Deke’s Techniques

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

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.

Contour Mapping for Cash in Photoshop

Deke uses his contour map skills to make a portrait effect suitable for use on American currency

Riffing on Your Contour Map in Photoshop

Deke riffs on last week's project with an extra displacement map.

Contour Mapping with Distort > Displace

Deke uses a displacement map to contour a stripe pattern to his model's face.

Jogging Your Creative Memory with the Note tool

Deke reveals his secret for remembering how he arrived at creative brilliance: the Note tool in Photoshop