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Around 2010, I was hanging out with a group of tattoo artists, discussing the rising popularity of tattooing. We thought it was a wave that would soon crash, leaving only the diehard behind. How wrong we were. In the last seven years, the tattoo world has exploded. With the help of television, as well as social media, tattooing has been dragged out of the shadows and into the global spotlight. Where once it was looked on as an outsider art form, it is now considered at the forefront of creativity and development. If you look back over the history of art, whenever an art form becomes popular, it attracts artists from outside of the medium – artists who recognise that there is potential to play and expand their own creative path. This is true for the current trend in tattooing; one where commercial illustrators and designers are crossing over into the tattoo world. And conversely, where tattoo artists are lending their skills to commercial projects. Designing the outcome Nomi Chi, a tattooist and visual artist based in Vancouver, showed an interest in illustration early on. At the tender age of 12, she was trying to sell commercial art, and at 15, Chi discovered tattooing through a combination of a rebellious teenager’s attraction to the subversive side of art, plus the burgeoning growth in tattooing and the run of tattoo-related television shows and social media. Chi attended university, where she studied illustration, but over the years found that she had distanced herself from illustration as an applied art, and moved into an area that straddled the line between gallery art and illustration. “Tattooing seemed like a pretty organic development, although at the time I was determined to do concept art for video games and movies,” says Chi. “I had a lackadaisical apprenticeship, which I landed through sheer luck. At the time, I had very little knowledge of tattooing or tattoo culture, and I had only ever seen a tattoo machine once before.” Tattooing was an organic development for visual artist Nomi ChiMartha Smith, a tattoo artist based in London, who studied Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts, also found the move into tattooing a natural progression of her artistic development – the freedom of process found within tattooing being just one aspect she was drawn to. While at college, Smith quickly realised that the course was incredibly concept-led. Preferring process-based work, she started printmaking, and it was with this medium that she began developing an aesthetic that would later translate into tattoos. “I always had an interest in tattooing, but before I attended art school, most of the tattoos I saw were traditional, or realism tattoos, which never really appealed to me,” she says. Martha Smith’s interest in printing ignited the aesthetic that she now translates into her intricate tattoo designs“Then, Sang Bleu Magazine came out and I was exposed to new artists such as Liam Sparkes and Maxime Buchi, who came from illustration and graphic design backgrounds, but were tattooing in a similar way to the way I printed. It was then that I thought it would be something I’d like to pursue.” Smith points to many parallels between the process of printing and tattooing, citing the permanence and strength of line, the understanding of the tools and the medium as examples. “There are also many similarities in the way a brief is structured in tattooing and illustration,” she adds. “It felt like a natural pathway into full-time illustration work, but with constant briefs and a sustainable income.” Guaranteed income Both Chi and Smith moved into tattooing while keeping their illustrative careers going at the same time. The guaranteed income from tattooing gave them the freedom to pick up side work in visual art and illustration, something which is echoed in many other tattoo artists’ careers. The converse of this approach is seen in artists such as Ollie Munden, who works as a lead designer for ilovedust, as well as having his own studio, Megamunden. His beautifully illustrated book, The Tattoo Colouring Book, came out in 2013, and was an opportunity to combine his love of illustration and tattoo design. Unlike Chi and Smith, Munden doesn’t actually tattoo. Aasen Stephenson is another tattoo designer, but not a tattoo artist. His work came to prominence when he used a tattoo machine to etch his designs onto a range of stylish leather shoes. A pair of engraved shoes by Aasen Stephenson “I’d been doing some bits of artwork for Jeffery West, and we started to throw around the idea of customising a shoe once it had been made in-store, in front of the customers,” he recalls. “It took a while to figure out what would work and give the best results, but engraving seemed to be the best option.” Stephenson tried using several engravers until he hit upon the idea of using a tattoo machine, which gave good results, “and also looked cool in-store.” Although new to tattooing, Stephenson created all the designs freehand, without using stencils. “I just ordered a kit online,” he recalls. “Originally, we went with the cheapest, as I still didn’t know if a tattoo machine would give the best results. The kit was £55, you can imagine how bad it was! But it was a start and since then I’ve bought better machines.” Liz Clements has always loved traditional tattoosWith previous experience as a body piercer, Liz Clements took a slightly different route into tattoo design. Having enjoyed the studio environment of piercing, she did a pop-up shop with Occult Tattoo in Brighton, who ended up taking her on as an apprentice. “A lot of my illustrations were inspired by tattoo culture, so in terms of the themes there isn’t a lot of difference,” she says. “I have always really loved traditional tattoos and I think that’s evident in both my tattoos and my illustrations.” Transferrable skills But what can artists interested in combining the two mediums expect when they start to move between them? As with all artistic endeavours, there is no limit but the imagination. However, Smith believes that her college introduction to illustration helped make the transition easier. “My studies certainly helped with tattooing,” she states. “Illustration projects have a quick turnaround with a quick brief. This helped when it came to working alongside customers to develop their custom tattoo designs.” Smith also cites printmaking as having helped her tattooing. “For one, it strengthens your arm and shoulders, as well as getting you used to the permanence of an image. People that are used to drawing in pencil, or painting in oils, have a transformative way of creating, where things can be edited, evolved and manipulated. With a woodblock, or a piece of lino, once that mark is carved, it is carved, much like a tattoo,” she explains. Martha Smith’s unique tattooing style was born of her love of graphic design and printingAs with any crossover in art, the challenge is in identifying what works in the change of mediums, and what has to be adapted. For Chi, these differences are nothing more than a mindset – a different approach to a similar outcome. “My tattoo process is very particular. I try to be very transparent with regards to my interests and the stylistic direction in my portfolio,” Chi explains. “When I tattoo, I feel people know what they’re getting. When I am taking project requests, I look primarily at the subject matter and secondarily at the narrative behind the subject, if my client provides one. When working as a visual artist, I work best when I’m given some preferences for subjects and stylistic direction, and am allowed to compose the elements however I see fit.” Design challenges Liz Clements found the move across to tattooing a little challenging. “The practical side is totally different, so I have to balance the complexity of my designs to correspond with my skill set, which I have found quite tough,” she says, adding that designing to fit a body part is totally different to working on a flat surface. “I often do three or four tracings when I’m creating the stencil for tattoo, so the image kind of builds up in layers, and you have to rearrange as you go through the design process. For this reason, Clements thinks that tattoo design is a lot more complicated and long-winded compared to designing for print. For Stephenson, moving completely into the world of tattooing is a path that remains unexplored for the moment. “I’ve thought about it a lot, but not made the step yet,” he says. “I guess it’s because I enjoy getting tattooed. I think if I learned how to tattoo, I may not look forward to getting tattooed.” Aasen Stephenson hand-engraving leatherExplaining this idea further, Stephenson recalls his previous experience of learning the guitar. “I was always in awe of people who played, but then as I started to learn, I viewed guitarists differently,” he says. “I’d think to myself, ‘Ah, I know how to do that now!’ It kind of took the magic away. Therefore, I guess, I will always want to get tattooed, rather than actually do it,” he smiles. But this hasn’t stopped people getting Stephenson’s designs etched into their skin. Besides his paper cutting work, he has also drawn up a few designs specifically for tattoo purposes. “I love the idea of getting my work tattooed on skin, it’s such an honour for someone to give you that trust, to be with them forever,” he remarks. Munden has also had his work tattooed onto clients, but has reservations about this approach. “Prior to creating the book, I’d designed quite a few tattoos for people. It was, and still is, something I’m on the fence about, as I’m not a trained tattooist,” he explains. “There are so many amazing tattoo artists out there, I find it a bit backwards coming to me for the design. I always tell anyone that asks that it is the most expensive way to get a tattoo and probably not the best.” Ollie Munden’s tattoo themed colouring book features over 100 designs inspired by Japanese and Western tattooingMunden did, however, design his left sleeve piece, and learned a lot about placement and how much detail should be included, or left out, along the way. Since the release of The Tattoo Colouring Book, he has also started to see more of his designs tattooed on other people. “I’ve seen the book pop up in various tattoo parlours and I’ve had lots of people tag me on Instagram in pieces they’ve had tattooed from the book. Some people write to me and ask permission, some send me a picture once it’s done, either way it’s all good with me. I love seeing that the work has been well received and people are getting tattooed,” he grins. When to say no Managing expectations and knowing when to back off a brief is important, whether you are working on or off skin. As Chi points out, tattooing is high demand work. Unlike a commercial brief, you are often expected to come up with ideas on the fly. But at the end of the day, a brief is a brief and knowing your limits is important. “At the moment, I struggle to keep up with demand, as a result I have to turn down most proposals which are sent to me,” says Chi, who does not show her drawings to clients prior to the day they’re getting tattooed. “I have had many frustrating years of back and forth interactions between clients, and from that I developed my intake process and bedside manner,” she explains. Many of Nomi Chi’s tattoos feature animals, or hybrid animal/human formsThough Stephenson doesn’t tattoo, the approach to his illustrative process is similar to that of a tattoo artist, where compromise and reworking are often a necessary evil. “All my work is commission-based, so I do have to go through it with the client to ensure that we are both happy. Sometimes customers can come in with some crazy ideas, which is great! But once on paper it doesn’t always work,” he admits. Over time, Stephenson has learned to avoid briefs that he can’t do technically, or doesn’t want to put his name to as he doesn’t think they’ll work. “Getting things wrong is all part of the journey,” he says. “And being self-employed, there is no boss you can ask when you get stuck. Over time you learn and hopefully it gets easier!” Munden has also learnt what will work and what won’t over the years. “In my commercial illustration work, I’ve passed projects over to fellow illustrators because I’m too stretched for time and would rather someone else give the client a better end result. Other times, I don’t feel I’m right for the project,” he explains. Four back piece designs feature as large-scale prints in high-end Japanese restaurant Tattu in Manchester, UK“It’s important the work I do take on is close to my interests,” he says. “I want to make sure I’m giving each project 100 per cent dedication. It’s a nice position to be in as I’m not solely relying on Megamunden to pay my bills, but it also means anyone coming to me for what I do will get a quality end result. I make sure of that.” So what does all this mean for artists, on skin and off? It’s unnatural for creativity to be limited, and art should ideally have no boundaries. Therefore, any crossover or middle ground for artists to explore should be nurtured and encouraged. And with the art world turning towards tattooing as a new field for expansion, the crossover is creating a generation of artists who continue to blur the lines. This allows for more growth in creativity in general, and a lot more people sporting beautiful designs that will stay with them forever. Related articles: 3 tips for designing tattoos 45 inspirational examples of tattoo art 23 designers and their awesome tattoos View the full article

