The last huzzah!

My last tutorial for this term:( Oh tutorials,parting is such sweet sorrow...

1. Design a Ready to Print Brochure in Photoshop

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing-tutorials/design-a-ready-to-print-brochure-in-photoshop/#more-3621

I decided to check out this tutiral because I was requiered to make a brochure in another class. This tutorial didn't skip any of the details required to make a decent brochure. From how to correctly layout and fold the paper,to the design itself, this tutorial has got every thing you need!

2.Creating concept art in photoshop

http://www.photoshoplady.com/photoshop-tutorial/create-spectacular-concept-art-in-
photoshop/

This tutorial takes stock photographs and mixes them with other images to create effect that is easy to reproduce. You can also make it work almost any combination of images. In this tutorial they combined a city scape image with a rural scene. The results was a glowing out of this world scene!

3.How to Create a Retro Boxing Poster in Photoshop

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing-tutorials/how-to-create-a-retro-boxing-poster-in-photoshop/

It just looked so cool I had to check it out!I love the retro look, and the example on this poster looked rad.The tutorial shows you how to reproduce classic design and give it an aged look.


4. How to Create a Grunge Style Illustration with Stains

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing-tutorials/how-to-create-a-grunge-style-illustration-with-stains/

Taking a photo of a person,portrait style, using photoshop it is given the effect that it was created entirely in ink. I really liked how the included the texture of a cloth canvas!

Tutorials.

Before I began this weeks tutorials I just want to shot out a thanks to Nicole! If you haven't noticed I often take a peak at what tutorials she's doing this week, realize how awesome they are,and then do them too! Thanks Nicole for letting me steal your great tutorial ideas!

1.Nature Blur Effect
http://www.photoshopstar.com/effects/nature-blur-effect/

Once again I didn't choose the best picture to test out a tutorial with,but hey it was fun. I took the image of a T.V and attempted to write "TEE-VEE" on it. Didn't turn out very visible at first, so then afterwards I played with the saturation and contrast to try to get the text to show up a little better.



2. 10 Steps to Improving Your Photoshop Skills
http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/techniques/10-steps-to-improving-your-photoshop-skills/

A nice review on how to step up your game on photoshop. Helpful tips on how to improve your skills.

3.Improving your photos on photoshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soffia/505766043/

Using images on their flickr account, this tutorials shares handy tips on how to make your photos look better in a variety of different ways by using photoshop.

4.Visual effects in the style of 300
http://www.rickdavidson.com/2007/04/30/visual-effects-in-the-style-of-300/

I'm not usually a fan of action movies, but I gotta admit the movie 300 was awesome! This lovely tutorial shows you how to copy the cinematography stile used in the movie and apply to your photos.

5.Movie effect for your photos
http://ebin.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/how-to-turn-your-photo-into-movie-like-effect-using-photoshop/

More movie effects! Yeah I know 300 was also a movie,but this effect is different. It gives your photos a grainy bluish feel that's pretty cool looking.

T-T-T-T-Tutorials!!!

1.Clone Stamp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWn0lxRNqos&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=D19BCF9D57320E03&index=2


Before After

This video tutorial was a review on how to use the clone stamp tool. It was simple and straight to the point,but also hilarious! I don't think I've ever heard the phrase "sprain your vagina" used in an Adobe software tutorial before.
I tried out the clone stamp tool with an image I took of a T.V. I covered up the section that had buttons with the lower part of the control panel.Magical!

2.Halftone Dots and Linear Light Tutorial
http://www.theshockzone.com/tutorials/halftonedots.php

Shows you how to (In a really short amount of time!) make a halftone composition. Simple and fun!

3.Circular Design Techniques
http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/complex-circular-design-techniques/

Shows a simple trick to use with shapes in illustrator, all ya really need to hit is command D. Makes some pretty neat designs.

4.Combining Multiple images
http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/compositeImage.php

Shows you how to combined 2 or more images in photoshop. There was a lot going on with this tutorial! A lot of steps needed to combine images together, but defiantly something you need to know.

