Burning Up the Web - May Roundup
Tutorials
Creating geometric patterns in Illustrator
This tutorial covers a workflow for creating seamless patterns. It uses repeating symbol instances to achieve the effect. This is a detailed step-by-step tutorial with great results. This is a must do tut this month.
Create A Wood Grain Texture
This is another great tutorial on creating textures in Illustrator this month. The other uses a workflow where he filtered Graphic Pen effect, which pixelates a rectangle. Then he live traces the filtered graphic. This converts it back to vector. Then he goes in and stretches out the results to achieve a wood grain look. He also uses tools like the Twirl Tool to refine areas of the design. He makes knots in the wood with this tool. Great tut!
Create camouflage patterns
This tutorial covers creating and working with symbols. It's a basic tutorial that demonstrates how symbols used multiple times don't add to the file size of your Illustrator document nearly as much as repeated shapes that are not symbols. This tut does not cover repeating a seamless pattern though.
Illustrator Tutorial: 3D Gear
Use simple shapes and Illustrator's built in 3D tools to construct this gear. This tutorial also covers coloring the gear by using a gradient opacity mask. This tutorial covers some advanced tools, but it's easy to follow and complete.
How to Create a Vector iMac Graphic in Illustrator
Learn how to design a popular iMac computer graphic. It's built using mostly basic shapes, though there is some pen tool action. Learn how to make this simple, elegant, icon style computer design.
Freebies
Free Vector Pack 10 Sampler
GoMedia is one of my favorite sites. There sampler packs are always of super high quality. I really like their line work illustrations. Many of them have incredible detail. If you missed the recent release of the pack 10 freebies, ump over and grab yours today.
Free Vectors: Hand-Drawn Decorative Elements
Bittbox has been experimenting lately with creating hand drawn vector decorative elements. I'd be interested in creative uses of these. If you use them in a design Bittbox has a user group, and feel free to submit it to the AiBURN Flickr group as well. Below is the link to the first set and he's released a second as well Decorative Ornaments II
Free Vector Images - Globe Icon Set
This is a great set of globes. I've had the need for globes come up frequently in icon and logo design. Often, the logo is a part of the overall design your creating. We have a tutorial on creating an icon here on AiBURN that incorporates a globe. It's an esoteric example of the use, but what client project isn't?
Flash Travel Icons [.fla included]
This blog is loaded with free vector designs. This one stands out as extra special because it includes both an illustrator static version and an animated flash version. When you visit the site roll your mouse over the graphics and watch them animate. The camera appears to snap a photo for example.
Free Vector Series: War Tools
The Neno blog has been growing an arsenal of weaponry for you to use. This month some axes and swords have been added to the collection. These downloads are illustrated in detail. Check it out.
Articles
A Design is Finished when... 23 Pro Designers' Opinions
"One of the most important and hardest things to overcome when designing is to understand when the piece you are designing on is actually finished." This article over at Abduzeedo rounds up 23 Designer's opinions on this issue. One of the designer's quoted is me, which is cool. Each designer takes a different approach to the question. I answered from a business perspective.
Inspiration: Vexel Style Artwork
This article over at PSDTUTS sparked a lot of debate. Vexel artwork is created with vectors, but outputted as pixels. The art has a strong following. Here is the link to Wikipedia on Vexels. The article takes a roundup format so if you're interested in the subject there are loads of great artwork, tutorials, and articles on the subject.
50+ Designers to Follow on Twitter
This is a list of designers to follow on Twitter. Some giants in the field are mentioned. It also mentions some designers that blog regularly on the topic design, like myself. Now I have to figure out something interesting to say on Twitter. I had a flurry of followers show up after that article. Thanks Vandelay Design. And I found some designers I wanted to follow from that article as well - super useful!
Useful Podcasts For Designers And Developers
This article took 2 days to put together. I actually listened to a bucket-load of Podcasts to get feel for each one. Some podcasts like the ones from Boagworld and Lullabot I listened to regularly and therefore it was easy to write about. But I found a bunch of Podcasts I hadn't listened to. It was great to discover a whole set of new podcasts. For you web designers, you may find the Smashing article on Web Design Forums I wrote a good resource as well.
Speed illustrations
Asmaa Murad who wrote the most commented tutorial on AiBURN called How to Create Line Brushes in Illustrator, set an interesting challenge for herself for May. She decided to create 100 illustrations in 20 days. That's an average of 5 a day. She creates stock illustration and wanted to push herself to output more than usual. We could all use some marathoning in our work. I might try a marathon blogging even at some point. Read more about here challenge and success!
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Eden's Cool
I like the stuffs from Eden. They're cool.
SEO Singapore
June 2nd, 2008
thanx
great its very interesting subject thank you and we wait for more
Océano directorio
July 8th, 2008
Nice Work
Nice Site. I am new here but will be visiting more often as you have done a good job.
Thanks
RandyBrown
August 16th, 2008
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