and abstract styles in many of his poster designs for TWAAmerican artist David Klein designed and illustrated dozens of posters for Howard Hughes’ Trans World Airlines (TWA) during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, this stunning TWA poster of New York City became part of the permanent collection of the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in NYC. In many of Klein's designs, he used bright colours and shapes in an abstract style to depict famous landmarks and scenes of cities around the world. Best known for his influential work in the field of travel advertising, Klein's iconic images are much imitated. 19. Drive In illustrator Peter Stults' Drive poster, James Dean takes the lead role, replacing Ryan GoslingIllustrator and deisgner Peter Stults published a set of retro poster designs with a twist. His awesome 'What if' series explores what if movies we're all familiar with were made with a different slice of time? Who would be in it and direct it? Our favourite was this Drive poster, with James Dean as the lead male role. Other designs include alternate posters for Pulp Fiction, Groundhog Day, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. 20. Call Me Lucky Jesse Vital created the illustration for this poster designWe love it when illustration is given centre stage with movie posters and this one for 'Call Me Lucky' is an absolute delight to look at. Minimal colours and an intricate execution, the design was conjured up by Vodka Creative, with Jesse Vital taking care of the artwork itself. 21. Harper's This is just one of 75 poster designs Edward Penfield illustrated for Harper's Magazine during the late 1800sIt's impossible to talk about American poster design without mentioning graphic artist Edward Penfield. Often referred to as a master of graphic design, it was during a school exhibition that Penfield's work was first noticed by the art editor of Harper's Magazine, the company that he went go on to create no less than 75 poster designs for. 22. We Are Your Friends Neon colours are used to showcase the film's clubbing storylineWhilst the movie itself didn't exactly receive rave reviews, we adore this poster design from The Refinery. Using neon colours to mimic the film's clubbing and rave culture storyline, the vintage-like illustration of the main character really makes this one pop. 23. The Lobster Artist Vasilis Marmatakis also created the title sequence for DogtoothWho couldn't stop and stare at this one?! Showing the characters embracing empty sillouhettes of each other, the design was courtesy of artist Vasilis Marmatakis. Marmatakis has also crafted the titles for Dogtooth as well as working on a range of other movie posters. 24. Berlin 1936 Olympic Games The imposing nature of the poster is heightened by the historical contextThe 1936 Games was dominated by propoganda, as Hitler grasped the opportunity to promote the Nazi line of Aryan racial superiority. Thankfully, the black athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals, and made Hitler look pretty stupid. But one thing's for sure: the poster for the event, designed by Franz Würbel, managed to promote the event brilliantly; showcasing one of Berlin's most iconic landmarks and keeping the Führer happy in the process - something 44 of Germany's finest artists had failed before him. 25. Absinthe Robette Belgian posterist Henri Privat-Livemont created this beautiful Art Nouveau print for Absinthe in 1896In the late 19th Century, the popularity of Absinthe coincided with the increase of large lithographic advertising posters as a commercial and artistic medium. Some of the greatest artists of that period created posters for the alcoholic beverage, including Belgian posterist Henri Privat-Livemont, who illustrated this iconic Art Nouveau Absinthe Robette image in 1895. 26. It Follows A brilliantly illustrated poster from Akiko StehrenbergerEveryone knows that making a character stare directly at you with a movie poster is bound to get it some attention. Brilliantly illustrated by Akiko Stehrenberger, the artist has crafted posters for a huge range of indie and commercial releases – it's easy to see why. 27. Monaco 75 This beautiful design was created by artist Michael Turner for the 1975 Monaco Grand PrixThis striking design for the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix was created by talented artist Michael Turner. With minimal type, Turner let his illustration do all the talking, using a vibrant and eye-catching colour palette, the car takes centre stage with the beautiful destination of Monaco in the background. 28. The NeverEnding Story Renato Casaro’s poster for The NeverEnding Story captured the film’s magic using tempera and a bit of airbrushing on cardboardToday, it's easy to see photos of the characters being montaged together, much like the posters for The Lord of the Rings films. But where would be the fun in that? Renato Casaro, who painted over 1,500 posters during his career, including those for The NeverEnding Story, believes that without the hand of an artist, today's posters are often devoid of that touch of magic. 