Minimal Realism:
” When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures…”
Illustrator Demo
Type Text “CARL”
Object -> Make Outline
DON’T FORGET TO: Ungroup Text
Knife Tool -> Cut “waves” through the text.
Color the top half “Fill” Brown
Color the bottom half “Fill” Blue
Brush Pallet (icon looks like books on a shelf (i.e., library))
Using the brush tool change the outline of the letters to give a more “watery” look. Change stroke size to amplify effect.
Texture Pallet
Just like the brush library, you can fill an object with a variety of textures.
Command: Paste in place
This creates a copy of an object directly on top of the original; useful because you do not need to align the new object.
How to make triangles:
Use the Polygon tool, and then rightclick for a menu to select “sides”, change to: 3
Create object from center:
Hold down the option key
How to create “Distressing” shapes
Use the “Warp Tools”. The Icon looks somewhat like a tulip.
PNG Export: (For blog)
Use Artboard
300 DPI (High)
Background color: White
Critique Notes:
As of Wednesday evening this was the status of my three images:
My peers had some excellent suggestions.
Image one (accident-prone), is too flat. Consider moving the other letters of the text “back” into the image to create more depth
Image two (magician), needs more color. Black and white images are less interesting in this context, and more stylization of the letters would really help. Just as adding a gradient to the “wand tips” gave greater depth, consider adding more depth to this image as well.
Image three (hostage). This is an early start, and needs more work. Particularly, the texture on the letter “A” isn’t working well. The concept is interesting, but more details will make this a successful piece.