Vector Basic Training: A Systematic Creative Process for Building Precision Vector Artwork

“In Vector Basic Training, acclaimed illustrative designer Von Glitschka takes you through his systematic process for creating the kind of precise vector graphics that separate the pros from the mere toolers. Along the way, he’ll whip your drawing skills into shape and show you how to create elegant curves and precise anchor points for your designs. Between the book and the video tutorials on the included DVD, you’ll be ready for active creative duty in zero hundred hours or less.”

To win a signed copy of the book you just have to be the first person to leave a comment saying why you would like a copy of the book

To check out a free chapter of the book please go to this link

Clientophilic Freelancing by Shoaib Hussain is an ebook I was recently given a copy of and asked to review. I must admit from the title I thought, what the heck is this going to be about.

What is Clientophilic Freelancing?

Cleintophilic freelancing is an ebook aimed at freelancers including graphic and web designers who need a bit of help with their sales skills (ie they are clientophobic). It is not going to help you promote your design work, but once you do get a meeting set up aims to help you convert it into a live design job with better sales techniques.

Lets face it the majority of us designers are not great sales people. I think it is far easier for someone not actually doing the work to sell – they generally don’t think about the technical problems in the brief or the timing, they just listen and say, yes, we can do that (and leave us to curse when they get the job!).

This book looks at the psychology of different types of people and gives you ideas of the best ways to approach each of them. Along with this there are very general tips which should make any potential client feel at ease. A few of the techniques you may have heard of but I am sure there will be some you haven’t. For example one technique suggested is to repeat back what the client says. For example if they were saying they were looking for a very corporate typographic logo, which must be blue and include a given strapline when they had finished telling you about it you would say Ok When I get back to the office I will sort out a quote for your logo, I understand it needs to be very corporate and typographic based and include your strapline and retain your companies existing blue. This apparently makes the client feel like you are listening to them and have understood the given information. Its funny it’s something I know I actually do at meetings, though I do it more to make sure I have understood all the information correctly (so I am doing something right).

Personally I wouldn’t be comfortable to try out some of the tips straight away in case I made it too obvious and the book itself recommends you practice the techniques out on friends and family first – obviously without telling them to see if it works. (Who knows, maybe you can use the techniques to talk one of your friends into buying you dinner )

Should I get Clientophilic Freelancing?

If you are new or nervous about meeting with potential clients or are struggling to convert a meeting into a sale then Clientophilic Freelancing will probably help you.

If you need help with promoting yourself to find new clients in the first place see my review of 10 Steps to Powerful Online Self Promotion for Creatives

The Designer’s Graphic Stew is a graphic design book I have been kindly given and asked to review. I checked with the company that gave it to me to make sure that were happy that I give my honest opinion and they said they were so here goes -

What is Graphic Stew

Graphic Stew is a book which basically breaks up design elements that you would have on the printed page and shows you lots of different things you can do with them. For example there are pages devoted to possible grid systems, colour pallettes, typeface combinations and options amongst many other items. At the beginning of the book there is also a very good grounding into page layout and good composition that would be ideal for newbies.

First Impressions of Graphic Stew

I have to admit my first impressions of Graphic Stew were not good. The cover was ok but inside the layout and style is very dated, I am not sure if this is intentional as they are playing on the idea of a menu or recipe book. I even turned to look at the first print date as I expected it to be the nineties – but read on the content was better than the look.

What’s Good about the Graphic Stew Design Book

Are you ever working on a design and get stuck in a rut with your layout or trying to get something to look a bit different then Graphic Stew could help you be a little bit more experimental. I know personally that layout for layouts sake is not my favourite thing (I prefer conceptial work) so when a client gives me some text and a few pics I sometimes sit and sketch and think ummm… what can I do different with it this time. This is where Graphic Stew could come in handy, perhaps for a bit of inspiration for a way I could use typography for a blown quote or a heading maybe using a leading symbol or an abstract background. The elements in Graphic Stew may not be works af art (or to be copied directly) in themselves but there to stimulate your creative brain to try out new things. Those small things that can make a difference to your design work are covered too – like different ways of styling folios on your pages.

Graphic Design Examples in Graphic Stew

Nearer the back of the Graphic Stew book are actual pieces of design work with an explanation to the layouts. This is a bit of a mixed bag again, with some of the work looking quite dated.

Should you buy Graphic Stew

If you want a graphic design book which is something you can flick through when you are stuck for what to do on a page layout this book is well worth checking out. If however you are looking for a graphic design book with beautiful typography and imagery this is not the book for you.

Examples of page indexing

Examples of page grids

Graphic design self promotion is always a tricky thing so anything that helps is always welcome. I was recently given a copy of a new ebook called 10 Steps to Powerful Online Self Promotion for Creatives written by Alex Mathers. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical about this, as a year or two ago I was given another book on the same subject which was very basic and declined to review it. Fortunately though this book is excellent and exceeded my expectations.

I have been doing a lot of reading up on social networking (I have pile of books) and to be honest I could have thrown them away and just read this one. What is good about this book is it is targeted directly at a creative person and so tells you the things you really need to know.