29. Air New Zealand The posters provide an excellent history of the developments in aviationWhen Air New Zealand celebrated its 75th birthday, the company dug out some of its best poster designs. The posters provide a history of the developments in aviation, as they move from advertising solent flying boats (which flew a maximum of 36 lucky passengers at a time) to modern 737s. The vibrant Technicolor design provide an interesting contrast with modern advertisement methods – a clear reflection of how things have changed in the last 75 years. 30. 1,462 Days of Trump Use this poster to mark off every day of the Trump era, like you would a prison sentenceDonald Trump is president of the USA and will be in office for the next four years. As Kurt McGhee has calculated, that's 1,462 days, and he's created this poster to ram that fact home and to give you some minimal therapy as you cross off every day that passes. "It may not seem that long until you see that amount of time in days," he says. "No matter who it is, a lot can go wrong in 1462 days." Related articles: 28 inspiring examples of vintage posters 95 top Photoshop tutorials The 60 best free Photoshop brushes View the full article

Mike Mimoso and Tom Spring discuss this week's security news, including a discussion on recent hijacking of popular Chrome extensions and Adobe's decision to end-of-life Flash Player. View the full article

While the style and finish of manga art is relatively minimalist in comparison to other types of comics, this apparent simplicity is deceptive. Every line is a choice made by the artist – the thinking is to never use 10 strokes to depict something if just a single, well-placed one would suffice. This principle of concentrating on the essentials permeates throughout manga art creation. Every panel is an exercise in choice: size, zoom, camera angle, speech bubble positioning, and type of background. Every page works as a whole to control the reader’s experience, particularly in pacing. These 15 tips will help you create an authentic manga comic strip. Let's get started! 01. Pace yourself Aim for fewer panels spread over more pagesWhen you’re writing for manga, remember it flows faster and sparser than other types of comics. It spreads across more pages with fewer panels per page. There is variation between the types of manga; Seinen manga, aimed at adult males, will be more densely packed than Shoujo manga, which is read by young girls. But as a guide, aim for a maximum of three speech bubbles per panel, an average of five panels per page, and around four pages per scene. 02. Consider your reading direction Traditionally, manga is read from the top right to bottom leftManga originates from Japan, and Japanese traditionally reads vertically from top-to-bottom before going right-to-left. So for any manga originally published in Japanese, you start reading from the top right corner and finish in the bottom left. If it’s been translated into English, you’ll often find it remains this way. But if you’re writing in English from the start, there’s no need to do this, so it’s up to you! Decide on your reading direction and stick to it. 03. Group your panels Use gutters to link certain panelsMost manga have panels of different sizes and shapes that change from page to page. There are no arrows or numbering to guide the reader, so you must group the panels clearly to make it obvious they must read one bunch of panels before moving on. Separate one group from another by increasing the space between the panels (the panel gutter). Then make sure that any small panel gutters inside a group don’t line up with any panel gutters in another group. 04. Explore abstract layouts Characters don't need to be confined to their panelsManga doesn’t just stick to traditional boxes in rows. It often employs dynamic panel layouts that stretch across the height or width of the whole page, along with diagonal lines and irregular shapes. Sometimes boxes aren’t even used at all, with hazy patterns used as outlines, or the character breaks out of the panel. Panels can even fade in and out as part of the storytelling. The difficulty is ensuring that regardless of layout, the panel order remains clear. Try reading some manga to find lots more examples to play with. 05. Showcase different viewpoints Showcase different angles and zoom levelsManga is known for its cinematic feel. Every panel is like an action movie, where the camera cuts from a close-up of eyes, to a two-shot profile of a conversation, to a bird’s-eye view of the characters, then a low-to-high angle as a stiletto heel clicks onto the floor. Really make an effort to showcase different camera angles and zooms in your story. 