dekeSpeak
The Newsletter of Things Deke: January 25, 2011
Hello, friends:
When I think about the latest Deke’s Techniques offering, speed and metal come to mind. No, that’s not a reference to Motörhead or certain music from the late 7s. I’m thinking about how quickly Deke can teach something useful, like creating the look of hammered metal using nothing but filters. Every bite-sized Deke’s techniques video is ten minutes or less, and packed with value. Need more depth? Deke’s extensive offerings on lynda.com provide complete coverage from the basics to mastery.
In this edition of the newsletter:
- Learn how to create a hammered metal background using three Photoshop filters in less than seven minutes.
- Enjoy Martini Hour 99, in which Mordy Golding and Deke cite the top ten (or so) features of Illustrator.
- The tip for this issue will peel away layers of mystery surrounding Photoshop’s blend modes.
- In just three days, you can enjoy Deke’s lynda.com video course Illustrator CS5 One-on-One: Mastery.
As ever, Deke sends all his virtual love.
Best regards,
Lou B
Speaker of the Deke, dekeOnline
Deke’s Techniques: Creating a Hammered Metal Background
On the heels of demonstrating how to create the dazzling effects of burning a brand into a textured surface and rendering editable text in gold, Deke shows how to make a background that looks like hammered metal. The genius of this technique is that it requires no photo and relies entirely on a trio of basic smart filters, all of which you can edit any time you like.
Click on the graphic above to watch the video immediately at dekeOnline.
Martini Hour 99, In Which Mordy and Deke Declare the Top 1 (or so) Features in Adobe Illustrator
This week in the dekeLounge, Illustrator expert and former product manager Mordy Golding helps Deke hash out the top ten features in Illustrator. Each makes suggestions and—surprise!—they quickly come up with more than ten.
Tip: Blend Modes Demystified
If you’re in a fog about how to effectively use the long list of blend modes in Photoshop’s Layers panel, prepare for a ray of light. Find out which modes are the most useful, see how to make the white parts of a layer disappear without resorting to a mask, and learn a practical use for the Difference mode.
Illustrator CS5 One-on-One: Mastery
The final installment of Deke’s magnum opus on Adobe Illustrator goes live Friday, January 28. It addresses dynamic effects, gradient mesh, perspective drawing, and more. Mark your calendars (and check lynda.com for the latest info). Or just stay tuned. Rest assured, I’ll remind you of this course’s existence in a couple of weeks.
Seven Days in Venice
For those of you who may be interested in what Deke’s been up to lately (and who among us could not wonder?), check out his tip-heavy travelogue for traveling in Venice. It includes beautiful imagery, culinary advice, and even the occasional history discourse. Who knew a humble graphics guru had so much to say about the City of Bridges?
Featured Image from Fotolia
Today’s image is #2385632 from claudiaveja. It evokes the surrealism of Dalí and the lyricism of the Eagles’ Hotel California. The composition also shows off what you can do by blending layers and bending pixels in Photoshop.
Log on to Fotolia to view and download the image.
For the record, Fotolia offers the largest bank of royalty-free photos, illustrations, and videos perfect for any medium, whether print, motion, or web. Photographers and designers constantly update Fotolia with thousands of juried submissions each day. Fotolia protects its artists and offers high commissions while keeping prices low, so that everyone can enjoy and afford high-quality artwork.
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