Monthly Archives: January 2009

Abstract artwork in Illustrator

Sometimes you just want to practice certain techniques, like shading objects or making swirls. Or maybe you just want to practice your composition skills. Either way, there’s a great article in Vectortuts about making abstract artwork in Adobe Illustrator. I … Continue reading

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Your own message

Design isn’t always about getting someone else’s message out. It’s often about you getting your own message across. Inspiration is all around, and sometimes it fuels something personal. This was sparked in part by the awful story about a Los … Continue reading

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My epic build: Update No. 2

Wow, something like 11 days until the Go Green California Business site is supposed to launch. Is it time to panic yet? Admittedly, I’m running into a few problems (not site-building-related) that make me a little nervous, but sometimes there … Continue reading

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Super logos?

It’s almost time for one of the biggest annual sporting spectacles of the year: the Super Bowl. Some of us watch it for the game (like me; I’m an unabashed football addict … not to mention a Steelers fan), some … Continue reading

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Illustrator tip: Stripes and multiple strokes

As a tutor, I used to get asked by a lot of students how to do multiple strokes in Illustrator. Some people used to do it by eye, drawing two shapes of different colors and trying to align them perfectly. … Continue reading

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Little ninjas in Illustrator.

A little while ago, I posted about a tutorial on SpoonGraphics about creating a gang of vector ninjas in Illustrator. I did get around to playing with the tutorial with these results: (OK, so it’s a single ninja, not a … Continue reading

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Inspiration

Before I start, I’d like to remind everyone that any info I give shouldn’t be taken as gospel. I’m pretty new to the whole design scene myself, so I’m sure there are many things that I do badly or just … Continue reading

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Textures, brushes and Photoshop, oh my!

Textures are always one of those things that if used tactfully and well, add a nice touch to a project. For instance, that weathered-looking note looks nice when you’ve got it on weathered paper. Or maybe you’d like some grass … Continue reading

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My epic build: Update No. 1

It’s been about a week since I first wrote about the Go Green California Business website project I’ve been working on. It’s been a bit hectic and insane, but the project is chugging along. To recap, I had an Illustrator … Continue reading

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A big, juicy apple … in Photoshop.

Usually, I’m messing around and drawing things in Illustrator. But I came across this tutorial on PSDTuts one day about making an apple in Photoshop. Now, I always associate drawing things from scratch with Illustrator. But I gave the tutorial … Continue reading

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The cute, the cuddly and the bizarre.

I won’t lie — I’m a fan of cutesy Japanese-style characters. I liked Hello Kitty and My Melody and Kero Kero Keroppi when I was growing up. Heck, I could draw Hello Kitty in my sleep. It’s so simple. (Too … Continue reading

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One project down …

… only 20 million more to go? (OK, so maybe not nearly that many.) It’s always a nice sense of accomplishment, though, when you finally get something done. Off the docket this time is the site for the Sacramento chapter … Continue reading

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My epic build.

I do a lot of WordPress work, namely making use of it as a content management system. I figure it’s a great way for people to be able to update many parts of their sites without a lot of fuss. … Continue reading

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Illustrator type tricks

It’s a new year and I was feeling the itch to create something. I ran into this dynamic text tutorial on BittBox and since I’m a big fan of type tutorials, decided to give it a whirl. I didn’t use … Continue reading

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Welcome!

This is Dabbling in Design, the project of designers Jenn de la Fuente and Andrew Clementi. We love design. We love designing things. We love talking about design and trying things out. So we figured, heck, why not blog about … Continue reading

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