Software review: Logo Design Studio Pro 2

A few days ago, as I was telling my wife about a visit to our local Apple store, she mentionned an application she had seen there and was hoping to get my opinion. "It's a logo creation application" she said, to which I answered that most times, designers simply use applications like Illustrator or Photoshop to create these, instead of using some customized application. "But it creates vector graphics" she added and that got me curious. Vector graphics can be tremendously handy for any kind of printed work, as they can be resized without loss of resolution.

I picked up the application, installed it and got busy creating some logos. First of all, Logo Design Studio Pro 2 comes with several thousand shapes, images, templates and the like to help you get started. With the ability to layer these elements, as well as being able to create new ones, this application really does help the creative process, especially for those users that may not have as much creativity for these types of tasks. But that does not mean that an especially creative person can't also use it to save time!

A great application at a great price!

Online Tools review: Lucidchart.com

Following last week's small article on the online diagram tool called diagram.ly, I received a comment indicating a preference for another online diagram tool called Lucidchart.com and promised that I would review it, as at first glance, it really does look like a much better application than diagram.ly. Several features really set Lucidchart apart from its competitors.

First of all, Lucidchart is an online diagram tool, designed to replace applications like Visio. Like most diagram tools, Lucidchart support several file output formats, allowing you to export your work to other applications if required. Secondly, Lucidchart provides several interesting features, which include collaboration (the ability to have several people working on the same file from different locations), which can be very handy for those that actually make use of such technologies. Of course, this feature is really augmented by the inclusion of a revision history feature, which lets users determine who made what change to a specific diagram, and when this change was made. Add to these features a library of hundreds of shapes and templates, as well as full compatibility with any of the modern browsers under any platform and you have a recipe for an excellent application.

But (and there is a but here) I'm not as ecstatic about paid subscriptions and this is something required if you really want to access all of the interesting features provided by Lucidchart.com. There is a free account, but with several limitations (including a single user per file, a maximum of two collaborators, 25MB maximum file storage and a limit of 60 objects per chart) and these are severe enough to limit the type of diagram you can create without paying for a better account. There are several choices though and I believe that most users will eventually find the account type that is right for their needs.

Following a comment I made, I still believe that Lucidchart.com is a better application from a charting perspective, but diagram.ly offers the not inconsiderable advantage of being free, which in this day and age, really makes a difference.

Online Tools review: TikiToki

Although the task of creating animated timelines is not necessarily the most common, for the times that you have this task on your to do list, you might consider checking out Tiki Toki, a fantastic online, animated timeline maker. With several types of accounts (including a free one!), Tiki Toki makes it easy to create attractive and interactive timelines, which can display images and videos as well as text. With great integration with Flickr, Youtube and Vimeo, its easy to integrate your online media into your created timelines.

Head over to Tiki Toki and try it out for yourself. I think that you might find yourself creating more timelines, just to use this tool!

Online Tools review: Diagram.ly

Diagrams; either you love them or hate them. For those who have been around long enough to become Visio experts, you might actually appreciate that you can get the same kind of output from an entirely free tool, Diagram.ly. With numerous features and an easy web-based interface, here is another tool to your work anywhere, with any computer quiver!

No need to sign up and no fees make this a really great tool! Head on over an take a look, I'm sure you'll feel the same way I do!

Online Tools review: Mr. Icons

Collecting resources for training development is an activity that I have pursued actively since I've started working in the field. But one resource is a little harder to find then others: icons! I have purchased sets and collected as many royalty-free icons as I could find, but as luck would have it, whenever I need a specific icon, I never seem to have it in my collection.

Well, if you have experienced the same problem, here is Mr.Icons to the rescue! With more than 125174 icons in more than 437 sets, the icon you need is available, for free!

Head on over to Mr.Icons and browse through their extensive collection, you'll be glad you did.

Software Review: Autodesk Sketchbook Express

As part of the software package provided with the Wacom Intuos 4 tablet I purchased recently, Autodesk Sketchbook Express 2011 is a fantastic product.

