Like many people in the design community, I learned to produce web design concepts in Photoshop. I found this quite peculiar since Photoshop's main purpose is to edit photos while Adobe has an application designed specifically for designing websites. Most web designers have Fireworks installed on their computer and have never even launched it! While there is nothing wrong with using Photoshop for designing websites, Fireworks has many features that make it easier and faster. I've written this short list detailing some of things I've found most useful while exploring Fireworks in hopes that it may be of use to any designers considering switching.
.01.pages
If you've ever designed a multiple page print piece using InDesign's Pages panel you will already see the value in this feature. Instead of having a separate .psd for each page of your website design or a labyrinth of unmanageable layers in one file, Pages lets you create multiple pages inside one document. This allows you to have page specific content appear only when you want to view it but it's always right within your grasp. Along with Pages you can set a Master Page. In essence, you can create one page with anything that would appear on all pages (background, logo, nav, etc), then set it as your Master Page and all of those items will appear on all of your other pages. Then, if you need to make a change to something on your Master Page you only need to edit it once and the changes will take place on all instances of that object. Pages and Master Pages can be a real key to organization and saving time.
.02.symbols.and.libraries
Symbols are a common thing to be found in any Flash site or animation. In Fireworks, any elements that you're likely to use multiple times (buttons, bullet points, etc) can be turned into Symbols. This symbol is added to your Library and you can then drag as many instances of it as you need into your design. Then, should you need to edit the color of your symbol and maybe add a drop-shadow, you only need to edit the Symbol in your Library and all instances will be updated to reflect the change. This is much faster that updating all 20 copies if your bullet point individually. Also, you have access to common libraries where you can store frequently used objects such as social media icons so you always have quick access to them when starting a new project.
.03.properties
The Properties panel is another feature the looks like it was taken right out of Flash with just a couple upgrades. Pixel precision is undoubtedly important in any HTML layout and Fireworks' Properties panel lets you easily adjust height and width, as well as X and Y positioning of any object. It also houses all of your formatting options for text elements, opacity, live filters, and a handful of other features. All of this in one easy to read panel instead of having to hunt through numerous menus to find all your desired features.
.conclusion
The benefits of using Fireworks are quite apparent and I've had only a small amount of time using it. While it can't replace Photoshop for some hardcore imaging effects, it's certainly able to streamline my web design workflow after a little more practice and I'm going to continue using it for all of my new projects. And if I get stuck, I can always safe my file out as a layered .PSD.
.that.doesn't.belong.there
Took another trip to the aquarium; I decided to to have a little more fun with the photos this time around.
My coffee doesn't really have this much bite in it.
.secret.santa
I've recently had the pleasure of becoming part of the team at Real Art Design Group in Dayton. Aside from their usual eccentricities, RADG hosts a brilliant tradition of "Secret Santa" with only one rule. All gifts must be hand made. And when you surround yourself with colleagues that are so successfully creative for a living, you can guarantee there are going to be some spectacular gifts changing hands.
.my.creation
In the end I decided to go outside my comfort zone and try something I've never done before. I had a go at etching glass, in particular, wineglasses.
I found a product online called Armour Etch (found online or at your local art store) which is a sort of cream that you brush onto glass and it essentially eats it away. This process is actually quite simple and there are a plethora of tutorials online so I'm going to recommend that anyone looking for a creative project give glass etching a try. Use pre-cut stencils or make your own using contact vinyl(that stuff your mom used to line her kitchen cabinets) and you can create some sweet personalized gifts.
I had a freaking blast creating these and I still have some cream left so now I can't walk past a large pane of glass or mirror without thinking about my next etching project.
.autumn
I think fall may be my favorite season. The temperature is usually bearable with the proper attire and most of the insects have gone. I like the colors autumn brings and my birthday falls in November so I can't help but enjoy the season.
.halloween
Halloween is another reason to enjoy fall. It's a time for creativity and being able to imagine you're someone (or something) that you aren't, if only for a day. It's also the inspiration for my latest project.
.boo
I was in an illustration mood so I drew these desktop calendars for the month of October. You can click them to download the full sized 1440x900 images for yourself and use them to help count down the days till trick-or-treat time!
.the.teacher
A few months ago I had the privilege of meeting a young freelance graphic designer when he spoke at my school earlier this year. That designer was Chuck Anderson. Despite his lack of any formal design instruction, Chuck has worked with some of the most high-profile companies that most designers would trade their Photoshop registration-key for the chance to work with. Nike, Microsoft, Sony and Pepsi are just the tip of the iceberg.
.the.lesson
A lot of Chuck’s success comes from strong work ethic but part of it comes from his unique style. Most of his work uses vibrant colors, beams of light, and lots of glowing effects. All of his illustrations are simply fun and interesting to look at.
.the.student
There is a saying: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Without going too deeply into my thoughts on the subject, I do believe you can learn a lot by analyzing and copying what has worked for other designers and then combining parts of that with your own designs. So, I thought I’d try to replicate two different illustrations in Chuck’s style.
.the.curriculum
For this first piece I started with a picture I took a few years ago of Alcova Lake in Wyoming where I’m originally from. Then I experimented with different ways to colorize the sky and finished with the beams of light that stretch across the water.
.the.curriculum.pt2
This second piece was a little trickier and required more experimentation and trial-and-error. I decided to build the text in Illustrator and used its 3D Extrude features to create some dynamic looking text before moving into Photoshop. Then I created some glow effects and did some custom painting with my Wacom tablet. Stars and light bursts finish off the effect.
.graduation
I loved this little exercise. I wanted to learn just what when into the creation of some of Chuck's work and I think I was quite successful in recreating his style and I learned some new techniques to use in my own work so this was a triumph. I’m making a note here. Huge success. ;)
.prologue
A few months ago, I was a student at the School of Advertising Art.
One of the projects during my second year was a 3D logo animation.
I created an animation based on the Haiku OS logo.
www.haiku-os.org
You can watch that video here. After some dedicated Haiku fans saw
the video on youtube they told me that the feathers were actually
supposed to be leaves...
.now
Since graduation, I've finally had some time to rebuild the animation
using leaves. (Which are surprisingly harder to build than feathers...)
Watch the video below or on youtube here.
.shout.out
I also wanted to give a shout out to www.C4Dcafe.com.
The cafe is an awesome Cinema 4D fan-based community. It's full
of awesome forums, tutorials, galleries, reviews and a ton of
experienced designers willing to lend a hand. They've helped me
out before and I think it's a great resource for any aspiring
3D artists. Go check it out, membership is free.
Haiku and the Haiku logo are copyrights of their respective owner.
