dekePod Episode 011: Ho ho ho, it’s that time of year. When you begin to extract yourself from the professional objectives that have been sucking at your soul and turning your heart into a tiny lump of coal. And instead, you focus your attention to that one thing that gives you solace, The Family. The warm embrace, the smells of the season, the drifting snowflakes, the sounds of home. It does the heart good to know that comfort is waiting when you’re finally ready to take a moment and enjoy.
But that’s not what this Extra-Special Holiday Edition of dekePod is about. It’s about the responsibility of the artist to his family. To his mother. To his wife. To his son. Bless them, every one. Here’s the official marketing description:
Creative professionals are routinely roped into frivolous art projects for their families. You don’t want to spend much time on them because who wants to do more of what you already do all day? But you don’t want to do a lousy job because you love your family. And besides, your cred’s at stake. In this episode of dekePod, Deke shows you how to create a spectacular birthday party invitation, with little effort, using a combination of found art and Photoshop.
In essence, it’s all about creating the best birthday party invitation ever created by the hand of man in the least amount of time possible. I mean, is there a job more important? Just think of how much envy you’ll inspire among the less-computer-graphics-savvy fathers. And mothers, I suppose. (Although I personally don’t want to compete with the mothers. I like all the mothers. They’re pretty.)
If you’re interested in downloading this video, try one of these links:
- For a high-quality QuickTime movie, right-click here and choose Save Target or Download Link or the equivalent.
- For an M4V file that you can play on an iPod, right-click here and choose one of those same commands.
- Or you can subscribe to dekePod via RSS or iTunes.
You can also check out the page at my book publisher O’Reilly Media.
To see how I assembled the King Samuel text effect (shown above), right-click this link and choose the Save or Download command to get the layered PSD file. Be forewarned, it’s a 3.7MB file, so it’ll take a minute or twelve to download. I’ve rasterized the type layers so you don’t have to worry about having the right fonts installed on your system. The thing you’ll want to pay attention to is the layer effects — they tell the story.
A Very Useful Tutorial
I’ve never heard of istockphoto, surprisingly enough. I’ll have to check it out. These dekePod videos are hilarious, too.
- The Zster
P.S. Nice flip at the end there.
P.S.S Deke is hot ;-)
G’day, TheZster!
Welcome!
Looks like I have a swooning partner. :-D
Hey, Deke - this pod isn’t up on iTunes yet. Dunno if you’re aware of that or not…
Scratch that
It showed up in iTunes just now - download in progress. :-D
CHEATER!
Love it. I use iStock on a daily basis. Especially love that they give a free image away every week. Got a whole library of em now. love on the iStock.
the fun part is recognizing the stock images from there when watching TV or reading magazines, or surfing the net.
Question for the Deke community members…
I just had what I think is a great idea. Happy lightbulbs are flashing all around my brain, but I need youse guys to make it work.
I’m thinking of starting a Flickr group that is specifically for us students of Deke’s Techniques, so that we may post images where we have practiced what Deke has taught us in these podcats, and to provide each other with feedback (encouragement and helpful critique). And, maybe if we’re lucky, Deke might pop in from time to time to say - “good job!” or “you suck at photoshop!” and that kind of thing (should he actually find the time and/or the inclination).
If I started it, would you participate? And we can work through these great podcasts specifically, and help each other. (Yes, I was a hippy in a former life). :-D
It would have the added bonus of us being able to talk about Deke behind his back, and say things like “Man, that Deke is so hot” - “yeah, but he’s married” - “I know! Don’t you just hate him!” and that kinda thing.
What say youse guys? You in, or am I just wishful thinking?
Cheers. :-)
PS: Happy Birthday to wee Sammy! I bet his party will be a blast. :-D
Suggestion
Well I would have different suggestion. Everyone can have different opinion on this issue but I think it make sense to keep the forum here not somewhere else. If we could post pictures here it would make more sense then create other forum. I use picassa but I just don’t want to be part of many forums.
Oh, I’m not trying to steal the forum, or anything!
Just to have a kind of buddy place that doesn’t drain Deke’s server with an abundance of images that aren’t his or invited by him. Plus, I didn’t want Deke to feel obligated to comment on our practice pics, which he may feel obligated to do here.
But it was just one of those exuberant lightbulb moments I often have while walking my way-too-cute Jack Russell through the Redwoods. Just an idea.
I dunno - maybe Deke has plans for something like that anyway. I sure don’t want to step on anyone’s toes!
Sorry. I do get a bit carried away sometimes…. like Tigger or something.
:-o
Illustrator CS4
I need you, Deke. ‘Nough said.
NP
Hey no problem. I commented from my own experience. The forums where was similar concept actually died bringing more links to it. Also one thing I as followed Deke story he is always extremely busy while the soft is released. New books, tweaks etc. Second and third book come up, ldc 1on1 released, so he might have more time. Besides that peeps around him can start contribute as well, David is in already. So let’s stick around to make it happened.
I’m Not the Only One!
Haha! You’ve got the right idea, Petra ;-)
I could submit my attempt at a fake HDR portrait. It turned out alright, I suppose. Maybe I’ll try another before submitting it.
Forget Clooney and Jackman. Give us Deke!
LOL!
I haven’t started a group yet. It might just be me’n'you posting a couple of pics a month and spending the rest of the time in heavy swoon mode. Isn’t that just so pathetic. lol.
Or we could practice putting Deke’s face into Depp movie posters - Deke of the Caribbean, Deke Scissorhands, Sweeney Deke, etc. Could be fun. :-D
What about Colleen?