A simple interface and the common tools one would expect in a drawing program really help to make this application simple to use for almost any budding digital artist. What I found particularly great was the ability to use this application without ever using any other interface device than the pen and tablet. I've discovered that I never have to reach for the keyboard when I am drawing. Of course, I expected that the makers of AutoCAD would also know a thing or two about drawing in general.

A trial version of the application is available for download and if you have a pen and tablet, you might want to try it out and discover this great tool for yourself.

Wacom Intuos 4 tablet

After doing some research, I decided to purchase a Wacom Intuos 4 medium drawing tablet. A while back, I had purchased a small Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet for my wife, but one of the first things I noticed was that it was pretty small and not as responsive as I had expected. It was fine for occasional use, but I had decided that I wanted a larger drawing surface and better responsiveness.

After shopping around, I headed to Henry's in Ottawa as they were offering the best prices I had seen on Wacom products in the region and picked up the tablet. One of the first things to remark is that Wacom has taken care to produce an attractive looking and effective packaging solution.

One of the deciding factors on this specific model was the great software discounts for Adobe Photoshop CS5, almost 50% off the list price! Wacom has also included a very decent software package, which includes the following:

Nik® Color Efex Pro™ WE6
Wacom Brushes 3.0
Adobe Photoshop® Elements 8 for PC and Mac
Autodesk SketchBook Express® 2010
Corel Painter™ Sketch Pad

I got home and unpacked everything. I wasn't exaggerating about the great packaging job that Wacom has done on this line of tablets. The box contains:


The tablet
The drawing stylus (or pen if you prefer)
The mouse
A weighted stand for the stylus
10 extra nibs for the stylus
A nib extractor tool
A USB cable (standard to mini)
A documentation package (which includes a driver CD, a quick start manual and a reference manual)

I don't use a mouse with my Macbook Pro and I don't think this is about to change. Although the mouse is quite nicely shaped, with five fully customizable buttons, excellent resolution and battery-free operation, it's limited to the tablet surface to work and that quickly limits its use, in my opinion. I set the mouse aside and got everything else setup. I have to give some kudos to Wacom for the elegant design of the pen stand, which doubles as a storage container for both the extra nibs and the nib extractor tool.

After installing the software (and let this be a general tip to less experienced computer users, always get the software installed and updated before plugging in the hardware; saves a ton of headaches afterwards) I plugged in the tablet. Another interesting design feature is the inclusion of two USB ports on the tablet, to allow the option of a proper cable orientation when used in right-hand or left hand mode. One of the most common complaints of Wacom's tablets was the general right-handedness of their devices. The new Intuos 4 models have resolved this issue by placing all of the tablets secondary controls on one side of the device. This allows the user to simply flip the tablet to allow both righties and lefties! The settings menu allows the user to switch modes and the tablets customizable OLED displays flip to the correct orientation.

The displays themselves are truly useful, removing the need to memorize yet another set of custom controller parameters. The touch ring, another change to the Intuos line, has four modes, indicated by one of four small lights. This allows the ring to provide access to four linear-type functions, like zoom, brush size, canvas rotation and more.

The tablet is incredibly responsive and a pleasure to use. The increased level of pressure sensitivity, together with very low starting weight (1 gram vs. 10 grams) really set this line apart from previous incarnations.

If you've never tried a tablet, I highly recommend any of the models from the Intuos 4 line. If you already have a tablet, consider any of the models to be a great upgrade to the tablet you might currently be using. Really, a fantastic product!

Sharpie's Liquid Pencil

I have a more than passing interest in notebooks (the actual paper kind, not the computers!) and writing implements of all types. I know, it's fairly geeky and I've been told that in the past as well, but that's never really stopped me before and it's not about to now. Walking through Staples the other day, I saw a new writing technological breakthrough that seemed to have some promise, the Sharpie Liquid Pencil!