Heading to college and not kitted out yet? Maybe you're looking for an upgrade. Either way, this handy list of the best laptops for graphic design students will take you one step closer to being perfectly equipped for your university course. (A student subscription to Creative Cloud will take you another.) When choosing a laptop for your daily design work, there are many things to consider. One is power versus portability: you need something that’s thin and light enough to throw in your backpack, but also powerful enough to run your suite of creative tools. And you need to decide whether macOS or Windows is right for you. The former used to be the staple of creative professionals, but it really doesn’t matter what platform you use these days. Whatever your preferences, each of the three machines here will give you all the power and performance you need to hit the ground running with your studies. Read on for our pick of the best laptops for graphic design students. Microsoft's Surface Book is an incredible machine – even in its lowest spec option. The fact that you can use it as both a tablet and laptop makes it the ultimate digital sketchbook. Just detach the screen and draw using the included Surface Pen, or buy the innovative Surface Dial for £90 and get an intuitive way of controlling your creative tools. Even better, flip the screen around, reattach it and you can use it to draw at a more natural angle. It’s on offer at £1,299 for the lowest spec at the moment – which is a bargain for such a versatile, powerful creative machine. Read our review of Microsoft Surface Book. The MacBook might not have a lot of ports (one USB-C to be precise). And it might not have the power or screen size of the MacBook Pro. But for £1,249 it’s a great option for designing on the go. A 12-inch screen is at the heart of the MacBook, but you can of course plug it into an external display using an adaptor (via USB-C). And at 2304 x 1440 pixels there’s plenty of real estate. If you’re feeling a little flush, you can configure it with up to 16GB RAM – plenty for all but the most demanding tasks. Light, powerful and utterly stylish, the MacBook is a fantastic option for design students. The Surface Laptop is one of the best laptops for graphic design students. Even the lowest-end model at £949 is powerful enough to run Photoshop and Illustrator on a daily basis, and the fact you can use the optional Surface Pen to draw directly on screen makes it even more appealing. Bear in mind that if you want to run Creative Cloud apps, you’ll need to switch to Windows 10 which is free until early 2018. (The Surface Laptop comes with Windows 10 S – which only enables software from the Windows Store to be installed.) Still, with its sleek looks and fabric keyboard, the Surface Laptop looks great and performs excellently. View the full article

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With a bit of photographic know-how, a half-decent DSLR and a sprinkling of art-direction flair, there's no reason why you can't shoot pro-quality images of your printed works that will do them justice on screens and online portfolios. "Don't worry if you're not the most skilled photographer or don't have the best camera on the market," advises photographer Neil Watson. "These days even the most basic cameras and equipment will get you a long way; any entry-level DSLR or high-end compact camera with an external flash can be used to get great results." So let's find out how to photograph printed and tangible design projects professionally. 50 brilliant design portfolios to inspire you01. Set the stage 
 "The way in which we photograph our projects is a part of what defines our visual style," says graphic designer Patrice Barnabé. "First of all, be aware that photography, as much as design, can be a victim of trends." "Remember the trend of holding a giant poster with your fingertips in front of you? Or framing all of your posters? A few years ago everybody was doing it and now it looks completely outdated. Don't be tempted to imitate a photographic trend; instead, find your own way to do it and your pictures will stand the test of time." 02. Consider background colour carefully Try using a colour background that relates to the look and feel of your project, like Robot Food did for this projectChris Logan of The Touch Agency likes a neutral colour for the background: "It works well when you have a variety of projects of different size, colour, print finish and scale to accommodate. It also allows for consistency across all of our project shots." Barnabé warns against creating something too clinical. "When you create your set, make sure it doesn't look like a laboratory. White or pale grey backgrounds can be cold and inexpressive. Don't be afraid to incorporate a colour background that relates to the look and feel of your project; it will help create a cohesive set of pictures." 03. Think about your theme "You can adorn your set with objects that give an indication of the project theme. For example, if you designed the identity for a flower shop, a few rose petals distributed harmoniously next to your stationery can add a sensible and fun touch." Think about adding props to indicate a theme, as Neil Watson has done hereWatson echoes this: "I sometimes like to add props that create a sense of an environment. This could be something as simple as a shadow from a plant, or even a cup of coffee." But don't go overboard with your accoutrements; Julian Zimmermann of Deutsche & Japaner stresses that it's important to stage the work in a well-balanced way: "Don't over-stage the imagery; let the work shine in the foreground." 04. Lighting matters You can make your own mini studio with white card and a light source, like WatsonWhen you've worked out your set or backdrop, you'll need to think about lighting. Watson has a clever technique for creating a miniature studio that works with a DSLR and an external flashgun (also called a speedlight). "Place a large sheet of white card against a white wall and set up the work you wish to photograph on the card. Attach the external flash to the hotshoe of your camera. Most speedlights have a rotatable head; point this upwards so it is facing the ceiling. Take the picture by standing above your work, looking down onto it so the flash is pointing directly at the wall. "Shooting with a flash in this way uses the wall to create a softer light source that will make a shadow below the item you are shooting, and shouldn't create too much reflection on it. "You can also have another sheet of white card balanced against your legs, facing back into the shot, which will act as a fill light, softening some of the shadows at the lower half of the frame." (A fill is a light source used to reduce contrast.) If you don't know much about lighting and don't have any special equipment, Barnabé recommends natural daylight. "Cloudy days and afternoons are ideal since they create smooth shadows and they reduce high contrast. Create your set next to a big window and reduce the impact of direct light with a translucent white curtain." 05. Get the angle right Vary your angle for interest in a series of shotsLogan recommends a tripod for taking your pictures: "Especially if you want to achieve a consistent vantage point, point of focus or angle – it's much easier to re-arrange the printed matter and get the shot you want once you have the setup locked down." Watson points out another advantage: "It also means you can shoot a few variations and comp them together afterwards if needed." There's no harm in hand-held shooting though; Barnabé prefers a variety of angles to keep things interesting: "Don't shoot all your set in the same 45 degree angle – it will end up becoming boring and predictable. Only use a tripod if you want to show different layers of a single piece, such as different spreads of a magazine, or different screenshots of a website." 06. Focus on the finishes Think about the textures you want to capture – shiny like Watson's book image under tip 4 or smooth like this identity by Barnabé?Capturing paper textures and print finishes can be done with close-up shots and some tweaks with your lighting. "Getting foil blocks on printed items to look metallic can be tricky," says Watson. "Use your tripod, and hold up a small piece of white or black card to create good reflections. Better still, ask someone else to hold the card so you can look through the camera to see how it is affecting the picture; this can give you that light-to-dark effect in the shiny surface that can be retouched back into your main image." 07. Use the right lens Using image stabilisation and a fast shutter speed will reduce the chance of blur up closeYou'll need to switch out your lens for the closer takes. "I use a Canon 60D and use a very basic 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for most of my shots, and a 50mm f/1.8 for close-up shots when I want to show paper texture, print finishes or small typography," says Barnabé. "For details and close-ups, choose a wider aperture that will decrease the depth of field – that's the amount of the scene which is in focus. Between f/1.4 and f/2.8 is good. For bigger general shots never go below f/4.0, otherwise you will end up with blurred parts in your picture." If you're having trouble with blurring or camera shake, Barnabé recommends using the image stabilisation feature of your lens and a shutter speed of at least 1/200. Following this advice should get you some great results, and with a little experimentation and practice you'll be shooting perfect images with relative ease. Related articles: Build your first in-house photo studio 10 ways to improve your photography skills 5 things every creative needs to know about print design View the full article

Thinking of striking out on your own and becoming a freelancer? It's a thought that crosses the minds of a lot of people in all sorts of industries. What holds people back though is the fear of the unknown (though maybe they should read our 9 things nobody tells you about going freelance post, in that case). Is being a freelancer as amazing as everyone says it is? Will you regret making the move shortly after handing in your notice? And perhaps most importantly of all, how much money can you expect to earn based on your sector? This infographic from online learning platform Zeqr answers all of these questions and also covers plenty of other stats to give you an impression of the state of freelancing in 2017. Encouragingly, it says 91% of freelancers found work in under two weeks, citing its source as Upwork's 2016 Freelancing in America Report. It even includes the best websites for finding freelance work. As you can see, it covers all industries but singles out graphic design and web design among the top industries for freelancers to make a living in, claiming they can earn $2-6K and $6K per month respectively. It also lists programming training and Adobe Creative Cloud training as viable alternative or side careers for new freelancers, based on sources including Glassdoor and LinkedIn Learning. Click the arrows in the top right to see the full size infographicFind out more on Zeqr. Related articles: Funny stickers celebrate small freelancer victories 25 tips for staying sane as a freelancer 20 top tools for freelancers View the full article

Are you a hipster-kinda guy?Whether your desk is messy or tidy, your walls adorned with pop culture posters or neatly framed art pieces, you could see yourself in one of these delightfully stereotypical designer character illustrations. The project was started by Serbian artist Dmitry Narozhny, who drew a new character each month for Devexperts' company calendar, with designs ranging from the hipster to the hippy, goth to the geek. So, can you spot someone resembling you among these designer stereotypes? Take a look through some of our favourite character designs by scrolling through the gallery below. Want to see more? Head to Dmitry Narozhny's Behance page to see the rest of the characters. Like this? Read these! 8 totally amazing design studio dogs How to generate new ideas for character designs How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

