I finished my latest business card this week, without exception, it never fails to be a gut-wrenching experience. There are many ways that I can define myself, but my business card never captures any of them. This time the decision was made that Silver ink would be used as a 5th color. It was a natural fit, as it holds a special place in my heart and I am trying to sell the idea of the extra ink to every odd client. Note: Silver edge and text.

The ubiquity of silver in most forms of commercial design makes it a great second color for logos, promotional designs, etc. and with this in mind, we will be venturing through my imagination as I remember and illustrate a few good silver ideas. Note: as most monitors can’t display silver, I will be representing it with the gray from illustrators 877c swatch in the Pantone Coated Library. Additionally, all of these designs are vector as Raster Metallic effects will be covered in another article. (more…)

When working on projects for various folks, I am sometimes surprised by their intended level of involvement. Some clients, who control every aspect of their day-to-day business are more hands-off than I could imagine. In fewer cases the opposite is true, a more laid back type of manager with an absolute Jones for the nitty-gritty design. (more…)

These are just a few of my illustrations that I have permission to show or personal pieces that I feel are finished and show-worthy. I feel that a few of these are strong enough on concept to make them better than more interesting images that have little or no concept behind them. You be the judge, and if you notice a lot of diversity, that is because I am constantly reinventing my style searching for something distinctly me.

I have been interested in typography for a very long time. This interest stems from my unusually bad handwriting, which in turn comes from no patience or practice. I started looking for nice typefaces to set schoolwork in at computer shows and other places but this was the age of rampant piracy. (more…)

There are probably lots of ways to use the Illustrator Brush Engine to make life easier, I just wanted to point out 10. I would like to credit Veerle and her post about Brushes which indirectly prompted me to think about this.

1. The swirly curls from Veerle, could be accomplished with a single curl and the application of a brush like this. Note the simple variations that yield impressive results.
2. I love the Art Brush Setting, but what I love even more is the Pattern setting. Use it too make a Celtic/Greek Key pattern like this. Not that simple, but super powerful. If you want the corner and end pieces, you need to add the object to the swatch palette.

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