Melinda Beck - 25 Tips for Illustrators

Lesson 1: Where you came from may be where you are going to.

• Take your environment and background and use it

Lesson 2: Be your own muse.

• What gets you excited?
• What influences you?
• What do you collect?

Lesson 3: How to steal without getting caught.

• Take bits and pieces from all over the places and make them one thing

Lesson 4: Sketch ‘til your head hurts.

• Thumbnail for hours! Work out the idea first THEN render!
• You are a thinker before you are a renderer.
• Figure out how to portray cliches in a non-cliche way

Lesson 5: Less is more.

• Find the essence, the best solution.
• What is the story about?

Lesson 6: Sometimes more is more.

• Pushing and exaggerating can embody the story more effectively.

Lesson 7: The sky is not blue and the grass is not green.

• Choose colors that explain the story.
• Dial back and find the essence via color communication.

Lesson 8: Put a little piece of yourself in other people’s stories.

• Be emotionally involved in your piece.
• Your emotions will ring true to your audience.

Lesson 9: Some of the best art supplies don’t come from the art store.

• Use your collections in your pieces.

Lesson 10: Be delusional.

• Follow your own personal delusions.
• Pretend that you ARE (a great Illustrator, a much-sought-after artist, etc.)

Lesson 11: What you do to get away from your work will get you work.

• Use you personal passions to fuel your art and do art for the things you like.

Lesson 12: Self-promotion

• Postcards, emails, mailers, anthologies, competitions, social media, etc.
• Set a yearly plan for your promotional material.

Lesson 13: Don’t let your website get in the way of your illustration.

• Let your art be the focal point of your website.
• Your art and your name should be the biggest/only thing on your sight.
• Minimize clicking and scrolling
• Font should accentuate the art
• Easy-to-update format
• Use smaller files that load faster
• Update every 3-6 months

Lesson 14: Fail spectacularly and you will succeed spectacularly.

• Failure is normal! Everyone fails. Remember that there is a balance, and that your favorite artists fail too.

Lesson 15: How to balance work and kids.

• Don’t expect yourself to do more than you can do.

Lesson 16: How to survive a kid-tastrophe and let a project done.

• If you can say that everything will get done in 48 hours, you break your work down into bite-size pieces.

Lesson 17: What a sleep-deprived child can teach you.

• Set boundaries in your contract. What will you and will you not do? 
• Include and estimate and itemize it.
• Make sure the client is fully aware of what will and will not happen.
• Set ground rules!
• Make sure you and the client both understand the finer details (file type/size, how many sketches they get for the amount you charge, rights for each party, etc.)

Lesson 18: Everything takes twice as long as you think it will.

• Set an hour limit for your week and break it down to billable hours and maintenance hours.

Lesson 19: Watch your time and the cost of that time.

• Figure out how much you’re actually making per hour, and make sure your price is set appropriately. 
• Balance jobs that don’t pay well with jobs that do pay well.
• Adjust your process if a project is wasting time and money.
• Reach out to others if you’re stuck.

Lesson 20: Great exposure!

• Find jobs that give you great exposure.
• Sometimes a crappy job is even worth it if it will win you great work.

Lesson 21: Taming the paperwork beast.

• ORGANIZATION!
• Be so organized that you can even do your taxes yourself.
• Find a system that works for you and stick to it!

Lesson 22: Your computer likes to do paperwork.

• Quickbooks (Quicken?)
• Utilize tools that will make your life easier

Lesson 23: Don’t know what to charge? Ask a friend!

• Ask people who know, people who also get paid. What are they getting charged so you know what you should be getting paid.

Lesson 24: Pricing

• Whatever they tell you, ask 10-20% more
• What is their budget? 
• If they say no, it’s up to you. If they say yes, you get the money you may not have gotten had you not asked.

Lesson 25: Have fun!

• Remember, this is the job you wanted to do. 
• If you’re not having fun, something is wrong!

Misc Tips:

• Be diverse
• Sell products online
• Find a market where your stuff works

SVG - What is it, and how to save it

Sounds like a bug that you can catch, but SVG is Scalable Vector Graphics. It does exactly what is says, allows for vector graphics to be scalable in an online environment, which is really nice when it comes to math or science images that need to be clear at any size.

So how to take your Adobe AI file and save out a SVG version of the file for courses. Daniel has written up an explanation of why and how to do so. Go David!