Learn how to start creating amazing concept art right from the start with the latest issue of ImagineFX magazine – on sale now. Inside issue 152 you'll also find plenty of tips and insights to help you break out of your artistic comfort zone and put some new techniques into practice. Buy issue 152 of ImagineFX here! Packed with outstanding artwork from our very own readers, the latest issue of ImagineFX is filled with all sorts of creative inspiration. On top of the latest news and product reviews from the world of digital art, we've got a whole host of headline features, which you can explore below. Click here to subscribe to ImagineFX Create a strong portfolio of concept work Finnian MacManus has worked on the likes of Rogue OneWho better to learn portfolio secrets from than an artist who worked on Rogue One? Here Finnian MacManus walks us through his tips for creating a strong portfolio of concept work that will catch the attention of film art directors. Enhance your gouache skills Create a harmonious colour scheme with these tipsIn the second part of our core skills series, artist Laura Bifano demonstrates how to mix a gouache colour palette to create a pleasing colour scheme. The process might require a bit of planning, but these techniques are sure to produce wonderful results. Meet video games powerhouse Volta As you can see, Volta can create distinctive charactersOver the years the rise of the videogame industry has led to more and more companies outsourcing their art requirements to specialist studios. We catch up with one such studio, Volta, to see how it has benefited from this trend. Visit Justin Kaufman's strange studio Strange beasts live in this bizarre studio...Fancy getting away from it all? That's what artist Justin Kaufman did when he moved from Seattle to the rural Pacific north west and set up shop in a barn. In our artist in residence feature he shows us around his new, unfinished studio. Related articles: 23 best iPad art apps for painting and sketching How to colour your manga art like a pro How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

Garden Party is one of eight stunning examples of top animated shortsAnimated shorts are a booming category of animated 3D films, with a wealth of inspiring videos appearing regularly. DreamWorks' head of international outreach and international talent consultant, Shelley Page, is so passionate about animation that she founded Eye Candy to showcase the genre. "The origin of the Eye Candy Show was a series of regular screenings of the latest animation shorts, graduation films and TV commercials, collected during my travels around the world to present to my colleagues at DreamWorks Animation," says Page. "At first these were only shown at our studios in the USA but later, as the studio expanded to more distant locations, I also took these screenings to our animators in Bangalore, India and, more recently, Shanghai. "Some years ago, I was invited to make a special Eye Candy presentation at the FMX festival in Germany [now an annual part of this event] and since then I have presented my favourite films of each year to festival audiences and schools around the world." Best video editing softwarePage talks about the story of the making of each film before screening it, particularly when addressing student groups, as she admits she is is "always curious about the process behind the creation of these amazing works." About to set off for the latest series of graduation juries and screenings in the UK, Europe and further afield, Page says she is "excited about the great new films I know I will discover for my next Eye Candy selection!" From student projects to films voiced by Oscar-nominated actors, Page reveals eight of her favourite shorts. She also finds out how they were made, and shares advice for budding animators. So let's see her first choice. 01. Sur Sa Trace Director: Axel De LafforestThis charming student film, inspired by Robin Joseph's A Seagull on Mud illustration, was a challenge for then student film-maker Axel De Lafforest, and took six months to put together. "I had created another short film before, but this was my first film in 3D so it was technically very difficult," he says. "I had to create everything for this film, the hardest part was managing my time," he recalls. De Lafforest used 3ds Max to create the 3D characters and 2D background and is refreshingly modest about the film, despite it being one of Page's picks. "I don't think the animation is very good in my film… There's nothing technically impressive about it," he says. However, De Lafforest is proud of his work, "I'm very glad my film was shown in festivals like Très Court, Tournez Court and soon the Filmets Badalona Film Festival." Now working at Mikros Animation, he still sees the student project Sur Sa Trace as one of his most satisfying to work on as a director "because I was alone to make the decisions, and it was very clear in my head". His advice for budding 3D filmmakers? "Be daring, then work and work again." 02. Some Thing Director: Elena Walf Comp Lead: Matthias Bäuerle Some Thing's director, Elena Walf, wrote and animated the film, and although she didn't have much experience of making short films, her illustration background helped her with the design. Originally, Walf conceived Some Thing – about a mountain with a strange object – as a fairy tale-like children's book. "I guess that's why the compositions resemble the style of children's books. It was very important for me that everything looks kind of hand-drawn," she says. Matthias Bäuerle, who worked as comp lead on the film, was determined to help Walf achieve her vision. "It was very important to understand the level of detail Elena wanted to achieve. She was very specific about when and how a texture should move... "We used TVPaint as our backbone for animation and the colouring process. Then we exported the colour mattes and all the outline layers and used Nuke as our weapon for applying and animating the textures and final compositing." Bäuerle also offers some tips on making your way in the industry. "Listen carefully to the stories that are growing inside your head. Keep experimenting and check out lots of different tools." 03. Citipati Director: Andreas FelixCitipati, a tale about life and death from a prehistoric perspective, won the award for outstanding visual effects in a student project at the VES Awards 2016. Director Andreas Felix considers the film's most impressive technical achievement to be the secondary details added into the rig of the main character, on top of the base skeleton. "This was built using CAT, a crude muscular system that was attached based on a custom-developed setup using bones and springs. As a result, not only did it facilitate geometric deformations on the character's surface, but also produced jiggling tissue in real time, and the ease of access allowed for any oddities to be fixed on a per shot basis," he explains. The creature's tail movement was animated procedurally using a set of noise controllers and springs. "This saved a lot of time in animation as well, which was crucial, as the schedule dictated having all shots animated at a rate of 20-25 seconds per week," explains Felix. Felix points to Phoenix FD plugin and 3ds Max's Particle Flow when asked about his most useful tools. "As the film contains over 300 FX simulations, about 85 per cent were evenly split between fluid simulations and rigid body dynamics. Especially for doing a lot of secondary events and details, Phoenix FD proved to be easy to set up and recycle to create a large body of sims in a short amount of time… "The procedural toolset of Particle Flow allowed for easily creating small events like dynamic gravel and debris and to add detailed interactions with ease, which in turn could be fed into Phoenix FD to add more control and detail to the simulations." Felix is not one to shy away from unconventional solutions. "If you can offer a different solution out of the box, you may surprise your superiors and colleagues for good. It's never wrong to be a little bit rebellious, at the right time, of course," he says. Next page: 5 more great animated shorts 04. Asteria Directors: Alexandre Arpentinier, Mathieu Blanchys, Lola Grand, Tristan Lamarca, Thomas Lemaille, Jean-Charles LusseauThis short film set in space has won over hearts and minds, not just with the quality of animation, but with its sense of humour, something that was of great relief to one its directors, Alexandre Arpentinier. "One of the hardest tasks was to give a good rhythm to the film, find a good end stop, and make good gags. It's hard to know if all the jokes will make the spectators laugh when you work for several months on it and hear it dozens of times a day," he says. Student projects can often fall victim to unforeseen problems, but the Asteria team avoided this with careful planning and teamwork. "We didn't make any big mistakes during the production because we always did tests before we started in the different tasks," says Arpentinier, who adds that the team worked together to stay organised and on track. The team used a variety of tools to create Asteria, including Maya for modelling, rigging and animation; ZBrush and Mari for sculpting and texturing; Arnold for rendering; Nuke and Houdini for compositing and effects, Premiere for editing, and occasionally Photoshop for testing or small alterations. But Arpentinier doesn't think that one tool is more important than another. "There isn't a single software or tool that has helped us a lot during the production, but we think it's the combination of all the software that allowed us get good quality in every field," he explains. 05. La Parfumerie de Monsieur Pompone Directors: Camille Ferrari, Axel De Lafforest, Florian Ratte, Yoann Demettre, Tanguy WeylanThis ambitious short from co-directors Axel de Lafforest, Florian Ratte, Yoann Demettre, Camille Ferrari and Tanguy Weyland follows the story of a perfume manufacturer in Paris and is influenced by the works of Roald Dahl. "We all had a different role to play in the creation of the movie," says Camille Ferrari. "I was in charge of most of the storyboard, texturing and editing. We all directed it, but Axel was at the heart of the project, so he had to write the basis for the story. Tanguy was our technical director, Yoann our lead modelling and Florian our lead animation." The team used 3ds Max mainly for the 3D, Mari for the texturing, Nuke for the compositing, and Avid for the editing. Nuke was also vital to realise the team's vision. "We wanted the 3D to look like 2D," says Ferrari. "Our main goal was to have a very graphic render with a lot of patterns on the textures." With the film winning awards at both the Panam Anim and the Beijing International Film Festival, it's no surprise that all of the former student directors are now gainfully employed in the industry. As far as wider animation goes, Ferrari has some thoughts on the future, "I think 3D animation is the future of animation. 2D is very nice but it needs more money and more time for production. I don't think we could have done a six or seven minute 2D animation film in one year. But I do sometimes work in 2D. Making a 3D movie doesn't mean giving up 2D animation." 06. Poles Apart Director: Paloma Baeza Dfx team: Gillian Simpson, Shivani Shah, Ollie Brummell Director Paloma Baeza started out as an actress before moving into writing and directing. Never one to shy away from a challenge, creating Poles Apart – which stars Helena Bonham Carter and Joseph May – was a new kind of experience for her. "I wrote, directed and partly animated. Animating is the hardest for me as I am very new to it... the biggest transition was learning about animation in the technical sense – animatics, the actual hands-on animating, as well as time-scales and the precision involved," she explains. As with any new medium, mistakes happen. "Early in the shoot we animated a long shot with focus pulls and puppet rigs, but I foolishly didn't get clean background the separate focus pulls. This made good rig removal and compositing very difficult. In the end, we had to re-shoot this sequence, but we didn't make that mistake again!" says Baeza. While Baeza prefers to focus on stop-motion, using Dragonframe, the digital FX experts on Poles Apart – Gillian Simpson, Shivani Shah and Ollie Brummell – were deep in other methods. "The CG icebergs were achieved using photogrammetry of the props made by our production designer, which allowed us to replicate an identical 3D asset that reduced time in modelling and sculpting, but also enabled us to create a range of diffuse and light baked textures for the motion control shot in particular," explains Baeza. 07. Garden Party Directors: Victor Cair, Théophile Dufresne, Vincent Bayoux, Florian Babikian, Gabriel Graperron, Lucas NavarroGarden Party's photo-real animation of amphibians has been showcased in many festivals, and earned a Grand Jury Prize at Nashville Film Festival, as well as Page's Eye Candy – Film of the Year 2017. The team used a wide range of software in production, but they also had to craft a hefty piece of hardware. "In order to obtain the realistic look we wanted, we had to build a 3D scanner in our garage, based on photogrammetry, to scan 3D assets. It was a huge challenge for us," says one of the six directors, Victor Caire. "We used the software RealityCapture to scan the objects, then all the scans were brought into ZBrush for remeshing," he adds. The team also developed a script in ZBrush to export colour, normal and displacement maps from the scans before moving into Maya, where the maps could then be plugged in automatically. Caire thinks that the fast pace of the industry means that new artists have to stay focused. "The most important thing is to have good composition and storytelling. It's not always about the software you use, think more about the result. There's always a way to do it." 08. Gokurōsama Directors: Clémentine Frère, Romain Salvini, Aurore Gal, Yukiko Meignien, Anna Mertz, Robin MigliorelliGokurōsama is a Studio Ghibli-inspired short film that follows the story of an old woman and her assistant just before a mall opens. "We really enjoy the contemplative quality you can find in many Japanese animation films like those of Studio Ghibli," says one of the directors, Clémentine Frère. "However, stylistically we wanted to stay away from being too anime-like... it was mostly a job of giving the environment that abundant feel (of a mall) while still keeping the characters silhouettes stand out using colour blocking." The project used 3ds Max (V-Ray) for modelling, lighting and rendering; Maya for rigging and animation and Mari to paint the textures on the characters. Working in Mari was particularly useful. "I think Mari was probably the most vital software to production because we were able to quickly and easily update the textures of each character, even during the rigging process," says Romain Salvini. Salvini believes that an inquisitive mind is vital for success. "You must be curious about new software and ways to make things. And keep watching movies, reading, looking for nice pictures, because these things can become an idea or reference for a project." This article originally appeared in 3D World issue 224. Buy it here! Related articles: 5 must-see short VR movies Killer tips for perfect animation portfolios Best video editing software The 25 greatest animated music videos View the full article

