Web Development
Illustrator Basic 01 - Handy Tips
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 | Art, Design Inspiration, Web Design | No Comments
For all those people out there who have up until now been afraid of using Illustrator for their web design and logo designing needs, now is the time to get stuck in and start using Illustrator to help you. There’s no need to be afraid of Illustrator, in fact, once you pick it up and get some good practice in, you’ll like it more than PSP. Naturally you will need both PSP and Illustrator for your web development needs but there are some things only Illustrator can provide and that’s why you need to buckle down and start learning.
To help you make your first baby steps with Illustrator, here’s a quick tutorial on some handy keyboard shortcuts and how to use the pen tool.
• “Ctrl” & “-“
Zoom out of picture
• “Ctrl” & “+“
Zoom into picture
• “Spacebar” & “Left mouse click”
Hold click and drag to move the paper around
• “V”
Return to selection tool (Handy when you use the pen and want to stop making lines!)
• “P”
Return to pen tool
• “Ctrl” & “Left mouse click”
Press control and then left mouse click outside of the selected box to stop what you are doing and deselect the object.
The Pen Tool
Open up a blank new document in Illustrator and select the pen tool (Or press P), now click anywhere on your page a couple of times. You will notice all these lines are straight.
Now click and hold on another location and drag away from where you clicked. Now you will notice your line starts to curve and you have two blue lines extending from your point. Try testing out these curves in your document and getting used to the way they work. When you think you are used to it, try tracing the contours of a simple image. You may find it harder than you first think but you will get used to it with practice.
Try making a curve and then holding “Alt” down as you click the last point you created. Now make a second point and see how the line reacts differently. “Alt” turns any point into an angle point so you can navigate corners and still create curves.
If you extend the two lines from your point too far your curve will develop an opposite curve as well and may even cross over and loop in areas. It is recommended you keep these lines within one third of your line length and do not extend them beyond your points. Once you have mastered this, you will have got the foundations of illustrator and be ready to start making some pictures!
Use Stock Art
Saturday, September 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments
When designing a website, it’s not rocket science that you will need to put in some pictures and designs in there to bulk it up, give it a theme and generally make it more appealing. What you shouldn’t be tempted to do is nip onto Google and pick up the images you can find there. The problem with doing this is you will not have a license to be able to use these pictures, especially if you are selling this website to a client or using the art for anything other than personal use. If you are found out, you could not only be fined a hefty sum but you would also lose your credibility as a designer.
The solution to this is of course to use stock art. Stock art can be free or purchased, so get as many images as you can through various stock art providers and web development magazines and check for the magic words “free to use”. Make sure you can legally use the stock art for business purposes. For any other stock art and pictures, you can choose to buy a few select pieces from stock art firms which means you will be able to download the pictures you have bought which also means you will then have a license to use those pictures.
You can choose to make your own stock art if you have a high quality camera and a keen eye, ensure your pictures are clean, crisp and clear or they will only serve to cheapen the look of your website rather than enhance it.
Remember, it’s not just a case of sticking in photographs to a few places that sort of appear related to the topic. Just as you have designed the website, you need to design the look and feel of the images within it as it is all part of the same package. Every picture needs to compliment the others, and they should also be unique and relevant. Try to avoid cliché pictures and common poses or designs. You want your website to stand out and be appreciated, so put some thought into the stock art you choose.