Most SVG saving processes will preserve design integrity (including fonts). This will not be the case if you use the “save as” function, select “svg” under “fonts” in the SVG Options box, and save. Using the aforementioned save option, the font title will be saved in the SVG coding under its’ postscript name. This postscript name will not match up with the accurate name of the font in the system, so the font will be replaced with a generic font like myriad pro or times when viewed. The only way to fix the file would be to access the SVG’s coding, and to change the postscript font name to the name in your computer system. 

This can be avoided and font edit-ability can be preserved by using the “export as” or “export for web”, and selecting “svg” rather than “convert to outlines” under “font” in the SVG Options box. Saving in this way will include the font’s real name in the SVG coding, rather than the postscript name. Converting to outlines in the SVG Options box when saving will also preserve font integrity, but the SVG file will lose font edit-ability. 

To avoid issues, use the suggested save path:

File>Export>ExportAs>SVG (Use Artboards)>Export>(SVG Options box- Font: SVG)> OK

This should work fine for everyone, but double checking to make sure your files are saving properly is always a good idea. 

More information can be found here if needed:

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/27238/preserving-font-type-in-illustrator-svg-file

Banner sizes

Brainhoney/Buzz

lesson/unit - 8 x 2.25 in
obj/lesson - 4.35 x 1 in (this includes quiz banner)


Canvas

lesson/unit - 8 x 2.25 in
obj/lesson - 8 x 1 in (this includes quiz banner)


BYU Online

lesson/unit - 8 x 2.25 in
obj/lesson - 8 x 1 in (this includes quiz banner)
homepage banner uses template built in Illustrator

Copyright FAQ and Info

Where can I get help with copyright questions?

• https://copyright.byu.edu/ and
• cami.stephenson@byu.edu (our CE copyright admin)

Where to find images for use:

• wikimedia commons
• Library of Congress
• NASA
• NOAA
• lds.org  (ok for REL courses, for other courses we need to get permission from the Church or use within the Teach Act parameters)
• Stockazoo
• Pixabay
• Freepik
• Morguefile
• BYU Copyright office approved list

What can I use:

• Public Domain
• CC by 2.0
• CC by SA 2.0
• CC by 3.0
• CC by SA 3.0
• CC by 4.0 
• BYU IS generated

What needs to be recorded :

• lesson/unit (if possible)
• approval (what type is it (ie public domain, CC by xx, BYU-owned))
• title of resource (preferably the file name)
• source type (photo, painting, graphic)
• artist or creator (information is not always available, just do your best)
• size
• date of publication
• name of source (museums, agencies, stock sites)
• author or editor of source (sometimes the artist if they submitted it)
• location (URL link, if BYUIS generated please just indicate N:/ and Q:/)
• ISBN/ISSN # or ID (for clipart just include the item number for later search)
• holder (that is usually the site you pulled the image from)
• credit line (leave this blank, the editors/IDAs will include this based on the information given)

FAQ:

Q: Can we use images from the LDS.org website?
A: Yes, if the images are used for a religion course, otherwise permission from the Church or if the image fits within the Teach Act rules. There are courses that are not religion based that refer to prophets and apostles, it's ok to use their images we have clearance to do so.  Always check to make sure images are available for use, some of the images have restrictions for church use only. If you have a question about a particular image, ask Cami.

Q: Do I need to include the course banners in the copyright sheet?
A: Yes, but not individually, just lump them together as a splash banners item on the copyright sheet.

Q: If I am recreating a new image from a copyrighted image, how much do I need to change?
A: Everything you can, except the information. Remember the information is not copyrighted it's the image. Look at what the image is conveying and make it your own.

Q: How big do the images I download need to be?
A: We are trying to get as close to 1200px wide as possible, but not all are that big, do your best. If the image has an option for something larger than 1200px, use it. Save the larger version to the Art folder in the N:/ and in Photoshop resize it to 1200px and save it for web at <450KB.