You may be the world's best creative director or graphic designer, but just how good is your branding knowledge? To test your skills, we've taken 10 logo designs and challenge you to guess which brand they belong to. Easy, right? Maybe not. To make things a little more difficult we've obscured part of each design. So let's see just how well you know your logo designs. How did you get on? Tell us your scores in the comments. 100% – Logo genius. Check. You. Out. Now go tell all your friends! 76-99% – Brand brainiac. You certainly know your brands. Top work! 51-75% – Getting there. But we know you can do better – give it another go. 26-50% – Not bad. But not great either. Have another try. 0-25% – Not interested in logos? Give our colour quiz or 7 day design quiz a go instead! View the full article

There are some tasks that are a necessity, but still a total pain. Cropping images is one of those tasks. Instead of putting yourself through this painstaking process, trust Fluid Mask 3 with the task. You can get it on sale now for just one quarter of the usual retail price! Whether you're cutting out images for a design project or to try to remove a less than stellar part of a photo you want to post, the process can be a drag. Fluid Mask 3 takes the pain out of the process. This high-quality masking app makes it easier than ever to quickly cut out images thanks to its segmented masking procedure. It's so simple, you'll wonder why you've been doing it the hard way all this time. Fluid Mask 3 usually retails for $99, but you can get it on sale now for 74% off the retail price. That means you pay just $24.99 (approx £19) for an app that will save you tons of time, so grab this deal today! View the full article

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/08/08/how-do-you-feel-about-getting-on-a-plane-with-no-pilot/ … View the full article

The difference between the no reference sketch and the study sketch is incredible (Click the top-right arrows icon to enlarge the image)Drawing from memory and drawing from reference material results in pictures that are worlds apart. However much we think we can rely on our memories, this series of illustrations from artist Jack Stroud (aka Jackobo or PetrichorCrown on Twitter) shows how there's no substitute to studying a subject in detail. Using a lioness as his subject, Stroud demonstrates how drawing from your memory can result in inaccurate drawings as the mind struggles to fill in the blanks of certain shapes and details. How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorialsHe goes on to show how even a brief look at reference material can radically improve the standard of a drawing. In his final picture he resorts to 'eyeballing' or studying an image in depth. The finished result is a much more lifelike illustration that highlights the shortcomings of drawing without references. In his Tweet, he writes: "I'm here to tell you the truth about referencing in art! IT ISN'T BAD. YOU CAN'T LEARN WITHOUT STUDYING." Stroud's demonstration definitely proves this point, so be sure to use reference material in the future to enhance your own sketches. Related articles: How to be an award-winning illustrator Pro tips for illustrators 50 illustrators to follow on Behance How to draw and paint - 100 pro tips and tutorials View the full article

Choose the right piece of video editing software and you can turn long, frustrating hours sat in front of your computer into a pain-free task with coherent movies, dynamic short films and sharable videos as a result. The video editors we've recommended in this buying guide are jam-packed full of features to turn your footage into celluloid gold. No matter what device you're using, we've picked the best options to suit you. You'll find the best video editing software for Windows PCs, Mac and Android devices. We also have a cheap option if you're on a budget, and brilliant choices for beginners and experienced video editors alike. Read on to discover the best video editing software for your needs. Adobe is an instantly recognisable name to most, and its Premiere Elements 15 program is a great choice for both beginners and experienced editors. It isn't as complex as the more heavyweight Premiere Pro video editor (listed below), which is best suited to full-time video editing professionals. But Adobe Premiere Elements is packed with excellent features, such as face detection, audio effects and bundled soundtracks. And it's friendly to use, too. Whether you're an editing newbie or a pro, automated functions – such as motion tracking and smart toning – will make your life a lot easier. And the same can be said of the video stabilisation option and simplicity of editing. Premiere Elements 15 comes with all the video effects you’d expect in a consumer video editor: transitions, chroma-keying, opacity and so on. The media library is also intelligently organised, with smart searches making it easy to find finished and draft files. Read more about Adobe Premiere Elements on TechRadar Crank things up a notch to Adobe Premiere Pro CC and get an all-singing all-dancing video editor that's used by multitudes of industry professionals. And it's easy to see why it's so popular for Windows 10 users – it can handle an uncapped amount of video tracks, which can be imported from pretty much any source you can think of: files, tapes, cameras of all standards, and even VR. The automatic sync is a gem when you have multi-angle shots, and it's hard to fault the fine-tuning tools that really make your video stand out from the crowd. Read TechRadar's Adobe Premiere Pro CC review What Adobe Premiere Pro is to Windows PCs, Final Cut Pro X is to Mac users. As you would suspect with Apple software, the must-have editor is consummately easy to use and comes packed with enough features to warrant the admittedly high price tag. We like the grouping tools, effect options and the simplistic way you can add and edit audio. If you're already entwined in Apple's ecosystem, you'll appreciate how Final Cut cleverly coordinates with your Photos or iTunes collections. Read TechRadar's Final Cut Pro X review If you think that trying to edit video on your smartphone or tablet is a pointless exercise, KineMaster will make you think again. Available for Android devices, iPhones and iPads, we've highlighted this option as the best video editing software for Android because it goes way above and beyond what you'd expect from a mobile app. It packs the ability to edit multiple layers, add handwriting and text annotations, experiment with up to four audio tracks and precisely edit at a frame and sub-frame level. We could go on with a looooong list of features, but at this price it won't hurt the wallet just to download the video editing app and give it a try. Download KineMaster for Android here Download KineMaster for iPhone or iPad here If you're just getting started as a video editor and are unsure about splashing the cash on software, then Lightworks is the ideal solution. You can download a free version (for home use) of the premium Lightworks software, which was used to edit Hollywood box office hits including Shutter Island, Pulp Fiction, 28 Days Later and Mission Impossible. It's a powerful piece of kit for a freebie, handling video capture and advanced editing with ease. Because it's a slimmed-down version of a professional suite, you may find that the interface isn't the easiest to navigate. But a little persistence will pay off in the long run – and you won't have to pay a penny, as long as your projects are non-commercial. Read TechRadar's full Lightworks review Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 offers a great way into video editing for novices. It's brilliantly easy to get going with straight away, thanks to its intuitive interface, but you won't find it wanting for features. There's multi-cam editing, 4K video support, 360-degrees VR video support, a music library and loads of effects, to name but a few. Not bad at all for the price. The more you use VideoStudio Ultimate, the more you'll notice and make use of its little features and flourishes. It's a great option for beginners, and still a pretty good option for more experienced video editors, too. Download Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 This one isn't for the faint of heart. CyberLink PowerDirector is a serious bit of software for serious video editors: this is excellent video editing software that delivers professional and high-quality features, without a Hollywood budget. Get cracking on the 100-track timeline and you'll soon find yourself making the most of multitudes of stabilisation and video correction tools, professional effects, multi-cam editing, motion tracking and surprisingly easy trimming. There's 360-degree video editing as well, together with support for all the file standards and formats you can imagine. And if you're finding it all a bit of a struggle, then there are plenty of video tutorials to help to get you sorted. Download CyberLink PowerDirector 15 Related articles: How videogame graphics and movie VFX are converging Oil painted van Gogh movie unveils official trailer The VFX behind 72 grisly Game of Thrones deaths View the full article