Yes, you read that right, a liquid pencil. The packaging promises all of the advantages of regular pencils and none of the disadvantages. Well, I was sold. And this is how my dissappointment began. When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about the fantastic new "pencils" I had discovered, promptly brought out the fresh, new package I had purchased, tore it open and gave her one.

We quickly discussed the various methods in which a pencil lead could be turned into a liquid (my initial thought was that Sharpie had simply found a method to load a suspension of graphite in a solvent of some type), and immediately decided to test it out. Our first reaction was that although the writing action was fairly smooth, it was nowhere near an actual pencil. Our second reaction was that the lines drawn were simply too faint to really replace an real pencil. As advertised though, the liquid pencil was fully erasable, although on its own, that wasn't really a selling point for me.

I suspected that over time, the solvent would fully evaporate from the lines drawn on paper, making the liquid pencil a little more "permanent" and closer examination of the packaging led me to discover that Sharpie was also making the claim that the liquid pencil would eventually be as permanent as a regular Sharpie marker. Hmmmmm

Well, let me clear up that mystery right now... It's not!

In the end, the Sharpie Liquid Pencil seemed like a good idea, but it's not there yet. So save your money and get some regular pencils. You'll get what you pay for at least!

Online Tools review: Prezi

Are you tired of the same boring presentations? Have you been looking for a simple solution to this problem? Well, search no more; Prezi is here! Somewhat difficult to sum up in a few short words, Prezi is a Flash-based presentation tool that allows even a new user with little experience, to create beautiful, animated, zoomable, non-linear presentations!

One of the great things about Prezi is that it is available for free, with some limitations, of course! A paid subscription (there are two levels of pay access, with various options) are available and really extend what is possible. Prezi uses a fantastic user interface that is truly intuitive and simple to use. If you want to create something that will blow you coworkers (and your employers!) away, head on over to their site with your next project and see what you can build with it! I am certain that you will be completely amazed!

Online Tools review: Brushlovers.com

Graphic designers, artists, web developpers and many other computer professionals make use of a variety of drawing tools in their craft. Of course, as you may already be aware, one of the most popular choices when it comes to this type of tool is Adobe Photoshop. One of the great skills demonstrated by expert PS users is the creation of custom brushes. But not everyone is skilled in the "art" of creating new brushes to use for specific projects.

To the rescue is Brushlovers, a fantastic site highlighting numerous free and paid brush packs. With an excellent layout, a great selection of free brushes and truly reasonable prices for the paid sets of brushes, Brushlovers is a great addition to your online tools. Head on over and take a peek at what's available; I think you'll be pleasantly pleased.

Kolo Albums

As my wife has been working on completing a wedding album for Gen & Dave, customers that she photographed in July, she discovered a fantastic manufacturer called Kolo, who specialize in high-quality albums and scrapbooks of all types. I was very impressed by both the designs available as well as the overall material quality:

A lot of selection available and as you can imagine, a fairly premium price, but you are paying for quality:

Have a look at their website or visit Omer DeSerres art stores, who are a licensed distributor.

A sketch of 221B

I came upon this sketch the other day, by Russell Stutler, an American artist living in Tokyo. After reading all 60 Sherlock Holmes stories twice, while taking notes on any item of note listed amongst the texts, he designed and drew this fantastic representation of Holmes's fictional residence:

I just wanted to share this fantastic art work with you. Enjoy!

Online Tools review: Sketchpad

This is one of the really neat tools I've found lately; a great demonstration of the possibilities of online tools. Welcome to Sketchpad, an online sketching and drawing tool. With a beautiful interface, a great set of tools and ease of use, this is a tool you'll want to try and use regularly!

Online Tools review: Divine

Cutting up and slicing your carefully crafted PSD files into a workable website is a real art. A long, time-consuming and sometimes frustrating art! But here is a tool that hopes to "lighten" your load, so to speak, and automate the process as much as possible. Divine is the tool for such a purpose. Of course, there is still some work on the part of the user, but much of the difficulty has been made easy.

