Monday, 23 September 2013
How to Design Custom T-Shirts
All sorts of people create custom t-shirts nowadays, from high school bands and little league teams to bars and bunko groups. Inexpensive and unintimidating, custom t-shirts are a great way to bind a group together, advertise an event, or show team spirit. Most businesses offering custom t-shirt screenprinting have the experience and expertise to help you to avoid beginners' mistakes, but just to be on the safe side, read on to learn how to design a custom t-shirt that clearly communicates just the message you hoped it would.
First, it's important to spend some time brainstorming. You might think your first idea is perfect (and maybe it is!), but chances are, once you get your creativity juices flowing, you'll come upon an even better idea. A great design takes time and creativity, both of which can't be rushed. It's also important to involve other members of the group. Run ideas by the whole group so that everyone is on board with it and allow team members to contribute their own design suggestions. Involving more people, you'll inevitably round up more ideas, making for a more thoughtful and interesting t-shirt.
As you consider the design, think about your group's personality and message. Are you modern or old-fashioned? Crazy or elegant? Fun or somber? Your design should communicate something about your group and do it clearly and carefully. Also, although you might be tempted to throw all of your design ideas at this t-shirt, remember that simplicity often goes hand-in-hand with effective communication. Although you should feel free to make your design crazy and cluttered (that's the beauty of customized t-shirts!), simple designs usually communicate a group's name and idea more clearly.
Next, think about color. The more ink colors you use, the more expensive the t-shirt will be, so limit the variety of colors if you're on a strict budget. Talk with the printer as you make your decision and look at samples to be sure you pick the right shades. Remember that a sample swatch is not always an accurate representation of color and be sure to consider the t-shirt's design and text. If you're purchasing white t-shirts, for example, it's probably not a good idea to have a paragraph of text in yellow.
Text size is also very important. When you get to the final stages of your design, print it out on paper and have someone hold it up to their torso so you can see what it will look like. If you take a few steps back, can you still read the text? Is the logo visible? If you're hoping to advertise, this is especially important. Be certain that important information (like your team name, company, charity, etc.) is large and readable.
Finally, be sure to ask lots of questions so that you know that you and the printer are on the same page. Communication is key!
Bigfish Screenprinting is a full-service textile screenprinting company that specializes in the design and production of custom t-shirts. Their services also include embroidery, graphic design, and promotional products.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Personalize Your Surfboard With Trendy Decals
Surfboards are not exactly cheap and you want to make sure yours stands out from others. You can choose to give it to a professional decal printing service or try designing and applying graphics yourself. If you decide with the former, all you have to do is select a design from a list of available stock or send them your own.
Creating graphics yourself is another matter. It's not all that tough but it does require some know-how. Remember that the results may not match up to those offered by professional services as the printers and technology used are far superior. Still, there's nothing stopping you from giving it a try. Practice on an old, unused board before the final application.
Choose a design: It can be anything but leave out fine lines or very small details. You can have them once you get the hang of the basics. You'll have to work on a designing software and preferably on an A4 size of space. You can always progress to larger decals later. If you aren't adept at designing, take the help of a friend.
Apply color, text, patterns and anything else you desire but keep it simple. Once the finishing touches are done, move to the next step.
Print: Use a laser printer to get more vibrant colors. It also shows up fine details better. You'll have to purchase decal printing material in lieu of ordinary paper. Print the design and leave it to dry for 10 minutes.
Cut: Since the decal is in A4, cut it according to the shape. Do the same if printing multiple graphics.
Apply: Application is simple and quick but do it with care to ensure that all patterns and colors are transferred to the board. Place the material face down and burnish the decal with the back of a spoon. Remove it once the entire design has been transferred.
And there you have it. Your first self-designed, self-applied surfboard decal. If you're satisfied, you can try out more intricate designs on a usable board. Coat it with a layer of glaze or wax to protect the board and the decal from scratches and fading.
A quick comparison with DIY work and work done by a professional will reveal huge differences in quality. Professionally printed decals have a very smooth finish with virtually no errors. The cost is worth it especially if you send in a custom design.
