Sharon Steuer’s free ”Zen Of The Pen” PDF is an excellent introduction to the inner mysteries of the vector pen tool in Adobe Illustrator.
The pen tool is one of those obscure graphics programs tools that everyone tries once, and then gets so confused by that they never get any further with it. And understandably. It looks like a fountain pen, but it doesn’t act like one. Click and “draw”, you get weird “handles” sprouting out from a dot. Ignore that, and some annoying rubber band line gets stuck to your pen tip, all distorted out of — not even a straight line! Right there most Illustrator users think to themselves “this program sucks”.
But they couldn’t be further from the truth…
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by George Coghill -
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via MAD Magazine
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The current MacUpdate Promo is offering the excellent shareware tool Default Folder for only $19.95 until midnight on 10/27/2008.
I have been an extremely satisfied user since way back in the OS 9 days, and highly recommend you pick up a license while this great deal is going on. Default Folder is worth every penny of the $34.95 standard price, so at almost half off it’s a steal.
What does it do? Here’s a quick overview:
Default Folder X attaches a toolbar to the right side of the Open and Save dialogs in any OS X-native application. The toolbar gives you fast access to various folders and commands. You just click on the buttons to go to your favorite and recently used folders, manage the folders and files shown in the list, and make changes to your settings.
Continue reading 'Must-Have OS X Productivity Tool Default Folder 43% Off 10/27/2008'OS X Productivity Tool Default Folder 43% Off 10/27/2008′
by George Coghill -
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Vector artists and Adobe Illustrator users - rejoice! You no longer have to toil away in obscurity. Let the world know where your heart lies.
This t-shirt will get a knowing wink from those in-the-know. If you look closely, you’ll notice the heart is in fact created as a vector object, complete with points and handles. Or perhaps these are “love” handles?
People may go on and on about the (former) Macromedia Freehand, or their own open-source or alternative vector application, but you know what vector software you love the most.
I know, I know. Not everyone is ga-ga over Illustrator. Well, no need to fret — the “I Heart Vectors” t-shirt design is available as well. Regardless of your allegiances, I think we can all agree it’s “Points, Not Pixels”.
by George Coghill -
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Are you a vector artist? Have a poster of Pierre Bezier on your studio wall? Do the terms path, handles and direct select get you excited?
Well, here’s the t-shirt for you. If you look closely, you’ll notice the heart is in fact created as a vector object, complete with points and handles. Or perhaps these are “love” handles?
Whether it’s Adobe Illustrator, the former Macromedia Freehand, or your own open-source or alternative vector application, let ‘em know where they can put their pixels.
And for you Illustrator-philes out there, check out the “I Heart Illustrator” t-shirt design as well.
by George Coghill -
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Vectips has a post with 10 Free and Extremely Useful Illustrator Scripts.
Illustrator supports scripting from AppleScript, Visual Basic, JavaScript, and ExtendScript. What’s a script you ask? We’ll they’re kind of like plug-ins, kind of like Actions. Basically they are small chunks of software that you can invoke to perform functions.
You don’t need to know anything about programming, coding or anything like that. It’s as simple as downloading the files and placing them in the Adobe Illustrator CS3/Presets/Scripts folder. After doing so you’ll find them in the Scripts menu (under the File menu).
Lots of great scripts. Here’s what you’ll find:
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by George Coghill -
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Adobe Illustrator Automator Action Pack from Automated Workflows allows extended use of Mac OS X’s Automator in Leopard with 20 actions for use with Adobe Illustrator.
For years I have been trying to wrap my head around Automator in OS X; it seems like a super handy tool, but I can never seem to get it to do exactly what I want. But don’t let my ineptitude stop you — lots of users swear by Automator and if you are in need of additional Actions for Automator for use with Adobe Illustrator, these look like they could be really useful.
The full list of the Adobe Illustrator Automator Actions:
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A collection of links to twenty great comics and cartooning tutorials over at PSDtuts. Lots of tips for inking in both Photoshop and Illustrator, coloring, using Photoshop layers to your advantage, achieving halftone effects and other comic-book style looks to your art.
A great resource. You can never have too much information about how other artists use graphics software to create their work. I often take tips from multiple tutorials and create my own workflow from just a tip here and a technique there.
Continue reading '20 Comic & Cartooning Photoshop Tutorials'
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“The Donuts God” by illustrator Juan Molinet
via FFFFOUND!
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One Two Three by Superexpresso
via FFFFOUND!
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