06. Make it dynamic Manga often features blurred limbs and background speedlinesManga is a dynamic form of storytelling; when a character is in a full-blown fight, they really look like as though they’re moving, even flying out of the page. Unlike superhero comics that have fully inked characters and points of impact, manga favours limbs that blur with motion, backgrounds that become speedlines, channelling and enhancing the direction of the motion and highlighting the point of impact with emphasis lines originating from it. Most of this is done through inking, but can be done with screentone, too. 15. Match background to mood These background flowers hint at a budding romanceOne key difference between manga and other types of comic is the use of abstract backgrounds to match the atmosphere and the emotions of the characters. Once the scene has had an establishing shot of the physical surroundings, the backgrounds can be anything: lacework and flowers to signify a budding romance; flames if someone is full of burning rage; black shadows and swirling knots to convey inner turmoil; or cookies and cakes when a character is irresistibly cute! This is particularly popular in Shoujo and Josei manga, which is aimed at girls and women. 07. Don't rely on speech bubble tails Speech bubble placement is used to indicate who is speakingJapanese people traditionally read top-to-bottom and then right-to-left. To accommodate this, manga speech bubbles are much taller than in Western comics. They’re also roomy, with lots of space around the lettering. Another key feature is the tails denoting the speaker – these are either very small or non-existent. Rather than relying on tails, the speech bubbles are positioned near the speaker’s head – use those camera angles wisely! Japanese dialogue also tends to make it clear who’s speaking, due to special verb endings and slang. 08. Get creative with your speech bubbles Don't confine yourself to a bubble shapeSpeech bubbles in manga are a lot more organic than in other types of comics. They’re almost always hand drawn, slightly irregular in shape. Joined speech bubbles are combined rather than linked by a thin line. When one character talks over another, it’s depicted literally, with each speech bubble overlapping. While shouting is depicted with a more conventional spiky outline, thought bubbles aren’t drawn as clouds; more often they’re surrounded by a haze, either drawn or made out of screen tone. 09. Apply screentone Simply screentone on top of your lines and then cut away the excess. Manga uses screentone as its black and white. To do this, start by preparing your line art – it has to be in pure black and white without any greys, so scan at a minimum of 600dpi. Then threshold-to-convert every pixel into either black or white. The same must apply to your desired screentone: each pixel must be black or white/transparent. Copy then paste the screentone on a layer above the line art, enough to cover the lines and more. If your screentone isn’t transparent, for example, on a white background, then set the layer to Multiply so you can see the lines underneath. Finally, remove unwanted areas of the screentone. There are many ways to do this: you can select with a Lasso/Magic Wand tool and cut, use the Eraser in Pencil mode, or use a Layer Mask with a hard-edged brush so that no greys are introduced. 10. Explore screentone effects Screentone is not just for shadingThere are many things you can do with screentone besides just sticking it down for shading. Add white pencil over both lines and screentone for traditional white painted highlights. Try soft, burnished highlights by using an Eraser set to Dissolve. Use screentone just over the lines to give the art a blurry feeling. You can increase the contrast in your shadows by layering different screentones on top of each other, but be careful: you may get moiré if you use different densities or if you align them incorrectly. Next page: 5 more tips for creating an authentic manga comic strip 11. Use Japanese sound effects Onomatopoeia is different (and often more realistic) in JapaneseJapanese sound effects are incredibly diverse, using all manner of consonant and vowel combinations to describe crashes, thumps and slices. Pronunciations often more realistic than in English like 'roar' (GA-O-!) or 'slam' (pa-tan!). What’s unique to Japanese onomatopoeia are sound effects for abstract concepts ('shiiin' for a stare, or silence), facial expressions ('niko' for a smile) or even temperature ('poka poka' for warmth). They are an integral part of the artwork, so are hand-drawn at the point of inking, in an appropriate style. 14. Add visual grammar Background sparks or sweat drops indicate the character's moodMany symbols are used in comics to enhance the viewer’s understanding of what the characters are feeling, like punctuation marks for pictures. Perhaps a love heart to show romantic intentions, or a light bulb when someone has a bright idea. Manga has some unique examples: a drop of sweat for nervousness or embarrassment, a hash mark on the forehead when someone is angry (mimicking raised veins), and little spirit wisps gathering when someone is feeling depressed. 