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Hand-Drawn Texture 101

by morgan · Mar 9, 2011

Creating Vibrant Hand-Drawn Texture in Photoshop

In this tutorial we will explore a technique to use hand-drawn textures in digital illustration. This method is quick, and simple to use. However, it requires that you take some time to understand the application before getting started. The first part of this tutorial is about making textures and preparing them for digital art. The second part will demonstrate a method to paint with texture and apply some color theory. This will all be created using Photoshop CS3, and should take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the textures you make.

Trace and Ink Wash

by morgan · Sep 2, 2010

Stop faking in Photoshop and make it REAL

There are many great brushes and techniques to produce ink wash in Photoshop, but they all fall short of the real thing. Why? Because Photoshop is missing the most essential ingredient for ink wash— WATER. Ink wash and water color rely on the flow of water to produce a wide range of effects, including gradients, blotches, and pooling of pigments. In this tutorial I will show how to combine tracing and ink wash to produce a work of art that you can scan and use in digital works. Rather than giving a step-by-step instruction, I will instead explain the techniques and media used to create the image so you can apply them to your own works. Ready?

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Vector Textures Made Simple

by morgan · Mar 4, 2010

The basics of opacity masks in Adobe Illustrator

Masking is an incredibly powerful tool for making textures and fades in the Creative Suite. Both Photoshop and Illustrator can create these effects, but there are pros and cons to using each. Making textures in Photoshop can often become cumbersome and tedious, due to both the interface and the nature of its graphics. In Illustrator however, textures are a breeze to make and edit, as well as being highly flexible vector graphics. In this tutorial I will show you how to use opacity masks in illustrator to create textured effects with ease.

Welcome!

by morgan · Jan 31, 2010

Welcome to Freehand Futurist, the illustration blog spotlighting freehand drawing within the design process. This blog I will discuss the importance of drawing as a design tool, and show how freehand drawing can be incorporated into the modern design process. I plan to write some tutorials showing how to digitize hand-drawn elements, as well as interviews with illustrators and designers. If you have an idea for an article, please submit it, your feedback is greatly appreciated.