I write about graphic design, creative techniques, and industry trends.
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Here’s a list of my favorite places to go when I am in a creative rut and need inspiration. You’ll also find a list of helpful tools to explore and create color palettes and infographics. Graphic design inspiration websites Famous…
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Dot/Line Exercise for Graphic Design beginners
Download the free dot/line exercise worksheet: https://tinyurl.com/dotlineexercise In the Dot/Line exercise, you will create a series of small compositions. Each composition will consist of only black dots and lines. Each of the graphic images you create will express a word.…
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7 step creative process for graphic designers
Design is solving a visual problem. This means you’ll benefit from research, design briefs and brainstorming. The creative process: Use this process on any creative project. These steps may or may not go in order every time. Now lets talk…
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Free downloadable graphic design resources
Download project brief template for graphic designers Download a prep for print checklist for Adobe InDesign Download a free Canva one-page brand guide template
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Generate creative ideas with a mind map
In this tutorial, we will create a mind map to generate ideas for a creative project. Mind mapping is a great way to capture thoughts and come up with associations. I like to start with words. There are no rules,…
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Find color codes in Photoshop
In today’s post, we will find CMYK, RGB, HEX (hexadecimal) code color values in Adobe Photoshop using a logo file. Identifying color values is an important part of graphic design and branding. For our example, we will use the Google…
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11 must-know design principles that will level up your design work
Design principles are a set of rules that designers can follow when creating a composition to create visually pleasing work. All the individual parts of a design must fit together to form a harmonious and cohesive unit. One design may…
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Typography for beginners
Typography is a crucial aspect of graphic design. It refers to the art and technique of arranging type to make them visually appealing and easily readable. Typography plays a significant role in conveying a message, setting a mood, and creating…
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Tree ring printing
My thanksgiving project was to attempt to print tree rings. The book Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill inspired me to try this project. Here’s how I did it: Step 1: Find or cut a wood stump with a flat top. Step 2:…
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A brief history of graphic design
The progression of visual communication from cave paintings to digital software can serve as great inspiration to designers. The roots of visual communication stretch back to caveman times around 38,000 BCE. Written languages began in the form of iconography carved…