Deke’s Techniques

Your weekly quick-fix of Deke, with ideas you may inspire or inform your own projects.

Precisely Sizing Any Polygon in Adobe Illustrator

Deke shows you how to get precise measurements for your hexagon by using the circle that is secretly around it.

Turning a Blend into a Repeating Pattern in Illustrator

Deke creates a seamlessly repeating pattern in Adobe Illustrator from the color blended lantern tile he made last week.

Quickly Change the Number of Blend Steps in Illustrator

Deke teaches you the ins-and-outs of making object blends in Illustrator, including some useful mnemonic tips for getting to the Blend tool.

Adobe Illustrator Lantern Tile, Type 1, aka “the Onion”

Deke uses Adobe Illustrator to create three types of repeating lantern tiles, shining light on how to get things done with the Pen tool.

Two Ways to Colorize with Gradients in Photoshop

Deke uses two different methods to colorize a tryptic portrait with gradients in Photoshop

Flipping a Face to Create New Identities

Deke flips and mirrors a model's face to explore human facial symmetry in Photoshop.

Continuous Rainbow Faces in Photoshop

Deke applies a gradient adjustment layer to give his five-headed beauty the rainbow treatment in Photoshop.

Repeating a Face So that It Shares a Common Eye in Photoshop

Deke uses Photoshop's Free Transform command, a layer mask, and a secret shortcut to create five repeating faces blended into one.

Drawing a Pool Cue in Illustrator

Deke finishes up his "pool hall pool themed" clock in Adobe Illustrator by making the cues that will become the hands.

Rotate versus Transform Each in Adobe Illustrator (as Applied to Billiard Balls)

Deke clicks another hour closer to finishing his imaginary pool-themed clock by using Adobe Illustrator's Rotate and Transform Each command to get the hour balls in place and upright.

Turning a Sphere into a Colorful Pool Ball in Adobe Illustrator

Deke makes progress on his pool hall clock in Adobe Illustrator this week, by turning the cue ball into a 6 by applying color and text.

Drawing a Gradient Sphere as a 2D Shape in Adobe Illustrator (aka “The Cue Ball)

Deke begins his imaginary pool hall–themed clock by drawing a cue ball for the center in Adobe Illustrator