Messing Around

 The place I work has boring stock photos that they use in all their Powerpoint templates, so every time someone does a presentation, you see the same photos of people thinking and laughing and pondering their ancestry. 

So I started adding myself in to liven things up. I'd use them in presentations and as my profile pic in Zoom. People enjoyed and it got so now I'm the guy they're having make the new Powerpoint templates. 

Anyway. Here's some of that fun times

Feverish Realizations

When I was feverish from having a Covid booster I began to see things in the silly string spatters on the ceiling above my bed. 

"Why is there Silly String  spatters above your bed?" you may ask. Because I was testing some web shooters.

The first one, it's a dragonfly with no wings saying "why did my wings fall off on this Valentine's Day when I have this big heart for my lover"

2021 Designs I Had Fun WIth

I created a banner/logo/agenda for a rally that had some famous names attending. I forget who, though. 

Once again, I had a lot of fun with a good client and friend, Fat Daddy. He let me do his Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas version of his logos, in addition to other ventures he began dabbling in, like:

His new Cajun grill he's opening up. 

His upstairs videogame/party place

and his Wings Restaurant that sold secondhand wings.

I do quite a bit for the neighborhood, and the funnest one is usually the Dutch Oven poster/flyer. 

Another reliable one that comes to me every year is the Mapleton Concert Series poster. This year I drew their park's gazebo and incorporated it into the design. 

I did quite a few logos. One was for a farm foundation that my old mission companion started. 

The client actually said this chicken was the greatest logo I've ever done. I don't know about that. 

This is for a former HR director and good friend. She wanted a family crest that incorporated things that were meaningful to her family, like the Corvette logo. 

As always, I did a bunch of shirts. Clients like me to do stuff with their existing logo so they can make employee swag. 

I love doing shirts, and these were a ton of fun and I'm proud of them. That means, of course, they were not accepted and can only be seen here unless I make my own shirts of them. 

Speaking of slavery, I think the most famous dude to wear one of my designs(inspired from his grave on Roots) was Lavar Burton. 

So, this year was a fruitful and enjoyable time as a designer and illustrator. I love my job, and I love being able to be creative and get paid for it. 

p.s. I forgot to show my greatest work, made in 10 seconds while on a Zoom call with my family, after my brother told me mom her hair looked like George Washington. 

My Schedule for AdobeMax

 I think I may have over-booked. 

Tuesday

Mastering the Essentials of Adobe XD — Part 1

What's New in Photoshop? Features, Time-Saving Tools, and More

 Photoshop for Designers: Getting Speed and Consistency in Creative Campaigns — Part 1

Introduction to Logo and Text Animation in After Effects — Part 1

Getting Started with Adobe XD

How to Be the Social Content Creator That Brands Love

Designing Appealing Characters with Adobe Fresco Using Shapes and Space — Part 1

An Introduction to Adobe XD for UI and UX Design

Wednesday

Promote Yourself and Uplift Your Brand Value with Adobe Portfolio

Adobe MAX Keynote

Bold New Strokes for Illustration and Painting

The Life of an Illustrator and Artist, or Being a “Painter Without a Boss”

 Illustrator Workflows Part 2: Increase Efficiency, Avoid Problems

Automating Photoshop: Indispensable Timesaving Techniques

MAX Sneaks

Create Awesome Artwork Anywhere with Adobe Fresco

 Photoshop for Visual Designers: Advanced Techniques and Tips

The Nine Most Common Template Challenges and How To Fix Them

Mastering Infographics and Visual Communication with Adobe Illustrator

 My Life-Changing Journey from 2D to 3D with Adobe Dimension

Essential Photoshop Tricks for Designers

Adobe Fresco Part 2: Creating Scenes, Color, Texture, and Effects

Adobe XD: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Up Productivity

The Art and Craft of Amazing Portraits

From Contract to Creation: Keeping Business Moving with Acrobat

Creating on Social Media: More Gain with Less Pain

Thursday

What Is Good Design? Moreover, What Is Design?

Lettering Design Master Class

What's New in Illustrator? Features, Time-Saving Tools, and More

Creating Thumb-Stopping Content for Social Media

Illustrator Workflows Part 3: Tips, Devices, and Extensions

Social Motion: Using After Effects for Social Media

Adobe Illustrator: Pro Tips, Essential Techniques and New Features

Packet of Urine

This article was a fun read. I think all articles should start with "Armed with a packet of his own urine..."

There's not really a happy place to go from there.

Armed with a packet of his own urine, the man gave the child a balloon.

Armed with a packet of his own urine, the boy entered the cathedral.

Armed with a packet of his own urine, John knew that this test drive of a Porsche 911 would end differently.