thoughts. images. illustration. graphic design.

the blog companion of hopscotch graphics

1.28.2011

disappearing act

I'm working on a brochure for the Sandy Action Center and was given information that included some photos. Busy busy busy! I took out a bunch of details with the clone tool and then lightly brushed over those areas with a blending color. Next I made a copy and selected the ladies keeping them sharply in focus, and then applied a slight lens blur to the surrounding areas. I'll only use a small part of the photo in the publication, but it still makes a subtle yet important difference.

1.27.2011

flapping in for a repeat performance


a raven detail I did last year at this time. I used a mixture of illustrator, photoshop, back to illustrator for the letters and the background. So Many Options! But this is where I stopped for tonight.

1.24.2011

a good morning


What could be better than time. Time to have a cup of tea and sketch before really getting serious about tackling what will end up being "my day's accomplishments". I've always been partial to yellow cats, Coriander is not. Today he becomes a cat of a different color, via Photoshop.

On second thought, how would it look live traced and colored in illustrator? Oh, okay!
Ahh, maybe these colors . . .

1.23.2011

Queen Jenn!


Jenn, a shift at my Starbucks got transferred to another store and last night was her LAST NIGHT - sad. Anyhow, I made her a crown which she wore throughout the evening as she waited on customers, and pins for us to wear declaring our intention to thoroughly miss her!
So, yes I'll miss Jenn and that's just a fact!
(The terrible picture I took of her wearing it would be terms for the end of our friendship if posted, so I took the Illustrator file I made it in, made it a symbol, made a circle and did a revolve and extrude applying the crown symbol to it with Map Art, then turned on the Invisible Geometry so it could show through from front to back. )

1.14.2011

notebooks!


I used the artwork from the entries in my blog to make blank notebooks, how fun! I printed out 2 per 8.5" X 11" coated one side heavy stock paper, filled them with unlined blank paper and gave them a sturdy board back cover, trimmed down, coil bound and they are ready and waiting for inspirations to be recorded.

1.08.2011

stroking the cat




Another pencil drawing from breaktime at work, scanned and live traced into illustrator then pasted into Photoshop. Multiple layers of brushstrokes building up to a soft fur. Using a brush with many points, low opacity and stroking it as I build the cat colors presented endless possibilites, but you have to stop somewhere, right?