There are numerous decal printing services so you shouldn't have trouble finding one. Just to make sure you get your money's worth, do some research before settling for a service.
Reputed surfboard decal printers have plenty of experience with printing technology and surfboards. Owners who are surfers themselves can recommend what type of decal will look good on different types of boards. Established printers cater to large surfing equipment companies and if the one you choose has a few big names under its belt, you know you've hit the mark.
Look for printers who have a range of designs in their galleries. It'll help you gauge if they can work with yours. Check the 'About Us' section on websites to see how long they've been in operation, what printing technology they use, what they print besides decals and other important details. The more you know about the company, the lower the odds of receiving products that aren't worth the buck.
If you are looking for Australia's leading screen printers and graphic artists for the surfing industry then Rhema Graphics is the perfect place to be. They offer the finest quality custom surfboard decals, tissues, car stickers, artwork, logo design, skateboard design and more. Visit this website rhemagraphics.com for additional details.
How to Design a Company Logo
Identification of a company product depends mainly on two things-its name and logo. A product authenticity is also known through its company logo that displays on the product body. It plays an important role during advertisement and many other events. Every company has a unique symbol. So it is important to create a logo before starting a business.
Designing a Company Logo
Designing a unique symbol for a company is not as easy as it appears. A logo design needs to hire a designer who is specialized in this art. In this computer age, the task is done by web designers who have got special training for this. They are mastered in operating various high-end logo programs to create sharp and attractive symbols.
The first process of a symbol designing is to understand the company business. It is all because you are required to create a symbol that relevant to your business. It also gives some hints to design a unique logo. A demo version can be created through pen and paper but the real shape is possible with the help of a computer with high-end logo design software.
Remember, a unique sign is necessary for a company. If your company sign resembles to any company's logo, you can get a legal notice citing for copying. So when the symbol of your company gets ready, it is checked through a program to know about its uniqueness. In case, it gets resemblance to the other company symbol, it is necessary to change it. Therefore, the task is considered hectic and time consuming.
Selection of a logo designing tool! The software market offers lots of designing tools to choose from. Some has more than 1000 built-in templates and freedom to make some changes in such templates to personalize it. A web designer knows how to utilize these tools to create a catching symbol.
Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular symbol designing tools. It has many versions. The software offers to create symbols with rich typography and visual effects. Logomaker is famous among designers who are new to this field. The tool has more than 10,000 icons and images, multiple fonts and enough space to create a unique sign. Loughingbird is somewhat like Logomaker. The tool can be run easily on both Mac and Windows operating software. It has more than 200 templates and can import custom graphics from the web. The prepared symbol can be saved in jpg, tiff, bmp or png.
Web designers design a logo after lots of planning. They organize a meeting to discuss and analyse a unique sign. Every step is taken with precautions and in a team of experts. The prime aim is to please clients and finish the work timely without compromising the quality. It will be right to say that the work cannot be imagined without the help of expert web designers.
Rak Design a UK based web design and development companies offer complete range of web solutions for branding, logo design web design, corporate identity and much more.
Friday, 20 September 2013
Oil Painting Tips and Tricks For Novices
Oil painting is both a simple and challenging art form. It's simple in that mistakes can be easily painted over since the paint takes a long time to cure. But it's difficult in that you need to have a good understanding of color since the paint doesn't come premixed.
Most beginners learn to paint with acrylic which is easy to work with, not very messy and dries quickly. However, if oil painting has always held a fascination and you're eager to try it out, these few beginner's tips and tricks can help.
Understand the medium
If you've never painted before but have some skill in drawing, it'll make things easier. Even so, get a feel for oils. It's a sticky, slow-drying medium that can be fun to learn if you take it slow or frustrating if you're trying to master it overnight. It takes years to become a savant and there no shortcuts.
Purchase neutral colors like black, ultramarine, white and raw sienna, an earthy yellowish-brown color. They're part of the basic group of colors so you should be able to find them at any art supplies store. Choose artist-grade paints as the student-grade variety is inferior for aspiring artists.
Experiment
Try out the paints. Mix and match, learn how to create colors as well as gradations of colors. Squirt small amounts onto the edge of a palette and load it on the brush, being careful not to lift too much or too little.
