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MOTHERS DAY CARD

Posted by Matthew Marron On 08:26 2 comments

This Sunday was mothers day and after using the laser cutting facilities at my University for the first time last week, I decided it would be nice to create a laser cut card which would be something totally unique and last longer than a simple throw away card.

The design has a very playful and handmade feel to it, which is ironic as it was created straight onto the computer screen and cut out using a laser cutter.

It supports itself by having two feet that slot into it which also have designs cut into them. As a finishing touch I lightly sanded the front of the MDF to remove small burn marks and to give it a softer feel.

I've also included a picture of the shadow it casts as it looks really good.

Thanks for reading,

Matt.

illustration, laser cut, MDF, mother's day |

FREE HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

Posted by Matthew Marron On 16:21 0 comments

12 High-Resolution Photoshop brushes i have created.

Created in Photoshop CS3

Please link me to Artworks created using these brushes, Its good to know that they're of use.
It gives me proper motivation when I know something I have created is helping someone else..

Thanks,

Matthew Marron

brushes, cs3, free, paint, photoshop, spray |

NEW BLOG LAYOUT

Posted by Matthew Marron On 05:12 0 comments

Well I though id have ago at doing a different blog layout, one which had a theme that could be used for a matching website, banners and business card . etc.

I spent alot of time messing with the coding in order to get some kind of grid like design set up so that the design looks more professional and i think it has had a big impact on the overall look of the site. The header of the blog was inspired by the Soulwax - Nite Versions album art. I choose the hidden text style because its everything I want my blog to be; fresh, simple, clean, memorable and innovative. It should work well, as it requires the user to move away from the screen a little to understand it, because the user has to take this physical action it means that the website will have more of an impact on them and will stay in there minds, hopefully causing more visitors to return and from a portfolio point of view, be the one that stays fresh in the clients mind.

The new layout is far from finished so feel free to leave a comment suggesting improvements, don't be shy!

In other news, the blog is slowly but surly becoming more popular.

And also my Chipblocked font has been accepted on dafont.com (click the link to download.)

Finally, keep checking back for some cool textures and photoshop brushes which are work in progress.

Thanks,

Matthew.

da font, font, layout, new |

This Is Where The Magic Happens..

Posted by Matthew Marron On 16:15 0 comments

Just thought I would upload a nice picture of my desk and the atmosphere that i work in. Also here's the spec of my PC at the moment to show what I'm working with: Pentium 4, 2.40Ghz with 1GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500 graphics card running dual screens. My operating system is windows XP and I use the classic theme for that retro look and to keep everything running fast.

PC, Set up, Workspace |

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

Posted by Matthew Marron On 15:38 0 comments

Finally here is a piece of work! I've also noticed is the second blue VW I've uploaded this month!

For our latest briefs at Uni we have been asked to create a image using 2 photographs 2 scanned images and 1 of our own choice.

This is what I have created, for one of the scanned images I used a scan of some spray paint dribbles I sprayed onto some card. For the other scanned image I scanned a piece of scrunched up brown paper which had been torn into a rough circle. For the photographs I used an photo I took in summer at a classic car show that I entered with my Mini. For the second image I used a picture of some fencing silhouetted by a cloud covered sun, I removed the sun and clouds and was left with a stencil like image of the fence.

On the image of the car, I tried to make it look like it had been hand painted, I achieved this by putting blotches of spray paint behind the car in black and on the car in blue. I also removed some of the reflections in the paintwork using the brush tool the same colour as the car and adding a white reflection mark using the brush tool, using a rough edged brush. Finally I made the lines darker on the car and added abit of text for affect using my own Chipblocked font I created.

I am very pleased with the outcome of this, and I am glad a brief has given me the opportunity to explore my creativity and produce such a good outcome.

Freelance Advice

Posted by Matthew Marron On 11:06 0 comments

I've not posted and of my work in a while, but I should have lots soon! Just started getting back into photography so that has been taking up my spare time at the moment.

I've noticed the blog is getting more visits recently which has made me very happy, hopefully as I start uploading more resources and useful content it will grow bigger.

Just read this article about tips for new freelancers on Freelance Switch.

I found the article to be very informative and some quite humorous.

Here are the main ones I found useful and how I can apply them in my practise and what Information I took from them:

“People buy benefits, not features.” - This is a good point, trying to impress clients with useless features wont work, they know what they want, and wont be fobbed off with features they don't need.

“Don’t take on more than you can handle you will end up losing more than you thought you would be earning.” - I've always thought that even if you have too much on you've got nothing to loose, but the reality is if you reduce the quality of your work in order to take on more clients, none wins. The clients will be unhappy with the finished product, and you will loose business and gain a bad reputation. Quality is better than quantity, always!

“Don´t be afraid of asking something you dont know to someone who is more experienced than you.” - I think people as a whole, not just designers are scared to ask for advice. This is because they dont want to appear inexperienced, unintelligent or ask what could be seen as a silly question, however its better to ask a silly question and feel a fool than make a silly mistake in your work and get a reputation as a fool.

“Get up at the same time every morning, shower, get dressed like you’re leaving the house, and sit down with a cup of coffee in your office at the same time every day.” - This is a good tip as when you are working as a freelance designer, I imagine the boundaries between your own time and work time can become very faded. I know that if I worked from home as a freelancer this is something I'd have to adhere to, in order to keep a routine and remind me that I am working.

“Enjoy what you do, when you stop enjoying it. Stop doing it.” - Anyone can use Photoshop, however it takes someone with real enthusiasm, motivation and passion for design to create a well designed product.

That is all, Thank you for reading!

Freelance advice |

David Carson

Posted by Matthew Marron On 08:09 0 comments

Just finished watching a very funny talk by David Carson over on TED.com. He is a very funny guy and really has a passion for what he does, the video has really inspired me and the main thing I got from it was his definition of a good job, which is "if money is no object would you still be doing it?". I'm glad to say I can definitely answer yes to this question!

David Carson is an American Graphic Designer. He is famous for his work in Ray Gun magazine and his abstract use of typography mixed with powerful images. He is one of the most influential graphic designers of the 90's and defined the "grunge" era which I was very interested in and inspired me when I first started using Photoshop 7, 7 years ago.

David Carson |