The 15 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Illustrator CS6 and how to create vector artwork for virtually any project and across multiple media: print, websites, interactive projects, and video. In addition to learning the key elements of the Illustrator interface, this completely revised CS6 edition covers the new tracing engine with improved shape and color recognition, a new pattern toolset with on-artboard controls and one-click tiling, a completely overhauled performance engine and modernized user interface for working more efficiently and intuitively, and more. "The Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students." --Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training Classroom in a Book(R), the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does--an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

    K. Ching. Each page has been meticulously revised to incorporate contemporary examples of the principles of form, space, and order - the fundamental vocabulary of every designer. The result is a beautifully illustrated volume that embraces today's forms and looks at conventional models with a fresh perspective. Here, Ching examines every principal of architecture, juxtaposing images that span centuries and cross cultural boundaries to create a design vocabulary that is both elemental and timeless. Among the topics covered are point, line, plane, volume, proportion, scale, circulation, and the interdependence of form and space. While this revision continues to be a comprehensive primer on the ways form and space are interrelated and organized in the shaping of our environment, it has been refined to amplify and clarify concepts. In addition, the Second Edition contains numerous new hand-rendered drawings; expanded section on openings and scale; examples of contemporary architectural design elements; expanded chapter on design principles; new glossary and index categorized by the author; and new 8 1/2 x 11 upright trim. In the Second Edition of Architecture: Form, Space, and Order, the author has opted for a larger format and crisper images. Mr. Ching has retained the style of his hand-lettered text, a hallmark of each of his books. This rich source of architectural prototypes, each rendered in Mr. Ching's signature style, also serves as a guide to architectural drawing. Doubtless, many will want this handsomevolume for the sheer beauty of it. Architects and students alike will treasure this book for its wealth of practical information and its precise illustrations. Mr. Ching has once again created a visual reference that illuminates the world of architectural form.

    Anyone who can hold a pencil can learn to draw.In this book, Bert Dodson shares his complete drawing system--fifty-five "keys" that you can use to render any subject with confidence, even if you're a beginner.These keys, along with dozens of practice exercises, will help you draw like an artist in no time.You'll learn how to:Restore, focus, map, and intensifyFree your hand action, then learn to control itConvey the illusions of light, depth, and textureStimulate your imagination through "creative play"

    There’s no faster, cheaper prototype in the world than a sketch on a sheet of paper. What’s unclear in words is suddenly crystal clear in a sketch, and you—and your team—can tackle problems in entirely new ways. Play around with ideas. Document your process. Think on paper. Visual thinking brings a whole new power to work.Think you can’t draw? Don’t worry! The simplest sketches are the most effective at communication and problem solving, so you can begin drawing in less time than your average coffee break. Pictures and visual communication harken back to the stone age for good reason--they’re natural, they’re quick, and they work. And they’ll work for you.If you’re looking for the next tool to help you solve your hardest (and most interesting) challenges at work, try a paper and pencil. This book teaches you how to use them well--and have a bit of fun along the way.With contributions from Amelie Sarrazin, Aleksandra Micek, Taylor Reese, Dan Brown, Daniel Cook, Kate Rutter, Eva-Lotta Lamm, Matthew Magain, Sunni Brown, Cristina Negrut, Daryl Meier Fahrni, Marc Bourguignon, Laura Klein, David Gray, Melissa Kim, Mike Rohde, Brian Gulassa, Andrew Reid, Rolf Faste, Raph Koster, Stone Librande, Robin Hunicke, Alicia Loring, Erin Malone, Stephen P. Anderson, Giorgia Lupi, Alex Osterwalder, Noelle Stransky, James Young, and Dan Roam.

    The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide and a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel.

    How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul addresses the concerns of young designers who want to earn a living by doing expressive and meaningful work, and who want to avoid becoming hired drones working on soulless projects. Written by a designer for designers, it combines practical advice with philosophical guidance to help young professionals embark on their careers. How should designers manage the creative process? What's the first step in the successful interpretation of a brief? How do you generate ideas when everything just seems blank? How to be a graphic designer offers clear, concise guidance for these questions, along with focused, no-nonsense strategies for setting up, running, and promoting a studio, finding work, and collaborating with clients.The book also includes inspiring interviews with ten leading designers, including Rudy VanderLans (Emigre), John Warwicker (Tomato), Neville Brody (Research Studios), and Andy Cruz (House Industries). All told, How to be a graphic designer covers just about every aspect of the profession, and stands as an indispensable guide for any young designer.

    1 was written with you in mind. This action guide takes you, step by step, through 30 bad habits that are crippling your time management efforts. Each habit is explored in detail. You'll learn about the triggers that prompt it and the ways in which it hurts your productivity. Most importantly, you'll receive a series of actionable tips you can use immediately to curb the bad habit and create a healthier, more productive habit in its place. A Blueprint For Better Time Management!Getting control of your time and improving your productivity is doable. You just need a blueprint describing the steps and a system for putting those steps into action. The 30-Day Productivity Boost Vol. 1 fills those gaps. Here's a sample of what you'll learn in this new action guide: - A simple formula for creating to-do lists that actually work (Day 3)- How to slash the amount of time it takes you to complete any task (Day 4)- How to stop being a people-pleaser and catapult your productivity (Day 6)- 5 tips for designing your workday so you can avoid working overtime (Day 7)- How to create a diet that improves, rather than hinders, your productivity (Day 9)- A 6-step system for breaking your procrastination habit (Day 10)- 6 easy tips for curbing your social media addiction (Day 12)- The productivity-killing effect of television and how to deal with it (Day 14)- How to control your inner critic and regain confidence in yourself (Day 18)- 6 ways to leverage your body's natural rhythms to get more work done (Day 21)- The one addiction nearly everyone has (and how to crush it!) (Day 24)- 4 actionable tips for taking advantage of the Pareto principle (Day 25)- 5 steps to creating reachable goals that motivate you to be more productive (Day 27)- An 8-step formula for avoiding - or recovering from - burnout (Day 29)- And much, much more!Bonus Material Included In The 30-Day Productivity Boost Vol. 1I've included an entire chapter devoted to helping you curb the behaviors that are destroying your time management efforts. You'll learn a 10-part system for breaking these bad habits and replacing them with patterns that boost your productivity. Take Action Today!Download your copy of The 30-Day Productivity Boost Vol. 1 today! Take action to improve your time management, and free up more time to spend with your loved ones and pursue your passions. Click the orange "Buy Now" button at the top of the Amazon sales page to grab your copy and start designing a more rewarding lifestyle!

