I want to start this article by saying that I am in no way biased to one gender, and I am in no way trying to insult or undermine anyone's level of skill or expertise. With that being said, this is something that hit me this morning. It takes a lot to mold a person...
graphic design

Crop One Large Photo Creatively to Create Multiple photos for a Design
When we are designing a layout, sometimes it can be difficult and time consuming to find multiple images for a layout that will work together and create a sense of unity to our design. There are so many resources available, such as the stock photography web sites, or...
This Weeks set of creative inspiration
This week is filled with beautiful photography, illustration, and fantastic paintings. One of my personal favorites is the one where the alphabet is beautifully painted throughout a city. I personally love expressive and beautiful ways that people paint or illustrate...
Equipment: does it really make our designs any better?
There have been so many times where I have been talking to colleagues and other digital artists and I have heard them say "I am saving up for a new Apple Macbook Pro", or "I am saving up to build a new super PC, I will be able to design much better on a faster...
My Take on Steve Jobs and Flash
I am sure that everyone has heard the buzz going on around the internet with Steve Jobs not supporting Flash on Apple devices. I have gotten dozens of emails asking my take on this issue, which I will address. While I am not an avid animator, I certainly understand...
Quickly Remove Background Imagery in Photoshop
Remove Background I do a lot of image editing, especially since I work on a lot of catalogs. I have companies that send in all sorts of images, including ones that are shot professionally on a white background in a studio, and those that are shot in bad lighting and...
Why I Respect Professional Photographers
1. They have an eye for telling a story. They use their keen eyes to find a scene or a place in time that tells a story to their audience. Photojournalists are some of the best at this, because it captures a moment in time and history, that can't be recreated....
Places To Go For Inspiration May 16, 2010
These works are really interesting and creative. Some of them are quickies, but some of them you will want to spend some time exploring. INSPIRE ME NOW MICHAEL KENNA AIRGROOM JEAN-MARIE VIVES BRIGHTBOX CREATIONS JOSH KEYES MARK MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY RASSOULI CORO36INK...
Playing Nice with Others: What Networking Can Do For You
I have been a graphic designer for a few years now, and I will have to admit that fresh out of school, I had no idea the level of importance networking had. I didn't even understand how to go about it, and what the point was. It took a long time to find a job in the...
An Artist and Designer That I Would Like to Meet: The Talented Milton Glaser
When I think of modern icons of graphic design, there are many different names that come to mind, but for me, one stands out in particular who is not only a great designer, but is also a brilliant and wise person as well. I am talking about the unbelievable, the...
I have been bombed! Those WordPress Terrorists!!!
Some of you may know, and some of you may not, that Wordpress was hacked Friday morning. Much to my dismay, my site works with Wordpress to post my articles, plus the widgets are neat and handy, since I am not so much a developer/ programmer as I am a designer, and...
Methods to the Mayhem
What I have realized from being an artist for years is that we all have a different ways of doing things when it comes to creating our artwork. Some of us like to do a mainly traditional route and sketch everything out. Some people like to take a bunch of photographs...
Does Going Green Save Green?
As Designers, especially in print, it is out responsibility to consider our impact on the world, not only visually, but environmentally. Many times we consider green printing products and think of big budget clients, but there are many options out there that are cost...
Is Twitter really that helpful in promoting your business?
I am on twitter, and I like to post my articles daily, and I submit them to different social networking places, so that I can get as many people to come to Creative Beacon as possible to read my new article. I am sure everyone does that on a daily basis. The thing is,...
Something Really Cool to Check Out-TECHi
I am a huge fan of any site that I think is well done, well organized, well designed, etc., and the site I ran across today is absolutely fantastic! It is fun, interesting, well designed, clean easy to read, and much more. The site I am talking about is a new blog...

Places to Go for Inspiration and Self Reflection
Some of these sites will inspire us as designers, artists, and photographers. Others will make us think about how we are all responsible for our actions, and how what we do can make a huge impact. WITNESS DAVID B. REEVES FERIC BENJAMIN KRAIN CHRIS BUZELLI CATH RILEY...

Using the Screen Blend Mode in Photoshop
Different Blend modes can help you to blend different objects together for compositing images. Recently, I was playing around with a few space images and came across a comet that I wanted to blend into a space background. This was quick and easy: Since the background...
Designers: Identity and Branding
Identity sets you apart form everyone else it tells everyone who you are, your purpose, and what you are all about. In history, people painted their faces or wore certain colors to identify which tribe they belonged to. They flew certain colored flags, banners or...
Things to Remember When Working With Clients
1. Always be honest. When a client can trust you, you will have their business for a long time. When they ask you a question, answer it directly and honestly. Do not mislead them or or do anything to break their trust. 2. Be upfront. Let them know your fees and what...
This Week’s Places to go for Artistic Inspiration
NICK BRANDT FLAME BOOK 0 to 255 Cole Rise Philip Straub Marguerite Savage Oliver Vernon Escape Into Life