Q: If an image says it's a Free Art License or CopyLeft, can I use it?
A: The FAL grants us the right to copy, distribute, and transform the image. So, the answer is YES
 

Gestalt Principles

Gesundheit! No I didn't sneeze. Gestalt principles are known as the "Law of Simplicity" or the "Law of Pragnanz". The theory is that every stimulus is perceived in its most simple form. Gestalt theorists followed the basic principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, like a car. A windshield wiper is great, but it's no good without the windshield, and the windshield is no good if it's not set inside the frame, etc. You get the point. The whole carries a different and altogether greater meaning than its individual components. In viewing the "whole," a cognitive process takes place – the mind makes a leap from comprehending the parts to realizing the whole. When you go to buy a car you don't start with looking at windshield wipers, you look at the whole car (and how cool you will look in it). We visually and psychologically attempt to make order out of chaos, to create harmony or structure from seemingly disconnected bits of information. Sound familiar? This relates to the work you do here, as well as your career path choice. We are visual communicators, and as such it is our responsibility to take all of the information, whether it's a chart or learning outcomes and unify and simplify the information so that it's visually easy to convey the greater meaning.

There are 5 Gestalt Principles:

• Similarity
• Continuity
• Closure
• Proximity
• Figure ground

Similarity

• Gestalt theory states that things which share visual characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, or value will be seen as belonging together in the viewer’s mind
• Repetition of forms or colors in a composition is pleasing in much the same way rhythm is pleasing in music, the forms aren't necessarily identical - there may be tremendous variety within the repetition, yet the correspondence will still be discernible
• Like static and dynamic tension a deliberate use of similarity in composition can impart meaning to the viewer that is independent of the subject matter of the image
• Similarity or repetition in an image often has connotations of harmony and inter-relatedness, or rhythm and movement
• good composition: regardless of the subject matter, makes some use of similarity in arranging elements and space for aesthetic advantage
  
  

  

  Image Credit: Victor Ngai, New Yorker Interiors, 2014.

Image Credit: Kadir Nelson.

Continuity

• This Gestalt principle states that learners "tend to continue shapes beyond their ending points".
• The edge of one shape will continue into the space and meet up with other shapes or the edge of the picture plane.
• Continuity in the form of a line, an edge, or a direction from one form to another creates a fluid connection among compositional parts.
  
  

  

   Image Credit: Balthus, The Living Room, 1941-43.

Image Credit: Jing Jing Tsong, Twinkle Twinkle Small Hoku, 2014

Closure

• Closure is the effect of suggesting a visual connection or continuity between sets of elements which do not actually touch each other in a composition.
• The principle of closure applies when we tend to see complete figures even when part of the information is missing.
• Closure occurs when elements in a composition are aligned in such a way that the viewer perceives that "the information could be connected."
• Imaginary lines called vectors, or shapes called counter forms, are generated by these relationships, which the eye understands as part of the composition even though there is "nothing there.
• Vectors and counter forms exert forces and tensions that are as real in defining its underlying structure as the elements that are visible.
• Linear vectors direct the path of the eye through the composition and determine where the eye will go once it is attracted by the prominent features of the composition.
• A vector can be straight or curved, depending on the relationships that form it.
• Counter forms, (or negative spaces), determine to a great extent whether or not the composition will be perceived as a harmonious whole. Counter forms "echo" the positive visual elements with "similarity," or create powerful substructures that support and connect visible elements.
• Closure can be thought of as the tension or "glue" that holds a two-dimensional structure together
  
  
   

  

  Image Credit: Bev Doolittle

  
  
  
  
  Proximity

• The Gestalt law of proximity states that "objects or shapes that are close to one another appear to form groups". Even if the shapes, sizes, and objects are radically different, they will appear as a group if they are close together.
• refers to the way smaller elements are "massed" in a composition
• Also called "grouping," the principle concerns the effect generated when the collective presence of the set of elements becomes more meaningful than their presence as separate elements
• Arranging words into sentences or titles is an obvious way to group unrelated elements to enhance their meaning (it also depends on a correct order for comprehension)
• Grouping the words also changes the visual and psychological meaning of the composition in non-verbal ways unrelated to their meaning
• Elements which are grouped together create the illusion of shapes or planes in space, even if the elements are not touching.
• Grouping of this sort can be achieved with:

• Tone / value
• Color
• Shape
• Size
• Or other physical attributes 

Image Credit: Seurat, Sunday at the Park.