To remove excess paint or to correct a mistake, the paint should be lifted with a palette knife and the remainder with a bit of solvent before starting over. Don't mix brushes for different colors, i.e. use one brush for light colors, another for dark shades and a brush for every individual color.
When layering colors, the layers on top should be thicker or fatter (containing more oil) than the ones beneath. This allows the lower layers to dry faster and prevent them from cracking.
Oil paintings can take months to dry. Facilitate drying and prevent paint from turning yellow by exposing it to bright daylight. Darkness forces oils to rise to the surface and produce yellowing.
Take the tedium out of practice by taking breaks. There's a long way to go before mastering oil painting and you don't want to feel frustrated during the learning process.
Choose an easy subject
Forget fine details and complex shapes and colors. Start simple with a mug or an egg, basically any object with simple lines and curves. Once you get the hang of it, progress to more difficult concepts with more colors or more texture.
Realism and hyperrealism are extremely challenging and shouldn't be attempted initially. They require a very thorough understanding of light, shadow, texture, color and shape that can take years to learn. So even if your goal is to create a hyper realistic masterpiece, first get the basics down.
Progress to better supplies
Once you've learnt the basics and feel confident enough to progress to more complex subjects, purchase better quality easels, more paints, canvases, more and better quality brushes. Enrolling in art school - even if you don't mean to make a career in art - is a great way to learn techniques that can help achieve what you're trying to create. It's also a great place to exchange ideas and meet like-minded people.
If you are looking for richly textured canvases with layers of vibrant paint that add dimension and depth then Silk Art Work is the best place to be. Visit their website silkartwork.com.au for additional details.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Using Printable Coloring Pages - 4 Great Ways To Use These Pictures
Printable coloring pages are a great way to keep kids entertained. There are lots of options available for you to choose from and most of them are available free of cost. You can get pictures of fruits, vegetables, vehicles or even your kids' favorite cartoons characters. Not only are coloring pages entertaining but they are also educational. You can teach your kids the alphabets, numerals and even religious stories with the help of the right coloring pages. They help the child develop his or her imagination and are a perfect outlet for creativity. They are also an excellent tool for hand and eye co-ordination.
There are many more things you could do with printable coloring pages than merely give them to your child to keep him or her busy by filling in the colors. The following tips will definitely help you get even more uses out of these pictures:
1. Use picture outlines to create collages using other materials such as pulses, beads, sequins and glitter etc. These materials will add even more beauty to the pictures and keep your child busy for long.
2. These pictures can be used to create party decorations. You can make banners, placemats, name cards and posters out of them by getting your child to decorate them appropriately. You'll need to stick them to thick paper in order to get them stand straight. This is a great way to do up the party venue in an appropriate theme without having to shell out big bucks. It will also keep your children really busy ahead of the event.
3. You can use these pictures as part of birthday party entertainment. One way is to give the kids pictures to color and give little prizes to all of them when they complete decorating them.
4. The pictures can be used as templates to cut out the perfect Halloween decorations from pumpkins. Since there are so many types of Jack O Lantern pictures available then you'll have really unique Halloween decorations. If you don't feel up to cutting out the pumpkins then you could just cut pieces out of stiff black paper and paste them onto pumpkins in the desired pattern.
You can have a great time with your children with the help of printable coloring pages since they enable you to spend quality time together. You'll also get a lot of time alone since your child will stay occupied for a very long time.
Free printable coloring pages can be put to a great many uses to keep children entertained. Get useful tips on how to use free coloring pages in more ways than just filling them with color.
Understanding The Aesthetics Of The Islamic Art!
Islamic art is linked to the Islam religion propagated by the Prophet Muhammad. Today, we see various art forms in most parts of the world where the religion of Islam is the religion of the majority of people namely, like the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the likes. This essence and the unique feature of the Islam is that it has a taboo on the pictorial depictions of the man so it consists of the decoration of the flora and fauna themes and motifs. This art has originated from the artistic and rich Arabian heritage.
