How to Create Web Graphics 10
Creating Web Graphics
In yesterday’s post on “How to Create Web Graphics 9″ we looked into yet another interesting option to affect the colours in our image – and with this the image itself.
While this hopefully inspired and motivated the artistically inclined amongst you, You may also have realized not only how complex this entire process is but also how important it is to know your ‘graphic engine’ inside-out. This only comes from patiently learning the techniques and trying to understand how we could combine them to attain certain effects. For this it’s essential to invest a lot of time in experimenting with absolutely everything we find in our Graphic Tools Program – be it Photoshop, Gimp or any other. And this takes a lot of effort, guts and time…
And then you must know that this process is never finished!
"Seascape" Example for Demo Purposes by Bianca Gubalke
Graphic Design Services
What I show you is only one example.
To explain and demonstrate my points, this example is always based on the same picture I created from scratch: the “Seascape” in a yellow light. You can follow this on the Layers as presented on the Screenshots; in the one above I show you another Image Adjustment Mode called “Posterize”. Nothing is hidden – but if you were to undertake these adjustments you’d always have to make your own decisions, based on your eye, your style, your personal perception, your own inner music. If I choose a value of say 7 in this particular case, you might choose 5 or 10 – and get a completely different result.
In fact, each step within the creative process is always a matter of choices – and with the incredible tools at our disposition online today they are truly limitless. Which makes it miraculous in one way, but also difficult: the more choices, the more possibilities! So here experience counts as it finds the right solutions amongst the many options.
This is particularly important when offering your Graphic Design Services to clients – as here time is money.
They want it now!
And then you are lucky if the client knows what he wants! Often enough they come with a vague idea, they may show you what they like as they saw it elsewhere. Alternatively, they like and trust your style and understanding of what they want as well as your fairness when it comes to pricing – and they let you do.
What is important is that you know what “the job” is for and who the target audience is.
Author Blogs
Taking our next Ycademy Seminar (August 2009) where we will focus on the Author Blogs, someone who has a background in Jewellery and Gemstones like Barry Bell needs a different approach than say Eileen Cupido who focuses on Childrens’ Books or Boruch Rappaport who targets his price-conscious Hosting clientele.
Some factors however apply to everybody:
Web Graphics Header
The needed Header size is always the same: 500 x 80.
Here’s an example I did for Barry Bell that is in harmony with his NewsCast Blog:
Header for Barry Bell
And the same for Eileen Cupido… the font and colour speak for themselves, don’t they… :
Header for Eileen Cupido
Web Banner
The Banner size in the Header area also remains the same: 468×60 – the usual web banner size.
Here’s what I did for Barry Bell for his Online Newspaper Blog and which he will be using again to possibly lead people from his brand-new Author Blog to his NewsCast Blog:
Banner for Barry Bell
… and for Eileen Cupido:
Web Banner for Eileen Cupido
Web Graphics Backgrounds
And then there is a background that needs a colour.
As everybody learned during the Ycademy Pre-Seminar Call, the background needs a picture that will be tiled. It can be a tiny thing of 8 x 8 pixels or a little larger. I created this one for Barry Bell to go with the elegant Gemstone Theme on his NewsCast Blog:
Background Image for Barry Bell- to be tiled
I hope you see it? The light is so brilliant right now that I don’t see much, however, I know what I did and it looked promising at night :) Let’s see what the tiling brings… that still needs to be seen!
Anyway… there will be some stunning results after the Ycademy Seminar; it will certainly boost each author’s image and Google Top 10 efficiency! Yet another step on our “Path to Profitability”.
As you see, it’s always about bringing it all down to its essence and then. . . allow it to flow…
What do we learn from this?
To understand your Customer, be a Customer yourself!
Either the client knows exactly what he or she want and provide you with images, logos, exact colour scheme and fonts that all go with their existing Brand or a new Brand that they want to establish – in which case you as a Graphic Designer just execute – and the more experience and skills you’ve acquired the faster and better you are in translating that briefing into the demanded result… which as a consequence affects YOUR reputation as a professional.
OR… you need to ask the right questions to get the answers you need to steer your activities into the right direction without losing too much time From here you present some ideas from which the client chooses… and from where you then develop and finish off “the job”.
Ycademy Seminar – Author Blogs
All participants of this weekend’s Seminar (August 2009) will be extremely privileged owners of visually sophisticated and at the same time Google efficient Blogs based on the Semiomantics XO Script as developed by Yorgo Nestoridis.
The better you are prepared, the more you will be able to understand and expand your databank of personal Knowledge and Skills. So don’t miss tonight’s Pre-Seminar Ycademy Call!
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Dzienkuje…
And now, on to the majestic Primary Colours. Best enjoyed through loud headphones. With your eyes closed.|DecemberMay_x|And now, on to the majestic Primary Colours. Best enjoyed through loud headphones. With your eyes closed.
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