Thanks to Barbara Babcock!

On behalf of FRC², we would like to give a big shout out to Barbara Babcock for the fantastic workshop that she presented on watercolor painting to our group! We all agreed that we want Barbara to come back again to do another watercolor workshop, so if you missed out, no worries! Barbara will be back in the near future!

Thanks Barbara!

In a creative rut? Get inspired with a list of links and books (for GDs, artists, photographers)

At the end of the semester, it's easy to feel burnt out. So, here are some links to help you get your mojo back!



The process of creativity

6 myths of creativity

An interesting article describing the stages of creativity graphic designers progress through as they learn.
What stage do you think describes your creativity? How to you plan to progress to the next level?

12 ways to add randomness and creativity to your photographs

Becoming a more creative photographer. This article has a whole series on creativity makeovers

7 photography projects to jump start your creativity

Cross train your brain with this how-to article.

101 projects and exercises for artists and illustrators

In a rut? Design something every day!

8 self-motivating tips for GDs

5 steps to get out of a creative jam.

A creative month: a guide to making next month your most creative! 
This post is great not just for GDs, but all creative types.

How to avoid creative burnout. This article also quotes several designers on how they deal with burnout.

Finding time to be creative. Inspiration can sometimes hit us at any time; this article gives some tips on how to capture those thoughts so you don't forget them.


And here are some books to buy (or check out from your library!) to help you get and stay inspired!


Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice

365: A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life!

The Graphic Design Exercise Book

Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills

The Web Designer's Idea Book: The Ultimate Guide To Themes, Trends & Styles In Website Design

Live & Learn: Expressive Drawing: A Practical Guide to Freeing the Artist Within (AARP)

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun (Lab Series)

One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration and Mixed Media 

The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos


Creative Black and White: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques

Hope this gets your mind going, Jenn.

Job Opportunity!

Dale Rosenbach received information about a job opportunity, and he wanted me to pass this along to FRC². He heard that they were looking for graphic artist(s) to work on commission basis. Dale doesn't really know much about the the company since this job opportunity came from an outside source, however he still thought it might be worth a shot to those people looking for work.

Job information:
BCIS Enterprises (Located in Longmont)
http://www.bcisenterprises.com
Lynora Boulton (Contact Person)

Resumes: a few links to get you thinking

Here are some links concerning resumes, CVs and cover letters to help you on your way!

Resume How-To's
Why you need a beautiful resume

Basic graphic designer's resume layout

Resume Do's and Don'ts

Another resume Do's and Don'ts article

Resume advice for recent grads

7 deadly sins of resume design

10 resume design tips


Cover Letters
Simple step by step guide to cover letters

Why you shouldn't skimp on cover letters

And now for the inspiration!

Make a 1 page resume/portfolio (interesting idea)


Make a 1 page online portfolio (shows example sites)
27 examples of cool resumes

30 artistic and creative resumes


And last but not least, a BONUS I found while browsing! 99 sites every designer should know

Hope this helps you on your way,
Jenn

Member News!

Congratulations to Sarah Rosenbaum!

Sarah has launched a new website for her graphic design business!

Check it out at:

http://www.studioconcrete.com

Awesome job on your website, Sarah! It is really innovative and eye catching!

Artwork Wanted!

We would like to highlight one piece of your artwork on the FRC² website in the FRC² gallery.
If you would like to display a piece of your artwork, please follow the instructions below:
The artwork must be 72 dpi in jpg format.
If the artwork is in portrait view, the artwork must be 214 x 320.
If the artwork is in landscape view, the artwork must be 478 x 320.
Please email your artwork to Cheryl cheryl@cscapes.net

Poets Wanted!

Poets Wanted!

NEED YOUR CREATIVE WRITING TALENTS!

We have three people signed up so far to read their poetry and stories, but we are going to need a lot more!

Please email Cheryl at cheryl@cscapes.net if you would like to get on the list to share your creative writing talents!

Barbara Babcock-Watercolor Artist

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Barbara Babcock yesterday. She is a very gifted artist, and I personally can't wait to learn from her on December 9th about watercolor painting at the FRC² workshop.