4K is no longer a gimmick. The high resolution format for images and video (which you can get learn more about in our 4 things every creative needs to know about 4K video post) has rapidly moved from novelty to the mainstream. 4K television is now a reality, with all the major manufacturers churning out 4K sets, and Netflix, Amazon, Sky Q, BT Sport Ultra HD and more providing 4K content to watch on them. Elsewhere, the XBox One S is leading the way for 4K gaming, while a dazzling array of smartphones now offer 4K video recording. London’s Piccadilly Circus has recently upgraded its famous video screens to 4K, summoning a truly Blade Runner-style nightscape to passersby. And you can even find a wide variety of 4K stock footage for your projects, from libraries such as iStock by Getty Images. In 2017, in short, 4K is something that every agency has to get on board with. In this post, we check out four agencies that harnessed the power of 4K within their recent projects. 01. Renault & MG OMD by Manning Gottlieb Manning Gottlieb created a truly immersive experience for fans of the Goodwood Festival of SpeedA global agency headquartered in London, Manning Gottlieb recently completed a global Facebook first for Renault at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The agency published and promoted a 4K Facebook livestream that switched between 2D and 360 video. “The brief was all about creating the most immersive experience possible for all the petrol heads who wish they could have been at the event but weren’t,” explains Tom Langan, social media manager and content marketing evangelist for Manning Gottlieb. “So quality and the way the assets played out were vitally important.” It was vital, then, that the agency filmed everything in 4K. “We’re at a point with technology now where the equipment and software required to film and publish live in 4K wasn’t really an issue,” Langan adds. “The cameras were small, lightweight and no harder to use than regular non-4K equipment. From a production perspective, there really was no good reason not to film everything that way.” That said, at the consumer end, things aren’t moving quite so fast. “Viewing on 4G, and even on most Wi-Fi connections, bandwidth doesn’t really seem to be able to keep pace with the output we’re serving when we film in 4K,” says Langan. “Although 4K was achievable in the upload to Facebook and YouTube, viewers may often struggle to see the content in ‘all its glory’ because of the restrictions on their devices. “It’s been brilliant to push the abilities of the platforms, the hardware and the software,” he concludes, “but it would be great to see consumer devices and connections have the ability to serve this content up in a way that does it justice.” 02. Royal Mint Filming the Royal Mint collection in 4K allows customers to appreciate the high level of craftsmanship that has gone into the coins’ creationThe Royal Mint, which produces the UK's coins, this year asked POPcomms agency in Bristol, UK, to film its new coin collection using 4K cameras. It wanted to let people zoom right into the detail and truly appreciate the high level of craftsmanship captured in each coin. “The main challenge was making sure these highly delicate coins were free of blemishes such as fingerprints or fluff – especially when shooting with macro lenses,” says senior account manager Stuart Janicki. “The same applies for the props and scenery. We have a very high level of attention to detail on these shoots and this is only exemplified by the 4K resolution.” The footage was first shown during The Royal Mint’s presentation at the World Money Fair, he explains. “After this, the footage was used in promotional campaigns for the different coins, both on the website and social media. The high 4K resolution also means we are able to take stills from the footage and use these in other marketing materials.” His main tips for any agencies working in 4K? “It’s all about attention to detail,” he stresses. “Being able to crop into the footage afterwards means you have to make sure your scene and props are immaculate when shooting at a macro level.” 03. Sony Bravia Last year, DDB Berlin was tasked by Sony to create a new advertising campaign that would highlight the impressive picture quality of its new Bravia 4K HDR TV sets. The ad, which was shown across the UK, Ireland and Germany last autumn, was created using a mixture of drones and handheld 4K cameras to create a spectacle that offered an impressive level of ‘wow factor’. Filmed in an abandoned former casino in Romania, the spot culminates in the multicoloured, glittering explosions of 1,500 balloons filled with glitter. "Shooting this commercial required weeks of preparation and a lot of effort from special effects and production design partners,” said Alice Bottaro, creative director at DDB Berlin, in a statement. “Glitter is a very challenging element to work with, even more so because we wanted to show the particles in all their detail and brilliance. We were also very lucky to get such a beautiful location: during the film, you really experience how the glitter turns this abandoned casino into a place full of colour and life.” The ad takes obvious inspiration from the bouncing coloured balls commercial created by Fallon London to first launch the brand in 2005. As Shuhei Sugihara, head of brand and product communication at Sony Europe, explained at last year’s launch: “From balls, bunnies and flower petals to balloons and glitter, Sony has always used striking colour and visual beauty to showcase its range of televisions. "The creative direction of this footage was based on the same idea... a million glittery details to truly demonstrate the difference our 4K HDR TVs provide in terms of colour, contrast and detail.” 04. Panasonic The rise of 4K TV means that cinema and television are becoming closer and more intertwined than ever before. This inventive campaign for Panasonic, launched in April, runs with that idea by spoofing four types of film blockbuster in one commercial. Framestore Pictures, Director’s Duo – aka Benjamin Kratzin and Christopher Schlierf – and creative agency Brave all worked together to plot the commercial, which was shot in 4K over three days in Cape Town and mastered in HDR. Taking the heroine through four different genres in turn – costume drama, noir thriller, sci-fi and superhero action – each scene is designed to highlight a particular aspect of the 4K TV’s image quality. "Many creatives dream of making a big-budget movie,” said Liam Fenton, creative director at Brave, on its release. “To be able to work with the best in the business to create a trailer for four different Hollywood-style features in one, all dramatising the benefits of Panasonic's 4K HDR performance, was an unforgettable experience." Framestore was responsible for the film’s VFX, including environment extensions and replacements, crash landing spacecraft and FX dirt, dust and fire explosion work. “This project had the perfect combination of elements for us: cinematographic influences, big vision, and a passionate team,” said Director’s Duo in a statement. “It was no small feat to pull off, and would not have come about without the tenacity of the wider crew, and their ability to think of new solutions on the ground. We constantly tried to push the boundaries.” You can learn more about the project on the Brave website. View the full article

One of Tuesday's Flash Player patches was a do-over after the researcher who privately reported the problem earlier this year discovered the original patch incompletely resolved the issue. View the full article

Juniper warned Thursday of a high-risk bug in the GD graphics library used in several versions of its Junos OS. View the full article

Google awarded a hefty $10,000 bounty to a high school student last week for uncovering a bug that could have let anyone access an internal Google website. View the full article

Choose the right piece of video editing software and you can turn long, frustrating hours sat in front of your computer into a pain-free task with coherent movies, dynamic short films and sharable videos as a result. The video editors we've recommended in this buying guide are jam-packed full of features to turn your footage into celluloid gold. No matter what device you're using, we've picked the best options to suit you. You'll find the best video editing software for Windows PCs, Mac and Android devices. We also have a cheap option if you're on a budget, and brilliant choices for beginners and experienced video editors alike. Read on to discover the best video editing software for your individual needs. Adobe Premiere Elements is a great video editor for Mac or Windows PCAdobe is an instantly recognisable name to most, and its Premiere Elements 15 program is a great choice for both beginners and experienced editors. It isn't as complex as the more heavyweight Premiere Pro video editor (listed below), which is best suited to full-time video editing professionals. But Adobe Premiere Elements is packed with excellent features, such as face detection, audio effects and bundled soundtracks. And it's friendly to use, too. Whether you're an editing newbie or a pro, automated functions – such as motion tracking and smart toning – will make your life a lot easier. And the same can be said of the video stabilisation option and simplicity of editing. Premiere Elements 15 comes with all the video effects you’d expect in a consumer video editor: transitions, chroma-keying, opacity and so on. The media library is also intelligently organised, with smart searches making it easy to find finished and draft files. Read more about Adobe Premiere Elements on TechRadar Adobe Premiere Pro CC is our favourite video editing tool for Windows PC usersCrank things up a notch to Adobe Premiere Pro CC and get an all-singing all-dancing video editor that's used by multitudes of industry professionals. And it's easy to see why it's so popular for Windows 10 users – it can handle an uncapped amount of video tracks, which can be imported from pretty much any source you can think of: files, tapes, cameras of all standards, and even VR. The automatic sync is a gem when you have multi-angle shots, and it's hard to fault the fine-tuning tools that really make your video stand out from the crowd. Read TechRadar's Adobe Premiere Pro CC review Final Cut Pro has long been a favourite video editing program for Mac usersWhat Adobe Premiere Pro is to Windows PCs, Final Cut Pro X is to Mac users. As you would suspect with Apple software, the must-have editor is consummately easy to use and comes packed with enough features to warrant the admittedly high price tag. We like the grouping tools, effect options and the simplistic way you can add and edit audio. If you're already entwined in Apple's ecosystem, you'll appreciate how Final Cut cleverly coordinates with your Photos or iTunes collections. Read TechRadar's Final Cut Pro X review KineMaster is a great video editing app for Android devicesIf you think that trying to edit video on your smartphone or tablet is a pointless exercise, KineMaster will make you think again. Available for Android devices, iPhones and iPads, we've highlighted this option as the best video editing software for Android because it goes way above and beyond what you'd expect from a mobile app. It packs the ability to edit multiple layers, add handwriting and text annotations, experiment with up to four audio tracks and precisely edit at a frame and sub-frame level. We could go on with a looooong list of features, but at this price it won't hurt the wallet just to download the video editing app and give it a try. Download KineMaster for Android here Download KineMaster for iPhone or iPad here Lightworks is a great free video editing toolIf you're just getting started as a video editor and are unsure about splashing the cash on software, then Lightworks is the ideal solution. You can download a free version (for home use) of the premium Lightworks software, which was used to edit Hollywood box office hits including Shutter Island, Pulp Fiction, 28 Days Later and Mission Impossible. It's a powerful piece of kit for a freebie, handling video capture and advanced editing with ease. Because it's a slimmed-down version of a professional suite, you may find that the interface isn't the easiest to navigate. But a little persistence will pay off in the long run – and you won't have to pay a penny, as long as your projects are non-commercial. Read TechRadar's full Lightworks review Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 is an easy video editor for beginners to learnCorel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 offers a great way into video editing for novices. It's brilliantly easy to get going with straight away, thanks to its intuitive interface, but you won't find it wanting for features. There's multi-cam editing, 4K video support, 360-degrees VR video support, a music library and loads of effects, to name but a few. Not bad at all for the price. The more you use VideoStudio Ultimate, the more you'll notice and make use of its little features and flourishes. It's a great option for beginners, and still a pretty good option for more experienced video editors, too. Download Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 CyberLink PowerDirector is a great video editor for professionalsThis one isn't for the faint of heart. CyberLink PowerDirector is a serious bit of software for serious video editors: this is excellent video editing software that delivers professional and high-quality features, without a Hollywood budget. Get cracking on the 100-track timeline and you'll soon find yourself making the most of multitudes of stabilisation and video correction tools, professional effects, multi-cam editing, motion tracking and surprisingly easy trimming. There's 360-degree video editing as well, together with support for all the file standards and formats you can imagine. And if you're finding it all a bit of a struggle, then there are plenty of video tutorials to help to get you sorted. Download CyberLink PowerDirector 15 Related articles: How videogame graphics and movie VFX are converging Oil painted van Gogh movie unveils official trailer The VFX behind 72 grisly Game of Thrones deaths View the full article