Speaking on behalf of the men on the forum, what about some love for Colleen? ;-)
Oh, for sure
Colleen is gorgeous, too. But can she do flips in bouncy castles? :-D
You guys are so sweet
I can’t tell you how, during the pain of this Channels and Masks book (which should go to the printer in the wee hours tonight) Deke and I have been sustained by the nice things you people keep writing here.
We’re not sweet, we’re naughty!
Well, some of us, anyway. :-D
You guys sure seem to have worked extremely hard on this book, and I know it will be a huge success with awards an’ everything. I have no doubt about that. :-)
And don’t forget to take care of yourselves, too. You don’t want to be suffering chronic fatigue or anything for Xmas and New Year - ‘cos we’ll be needing you in 2009, too, y’know.
Much love and even more kudos, from the antipodes. :-)
What got us through and/or distracted us
Is the ongoing list of ideas we have for this site and how we can’t wait for this book (which is truly amazing) to be done so we can get on with our plans!
Oh, do tell!
What plans? A ‘Q&A’ area, perhaps? A ‘student submissions’ feature? A ‘barbecue and bar by a pool’ area? The possibilities are endless. :-D
I AM a Guy ;-)
And I say:
Deke 2012 ^_^
I did wonder that…
...and was going to comment that for all we knew you were a guy. Heck, if I were a guy, I’d totally be hot for Deke, too!
lol.
:-D
permission to use graphics
Dear Deke Squad,
How might I contact Mr. McClellan regarding a permission request to use his color-blind simulation color wheels for a web-based eye health and safety program for grades 7-12?
Many Thanks,
Jeannie DeSanto
Nationwide Children’s Hospital - Columbus, Ohio
jeannie.desanto@nationwidechildrens.org
(614) 355-0679
It’s like at the end of
Some Like It Hot, when Jack Lemmon is trying to explain to Joe E. Brown why he can’t marry him. Finally, he loses his patience, rips off his wig, and says “But you don’t understand! I’m a man!” And Joe E. Brown says, oblivious, “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
My answer is always yes for education
But I’m not sure which image you’re talking about. Book? Page number? Video?
I’ve created a few color wheels, but I don’t recall any that simulate color blindness.
No offense
intended at all, Zster. Sometimes its difficult to determine gender from the aliases used.
I’m sure
she can ;-)
Esctatic
is how I feel to learn that the new Channels and Masks book has (hopefully) gone to the printers. In all the good natured commenting about who is hotter, Colleen or Deke, I almost missed that juicy tidbit in your reply, Colleen. Hopefully everything is wrapped up now, safely off to the printers and you lot in Dekedom can draw a deep breath and (gasp!!) move on to the next project.
No rest for the wicked ;-)
Glad tidings
I am in Ventura filming the grand 150+ movie epic that will be Illustrator CS4 One-on-One: Fundamentals, the video series. I’ll finish up next week. It’s already in edit. So look for it at lynda.com in January.
And now that Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One, the team is shifting like one giant organism to the task of creating Adobe Illustrator CS4 One-on-One.
Rust never sleeps, nor do we.
Now wait a sec
I’m not sure Colleen can do flips in a bouncy castle. I don’t mean to be overly defensive, but bouncy castle flips are more difficult than you think. They are somewhat bouncy, but not altogether “trampoliney.” I say this as one who, to date, has lost six teeth to a trampoline. (No joke. Not counting wisdom teeth, which came out anyway. Damn, that doesn’t leave many!)
Seriously, you have to love a tramp. Of any sort.
BTW, that’s my 8-year-old Max filming that footage, which is why it goes strangely and I think wonderfully sideways. Children can be so inventive with technology.
LOL!
Love it. :-D
I bet she could
She strikes me as an extremely capable young woman, who no doubt could bounce and tramp with the best of them. Without even having to take her teeth out to do it first.
Girls can do anything.
So sayeth the Sisterhood of Bouncy Babes. :-p
nm…
all solved. :-)
Flickr Group
Well, I’d enjoy that, but I was thinking of a place to upload/dwnld digital images we could use for our own projects without paying for them, I mean images with some substance, not these 14 K super degraded web page ones. I’d like to be able to see pictures from people all over the country if not the world and share them for whatever. If you don’t want to part with some particular image, then don’t post it. As far as working through things go, I’m still working on Photoshop CS3 channels & masks - the 33 hour version, then, sharpening images, 120 hour video series on Illustrator CS2 I got for cheap and I’m using in CS4, and then a book I’m drawing and putting into InDesign and hoping to publish, plus 40 hrs/week in my last semester in school doing mainly some 3D animation and director stuff, and a totally anal Dreamweaver class in which we’re using Version 8 and I have CS4. My biggest pain is trying to make everything backwards compatible with the stuff at school, because I have new, but oh well, I’m learning. I have the illustrator CS4 one on one ordered and another oreilly by deke I can’t remember right now. So, bottom line, I like your idea, I have trouble scraping up time. I’m DUN…yes! with school May 21st. Then I can, yes I can, I will have time. Remind me. Thanks. I’m also playing with the new Digic 4 processor from Canon in the G10 SuperShot, it supports Camera Raw so I’m learning more and more.
As far as working through
As far as working through things go, I’m still working on Photoshop CS3 channels & masks—the 33 hour version, then, sharpening images, 120 hour video series on Illustrator CS2 I got for cheap and I’m using in CS4, and then a book I’m drawing and putting into InDesign and hoping to publish, plus 40 hrs/week in my last semester in school doing mainly some 3D animation and director stuff, and a totally anal Dreamweaver class in which we’re using Version 8 and I have CS4. My biggest pain is trying to make everything backwards compatible with the stuff at school
Eleven more days
Until we have a new dekePod, people . . .
I know it’s been a hard Winter. But hang in there—the Spring blooms soon.