martini

And by "holiday" we really mean that Deke and I are eschewing the lounge this week for time with our respective families. But lest you feel neglected, Deke has created this special graphic, which perhaps captures the true spirit of Martini Hour. Yes, I am, in fact carrying Deke on my back in this photo. That's why he looks so happy and relaxed, and I look so strained yet determined. Are you surprised to learn it was Deke who chose this photo for our holiday greeting?

The image was shot by our good friend Jacob Cunningham (staff director/cinematographer at lynda.com) as part of a shoot he did at the request of Bert Monroy, to use as reference for Bert's latest painting. Fortunately, Bert chose a different shot when he recreated us for his Times Square piece, so I won't forever be stuck in time (square) lugging Deke around. Actually, in Bert's final piece, Deke and I are contemplating a much more civilized form of transportation, a taxi, driven (if I'm not mistaken) by a young Bert Monroy. We're definitely blessed with talented and sympathetic friends.

Not the least of which is you, our beloved, intrepid dekeItarians. We do sincerely wish you and your respective families a peaceful, fun, restorative winter holiday of choice. In truth, it's the funny, irreverent, curious, patient, wise. and ever-charming dekeCommunity that makes the work not seem like work (sometimes). Peace, joy, and creative freedom to all of you. We'll be back in the lounge with a new podcast next week. Cheers! Read more » 

What's in a name? Does a feature that goes by any other name still function as well? This week we're enjoying making fun of the names of Adobe features that don't really make any sense. And who are we to complain? "Martini Hour" is never really an hour and this week we're drinking Manhattans. So join us on this vaguely hypocritical but otherwise entertaining discussion of goofy names for otherwise highly useful (for the most part) set of features in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Like Martini Hour, you shouldn't be scared off by the names. 

Here is a list of cryptically, oxymoronically, or just ridiculously named features that we enjoy making fun of this week: Read more » 

Greetings, fellow Deke-o-philes!

This issue of dekeSpeak comes from a cool place. As the thermometer dips and layered apparel becomes increasingly conspicuous, I'm enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling I get from sharing the treasure trove of insights available on deke.com. Deke hooked up with Bert Monroy, and got a close look at Bert's most recent masterwork. Read on to get a glimpse of it yourself. Our tip for this installment comes from Deke's Photoshop CS5 One-on-One: Mastery course for lynda.com. And, I bring you good news: we've been able to extend the special (and very popular) Fotolia offer from the previous newsletter.

That's the news for now. As I'm sure you know, Deke sends all his virtual love.

Best regards, and I hope you're having a creative day,
Lou B, Speaker of the Deke, dekeOnline Read more » 

I did it. I created a monster. I grabbed myself a Kaluha and coffee (thank goodness there was coffee in the lounge) and innocently asked Deke about image resolution. Then, I listened, diligently, as you should, as the master discussed this challenging subject. (I think it's challenging, but in part because people give me different answers to my resolution questions.) It's a secret handshake, but Deke does his best to guide us through the labyrinth.

Here's where our resolution immersion takes us: Read more » 

Ah, doesn't it just feel better to slink into the 'lounge on a Thursday? The weekend's in sight and it's time to unwind. Of course, anytime is good for kicking off your shoes, pouring yourself a relaxing beverage, and talking to your friends. But somehow this Thursday spot just feels more festive. And if changing the day isn't enough to shake up your world, this week we go where Martini Hour has never gone before, to a discussion of Dreamweaver (yes, Dreamweaver!) with the wonderful web guru James Williamson.

Some of you may know James from his Dreamweaver videos at lynda.com and he's also the Director of Training at Lodestone Digital, but frankly until James walked into the lounge I had barely done much more than launch the program. Here's what Deke, James, and I covered over fine microbrews: Read more »