    . . . This book is for the artist or non-artist, for the person who gets plain English, for the person who understands that practical talk can coax out the mystical messages that lie underneath." —Steve Martin Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz, one of the art world’s most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration—and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt—Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief. Brimming with rules, prompts, and practical tips, How to Be an Artist gives artists new ways to break through creative blocks, get the most from materials, navigate career challenges, and above all find joy in the work.Teeming with full-color artwork from visionaries ancient and modern, this beautiful and useful book will help artists of all kinds—painters, photographers, writers, performers—realize their dreams.

    No longer! This chunky blockbuster of a book is chock-full of solutions for overcoming all manner of artistic impediment. The blogger behind The Jealous Curator interviews 50 successful international artists working in different mediums and mines their insights on how to conquer self-doubt, stay motivated, and get new ideas to flow. Each artist offers a tried-and-true exercise—from road trips to 30-day challenges to cataloging the medicine cabinet— that will kick-start the creative process. Abundantly visual with more than 300 images showcasing these artists' resulting work, Creative Block is a vital ally to students, artists, and creative professionals.

    Her advice is nonjudgmental, with a sense of authority derived from working with clients such as Oprah and Saturday Night Live. Each concise chapter of this prescriptive book will walk you through the different phases and experiences of the creative process, such as how to communicate to a design team exactly what you want (adjectives are your best friend), which words or phrases to avoid so as not to stump the designer’s creativity (don’t say “Make it bigger”), the importance of designating one decision-maker, how to be open to something you didn’t imagine, and how to establish clarity of purpose. With informative and amusing stories of good and bad clients, How to Work with Creative People is a game-changing and approachable handbook for achieving a productive and enjoyable relationship with creative professionals, and is sure to join the canon of breakout visual business books such as Rework or The Power of Habit.

    It is like having a graphic design mentor who will help you come up with ideas, develop your concepts, and implement them in a way that is engaging and humorous. It gives readers the experience and ability that normally comes from years of on-the-job training. All of the essential techniques of graphic design and its digital implementation are covered. Read this book and gain 25 years of experience in how to think like a creative, act like a businessman and design like a god.This book is designed like a notebook, with all the authors' tips and knowledge already inside. However, it also includes blank pages that allow the user to personalize this reference book with specific notes that are relevant to his or her studio, suppliers or clients.

    Burn Your Portfolio teaches the real-world practices, professional do's and don'ts, and unwritten rules of business that most designers, photographers, web designers, copy writers, programmers, and architects only learn after putting in years of experience on the job.Michael Janda, owner of the Utah-based design firm Riser, uses humor to dispense nugget after nugget of hard-won advice collected over the last decade from the personal successes and failures he has faced running his own agency. In this surprisingly funny, but incredibly practical advice guide, Janda's advice on teamwork and collaboration, relationship building, managing clients, bidding work, production processes, and more will resonate with creative professionals of all stripes.

    A picture really can tell a thousand words. Visualization is a crucial part of the journey for companies seeking to boost enterprise agility, break down silos and increase employee and customer engage­ment. Visualizing thought processes can help break down complex problems. It empowers teams and staff to build on one another's ideas, fosters collaboration, jump-starts co-creation and boosts innovation.This book will help brush aside misconcepti­ons that may have prevented you using these techniques in your workplace. You don't need Van Gogh's artistic talent or Einstein's intelli­gence to harness the power of visual thinking and make your company more successful.With the right mindset and the simple skills this book provides you the skills to develop your own signature and style and start gene­rating change by integrating visual communi­cation into your business setting.

    Master the 3 C's of Head-Turning Design!Cover your basics with the book that covers everything from typography and color to layout and business issues! Jim Krause, author of the popular Index series, guides you through the understanding and practice of the three elements every successful visual design must have:Components: Learn how to get the most out of the photos, illustrations, icons, typography, linework, decoration, borders and backgrounds you use within your design.Composition: Practice combining the components of a design in a visually appealing way by using the principles of placement, grouping, alignment, flow and spacing to create a pleasing, cohesive design.Concept: Utilize the intangible elements of theme, connotation and style to present and deliver your message in a way that will wow your clients every time.Whether you're a new, mid-level or experienced designer who is brainstorming ideas or finalizing your presentation, this handy-to-use, take-it-with-you book will instruct and inspire you to new heights of creativity.

    More and more of us are blending big company jobs, startup gigs, freelance work, and volunteer side projects. We take chances to expand our knowledge, capabilities, and experience. But how do we make sense of that kind of career - and explain it?Pamela Slim, the acclaimed author of Escape from Cubicle Nation, gives us the tools to have meaningful careers in this new world of work. She shows how to find the connections among diverse accomplishments, sell your story, and continually reinvent and relaunch your brand.