Take a look and try it out. It may be the time saver you've been looking for.

Online Tools review: Dummyimage

In the creation of websites and other work involving images, it can sometimes be useful to have what are referred to as "dummy images" of the correct size and proportions, so as to help in the creation of the layout. This saves the designer having to source several images during the design process, which can interfere with the creative process.

In to the rescue is Dummy Image, a great online tool that will quickly and easily create dummy images of any size and proportion, with several templates available for an even faster workflow.

A great tool, with tremendous usefulness for any graphic or web designer.

Book review: Mechanika by Doug Chiang

Every time I'm around Chapter's, I can't help but step in and take a look around. And I'm not the only one with this problem, my wife seems to be afflicted by the same issue. I had been looking at an art instruction book the last couple times I was there, and finally, I caved and decided to buy it, if only to support the artist that wrote it.

The book is called Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction, by Doug Chiang. For those who may not know who the author is, let me tell you that he has won an Academy Award for his work, which has included Star Wars 1 and 2, Beowulf, Polar Express and many others, as well as authoring several books, including the one reviewed.

One of the reasons I had looked at this book in the first place was the fantastic marker techniques used and clearly explained by the author. There are very few books detailing the use of markers in drawing, and even fewer detailing them so well. Furthermore, the author's easy going manner, great skill ad clear explanations and reasoning make this book an excellent reference for any type of artist.

If you enjoy drawing and the subject matter, science fiction, appeals to you, take a look at this great book and get inspired to draw the world in your mind.

My introduction to Copic markers

Those who have known me for a while also know that I enjoy drawing and sketching and have for as long as I can remember. I have always been a pencil artist, although in the last couple of years, I have begun to use pens and markers as well. I was partial to the Letraset Tria markers for a while, until I was introduced to Copic markers. These markers share several similarities with other brands, including dual tips (one on each end) and colour-matched, alcohol-based inks. 

If you have never used illustrator's markers, you might be in for a surprise. First of all, the pigment density of these markers is far higher than anything else you might have tried. Secondly, these markers can provide very even coverage, but to achieve this, one must be quite skilled, and most of all, quick! These markers are wet!!!

Copic makes several lines of markers, although only two lines can really be considered as illustrator markers, the Original and the Sketch. The Original is a square bodied, dual tip marker, usually sold with a chisel tip and a fine line tip. These markers are garanteed to not dry out for a period of three years (this is one of my main complaints against the Tria brand). The Sketch markers have an oval body and share the dual tip configuration, although these are usually chisel and brush point tips instead.

Copic markers also have replaceable tips, which means that it is now possible to change the tips if they ever become worn. These markers are also refillable from bottles of Various Ink, also made by Copic, with each bottle able to fill between 7 to 10 markers (based on the type).

The Original line features a set of 214 colours, while the Sketch line features a set of 334 colours. Take a look at the available colours from the charts, but do yourself a favour a see them in person at your local art store! Many of the colours are also available in a Wide format, with a two inch chisel tip, for broad colour application.

Pick of the week: Sketch-A-Day

Following last week's post on Industrial Design and sketching, here is another worthy site, and coincidence of coincidences, it is also by the same young designer, Spencer Nugent. The site, http://www.sketch-a-day.com/, is essentially a gallery of the designer's daily sketches and ideas and is a veritable visual treasure trove of sketching ideas and topics.

Take a few minutes to view some of the very talented work on display.

Pick of the week: ID Sketching

I've always loved to draw and sketch and the Internet is a fantastic resource for any artist. In my regular browsing, I came upon http://www.idsketching.com/ and I have been hooked since. Built and maintained by a talented young industrial designer called Spencer Nugent, the site offers several excellent articles and numerous videos, as well as an interesting forum section.

The site is well worth a visit.

Pick of the week: Doodle of the day

Who doesn't enjoy doodling on long conference calls? Take a look at some of the masterpieces on display at Doodle Of The Day. There are some seriously nice doodles here.