5.Cloning images into smaller sizes
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/useful-applications-for-the-clone-stamp-tool/

Kinda similar to the other tutorial involving the clone stamp,but this one takes it a step further and shows you how to create a smaller image of the one you've copied.

Tutorials

1. Lights,Camera ,ACTIONS!

http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/createGalleryStylewActions.php

This tutorial was about creating a frame for your photos. I was silly and choose a photo I had taken that had a mainly black background.Whoops!
But I did learn a lot. Not only do I know understand what an action is, but I made one!



2.Eye-shadow effect.
http://www.dphotojournal.com/photoshop-tutorial-apply-eye-make-up/

Okay so I don't often find the need to add eye shadow to my photographs, but I figured it'd be fun to check this tutorial out so I could at least play with color in photoshop a bit, or at least touch up some pictures of my cat by adding some stunning turquoise eye shadow.
The basic concept was to have different color layers over the photo to create the affect of eye shadow. It was neat,though I don't know how often I'll be using it.

3.Creating Digital Tape
http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/tapedEdges.php

This tutorial showed me how to make digital tape and how to edit a cork board image and photos. It wasn't to complex, but it did help me learn more about how to add effects on the layers, so that was neat!

4.How to Use Depth of Field to Create Portraits with Blown-Out Backgrounds

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/photo-effects-tutorials/how-to-use-depth-of-field-to-create-portraits-with-blown-out-backgrounds/

This tutorial gave you tips on how to improve your portraits with tips for how to use your camera and photoshop.
It explained the gaussian blur function on the background to adjust the background to a fuzzier state.

5. Making Skin Beautiful
http://www.tutiki.org/w/index.php/Beautiful_Skin_by_Czechman

This focused on removing flaws in the skin that can be seen in photographs. In photoshop it shows you how to remove or soften major flaws in the skin,
touching up undesired reflections and highlights ,apply a Gaussian blur to the skin to soften and blend it, and spot sharpening . It explains how to properly use the clone and blur tool, in such a way that you cant tell that editing was done in the photo.

Final Buildings

Flat patterns

This first one is my random one. My vision in McDonald's would sponsor the renovation of the exterior of the art building and their for advertising on the front of the building. I'm hoping to line up the front doors with the fries.

This is an outdoorsy one. I want the wood texture to only appear on the tree silhouettes,so I'm working on it.

This one is suppose to have some school spirit in it! I'm hoping to even out the texture on top of the wood planks.

Building Blocks

Here's my sketches for the exterior art building ideas. I apologize, my amazing 3-in-one scanner was not in a good mood today so I had to use a camera to get the sketches out of my notebook.

My first concept is very simple. I wanted to incorporate some PSU school spirit since the building is PSU's. In a simple font I wanted to the PSU initials on the building in the schools colors.
Second idea was to incorporate the great outdoors in an urban setting since I've noticed Portland enjoys doing that a lot!
Third idea I wanted to have some sponsorship. So who's the king of beat you over the head advertising? McDonald's ofcourse! So McDonald's all over the building!

Say What...continued

I really liked the tutvid site so I decided to check out some more of those on similar topics

2.http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/compositeImage.php

Shows ya how to combine images together by selecting with channels, copying and pasting, masking, burning, and a few other little tricks.

3. Soften Photos.
http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/softFocusWeddingEffect.php

Shows you how to make photos have a soft feel for occasions like wedding,anniversary birthday photos or whenever you fell your photos will look good with a soft effect on them.

More tutorials!!!!!!Say what?????!!!!!!!!!

So I was creep'n on some other people's blogs and saw that they had some awesome tutorials involving photo edits on photo shop,so I decided I'd give them a whirl.

http://www.tutvid.com/tutorials/photoshop/tutorials/coloringReColoring.php

1. This one was awesome! I really liked the second way he showed how to do color editing. It was very easy to follow and very fun!

He also showed me how to turn a black and white photo into a color one. It was pretty cool so I did a quick test to see what I could do.