Image Credit: Chuck Close

Figure Ground

• shows our perceptual tendency to separate whole figures from their backgrounds based on one or more of a number of possible variables, such as contrast, color, size, etc.
• A simple composition may have only one figure
• In a complex composition there will be several things to notice. As we look from one to another they each become figure in turn.
• Everything that is not figure is ground
• As our attention shifts, the ground also shifts so that an object can go from figure to ground and then back
• Ground is sometimes thought of as background or negative space
• Figure-ground refers to the relationship between an object and its surround. Sometimes the relationship is stable, meaning that it is easy to pick out the figure from the ground.
• Other times the relationship is unstable, meaning it is difficult to pick out the figure from the ground. Rarely, the relationship is ambiguous, meaning that the figure could be the ground or vice-versa
• Clearly differentiate between figure and ground in order to focus attention and minimize perceptual confusion
• Camouflage is the deliberate alteration of figure-ground so that the figure blends into the ground
  
  

  

  Image Credit: Stefano Vitale, On the Take, 2015

  

  Image Credit: Jon Krause, The Invisible Puppeteer, 2015.

  

  Image Credit: M.C. Escher, Day and Night, 1938.
  
  

  
  What Gestalt Principles are being used in this illustration?
  
  

  

  Image Credit: Curtis Parker, 2015.

   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

   

Adobe Illustrator: What you need to know, Part 1

Arrows heads and tails without using the triangle tool

Illustrator has an arrow feature in the Stroke palette. Clicking on the left or right arrow you can determine the type of arrowhead or tail you wish to have on your line.

Once the arrowhead is chosen, you can decide if the scale of the arrowhead works and is not to big.

If you need to adjust the scale of the arrowhead to the line, the percentage scale below the arrowhead can be adjusted.

You can also adjust whether the arrowhead stays within the line length or goes beyond with the Align tool just below the Scale.

Blend tool does not make a smoothie 

But it does allow you to create multiples of an object, like grid lines, marks on charts, etc.

Start by creating a pair of objects, I'll create a graph for demo. So I made one vertical line and copy/pasted that duplicate to the right of the original. Like so.

The icon shown is the Blend tool.

Double click on the Blend tool and the Blend tool options box will open. Choose Specified Steps in the Spacing drop down.

In the field to the right, choose how many duplicates of the line you wish, I have chosen 5. Make sure the Orientation is selected as shown above. Click Ok.

Now we have 7 lines, evenly spaced apart. If you want to change that number, double-click on the Blend tool again and change the number of specified steps.

Now I have 10 lines.


To learn what other things you can do with the Blend tool, look at this tutorial https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/blending-objects.html

Transform Tool Palette

Did you know that there are options for the Transform tool? If it is not already in your palette options to the right, you can find it under Windows > Transform. Select it and an option dialogue box will appear.

At the bottom you will note the 3 boxes, if unchecked you'll need to check the Scale Strokes & Effects. Below is an example of what this selection does.

You can see from the example that when the selection is not checked and objects are transformed the stroke and effects that are attributed to the shape do not expand or contract with the transformation. But when the selection is checked, the stroke and effects modify based on the transformation.

Transparency Palette

Just like Photoshop, you have the option to manipulate the opacity and effects to the objects using the Transparency Palette. If it is not already in your palette options to the right, you can find it under Windows > Transparency. 

You can see the Opacity field, and the options you have clicking on the left drop down.

Remember these applications only apply themselves to the objects, not the layer.

Direct Selection Tool

I fondly name this the white arrow, maybe because the icon.

This arrow allows you to manipulate every object in Illustrator, by allowing you to select and move individual nodes. (blue square)

How to slice a pie

Creating our own charts and graphs does not pose to much of a problem. But pie charts are another problem. Illustrator has kindly provided us with a Pie Graph tool.

If you don't see it in the tool set, look under the Column Graph tool.

Once selected click and drag out an area on the art board, once released a pie chart will appear along with a table.

Illustrator automatically assigns the first slice as 1.00, you can change that in the grey field. You continue to add different slices to the pie graph going across to the next cell.

Once you have added all of your percentages, click on the check mark icon in the upper right corner of the table.

The slices of the pie graph are revealed. If you need to have a color graph, you'll need to use the Direct Selection tool to select the pieces of the graph and choose a color in the Swatches or Color palette.

Once you are done with the table, you can close it.

Art Board + and -

You can change the size of your Artboard or even add more of them, but clicking on the Artboard tool.

This will change the tool set in the bar at the top and will change the desktop, you'll be in the artboard space.

You'll notice the bar at the top to the right has fields for width and height, you can change the size manually there, or you can just pull the sides or corners of the artboard to change the size. If you wish to add another artboard, there is an icon of a turned up page on the artboard menu that when clicked will give you another artboard attached to your cursor. Find a place on the desktop and click to release it to the desktop.

Now I have 2 artboards and they are labeled as such in the upper left corners.