Computer Arts issue 128

BE MORE CREATIVE

Everyone knows great ideas have always been the real currency of the design industry – the challenge is how to come up with them. In these media-saturated times great ideas are the one thing that can help the smallest design group or freelancer compete with the big boys – after all, brilliant ideas don’t cost anything, but selling them in the right way can make you a fortune!

With this in mind, in this issue’s lead feature we take a look at the process of developing ideas and how to have more of them. We explore the process of creativity and look at how you can up your game, think more creatively and get your grey matter working to its full potential.

Elsewhere, as the academic year gets underway, we take a look at design courses and find out which of them is likely to best match your needs.

Enjoy!

Paul Newman, senior editor
Computer Arts

COVER STAR: Creative thinking from Edvard Scott

Hopefully, 21-year-old Stockholm-based illustrator and designer Edvard Scott will be new to many Computer Arts readers, but that doesn’t mean he’s not been busy.

Soaking up creativity from his artist father since early childhood, Scott says he’s inspired by many things, but pulls together his trademark psychedelic patterns and textures through the inspiration of “the essence of nonsense.”

Bringing a breath of fresh air to the digital illustration world with his arresting images, Scott was a perfect choice to illustrate the mysterious spirit of creativity.

PROFILE: TOCA ME
Creative strategies from Germany’s TOCA ME

Munich-based multi-disciplinary design group TOCA ME has its fingers in many pies – from conferences, to web design, to online community projects – all of which it approaches with a singular level of enthusiasm, innovation and creativity.

Weather the core team of three is working on its famous TOCA ME design conferences or helping the likes of BMW develop cutting-edge web sites, the company is always looking to innovate.

Find out how it does it in Computer Arts 128.

CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
Sixteen pages of creative advice and inspiration

Give your design skills an inspirational overhaul with the tutorials in issue 128.

This issue of Computer Arts is packed with the usual fantastic mix of practical tutorials, giving you the chance to try something new or polish up your design techniques.

To kick things off, Computer Arts’ tutorial genius Derek Lea walks us through the creation of street-art flavoured Photoshop work with a 22-step guide to creating an urban, lowbrow masterpiece.

Elsewhere, we look at adding metallic print effects, find out how to retain text formatting in InDesign, learn about using ActionScript in Flash 8 and create repeat patterns in Photoshop and SymmetryShop. We also kick of a new series of tutorials on animation.

WHAT'S ON THE CD: Preparing images for print

This issue’s CD is, as always, a jam-packed affair, offering you an essential mix of great training demos and resources

First off we’ve got some fantastic tuition from Lynda.com to guide you through the ins and outs of preparing images for commercial printing, which will hopefully help end the nagging pre-press nerves every designer gets from time to time.

In the same vein, we’ve got a great demo of CMYK Production Plus 2 – a tool for batch converting RGB images to CMYK for print.

We’re also pleased to offer you an InDesign toolkit, a demo of AKVIS Enhancer 4.3 and sample chapters from the great design books reviewed in this issue – including the fabulous new title from Portugal’s Musa Collective.

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COMPUTER ARTS PROJECTS: What's hot in Computer Arts' sister magazine

This issue of Computer Arts Projects focuses on illustration, and includes sumptuous showcase featuring stunning digital illustration from all over the world, reproduced on special luxury paper stock.

Inside we showcase 20 of the world’s best up-and-coming illustrators, examine the stunning talents of Rinzen, Jason Brooks and Erotic Dragon, and take a look back at some amazing Victorian illustration.

Grab your issue from all good newsagents, or call +44 (0) 870 837 4722 today to reserve a copy.