David Airey, graphic designer The Value of a Color Study April 1st, 2008 Color studies. Are they really all that important? Yes! Because of laziness, hectic schedules, or overconfidence in my painting skills, I don’t always make a color study for an illustration. But after devoting myself to doing them, I’ve been able to create images faster, more easily, and of better quality. Solving Problems Art takes a lot of brainwork, and the better you organize your thinking, the easier it will be to paint. Productivity Completing a good, solid color study gets me excited about the final painting and I’m motivated to finish it. Completing a color study also means spending less time fixing mistakes. My Process Keep It Small When painting, I keep the study no larger than a thumbnail sketch. Keep It Simple Some of my studies get really detailed, but that is only because I had big issues I was trying to work out. Focus on the specific problems at hand. Experiment I always try to make at least two or three different color studies for a project. First impression:
10 Most Evil Propaganda Techniques Used by the Nazis Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (or National Socialist German Worker’s Party) created in the Third Reich the most extreme and terrifying example of a totalitarian regime the world has ever seen. It is often wondered quite how a sophisticated and highly developed 20th century nation was politically overpowered by the Nazis. One answer, and a major factor in the Nazi’s effectiveness as a political force, was that not only did they ruthlessly deploy violence against dissidence, but they also utterly mastered the art of propaganda, fabricating a national ideology around their twisted beliefs. 10. Hitler and his leaders understood the power of propaganda in conveying the party line, and poster art was often at the heart of the publicity machine. 9. Following the devastating outcome of WWI and the Wall Street of Crash of 1929, Germany was in a precarious economic position, with hundreds of thousands out of work. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
Sharp Suits The Art of Enrico Buffa Inspiration: Interesting & Unique Typographic Book Covers Get the FlatPix UI Kit for only $7 - Learn More or Buy Now Books offer graphic designers, illustrators and typographers a great way to expand their portfolios. There are endless possibilities that can be explored when designing for book covers, and often are explored, as can be seen in this post. I’ve had an increased interest in book covers recently after putting together another showcase at The Inspiration Blog on minimalistic book covers, since then I have been browsing for book cover inspiration daily so thought I would share some of my findings here at DesignM.ag. Coney Island of the Mind Buy on Amazon Eight Weeks of Bruce Buy on Amazon Estrella Distante Buy on Amazon Exit Ghost Buy on Amazon Hiding Man: A Biography of Donald Barthelme Buy on Amazon We Must Not Slump In Dejection Or Shut Ourselves Away Jenny & The Jaws of Life Buy on Amazon Lose Weight Through Great Sex With Celebrities Buy on Amazon Man Alone With Himself Buy on Amazon Nice Big American Baby Buy on Amazon Nocturno de Chile Outer Dark
35+ Fantastic Examples Of Beautiful Flash Websites Don't Forget to participate in a contest where you can win an amazing e-Commerce template from TemplateMonster. Having a full of animation or jazzy looking flash website is a dream for those who are the admirer of flash work but to find amazing flash websites for inspiration is not that easy. koflash.com is the one stop service place for flash fans to discover amazing flash innovations mankind has to offer. Yes, the mentioned innovations do include all the popular topics like 3D, games, cars, portfolios, etc. Basically, the site is the good step towards all the latest flash goodies existing in this cyber world. The connections you’ll get from koflash will surely be worth your time, whether you’re just roaming around or seriously looking for some flash inspirations. To prove the words above, here are some of the best flash sites koflash have collected over time. If you want to share more fantastic examples of flash websites so please comment about them below. The Flagship Experience
Digital Painting Tutorials for Concept Artists & Illustrators Email Most digital painting tutorials are all about the “digital” and not at all about the “painting.” They tell you which button to click and demonstrate cool, digital tricks but they don’t help you create believable worlds and characters. “Digital” is just a synonym for “convenience.” The power is in the painting. Concept artists and illustrators want to create worlds and characters, tell stories with pictures, find meaning in ideas, and make emotional connections with an audience. To be fair, this page could really benefit from a little more “step-by-step.” …so I’m working on that. But for now, if you’re looking for something deeper, more personal and challenging, then you’ve come to the right place. The Hudson River Painters Vs. This is the most unique (and the most epic) tutorial I’ve ever recorded. With an in-depth look at the work of The Hudson River Painters, we discover some ancient techniques that can really enhance the emotional impact when applied to our digital paintings.