MiX is trippin’ on acid

Happy late Earth Day! 

MiX decided to get in on all the ‘environmental action’ and publish a Green Issue. 

So, copying from the best Fillmore artists (as I usually do) the MiX cover was created! 

Victor wants to turn the cover into a pet so he give it warm and tender care. 

WATERMARKING IMAGES

If you post images on the Web frequently, whether they are on a personal site, or for a business site for newspapers or design firms, you might want to consider posting images with a watermark.

If the business owns the rights to the photo, you might find your picture on other unauthorized sites.

This tutorial explains the photoshop process to give your photos a watermark.

RGB AND CMYK COLORS

Learning the differences between RGB and CMYK colors is something all designers should know.

Designers need to know this information to correctly work up photographs to be ready to print, and to accurately predict how the photo will look after printing.

This article explains the logic behind the different colors that the human eye can see, and how different colors are processed on photo-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

After you have read through this tutorial, read the differences between bitmaps, channels and the CMYK process in a more advanced article.

To take color one step further, read this article about different color systems, and how printers process color information. It also mentions how to layer colors for optimum printing.

SCANNING AS A LOST ART

With the increasing pressure for newspapers to dazzle and draw in readers using design, page designers should start thinking outside of the box.

This article brings up a great idea that many graphic editors do not consider: scanning.

Scanning can capture the true textures and colors of an object that a camera cannot. Plus, it’s easy.

When scanning using Adobe Photoshop simply click file – import – and then pick you scanner. A preview window will pop up showing your previous scan. Make sure to preview your object before you scan, in case you need to make any adjustments. Then press scan, save your picture, and you are done. No captions needed.

Check out this article for great examples of newspapers that used scanners to capture an image.

Fun with Photoshop

Many Photoshop users alter photographs to be made into abstract images, or even jokes. Worth1000 holds Photoshop contests, and users can enter and vote on the winning entries.

Click on the “contests” tab in the upper right-hand corner, then scroll down to find contests that have already ended to get some great creative ideas for ways to play with Photoshop.

Basic Photoshop Skills

Whether you have access to Adobe Photoshop regularly or not, having skills in this photo editing program is a great knowledge base to apply with your design skills.

Many times a good design can turn into a great design with just a simple illustration or graphic element, both of which can be created using Adobe Photoshop.

There are many Web sites that offer Photoshop tutorials, such as www.good-tutorials.com. Here you can search for photoshop tutorials, and, if necessary, be redirected to different sites that offer what you need. I have found some tutorials that are quite useful to make graphics and editing photos in the past. If you have no prior experience with Photoshop, read through these tutorials in order from first to last, as these skills build upon each other.

Setting up your workspace.
Beginners should start with this tutorial. This site literally explains ALL of the basics of how to set up, and customize your Photoshop, from the time you start the program. It goes through what each tool does, and the uses for different types of windows.

Layers.
Learning how to use the layers pallet is vital to navigating through Photoshop. This tutorial explains the basics, and also some information about selections tools.

Levels.
Using levels can improve the quality of a photo, or help you reach a desired color effect. This tutorial explains the basic terminology of the different options in levels such as exposures, tones and histogram.

Document sizing.
This site is actually a video demonstration of some resizing and document size tips.

Stencils: Trendy Design

Visual marketing design can be more trendy than New York Fashion Week.

The same way clothes go in and out of style, so do design trends.

Recently, advertisers and businesses have steered towards using more of a modern, sleek design, as seen in ads for Apple Inc.’s iPod.

These print and television ads depict the outline of a person shaded in all black, with a white iPod in their hand. Many ads have followed this trend by featuring solid color logos with slick lines.

Because of the iPod’s success in their advertising and marketing endeavors, design in the media has changed, making Apple Inc. a design trend setter.

This new sleek design is similar to the art of stenciling.

There are many artists who work with stencils only. Artists combine Photoshop skills with photos or original drawings, and create multiple-layer stencils to create art that is easy to duplicate.

Many Web sites show how to stencil, though www.stencilrevolution.com is by far the best. They offer tutorials to learn how to use Photoshop to create stencils, a gallery filled of users recent works, and even advanced tips.

Check out some of these great links, and see for yourself the art that inspired the newest trends in main-stream design.