It was developed from the unique blend of different arts from the Romans, the Copts, the Persians, and the Byzantines. This is the real reason of the success of this skill as it helps to ensure the fusions of the native designs with the imported designs for achieving a completely distinct result in any art form. One of the factors which are common to any form of art is abstract designs and embellishments.
To enhance the various styles, most of them utilized the interlacing lines and the curved lines in the vibrant and bright colors. You can distinguish the finest forms of this architecture by the vivacious colors in the floral designs all over the world. The Islamic art no matter where seen, has always gathered appreciation and been known to be one of the best forms of art that there ever can be. It is very deeply studied to understand its deeper meaning.
The Islamic art went through many periods of the Islamic Art and architecture. So, its history is linked with the name of the reigning empire, when that particular item was created. Today, the different art galleries and museums have divided their collections by the name of the different ruling dynasties like the Abbasid, Umayyad, Ottoman, and the likes.
The Islamic art is very diverse which accommodates the ethnicity of its members, as these members come from various ethnic backgrounds. Moreover, they have the ability for unifying the different elements in a beautiful piece of art. As the Muslim faith believes that the work of the Allah can be replicated by no one, the Islamic art avoids the representation of the animal or human being. So, it is represented by geometric, floral, abstract lines, and shapes. This makes the designs unique as well as attractive. Finding an authentic piece of Islamic art is extremely difficult as most of them can only be found in museums or with collectors who purchase them for a handsome price.
Check out some of the amazing Islamic art paintings and antiques that are put up for sale on the website http://islamicartforsale.com/.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Islamic Art And Its True Meaning!
The Islamic art has been manifested in all its glory in all the countries wherein Islam was seen as a prominent religion. The Islamic wings is said to be spread all across Spain to the land of Persia, from Africa to Egypt. It has gained all the substance and strength needed. The artistic and rich flavor that it has comes from the Arab heritage as several types of art were used so as to express the unique features of Islam with no pictorial depiction.
A rare blend of several arts combined together form the crux of the Islam art. These forms are a blend of the Copts, the Persians, the Byzantines, and the Romans. In this lies the best asset of their skill, their ability to fuse up native designs with that of the imported ones so as to achieve a rare final result. The abstract designs and embellishments are unique to this form of art.
Most have made use of the interlacing and curves with vibrant and bright colors so as to enhance the several styles. The best pieces of this architecture all around the world are seen to be clearly distinguishable owing to the spirited floral prints and designs.
The present form of art is said to have come up during the Umayyad caliphate rule (in 661 - 750). Thereon, several divergent phases of the Islamic architecture transpired. Thus, it is very commonly classified as being a part of the reigning empire owing to the creation of its art. There are several Muslim galleries and museums which have their collections categorized by various Muslim dynasties that include Abbasid, Umayyad, Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid.
Islam is a very diverse religion which consists of people from several ethnic backgrounds. The art from Islam too is much diversified so as to accommodate its follower's ethnicity. It has the capability of unification of several elements blended together into a master piece which depicts the several facets of an artist. It prevents any kind of animal or human representation, the sole rationale being that Allah cannot be represented by any living creature. It is no wonder that this skill is more of an abstract form that depicts floral shapes, abstract, geometric shapes, etc.
There are many collectors across the globe that has an eye for such masterpieces. They are even ready to pay a handsome price for acquiring them. Moreover, there are several books which are available that can catch the interest of anyone with an eye for cultural mystique creations. These books can even help to display the current market price of these artistic items.
If you are looking to add some of the beautiful Islamic art to your collection then take a look at this website: http://islamicartforsale.com/.
Monday, 16 September 2013
Artists Should Keep Records
Anyone's life ending stage will probably become chaotic. Illness consumes one's ideas. Strength wanes, memory fades the ability to do the daily activities like working or shopping for food declines. Upon retirement, the business will go on. People will dedicate the remaining of their lives to stress free existence.
In 1996, Nam June Paik (1932-2006) a multimedia sculptor suffered a stroke that shortened his ability to create new installations; however, his career was far from over. His work were being planned to be displayed, latest pieces were still being made-up, and the existing works are for sale at galleries. Besides, a series of sculpture supposedly by Paik, denied by the artist himself, were put up for sale.