The book walks you through many different ways of doing graphic design self promotion online – including creating online graphic design portfolios, setting up your designer’s twitter step by step (I need to do this myself), creating your designer’s facebook and fan page. The book however does go far beyond this with methods you may not have even considered and should have ideas for both the novice and more experienced designer.

There are so many ideas in this book you could gradually implement an idea or two a week and soon build up both your credibility and list of potential graphic and web design clients.

The book will be released on 10th March, but Alex is currently also given away some free tips on creative and graphic self promotion if you join his mailing list.

I actually had a go at creating a little Youtube video animation for the book, to try out Photoshop CS3 animation timeline its my first attempt and I had a few problems with quality but here it is…

I got the book Street Sketchbook as a present (from my Amazon wishlist) not this Christmas but the Christmas before and I have been meaning to review it ever since.

Street Sketchbook is as the name implies a look at the sketch books of artist and illustrators. The word “Street” does not necessarily mean that the artists are street artists, though some are, but is used more as a term to describe non conformists art. A lot of the sketches are character based, with interlocking patterns and figures and is a great source of inspiration for graphic designers and illustrators alike. I don’t know about you but I sometimes prefer the rough drawings I do for my design projects to he finished designs. A sketch just manages to have spontaneity that is difficult to maintain.

Below are some pages from the book

I really like the use of ready made/found  images in the pages above. It’s something that could be used as inpiration for illustration or design – using the idea of taking found textures and drawing on top of them.

I like the way this image flows across the page and the stylistic characters are beautiful.

As you would expect from a sketch book many of the illustrations are black and white, but as you can see from the pages above some artists also demonstrate the use of loose vibrant colour work.

Overall I think this book is a great source of imagery, I was so impressed I actually bought a painting (below) by one of the featured artists Wayne Horse 

I was sent a link to a new design book by the author Maggie Macnab, which has an unusal idea behind it. Her theory is that memorable graphic designs come about because they contain symbols and shapes that occur in our everyday lives in nature. Take a look at the video for the book, it’s on my Amazon wish list.

A guest review by Harry Elliot

Contemporary Graphic Design, published in 2007, by Peter & Charlotte Fiell, Taschen, contains an eclectic mix of around 100 graphic designers and their work. The book itself is attractively presented with full-page spreads and a glossy finish. It opens with an introduction that illustrates the preoccupations and issues to which modern graphic designers are responding and also considers the ever evolving medium of graphic design and its developing formats. Each artist has a number of different pieces presented, ranging from record covers, web pages, fonts and commissioned work. They also have the chance to explain their individual design principles, which adds significantly to the experience and develops the reader’s view of the work.

The wide range of artists and work includes Jonathan Barnbrook’s highly politicised work, Yomar Augusto’s abstract pieces and the conceptual handiwork of Craig Holden Feinberg. Over 500 pages long the book is a great source of inspiration due to its diverse selection of designers, as well as being an interesting read. Not only does it capture the mood and feel of design right now but also considers the future for this discipline.

The book is for sale at Amazon and Taschen

I just had an email from Sitepoint that I thought I would share with you. They are currently offering their full book The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques as a PDF download for free. I have bought some Sitepoint books in the past and they have been excellent so if you want to learn more about photoshop download yourself a free copy

I know some of you are very keen travellers, so when I read in Computer Arts Magazine about some new travel guides aimed at creative people I thought I would write a quick post about them. I haven’t bought any of the books but according to the books’ website:

Little Black Books are city guides created specifically for the ad industry that cover the best places to sleep, eat and drink, from the quirky to the fantastic. LBBs are of great value to readers throughout the year, helping you choose where to entertain clients, host company events or accommodate visitors. In addition to information on travel and entertainment, LBBs contain a directory of production and post production company contacts as well as local associations and press contacts. You’ll also find a handy 52 week diary which lists events, award shows and local holidays—all of this in a convenient size and beautiful, eye-catching design.

I have had a quick look at the website, and from the previews it looks like the books are well designed too. The first books cover Soho (London), NYC, Santa Monica, Toronto, Miami and Cannes.

I was pleased to given a free copy of Area 2 which i was asked if I was interested in reviewing. Even though its a freebie I don’t believe in giving a good review unless I feel it is deserved, but fortunately I really like this book.

According to Phaidon who publish the book:
10 of the most respected figures in the field have come together to select 100 innovative designers, working in media ranging from books and magazines to posters and typography. 100 critical essays introduce each designer and lavish full-colour spreads provide an insight into the visual character of their work.

The book is a real bombardment of inspiration, it reminds me a bit of a fashion catwalk where you see trends being set, which then will trickle down to the high street or in his case other designers. This isn’t a book you can just have a quick flick through, it is huge (over 400 pages) it is packed with design and illustration and is the sort of book you will keep noticing something new in each time you look. I was please to see some of my favourite character designers included too – James Jarvis and Friends with You

You can buy Area 2 from Amazon