In rewind, Saglio’s diploma project at ECAL, a digital screen is controlled with a mechanical keyThanks largely to Apple's love of minimalism, we interact with the digital world in increasingly pared-back ways. Touchscreens are now ubiquitous, and pinching, swiping and tapping have become shorthand gestures to get what you want with the minimum possible effort. But screen-based interactions don’t have to feel cold and impersonal – interaction designer Pauline Saglio's innovative projects bring an analogue flavour to the digital world. According to Saglio, digital designers can benefit from a more human, real-world touch. Not in terms of skeuomorphic faux-leather stitching and 'wooden' bookshelves, but by introducing a simple, tactile joy that smooth, glassy screens lack. In collaboration with Mathieu Rivier, Saglio has developed a niche for combining the tangible with the digital. Following her talk at Design Indaba in Cape Town, she chatted to us about how to make digital products more human... Designing more tangible and personal interactions One of Saglio's early projects, working with Mathieu Rivier, was Cave aux Bulles – or 'Bubbles Cellar'. Blowing creates digital bubbles, projected on the wall – which then either pop, or transition into animationsWhy is it important to make digital interactions more human? Pauline Saglio: Screen-based interaction only stimulates visual feedback, and I think that’s a dangerous way to develop your mind. My projects help you think about interaction in a more tangible way. You become desensitised to sensory feedback, and are only used to receiving immediate, visual feedback. This tends to unconsciously reinforce the way we comprehend the world. It becomes all about immediacy, and over-consumption, with no effort-based interaction. How can you make digital interaction less impersonal? PS: I think it's not only about the interaction, but more about the experience. People often confuse UI and UX. User experience is not only about how you interact with a screen, but the whole experience. I don’t think a specific tangible interaction, or a specific UI, makes a good UX. The entire project is the experience – the combination of interaction and visual proposition. Saglio regularly collaborates with fellow interaction designer Mathieu Rivier on projectsWhat tools do you use? PS: At the moment we are using openFrameworks, but maybe it will die in a couple of years. For instance, we used to work in Flash Player, programming in AS3, but the software is now dead. Projects that we've made in AS3 are now frozen in time, and it's very complicated to make small changes without starting everything again in openFrameworks. For every project, we have to think of an entirely new way to use technology, which can be a very creative part of the process. And there are sometimes real challenges when it comes to showing your installation to the public. Can you give an example of that? PS: For my diploma project, Rewind, I thought users would be sensitive to the fragility of the mechanism and would respect it. But in fact, from the very first exhibitions, the users broke all the mechanisms – revealing my mistake. Saglia's Rewind project a little too fragile for its users. "It was a big surprise that people tried it 'til it broke," she recalls. "I had to rebuild it to make it stronger" The habit of interacting digitally has already desensitised users to physical feedback, and how to respect the fragility of a mechanism. Nowadays, we think that if an object breaks, its design is at fault. We question the object, rather than our own actions. Glass breaks, and if we drop it, no-one questions its fragility. Why shouldn't all objects, digital or not, be treated with the same respect? Organic digital forms often feature in your projects. Does evoking the real world help achieve a more emotional connection? PS: The real world has always inspired humanity. But with the advent of new technologies, we only try to go deeper into the technical performance, and don't think about its application anymore. I like to remind people of the beauty hidden behind imperfection, fragility and authenticity. People think technology is the gateway to a perfect world, and digital often strives for advanced perfection, but I have no problem telling myself it's an imperfect extension of humanity. Maybe I'm not demanding enough? Interactive Scarves was a collaboration with ECAL and Emilio Pucci. Saglio mounted the square scarves in a gallery setting for visitors to engage withSound also helps give your projects a sense of immediacy, creating a playful link with the visuals. How do you approach this aspect? PS: Yes, sound is very important. It's a much more immediate feeling. We are born blind, so sound is the very first way we feel the world. I like to play with people’s expectations of the sound something should make. Sounds remind us of memories, and natural sounds make for a more sensitive user experience. Your recent interactive scarves project makes physical textiles into digitally interactive gallery exhibits. Are you also interested in the growing trend for wearable tech? PS: For me, that's like asking if I'm interested in VR headsets. It's only a technology. What interests me more is how to you can appropriate a technology in a more sensitive way. I am interested in any kind of new technology, but the trap is that people use tech without thinking. We use digital support for its innovative and surprising side, but why break with the real world at all costs? There's a real poetry when one finally tries to conciliate the two. One scarf responded to sound, and visitors could plug their phones in to play it music, while this scarf lit up in response to movementAs your projects rely on physical interaction with an object, do you find it challenging to document them for people who aren’t there? PS: We now live in a world where personal experiences are shared on social media, often for purposes of self-validation. We are in a race to exclusivity, and everyone is a journalist on a global scale. Our projects deliver a unique and intimate interaction. If users want to share their experiences in their own way, they are free to do so – but we want other people to experience the installation physically. I like to believe in a world where people can experience things in ways other than through their smartphones. What commercial opportunities are there for brands to make use of interactive projects like yours? PS: I like working with brands. They force us to work with concrete objects, and interact around a difficult topic: the purchase. Sometimes clients find it hard to feel the importance of UX, and prefer to apply economic rules and principles based on business plans. We base our work on sincere, personal feelings, but the two approaches can work together. Another Mathieu Rivier collaboration, The Magic Shoe was a whimsical retail installation to showcase shoes for Hermès International, with 18 interactive modules in totalDo you think projects like your Magic Shoe installation can help attract consumers from online retailers into physical spaces? PS: I like to think that people prefer to go to a store to experience with a product, and that a product is not just a picture on a screen. But there's no ideal way for a consumer to appreciate an object. Even if an interactive installation can allow a customer to discover a product in a fun and playful way, there may be an equally interesting interaction when ordering online: the surprise box game, waiting for the box to arrive and looking every day in your mailbox. All of this can be part of a game. It's a different experience, but it's still an experience. Forcing people to go to stores would be more a marketing idea, and there really is no business strategy behind our installations, aside from offering the spectator a sincere and touching emotion. This article originally appeared in Computer Arts issue 266. Buy it here! Related articles: Why you should embrace design thinking 5 UX lessons you can learn in the toilet 10 steps to engaging user experience View the full article

Earlier this week the BBC introduced a new digital-friendly font on its sports website. The font was launched to coincide with the start of the new football season and is eventually expected to be used right across the BBC. This update is the first time the BBC Sport brand guidelines have been given a polish in seven years. In that time the way that its audiences have consumed content has changed, so this new font is a timely overhaul that should help the BBC engage with online readers. In a nice little nod to the past, the new font, called BBC Reith, takes its name from the BBC's founder Lord Reith. And with licence fee payers constantly aware of how their money is being spent, it's a relief to hear that the new font should save the BBC money in the long run as they won't have to pay for other fonts. The new font is designed to be clear, especially on small mobile devices"The existing fonts that the BBC uses were developed last century and work well in print – but they’re not always clear enough when they appear in small, digital, spaces, and we’re all reading and watching far more on screens and mobiles these days," says Colin Burns, chief design officer at the BBC. "So the new font – which we’ll gradually roll out, starting with sport today – will be easier to read and clearer, especially on small devices," he adds. It is expected that the font will one day be used right across the BBC, but thankfully the broadcaster's distinctive block logo won't be changing. Related articles: How the BBC builds websites that scale BBC Three gets a bold digital brand refresh Designers react to the new BBC Three logo View the full article

The visually stunning film Loving Vincent has been a long time coming. We first covered the ambitious movie project, which tells the story of Vincent van Gogh through oil-painting animation, back when the initial teasers and trailers started to emerge. And now the official theatrical trailer has been released, we're getting a better idea of what to expect from this remarkable production. Made up of 65,000 frames, each painted by hand, Loving Vincent is the work of 125 professional oil painters from around the world who have all converged on the production studios in Poland and Greece. The film has been roughly two years in the making but the wait has been worth it. In the trailer we see van Gogh's iconic paintings flicker into life as we're taken on a journey through his turbulent life, accompanied by narration taken from the words of the people who knew him. Watch the stunning theatrical trailer for the first fully oil painted feature film, Loving Vincent, below. Loving Vincent will hit cinema screens around the world from 22 September, with special screenings lined up at international film and animation festivals. Find dates near you and sign up to email alerts about the movie on the Loving Vincent website. Related articles: Paint a portrait like van Gogh Paint like an Impressionist Improve your brushstrokes in oils View the full article