Unfortunately, it was Paik who was charged with two lawsuits, which his lawyers chose to resolve since he is not thinking mentally competent to give evidence at trial. Paik's nephew and estate executor, Ken Hakuta said. "You can see this as people taking advantage of a senile artist. He was sick."
The court cases were eventually resolved. Had Paik upheld a documentary record for all his work, this could not have happened. Good record keeping, unluckily, is not one of the traits of a highly successful artist.
Reduce brain function, though, may prove disastrous for those artist whose business is run totally out of his or her mind. As Dr. said "Just getting old is hard." The director of the Woburn, John Zeiselof of Massachusetts-based organization Artists for Alzheimer's stated, "Bills don't get paid; things don't get put away. Most creative types have things lying around anyway and, when they develop dementia, it becomes much harder to organize."
For all these, problems that may occur are:
The artworks that have been loaned to a gallery, museum or collector are forgotten. The beneficiary may interpret it as present or gifts, sometimes selling the works.
Artworks that are consigned to a gallery are forgotten. Galleries, also, sometimes forget to pay the artists.
Photos that are only certified for commercial use are also forgotten. A lawyer with an arts practice in New York City, Elliot Hoffman said "Postmortem royalties, with few exceptions, tend to taper off, but sometimes royalty payers forget to pay the artist or the artist's estate or heirs. Sometimes, they just stop paying and wait to see if anyone complains."
Constituents involved in creating several edition, like mock-ups, proofs, maquets, molds or drawings, are failed to notice by the artist. However, it is still used or sold by the publisher, foundry, or fabricator.
Artworks that are not documented or compiled with photographs or written data (title, size, year, medium), which can cause difficulty of attribution. An artist is usually considered to be the best judge of his own work (even though there are cases where some have been dishonest, denying early pieces they now dislike or, in the case of Giorgio di Chirico, intentionally misdating works) but, when the artist suffers loss of memory (like the case of Nam June Paik) or passed away, the problem of attribution is exaggerated or magnified. To determine who created the work, and when was the work created has been more drawn-out in an expensive process.
Hoffman said, "Artists, by definition, are not business-minded". This is neither true nor a description only, but there have been many instances of artists who do not mind to keep good records of their artworks, loans, licenses and consignments, leading to problems and lawsuits during an artist's lifetime and beyond.
There might be less need for lawsuits and authentication committees if an artist kept better records on their works and careers. Concerning that goal, the Joan Mitchell Foundation (155 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013, 212-524-0100, http://www.joanmitchellfoundation.org ) has established a grant program allowing the artists to document their work. By hiring an archivist and paying for a computer (if needed) and the creation of an image and text database rather than giving money to an artist directly, the foundation will underwrite this process. As the executive director, Carolyn Somers said, "If you just give artists money, they might not spend it on archives, while they are alive, artists can do their own catalogue raisonné."
Christopher James - fine art student who loves to write about art. Christopher is currently studying at the Drawing Academy, discovering traditional drawing techniques http://drawingacademy.com and has already completed the Web Art Academy "Hot to Oil Paint" online course http://art.webartacademy.com
How I Won by Losing
"I can't win for losing!" my mom would throw her hands up and say. When money was tight or when thing's weren't going our way, she would always say this as I was growing up. We lived in a small town in Ohio, my mom, step-dad, three younger sisters and myself. I thought she was loony, thinking she was going to get some kind of trophy for last place. I had competed in youth soccer, we won our season and local tournament. At the awards ceremony at the end of the year we received trophies, the losing teams didn't. I knew how winning and losing worked. At least with a child's mindset I did.
So fast forward to my mid twenties. I had moved to another state, recently gotten married, and was using my Associate's Degree in Visual Communications at a sign shop. In my three years there I saw the local economy slowly begin to accept the idea that they were in a recession. Even though I was one of the few trained Graphic Designers around, jobs weren't pouring in like they once were. I wanted to improve my skills beyond what was being offered to me with my daily work, so I began to look for opportunities online. Searching for contests I found crowdsourcing website I could compete in. Plus they paid when you won, so I put in my application and was accepted.