Please make sure you don't miss out on this presentation! All the details and supplies are listed on the FRC² calendar under the date of December 9th:
http://www.frc2.org/calendar.html

Barbara offers classes on watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting. Her class fees are really reasonable, and her classes are ongoing. If you are interested in learning more about her classes, please call her at:
970-207-9440

Barbara is in the process of building her website, but you can still check her out at:
barbarababcockstudio.com

Make sure you check out her gallery link, it is amazing!
Barbara will be showing artwork at the CoCOA , as well as some of her students' work. This show will run til the end of January. Check it out at:
http://cocoaart.com/

Hope to see you all at the workshop on December 9th at FRCC-Larimer Campus, in MA 171!

Please remember our presenters give their free and valuable time to FRC² for us to grow as artist, hone our skills, and learn something new. Please make sure that you show your appreciation by attending their presentations! Thanks!

Logo Needed-Short Notice

Dale Rosenbach-FRCC instructor at the Larimer Campus is seeking graphic artists to develop a logo for the following organization:

From the Heart Volunteers
http://www.meetup.com/From-the-Heart-Volunteers/

The logo needs to be no larger than 3 x 3 inches centered on a 8.5 x 11 page. The logo needs to include a heart, or a butterfly, or a combination of these symbols.

The logo is due by Monday, December 5, 2011, no later than 5 pm.

1. You can personally deliver Dale a CD of the artwork in Adobe Illustrator format on Dec. 5th, and he will be at FRCC-Larimer Campus in BP117 by the deadline.

2. You can email him a PDF of the artwork to his school email by the deadline at:

Dale.Rosenbach@frontrange.edu

Sorry for the short notice, but if you want to get your creative energy flowing this might be the organization to do it for.

Interesting Video!

Caitlin Ming sent this link in to FRC². It is an interesting and inspirational video about the first few years as a professional in a creative industry.

You might find it worthwhile to check it out:

http://www.heywhipple.com/2011/09/23/way-cool-video-from-ira-glass/

Thanks Caitlin!

Color Scheme Designer & The Adobe Kuler

Hello all C² Members!

Check out some of these great online tools to help you with your designing and coloring skills.

The first one is the Adobe Kuler

“Discover Adobe® Kuler® — the web-hosted application for generating color themes that can inspire any project. No matter what you're creating, with Kuler you can experiment quickly with color variations and browse thousands of themes from the Kuler community.” - Adobe.com - About Kuler

The second is the Color Scheme Designer 3

With this version of Color Scheme Designer you are able to select from 6 traditional color schemes - Mono, Complementary, Triad, Tetrad, Analogic, and accented Analogic. It even has a randomize color option. With your cursor you can choose your color scheme by clicking on the color wheel on the left hand side. To the right of this, a window that shows the various hues within that scheme appears in rectangles separating each other. If you hover your cursor over them, the hex number (i.e. #FFFFFF) appears for your convenience.

This application also has some very helpful export options such as: HTML+CSS; XML; Text; ACO (Photoshop Palette); and GPL (GIMP Palette). There is even a ‘Colorblind’ feature where you can change to the appropriate scheme (there are 8 total) if you are colorblind. There are many other features but you’ll have to check out it and play around.

I hope these will be helpful in your creative endeavors!

- Lane Leazer

Adobe Max 2011

 

 Click to view the Adobe Max 2011 Conference keynote video

To see what Adobe has planned for the future with their software developments, check out this video;

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/max-2011-keynotes/creativity-unleashed/

This is a 1-hour long video. It is a recording of the annual Adobe Max Conference which was held this year in Los Angeles, CA. The presentation graphics themselves are amazing - especially in the opening sequence. If you don't have time to watch the entire video, be sure to at least watch the beginning.

If you are interested in following the Adobe Max conferences, click the following link;
http://max.adobe.com/

For anyone interested in graphic or web design, this overview shows where software and hardware is heading in the future.

For fine artists or anyone who plans to spend any time online with their own websites or in any other creative venture, this presentation may interest you too.

Enjoy!