Tutorials,Yay!

1. I figured since we were working on our Logo projects in class I would do the tutorial titled "How to make a Logo". This site is the same one that showed me how to use the mesh tool and I really liked the way they explained things,so hopefully i'll have similar sucess.

Like the mesh tool I did have some success with this tutorial. I've used a drop shadow in photoshop before,and now I know where it is in illustrator!
I didn't make the most impressive logo ever, but it was really fun being able to play with the text.
This tutorial did explain most things really well,though when the author choose the
<- "soopfresh" font I wasn't sure how he got there. http://www.jt-book.com/illustrator/




2. I wanted to work on my pen tool skills some more,so I decicded to try out the video that Kate sent us on it.
The video explained the pen tool very well. It was made for beginners(like me!) so it was nice that it was easy to follow. I didn't get a ton of new info, but there were a lot of great tips for short cuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DzpT8POAME

3. So I tried the create wood grain texture effect on illustrator tutorial. It was going alright until about half way through when I got kinda lost. It seems like a cool effect so I think i'll give it a try again on another day when I'm not as sleep deprived.

http://vectips.com/tutorials/create-a-wood-grain-texture/

Process of recreating UPS logo

Final Little Friends of Printmaking

These are the finals of my "Little Friends of Printmaking postcard series". It has defiantly changed from the original sketch,but I'm glad I made the changes.I'm especially glad I decided to change the color scheme. It is defiantly not on the same level of greatness as the actual Little Friends of Printmaking,so I consider this more of a tribute to them. Cheers!

Tutorials

1.slowly but surely I am beginning to understand the pen tool. I am hoping to make it my friend rather than my foe.
http://vector.tutsplus.com/tools-tips/illustrators-pen-tool-the-comprehensive-guide/

This had basic tips on how to use the pen tool,which is exactly what I needed!



2.This one was very helpful, especially to an illustrator beginner like me! It has 17 tips tips to save time and over all make illustrator easier. I will probably be referring back to this site many times in the near future!

http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/17-tips-that-will-save-you-time-in-illustrator/

3.Illustrator Tutorial 0003 -Amazing Hidden Tricks in Illustrator! (and other cool tricks)

I did this one just for fun,because tricks are neat,right?
The first trick showed you how to make shape have a Spirograph effect. Spirograph! Yes you heard right,and one of my favorite past times!

http://www.design.iastate.edu/LABS/tutorials/illustrator/illtut0003.html

4. At the same site as the one above I read about random little tips that can hopefully make my life easier in illustrator!

What I learned from the site:

• How to easily duplicate objects
• Quick menu options
• Guide hidden feature

5. For the last tutorial I tried to learn more about the mesh tool because I had never used it before.
So after that tutorial I am defiantly not the master f the mesh tool. But I do know know what it is and have a very rough idea on how to work it.Yay!

http://www.jt-book.com/illustrator/

The Little Friends of Print making, F.Y.I!

Who Dat?

The Milwaukee based pair of JW and Melissa Buchanan are the husband and wife team known as The Little Friends of Print Making. The duo began working at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where both were studying art. Known for their mastery of screen printing, their brightly layered imagery, and their quirky sense of humor. They have created gig posters for many bands including......

• Cat Power
• Wolf Mother
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Silver Sun Pick Ups
• Nada Surf

For more info Visit http://thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com/ !

Illustrator Review

Things I learned through the Adobe tool review:

• A short cut for the crop key & how I can use the crop key to choose diff rent settings for the image(video,print,web)
• The Difference between the slice tool and the slice select tool
• I understand the pen tool a little bit better now(But just a little bit!)
• I have a much better understanding of the Alignment tool now, and see how you can select certain objects to be the main point of the alignment

Yeah,it doesn't look like much,but I do feel a little bit more comfortable in illustrator. Progress!

Review of the tutorials:
The written directions were so-so. The video's provided were awesome! Made it much easier to follow along on my own with illustrator.

Sketchy

The beginning of my postcard project based on The Little Friends of Print making.