Since jobs at the sign shop were becoming scarce, my paychecks from the sign shop began to come later, and later, and later. Trying to work hard and prove my dedication to the company led me to not having a been a paid in over a month. Naturally, this caused me a lot of stress and frustration.
Being a man of faith, I spent some extra time praying one day during my lunch break for my situation to change. Pleading for God to do something, open a door, anything so that I could provide for my wife. We had been wanting to start a family and move closer to town. A call came in after lunch for me to deal with an accounting problem with one of our vendors. I had been helping out with things outside of my job description, you know, to help the company, but this was a bit over my head. I was completely uncomfortable with the request and having not been paid for doing my actual job, I took that moment to speak up about my "discontent." It truly is funny how God works sometimes, in this instance giving me a boost of boldness. Needless to say I lost my job that day. Really it had been lost a month earlier, but it took that long for me to let go.
In losing my job at the sign shop, I suddenly had more time to compete in online logo contests. I dove in head first, winning my first competition after entering 20 or so contests. Soon enough, while improving my approach and design ideas, the wins began to come in consistently. I was not only able to pay for gas with my wins, but groceries and bills too. There are quite a few contests that I do lose, it kinda comes with the territory. But there's a lot of opportunity there, I can always pick up and move on to the next competition.
It's been almost two years now, and I find myself regularly one of the top designers on the site. My wife and I just had our first baby, a happy little girl, we moved like we were wanting to, and I was just recently promoted as the Community Manager within the website. In losing my "day job," I won an opportunity to better provide for my family. Not quite what I think my mom was always saying, but seeing how loss can be beneficial helps me look for the "silver lining" in more areas of my life.
My name is Rick Mullenix, a Graphic Designer looking at the brighter side of life. I encourage you, no matter how dark your day looks, to step back for a moment and find some good that's coming out of your life in that moment. And if you have any graphic design needs you can find my fellow designers and myself at http://www.48hourslogo.com.
Interesting Facts About Retouching Photography and Image Retouch
The digital age has made a great transformation; today, it's very easy to get a picture from a camera to your computer. If you have a photo to retouch, it can be easily done with the latest techniques; the procedure includes everything from a simple enhancement to even restoration or revival of an unusable or objectionable image. This is a recent concept. However, image manipulation is very old.
Photo Retouching
Retouching photography is a specialised art that requires skill and practice. Various techniques are followed; those who know the procedure can highlight an image. Your photograph can be made perfect, eliminating the blemishes as well as the fine lines. It is not only restricted to colour correction, but involves much more work; it can either add or delete according to your requirements. You can merge photographs and make it look better than your original photographs. You can retouch an image and change the brightness of a picture or eliminate noise. In the business world, such type of work is commonly used to obtain quality images. Catalogues and company brochures require excellent quality prints. It should reveal the quality of your products and thus attract numerous customers to your business.
Photo Masking
Why do you think celebrities and movie stars look great in movies? Several clients request experts to retouch a picture, to remove blemishes, crow's feet and perhaps, a general touch-up. All such work requires specialists to work on the picture; for example, photo-masking takes up a lot of time but when completed gives you a perfect picture. There is software for various types of photo editing and retouching services. The procedure can include removing unwanted elements or making the edges fine by enhancing the details such as the hair, contours, edges, transparency elements and shadows. The end-result is a noteworthy picture.
Clipping Path
Clipping path, also called the Vector path permits a portion of the photograph to be hidden and retains what you want. This technique is also done by specialists; the image-editing procedure is popular. The basic function is to get rid of unwanted components and highlight what you want to retain. On the other hand, image retouch includes air brushing, virtual make-up, smoothing skin, enhancing face structure and using lip paint etc. Advanced techniques are used such as body restructuring, ironing wrinkles and nip tuck. Your client might perhaps want an unforgettable picture, but the picture editor should be absolutely sure of the procedure before taking it up. Most celebrities go with this technique of retouching and clipping so that the picture is able to look better than the individual.
This article is written by an expert author for doneimages company. Doneimages provide retouching photography services and make brochures design. To know more about photo editing services please visit www.doneimages.com
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