Computer Arts Projects issue 128

I hope you’ll agree that our second gatefold cover this year is something rather special. The dedicated folk at McFaul Studio slaved right to the wire to deliver a graphic novella packed with deadline demons, tax zombies and technological pitfalls, and quite frankly there’s no better way to introduce our freelance survival issue.

There’s the chance to win the ultimate toolbox for any freelance pro, Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as a special focus on CS4’s 3D features, so you can take on increasingly ambitious multimedia projects.

When we asked our Twitter followers what they’d like covered in this issue, how to price your work topped the list. Special thanks to the freelancers who shared details well beyond our expectations for our peer-to-peer guide on how much to charge.

We’ve also thrown in expert advice on being more efficient, protecting your rights, juggling multiple projects, tracking hours, and even quoting and invoicing accurately. Our second competition rolls all that into easy bite-sized chunks, with five copies of leading creative project management tool Streamtime up for grabs. Our cover artists use it daily.

Next issue puts the spotlight on creative fields for which the world turns to our native UK for inspiration. From world-class advertising to iconic graphic design and street art, this one’s not to be missed. Good luck with your freelance journey.

Nick Carson, Editor

IN THE MAG

Project one_ Win bigger clients

eBoy interview
The renowned pixel-art trio on how they worked their way up the client chain

Designer challenge
This month’s brief: produce a t-shirt in three unique colourways

Project two_ Sharpen your skills

Work with 3D in Photoshop
In the first part of our extended CS4 tutorial, Luke Prowse textures a 3D robot

Create 3D elements in Flash
Tom Baker makes an animated wizard character convert a 2D cube into full 3D

Blend 2D & 3D in After Effects
Paul Wyatt rounds off our collaborative project by battling the Photoshop robot and Flash wizard in a 3D arena

Project three_ Go it alone

Johnny Cupcakes interview
How this Boston-based designer built a global apparel brand from scratch

Free for all
Five creatives share their experiences of going freelance in the past year

Give your sketches a facelift
Chris Malbon reveals how to turn old roughs into stunning folio-boosting work

Project four_ Be business savvy

The price is right
Work out how much you should be charging with our invaluable guide

Be more efficient
How you can use Streamtime to juggle projects, track your hours, quote and invoice more accurately

Stand up for your rights
Get to grips with contracts, and avoid getting ripped off by clients and agents

Regulars

Behind the scenes
How McFaul created our stunning cover

Big question
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a freelancer?

My career so far
Chuck Anderson, aka NoPattern, picks out his milestone projects