Halftone

My client wanted to add a halftone printing feeling to her business card.  Like you would see in classic comics or a Lichtenstein.  Halftone, for those who don't know is a printing technique that simulates a continuous tone by using tiny dots.  The dots were usually particularly visible in classic comics because publishers printed on the cheap.

To make the halftone effect for the business card I used a video tutorial from Joao Faraco .  And... TaDa! 

 

Check out this interesting halftone tattoo created by Deanna Wardin at Tattoo Boogaloo in San Francisco.

Want to know more about PUNCH and how your online presence can actually attract clients?  Click the card.  

I can no longer be restricted by standard brushes.

So here is the thing.  I have been mixing line drawing and Photoshop texture for some time, but I never once made my own brushes.  This is tantamount to someone who enjoys pasta but never makes their own sauce.  Why wouldn't you just open up a can of Muir Glen diced tomaters and fry up some garlic?  It's hardly difficult and life will improve by 12% (actual statistic that I made up).

To make the brushes I scanned an assortment of textures.  I used crayon, graphite, and an ink brush.

Then I followed this tutorial from Smashing Magazine to make brushes for the background of this icon illustration.  

The story behind the project is that a tiny adorable person of my acquaintance is feeling a little nervous around dogs.  His folks have been assuring him that St. Michael will protect him from doggies with an angelic disapproving finger wag.  They required a "Bad Dog No Biscuit" icon for the kid's room.  Voila!

I heart "CMD + U" FOREVER.

Wheehee!  Skillbuilding season has begun!  

This is a glorious time (much like May in Chicago) which is identified by three defining characteristics: 

1. All offspring are in school
2. Enough sweet cash has been made by paying gigs to avoid a panic attack followed by the sucking shame spiral into an impenetrable dark abyss that comes free with any degree in the liberal/ fine arts.  
3. A realization that life is short and the to-do list is achievable (once Netflix is disabled).

Behold!  The first new skill of the season:  Smart Guides

Ya'll I am a big dummy for not using Smart Guides (shortcut CMD +U) all the damn time.    Do you know how many times I have tried to eyeball the perfect placement of lines like a chump?  The tutorial I followed today was a great Illustrator refresher for any project that requires building complex shapes.   I highly recommend the blog Spoon Graphics
 for any designer using the Adobe Creative suite.