Deke’s Techniques

Your weekly quick-fix of Deke, with ideas you may inspire or inform your own projects.

Tessellating Pentagons Types 1–5: Karl Reinhardt, 1918

Deke studies Karl Reinhardt's pentagons in Adobe Illustrator, and turns them into tessellating patterns to show prove it all true.

Introducing the Pentagon Patterns

Deke begins his foray into understanding the mysterious tessellating pentagons.

Illustrator Puppet Warp Tips and Tricks

Deke continues to explore the wonders of his new favorite Illustrator feature, the Puppet Warp tool.

Using the Puppet Warp Tool in Illustrator CC 2018

Deke shows his favorite new feature in Illustrator CC 2018, the Puppet Warp tool.

Creating a Porthole to a Far-Away Galaxy

Deke uses Photoshop layer effects and masking machinations to open a portal to another galaxy.

Creative Uses for Content-Aware Fill

Deke uses Photoshop's Content Aware Fill command to open a portal through a 3D Object he created in Illustrator.

Combining the Best of E.T. and Jurassic Park with Photoshop and Illustrator

Deke uses the powerful combination of Photoshop and Illustrator to make a movie poster combining E.T. and Jurassic Park.

Creating an E.T. Moon in Photoshop

Deke colorizes the moon in Photoshop to create one reminiscent of the E.T. movie poster.

Creating a Full-Color Hedcut Effect

Deke adds some customized (Lab produced) color to his hedcut technique.

Creating a Faux Hedcut in Photoshop

Deke attempts to recreate the signature WSJ hedcut-style portrait from inside Photoshop.

Drawing a Stylish Computer Key in Adobe Illustrator

Deke creates a type effect in Adobe Illustrator that makes the letters look like keyboard keys.

Simulating an Adjustment Layer in Adobe Illustrator

Deke uses layers of black or white set to the Soft Light blend mode in Illustrator in order to simulate a Photoshop Levels adjustment layer.