November 24, 2010
Hello, Dear Readers! And Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in and from the U.S.A.
This issue of the dekeOnline newsletter introduces a couple of new adjustments. Since this newsletter began, two things have become abundantly clear: 1) Deke is prolific and 2) Deke is not Superman. Sure, he’s produced nearly 6 training videos and written Adobe Illustrator CS5 One-on-One in just a few months. He’s even squeezed in a few Martini Hours and managed to send out a newsletter or two. But, by Deke’s standards, that wasn’t good enough. So he’s asked me to help. My job is to put together a more timely and more informative newsletter, and we’ve made plans.
What’s the plan for every issue? To bring you:
- Deke’s hottest tips: Dig into the vast dekeOnline and lynda.com archives to bring you the best tips. In this issue, find out How to Get Gorgeous Prints from Photoshop.
- All things Deke: What’s new and what’s coming. Order-up your own Deke’s Techniques video recipe in this issue!
- Members Only special offers: Great deals from affiliates for subscribers only, like the free Fotolia.com Premium Subscription offer in this issue.
- Fortnightly service: We’ll publish this wealth of information every two weeks.
Even though Deke himself won’t be typing out the newsletter anymore, he’ll have final say on everything that’s in it. You can think of me as something like his press secretary—and as I’m sure you know, he still sends all his virtual love.
Lou B
Illustrator CS5 One-on-One is released
Deke’s information-packed book, Adobe Illustrator CS5 One-on-One, is hot off the presses, but really, it’s more than just a book. You get step-by-step tutorials, hands-on project files, and hours of online video demonstrations from the maestro who’s been working with Illustrator for more than 2 years. You’ll try out professional techniques on engaging, real-world projects. Adobe Illustrator CS5 One-on-One will give you everything you need to know to master the fundamentals and be productive with Illustrator right away.
Featured Image from Fotolia
This week’s Fotolia image makes me strangely hopeful. Plus, it offers the kind of spark and sizzle that your artwork will have after you master Adobe Illustrator with the help of Deke’s book Adobe Illustrator CS5 One-on-One and his Illustrator CS5 One-on-One video courses on lynda.com. (Was that too obvious? And yet, it’s true.)
For the record, Fotolia offers the largest bank of royalty-free photos, illustrations, and videos perfect for any medium, whether print, motion, or web. Photographers and designers constantly update Fotolia with thousands of juried submissions each day. Fotolia protects its artists and offers high commissions while keeping prices low, so that everyone may enjoy and afford high-quality artwork.
Special offer for new Fotolia Subscribers Only:
New subscribers to Fotolia can get up to three images a day for a week, free of charge. That’s as many as 21 images, worth up to $21..
To take advantage of this special offer, check your newsletter email to obtain your personalized promotion code.
Offer expires December 1, 21
New Videos Coming Soon: Deke’s Techniques
Here’s your Chance to Weigh In and Get Your Own Recipe
Ever wanted to see a specific special effect detailed in video? Click to suggest a topic, and you may see your very own request produced as a “Deke’s Techniques” video recipe. This is a brand new series of single-movie recipe videos for lynda.com. Most will be available as free weekly video blogs on dekeOnline, others will be part of the extensive lynda.com Online Training Library.
In case you’re curious, both of these images were created in Photoshop with the help of photographs from the Fotolia image library. Amazingly, the effects also employ live editable text (in the form of smart objects).
Deke is eager to tailor his recipes to your interests. So please visit this link and drop us a comment to let us know what kinds of effects you’d like Deke to create!
Pixiq Podcast: John “Nemo” Nemerovski interviews Deke on HDR photography
In a seven-minute phone conversation, Deke responds to the question “why is HDR important, and why should it be used sparingly?” He discusses High Dynamic Range photography and how it compensates for the limitations of the camera. It’s actually more than just trickery. Along the way, he talks about musical chairs and walking through walls, and somehow it all makes sense.
Illustrator CS5 and more: Deke visits MacVoices with Chuck Joiner
Deke sat down with Chuck for an in-depth conversation about the difference between vector and pixel graphics, when Illustrator is the best tool for the job, and how to use it with Photoshop to get the best possible results.
Hot Tip: How to Get Gorgeous Prints From Photoshop
These tips come from Martini Hour #74, where Deke and dekeOnline sidekick Colleen Wheeler talk (Photo)shop. Their recommendation? Get better prints from your desktop printer by being highly experimental: Try different approaches, write down what you did, and be willing to use up some ink and paper in the process. Once you find your favorite settings, you’ll be able to rely on them for proven results from then on.
In preparation for printing, there are a few steps to take, and one that you definitely should not.
(Note that this link requires dekeOnline membership.)
“Hi, I’m Deke, and I approve this Newsletter.”
good post