12. Try out chibi Chibi figures are cute, squashed down versions of a characterA chibi is a cute, squishy, mini-version of a person, squished down to just three to four head lengths tall, with a large head and a chubby body. Shoulders are rounded off, hips are wider, hands and feet become stubby. Although these characteristics are childlike, remember that you’re not actually drawing a child! An adult chibi should still look like an adult, just highly stylised. In manga, characters are often portrayed as chibis when the story takes a lighthearted turn, for comic effect. Spot all the examples throughout this article! 13. Emphasise emotion with anthropomorphism Cat-like features indicate this character is being slyAnother popular technique used in manga is ‘kemonomimi’, which literally means animal ears. For instance, if someone is being as sly as a cat, you can draw her with feline features like cat ears and a tail. You can even go further with cat eyes that have slit-pupils, and using the shape of cat’s mouth. Why not draw a disappointed guy as a sad puppy dog? A fierce mother as a dragon? Like chibi, it can be used for effect in specific scenes, but it’s also popular as a character design for fantasy stories. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX issue 149. Buy it here. Read more! How to improve your character drawing Hand-draw a manga character How to create manga with a Wild West twist View the full article

The value of flexible vectors isn't lost on web designers. They know it's one of the most important assets they have for their designs. Create perfect vectors for any project with the help of Super Vectorizer 2. It's on sale now for 68% off the retail price. Super Vectorizer 2 has streamlined the vector-tracing process, taking out the tedious portions of the task and making it a snap to quickly create these valuable assets. This app can automatically convert bitmap, JPEG, GIF, and PNG images to clean and scalable vector graphics like AI, SVG, DXF, and PDF. It makes use of a powerful image-quantisation algorithm and enhanced tracing to make it easy to adapt images into design work. Super Vectorizer 2 usually retails for $60, but you can get it on sale now for just $19 (approx £15). That's a saving of 68% off the retail price for a powerful tool for designers, so grab this deal today! View the full article

Microsoft's newest Surface Pro is undoubtedly a very tempting machine for designers and creative professionals. It’s compact, light, powerful and looks the part. So naturally we wanted to review the Surface Pro for designers and creatives, to find out how it performs as a design tool and whether it can rival Apple's iPad Pro. Get your Adobe Creative Cloud appsSurface Pro overview The Surface Pro has a fantastic pen for sketching, and its dual form factor means you can use it as a laptop or tablet. It’s hugely expensive for the top-end machine, but for sketching work you can get away with a much lower spec. (Although you do have to pay extra for the Surface Pen and Type Cover with all models.) With a 12.3-inch screen, the Surface Pro is a very comfortable size, and when paired with the Type Cover it feels very much like a traditional sketchbook when you carry it around – albeit one that's coated in fabric, like the Surface Laptop. It's also extremely light, at around 770g, and thin at 8.5mm. The Surface Pro's screen itself has a resolution of 2736x1824 pixels at 267ppi. And like all Surface devices, it’s extremely sharp. The Surface Pro's new kickstand enables better sketching anglesThere are a few other tweaks on the new Surface Pro. It’s a little less angular than the Surface Pro 4; and the i5 models are completely fanless, so they operate silently (on the i7 there’s a hybrid cooling system). Battery life is also said to be improved to 13.5 hours, and we got a day’s solid usage out of the Pro after a mix of sketching, watching video, browsing and, indeed, writing this review. But perhaps the most interesting addition is the improved kickstand and hinge. We know, sounds fascinating, right? But now you can lower the kickstand to almost flat – giving you a great angle for sketching work. And sketching with the new Surface Pen feels very natural indeed. Surface Pro with the Surface Pen Microsoft has improved the Surface Pen, giving it 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity – and it feels better all round to draw with. There’s pretty much no lag when using the likes of Photoshop or Illustrator (although we were using the Core i7 model with 16GB RAM and Intel Iris Plus Graphics for this review, which is blazingly fast all round). We just can’t understand, though, why you don’t get a Surface Pen in the box, rather than having to pay an extra £100/US$100. Especially if you’re buying a Surface Pro Core i7 model, which could set you back up to £2,700/US$2,700 for the top model. Buy the Surface Pen (UK) Buy the Surface Pen (US) The Surface Pro's Signature Type Cover turns it into a laptopFor the Surface Pro to be a true hybrid machine, you’ll need a Type Cover (the clip-on keyboard) as well, which will add another £125/US$130 to the overall cost. The Signature Type Cover is very nice though – protecting your Surface Pro in Alcantara fabric (which we’re told is hard-wearing and easy to clean). Buy a Type Cover (UK) Buy a Type Cover (US) Using it as a laptop on your lap isn’t the easiest, though, as you’re relying on the kickstand to rest on your legs. But it’s much more comfortable at a desk. There are also a couple of nice colours available for the Type Cover. We had a nice cobalt Blue and it felt very high quality indeed, with backlit keys, a glass trackpad and a nice action on the mechanical keys. So as well as being nice to sketch on, it’s nice to type on. The Surface Pro is fun to sketch on and to type onThe Surface Pro is also compatible with the Surface Dial – costing another £90/US$100 – which enables you to control specific functionality in different apps (although Adobe apps aren’t supported yet). Buy the Surface Dial (UK) Buy the Surface Dial (US) Surface Pro vs iPad Pro Of course, there are going to be comparisons drawn between the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro, when paired with the excellent Apple Pencil, is a phenomenal digital sketchbook. But, although it runs iOS versions of Adobe tools from which your work can be synced back to your desktop Creative Cloud software, it isn’t the same thing as having full versions of Photoshop and Illustrator on the go. Microsoft's Surface Pro runs Windows 10 so you can install your Creative Cloud software – and choose to work with apps in standard or Touch Input modes. The Surface Pro runs Windows 10Surface Pro performance If you’re working on complex illustrations, you’ll need to splash out on a more powerful model than the base £800/US$800 Surface Pro, as this cheapest model only has a Core m3 CPU, 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. But for concepting and sketching, as we’ve said, the base model will be more than enough. Moving up through the models, you can choose between an i5 (starting at £980/US$1,000 with 4GB RAM/128GB SSD) and i7 (starting at £1,550/US$1,600) with 8GB RAM/256GB SSD). This soon becomes a MacBook Pro-like investment. In fact, for the price of the top-end Surface Pro you could get a 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro and a 12.9-inch 256GB iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. As a result, we can’t really recommend the top-end system for creatives – it just costs too much and doesn’t have enough flexibility in its ports (there’s only one USB, a MicroSD slot and a Mini DisplayPort). The base model, however, is very attractive as a digital sketchbook that can also run all of your desktop apps. Surface Pro for designers We love the Surface range of devices – they represent a significant leap forward for Microsoft and offer a viable alternative to Macs. But, the top-end models are just too expensive for us to recommend. The lower-end models are a much better option – especially if you simply want a portable digital sketchbook that can double as a mid-spec laptop. All-in-all the Surface Pro is a slick machine, and its accessories (although sold separately) make it even more attractive. Related articles: Best laptops for graphic design Review: Microsoft Surface Book Review: Microsoft Surface Laptop The digital artist's guide to switching from Mac to Windows View the full article

The makers of UXPin have released a free Material Design UI kit: a set of 140 handcrafted UI elements and 35 hi-fidelity screens. The kit also includes Material icons, layered files, and Google fonts. The library includes everything from headers and footers to contacts, galleries, calendars and more, all neatly organised into folders for ease of use. Everything is available in three formats – Photoshop, Sketch and Illustrator – making it simple to slot into your design workflow. The pro's guide to UI design All elements come in 3x resolution and can be used with Photoshop, Sketch or IllustratorAll UI elements are available at 3x resolution and are Guideline-compatible. Of course, the kit is also available for use in UXPin, a full-stack UX design platform for prototyping, design systems, and automatic documentation. Material Design is Google's unified design language, based around cards, grid-based layout, responsive animations and clever use of depth effects. Since its release in 2014, the system has boomed in popularity. Download the UI kit here. Read more: Free Flash alternative is here Build a static site with Material Design Lite Build a Material Design app with Angular 2 View the full article