Arguably the most controversial design movement of the 20th century, brutalist architecture has its fair share of cultural and political baggage attached. And that's before you even take into account the aesthetic appeal of brutalist-style buildings. At the extreme, just look at the concrete monstrosities that litter the cityscapes of many Central and Eastern European countries, erected in uniform, pre-fabricated rows to house the populace while said countries were behind the Iron Curtain under strict Soviet control. 27 world famous buildings to inspire youDescended from modernism in the post-war years, brutalism rose to popularity from the 1950s, largely thanks to Le Corbusier, lasting until the early 1980s. Besides Europe, examples can found across the United States, Australia, Israel, Japan and Brazil. The Tate – itself near the famously brutalist National Theatre on London's South Bank – explains that the name 'brutalism' was coined by British architectural critic Reyner Banham. "The term originates from the use, by the pioneer modern architect and painter Le Corbusier, of ‘beton brut’ – raw concrete in French. Banham gave the French word a punning twist to express the general horror with which this concrete architecture was greeted in Britain." The branding for the Brutalist Playground, by Liverpool-based studio SB, won a Brand Impact Award in 2016For some, the utilitarian concrete structures of brutalist architecture are nothing more than outdated eyesores. But the movement has its advocates, and was recently celebrated by RIBA in its so-called Brutalist Playground. A collaboration between artist Simon Terrill and Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble, the immersive installation recreated a trio of post-war play structures from three London housing estates out of reconstituted foam, and is currently touring. There are plenty more examples of iconic brutalist architecture from around the world that are worthy of celebration too. Here are just 10 of them… 01. Cité Radieuse, Marseille The Cité Radieuse is arguably the most influential Brutalist building of all timeOne of Le Corbusier’s seminal projects, Unité d’Habitation (translation: simply ‘housing unit’) is one of the earliest approaches to brutalist architecture as we now know it. Conceived as a ‘vertical garden city’ of self-contained units around communal areas, this design principle was the modernist architect’s response to an urgent need for accommodation in the wake of World War Two. Completed in 1952, Cité Radieuse (‘radiant city’) in Marseille, France, is the best-known Unité d’Habitation building, and one of 17 Le Corbusier creations to make UNESCO’s World Heritage list. A stark grid of raw concrete is offset by bright panels of primary colours across the face of the 18-storey structure, which has been named a historic monument by the French Ministry of Culture. 02. The Breuer Building, New York City The iconic Marcel Breuer building sports a cutaway front in a street of traditional New York brownstonesHungarian-born, Bauhaus-educated modernist Marcel Breuer was the architect behind the imposing, top-heavy Breuer Building in New York City. Completed in 1966, it attracted its fair share of criticism at the time, but public opinion has since swung in its favour. The Breuer Building’s sharp angles and simple, stepped façade sits in bold contrast to the surrounding area of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Formerly home to the Whitney Museum of American Art, it is now an outpost for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (better known as the Met). Like most of its counterparts in the brutalist architecture canon, its external and internal superstructure boasts a smooth, unadorned concrete finish, putting functionality first. 03. Habitat 67, Montréal Habitat is a model community and housing complex in Montréal, QuebecLike Unité d’Habitation, Habitat 67 in Montréal was developed as a conceptual solution for affordable, modular apartment-based living in modern cities. It started life as a thesis by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie while he was studying at McGill University, and by 1967 had come to fruition. Over 350 prefabricated modules comprise the Habitat 67 complex, which was inspired by the simple, versatile functionality of LEGO. 04. Boston City Hall, Boston Boston's brutalist city hall aimed to bridge the public and private sectors of government visually through a gradient of reveal and exposureAnother example of brutalist architecture that attracted some flak at first, Boston City Hall was part of a drive in the 1960s to restore the US city’s former glory in the face of economic decline. Designed by Gerhard Kallmann and Michael McKinnell, it opened its doors in 1969. Le Corbusier’s influence is apparent in the building’s grid-like façade, which features angular, protruding modules that put a modern twist on the classic civic building style. It is now held up as an iconic example of brutalist architecture. 05. Trellick Tower, London Trellick Tower in West London is Grade II listed in recognition of its architectural importanceApproaching London from the west, you can’t miss Erno Goldfinger’s distinctive example of brutalist architecture: Trellick Tower. Completed in 1972, the 31-storey block was intended to be an icon of harmonious public housing, but was already faced with growing disillusionment about the utopian ideal of tower block living. By separating elevators and stairwells from the apartments themselves, Goldfinger intended to maximise living space for residents. However, years of neglect and crime earned Trellick Tower the nickname the Tower of Terror. The 332-foot-high concrete structure – easily recognised for its narrow offshoot tower, linked to the main block by bridges on every third floor – has since been Grade II*-listed by English Heritage. It has survived various social reforms, including several apartments being bought and sold privately, and a fire in April 2017 that saw 200 people evacuated. It remains one of London’s most notable brutalist buildings. 06. Buffalo City Court Building, Buffalo The seemingly monolithic façade of the Buffalo City Court Building is as good as bereft of windowsDesigned by architecture firm Pfohl, Roberts & Biggie, the answer to the brutalist architecture movement in Buffalo, New York, is the city’s appropriately imposing law courts. Built in 1974, its sheer façade gives very little away, with narrow, vertical strips of windows dwarfed by vast pre-cast concrete panels. The thinking behind it was simple: fewer windows means fewer outside distractions for the courts inside. Brutal, simple, effective. 07. Western City Gate, Belgrade Western City Gate in Belgrade, Serbia, is formed by two towers connected with a two-storey bridge and revolving restaurant at the topCentral and Eastern European countries may have had their fair share of faceless, identikit concrete superstructures thrown up during the Cold War, but there are some standout examples on the skyline as well. Built in 1977, the 35-storey Western City Gate in Belgrade is Serbia’s contribution to brutalist architecture. Architect Mihajlo Mitrović wanted it to resemble a domineering gateway, to greet new arrivals to Belgrade from the West. Western City Gate’s twin towers are linked at the top by a two-storey bridge, crowned by a revolving restaurant. Given that one of them plays host to engineering firm Genex Group, the building is commonly referred to as ‘Genex Tower’. 08. The Barbican, London The Barbican is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Brutalist movementPerhaps London’s best-known example of brutalist architecture, the Barbican literally rose from the ashes. Following an air raid in 1940, an enormous 35-acre site at the heart of the UK capital’s financial district was bombed to rubble. Driven by the post-war housing shortage, and inspired by Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation project, architectural firm Chamberlin, Powell and Bon put forward a proposal in the 1960s for concrete ’vertical cities’. In between the stark high-rise blocks, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon planned gardens and a lake, adding horizontal rows of traditional townhouses to break up the space, and linking the complex together with footbridges to separate pedestrians from cars. Nowadays, the complex plays host to a cinema and restaurants, as well as schools and around 2,000 apartments. While the housing project was completed by the 1970s, the Barbican Arts Centre itself only opened in 1982, its distinctive mottled façade created by chipping away at cast concrete. 09. SESC Pompéia, São Paulo Brazil houses some of the world’s most recognised Brutalist masterpieces – including the SESC PompéiaItalian-born Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi was tasked with transforming an old drum factory in São Paulo, Brazil, into an arts and cultural centre. In a bold, brutalist move, she chose to strip the plaster away and sandblast the walls, exposing the structure beneath, and the first phase was revealed in 1982. Adhering to brutalist architecture’s core tenets of simple, exposed materials and harsh, angular forms, SESC (Serviço Social do Comércio – Business Social Service) Pompéia juxtaposes stripped red brick with stark concrete towers, linked with irregular, criss-crossing aerial walkways. In a final nod to its industrial heritage, the imprint from the original timber framework is still visible on the building’s exterior shell. 10. Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia, Lima Peru's Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia has been described as a modern Machu Picchu'Finally, as if to prove the point that brutalist architecture’s controversial look and feel is enjoying something of a resurgence, 2016’s inaugural RIBA International Prize went to Dublin-based Grafton Architects for the Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia in Lima, Peru. Designed to recognise a “transformative building which demonstrates visionary, innovative thinking, excellence of execution, and makes a distinct contribution to its users and physical context”, the prize in this case honoured a classic brutalist high-rise design, described by jurors as a "bold new addition to the city skyline". Its grid-like modular façade, cast in concrete, would surely make Le Corbusier proud. Related articles: 5 things web designers can learn from Brutalism 10 inspiring examples of architectural photography 27 design landmarks everyone should see View the full article

Ideas can seem great in your mind, but you need the right tools to bring them to life on screen. The Ultimate Graphic Design Mastery Bundle will show you how to make the most out of the tools that graphic designers trust. Get it on sale for 93% off the retail price! There are many elements of graphic design to master. Luckily, the Ultimate Graphic Design Mastery Bundle has a course that can help you hone your skills in some of the most important areas. Learn how to work with powerful design tools including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, plus pick up the fundamentals of design so you can bring out the best in your work. The Ultimate Graphic Design Mastery Bundle is valued at $565, but you can get this incredible bundle of courses on sale for 93% off the retail price. That's a huge saving for a bundle that will help you sharpen your skills, so grab this deal today! View the full article

Cursive fonts, or script fonts, are especially prevalent on the web, as they're often representational of handwriting (although not always), so with a little knowledge of how to scan and map artwork into font-generating software, it's relatively easy to create your own cursive fonts. 50 great free handwriting fontsBut when it comes to the overabundance of free design resources on the web – especially free fonts – it can be tricky to find the diamonds in the rough. With this in mind we've selected a handful of brilliant cursive fonts. They're all free to use commercially – not just in personal projects. These tributes to the agonisingly long calligraphy classes you resented at school all have at least some degree of type-hinting and/or kerning applied by the type designer. 01. La Sonnambula The opera-inspired La Sonnambula is dripping with eleganceDesigned by Fernando Haro, a freelance graphic designer and webmaster who describes himself as an eclectic typographer, La Sonnambula is a handwritten and extended font that's made with calligraphic texts and elegant titles in mind. It's named after an opera by Vincenzo Bellini, performed by Maria Callas in Milan in 1957, and despite its venerable inspiration it's bang up to date, even including a Bitcoin symbol. 02. Lily of the Valley Lily of the Valley is a script font with some lovely decorative touchesGregory Medina – AKA dcoxy – does a great line in fonts that are free for personal use, and Lily of the Valley is just one of his wide range of attractive script fonts. Fun and quirky with some adorable flourishes on many of the letterforms, it features a full set of lower and upper case characters, plus accents and symbols. For numbers and extra weights, contact Medina to buy a licence for the full version. 03. The Woodlands The Woodlands is free for both personal and commercial useThis beautiful design, The Woodlands, is by designer Jeremy Vessey. "It has a modern calligraphy aesthetic that is extremely popular," Vessey comments on Behance. "The Woodlands was created to give designers a free alternative, which will help you achieve that lettering feel we all love." The Woodlands is free for both personal and commercial use. 04. Noelan Add some charm to your designs with Noelan typefaceFree cursive font Noelan comes from the team at Pixel Surplus. Free for both personal and commercial use, Noelan is a clean and modern design, and includes many alternates and international characters for easy mixing and matching. 05. King Basil Create eye-catching designs with free cursive font King BasilFee cursive font King Basil is one of many beautiful type designs from Missy Meyer and Mats-Peter Forss. Available at no charge for both personal and commercial use, King Basil is great for a variety of print and digital projects, including stationery, posters, logo designs and more. 06. Milkshake Thick, substantial script font Milkshake was created by typographer Laura WorthingtonTypographer Laura Worthington is behind thick, substantial script font Milkshake. Available over on Fair Goods, Worthington comments: "As I went through the design and development phase, I was really drawn to how round and thick it was turning out and I liked this look – it makes it a sturdy font, capable of holding up against busy backgrounds and bold enough for headlines or titling treatments." 07. Variane Script A classic all-American script font, perfect for branding, advertisements and website headersCreated by Boy Moch Tomi, this stunning script font harks back to the good ol' days of classic design and marked his first attempt at creating script fonts. He says, "I am very interested in the script because of its complexity and only a few of them are free to use. I hope that these fonts will be useful for everyone!" The modern take on classic cursive is reminiscent of early 20th century American signage and can instantly give your brand a splash of vintage charm. 08. Lavanderia Working as a script font, Lavanderia will really work well as a heading typeCreated by designer James Edmondson, Lavaderia is a charming font that takes influence from the Laundromat windows of San Francisco's Mission District. It comes in a range of open type features and three weights. Working as a script font, Lavanderia will really work well as a heading type as well as being able to slot nicely into the set body text. 09. Fabfelt Script After a script font with a hint of retro? Try Fabfelt...French graphic designer Fabien Despinoy is the creative behind Fabfelt, a free script font with an industrial feel. "I tried to design a handwritten typeface without graininess, which is natural and a little retro," he comments. 10. Debby Debby is a warm brush font that works well on greeting cardsNot strictly cursive but this hand-drawn brush type will add a natural touch to your designs. It's ideal for anything from wedding invitations, poster and logos to greeting cards and more, thanks to its irregular, bouncing characters that add a personal feel. 11. Black Jack This sophisticated type design was created by Ronna Penner of TypadelicThis sophisticated Black Jack type design was created by Ronna Penner of Typadelic. Although this cursive font is only available in one style, Black Jack is made up of 177 characters, including a full set of upper and lower case letters and numbers. 12. Allura Allura is the script format of the Allura Pro familyA stylised, yet legible font, Allura is the script format of the Allura Pro family. Designed by Rob Leuschke, Allura is a great cursive font option for use on invitations and as a display typeface. 13. Dancing Script Dancing Script is a typeface with plenty of bounceA casual but lively cursive font, Dancing Script was designed by Pablo Impallari. The letters bounce and change slightly and capital letters are big and go below the baseline. Referencing popular scripts from the 50s, Dancing Script is great for creating a friendly, informal look. 14. Anke Calligraphic FG Regular First among cursive fonts, Anke Arnold's design has a set of 100+ kerning pairs built inOne of the best open source script fonts, this was originally designed by Anke Arnold of www.anke-art.de, but has been extended to include international characters by Fontgrube Media Design. It's only available in TrueType, rather than OpenType, but does have a set of over 100 kerning pairs built in, offering an approximation of the benefits of OpenType. And of course, it's free to use commercially. 15. Oleo Script Oleo Script is flowy yet legibleDesigners Soytutype describe Oleo Script as being a flowly yet legible, non-connected script typeface. One of our favourite cursive fonts, it's a great option for use as a display typeface, and is available via Google Webfonts in two different weights: regular and bold, as well as in a 'Swash Caps' variant for both weights. 16. Honey Script Honey Script is beautifully whimsicalThis beautifully whimsical script font was designed by Dieter Steffmann, a trained typesetter turned amateur designer. His work is distributed freely via approved websites as part of his philosophy that fonts are a part of cultural heritage. We love the simple hand-drawn appearance of the lines in this cursive font. 17. Marketing Script Marketing Script feels perfectly spaced and balancedThis is another of Dieter Steffmann's fonts, demonstrating his versatility as a type designer. What sets the Marketing Script font apart is its flowing, connected characters which feel perfectly spaced and balanced. Available in three different styles, including a shadow form, this is one of our favourite cursive fonts. 18. Pacifico Regular Don't be fooled by this heavy-handed example - Pacifico Regular is a great cursive fontThis lovely clean cursive font has been designed by Vernon Adams of newtypography.co.uk, and has been featured in adverts for butter spreads amongst others! It's also available within Google's Web Fonts collection, for use online. 19. Little Days Little Days invokes a sense of childhoodLittle Days is a cute cursive font designed by West Wind Fonts. You can see some of their other work at their website. This script font isn't designed for serious use, but invokes a sense of childish naivety that makes it appealing. 20. Aguafina Script Regular Aguafina Script Regular is economical in its use of letterformsThis eye-catching and elegant from Sudtipos offers a set of clean lines that manage to flow without expanding to fill every bit of space. It's economical with its use of the letterforms, reducing the capital A to a simple up/down stroke with a stylish flick. This is one of those cursive fonts that's great for bold headlines. 21. Freebooter Script Freebooter Script features bold swishes and trillsCreated by Canadian designer Graham Meade, Freebooter is a superbly extravagant cursive font that bursts out of its lines with bold swishes and trills. This is a nice alternative to scenarios where you might fall back to Chopin or Edwardian Script, but want something a little more characterful. 22. Wisdom Script Wisdom Script is great for headlinesA brilliant retro-style script font that feels at home in a headline or display, this was created by James Edmondson (who also made Lavaderia, earlier in our list) while a student at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. We particularly like the nod towards a musical treble clef within the letter S. Free for personal use, this particular script font will cost you a small fee of $30 if you'd like to use it in a professional capacity. 23. 5th Grade Cursive A fancy font, 5th Grade Cursive is great for any retro-style designs5th Grade Cursive is one of many handwritten fonts created by type designer Lee Batchelor. A fancy cursive font, the design has a retro look and feel to it, making it perfect for all your vintage designs. Batchelor's design also makes use of OpenType features to make it appear all the more natural. 24. Christopher Hand Create the appearance of effortless scrawl with this cursive fontThis handwritten cursive font by El Stinger isn't the most technically competent in our list, but we love the ease of the letterforms and the honesty of the designer's notes. You may find yourself doing a little bit more work than usual to kern pairs together, but the end result will make it worthwhile: an appearance of effortless scrawl. 25. League Script Designed by Haley Fiege, it includes ligatures and will act as the framework for future script designsBrought to you by The League of Moveable Type comes League Script. A gorgeous rendition of teenage girl's endless diary entries, League Script offers a sweet alternative to boring body text. Designed by Haley Fiege, it includes ligatures and will act as the framework for future script designs. Its popularity is apparent; having been downloaded over 216,400 times. How will you use it? 26. Grand Hotel Grand Hotel is a throwback to the 1930s, and has serious retro charmDesigned by Brian J Bonislawsky and Jim Lyles for Astigmatic, this font takes its inspiration from the title screen of the 1937 film Cafe Metropole starring Tyrone Power. It has a classic weight and subtlety that make you think of artisan signage and craft, but its cursive lowercase lends itself to a host of different uses. Related articles: 4 modern brands flying the flag for script fonts 10 different fonts to give your projects a unique edge 50 best free fonts for designers View the full article

The latest issue of 3D World is out now, and it's packed with 44 pages of 3D and VFX tips and tutorials, tool tests and pro insights. Not only does the new issue of 3D World reveal the secrets behind Weta's War for the Planet of the Apes movie VFX, but we also bring you a tutorial on creating your own simian masterpiece, answer your CG questions in our Q&A section, review the latest gear and offer you a free Nuke facial tracking video course! Buy 3D World Issue 225 online now Sculpt a monkey in the new issue of 3D WorldLearn how to create your very own simian renders, with our step-by-step tutorial, where you will discover how to complete everything from initial modelling, through sculpting, to final compositing. Creating Tethered worlds for PS4 Get some top tips on world building for gamesPlus in this practical feature you will see how the team put together this gorgeously rich gaming environment, for Tethered, using both ZBrush and UnrealEngine. Click here to subscribe to 3D World Related articles: 5 new 3D portfolios for 2017 you must check out Top new tools for 3D artists this July How videogame graphics and movie VFX are converging View the full article