DESIGNAHOLISM

Mystical Goth Transformation

2011-11-29T17:17:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted here!

Would you believe it if I said I have been ill for over 40 days? Well, I have. It's been a hell of a ride. One of the most difficult moments in my life; but I am happy to say I feel better now and getting back to a healthy state.

A few weeks back, I did this Photoshop transformation of a beautiful woman into a Mystical Gothic look. This was actually meant to be a Halloween artwork, but because of the above-mentioned event, I had to delay it by weeks!

Below is the Before and After version of it.

If you are interested in achieving a similar look or curious to know how I did this, you can view the video tutorial here or just watch it below :)

By the way, don't forget to Like Designaholism on Facebook! :-)

For any other inquiries, feel free to email me at designaholism@gmail.com

Thank you and have a great day! :)

Inspired when I close my eyes...

2011-10-28T23:00:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I posted something here. I have not been well, and was giving myself a little break from blogging, designing and making tutorials so I can recover quickly.

I just wanted to share a thought with you all. As I said in my previous post, when I close my eyes before I sleep, I see wonderful artwork and designs form in my head. Designs that I have never seen before. And very often, I don't remember them the next morning. Some things I try to hold on to so I can implement later, but 90% of it is gone with my sleep.

I had a nice chat with my friend last night, and he said that if he could, he would stop sleeping completely just so that he would not waste time and get more productive instead. I totally agree with him. As for me, I would want to close my eyes just so I could have all those visuals, and then resume working on them without sleeping.

If only we could do that...!

I shared my experience with another friend today, and she said that she got the same visuals when she was in the shower, and sometimes before sleeping as well.

I feel that this is an amazing thing; a gift that we should be grateful for and not let go of.

Image from: http://astrodynamics.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/inspiration.jpg

From what I analyze from it, I feel that this happens when we are really passionate about something we do. While we are stressed, we force our minds to generate ideas; but ideas don't really come that way. At least not for me. Ideas come when we are at our most relaxed state of mind. Sleeping, shower, meditation are some of the ways we achieve a state of relaxation, and that is how the ideas and visuals start flowing in.

What I suggest is that if you have similar experiences, keep a notepad or cell phone next to you at all times. When you get them, jot them down to refer to them later on. Trust me, we can achieve a lot of success if we listened to the creativity of our subconscious mind :-)

As for those who don't get these visuals, it is completely fine as well, the main thing is being PASSIONATE about something. Life is meaningless if we go along our daily routines without loving what we do.

I hope I didn't bore anyone here. I just had to share this, who knows, it might just motivate someone :-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Design Obsession

2011-10-09T00:47:00.000+08:00

Hi Guys,

I don't know whether this is a good or a bad thing, but lately, all I have been thinking about is Design. My friends think this is a good thing, but I still wonder.

Let me explain why,

When I close my eyes, I see a new design in my head and its really beautiful - something I have never done before.

When I sleep, I dream of working on some design.

When I go out, all I notice is the signage and ads everywhere.

In my free time, I am checking out commercials on Youtube.

When I am out taking a walk or having lunch, I am composing logos in my head; probably looking like a maniac with occasional hand gestures.

Sometimes I end up feeling really tired as a result, and that is why I feel it is not always a good thing. This is why I decided to take a break for a few days from working on my page and video tutorials. Tonight I'm supposed to rest and watch a movie, but here I am blogging about my design obsession and editing my latest video.

I wouldn't mind all the above if I wasn't feeling tired or stressed out. I guess,working nearly 11-12 hours a day on my job plus giving additional hours to my page and Youtube channel is really wearing me out.

So if over the next few days, I blog or post lesser things on my page, it's because I am TRYING to get some rest :-)

Just thought of sharing this with whoever reads my blog!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XoXo
Nooreen
designaholism@gmail.com

Angelina Jolie Portrait using Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator

2011-10-06T10:49:00.000+08:00

Hello all, as you know, I am really interested in exploring the Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator, and although I am not a pro at it yet, I try to challenge myself as much as possible so that with practice I can get better.

This time I decided to make a Mesh Tool portrait of Angelina Jolie's beautiful picture. I can't say I got it perfect, but I think am pretty close.

Here's the original image:

image from: http://top-people.starmedia.com/tmp/swotti/cacheYW5NZWXPBMEGAM9SAWU=UGVVCGXLLVBLB3BSZQ==/imgangelina%20jolie3.jpg

And here's my final.

I have skipped the details on the hands for now, as I wanted to focus mainly on the face. I feel there are still a few things missing in this image, a few minor things that add to her beauty, one day I will fix that hopefully.

For those interested to see the making of this image in video, I will be uploading it on Youtube tomorrow, and will post the video here as well.

Below is the before and after of the image together with the wireframe preview.

This rendering took me 4 hours to do. I spent an hour on it everyday since Sunday.

Hope you like it!

Feel free to give your comments and suggestions! :)

Don't forget to Like my page on facebook and to Subscribe to my channel on Youtube!

Have a great day!

Photoshop Morphing: LIBRA: A mix of Lion and Zebra

2011-10-04T17:55:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone!
Last night, Just before I fell asleep, I suddenly thought of Zebras (don't ask me why...lol). Then as usual, linked it with Photoshop and decided to Morph it with a lion the next day.
Today, I stuck to this plan and did so.

I took this image:

Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/African_Lion_Panthera_leo_Male_Pittsburgh_2800px.jpg

and this one:

Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Grevy%27s_Zebra_1.jpg

...and ended up with...*drumroll*...The Libra! hehe

This one was just for kicks.

Disclaimer: I didn't mean to offend the lions by stripping off their dignity. I hope they have a sense of humour to accept this :)

Have a great evening everyone!

Extreme Transformation of a Man with a Skin Disease using Adobe Photoshop

2011-10-02T20:52:00.000+08:00

Hello all!

Today I will post a photo enhancement I did of a man with a skin disease...I felt very touched by the picture and did my best to make it as perfect as possible while maintaining the natural look.

image from: http://www.rosacea-ltd.com/man_with_rosacea.jpg

I started off using the patch tool to clear out the skin, and then using selective color, I reduced the redness

Next, I enhanced the color a bit

Lastly, I brought down the hairline a bit and darkened the eye brows to complete the look. With some additional color adjustment, the man looked natural, younger and healthier :)

Here's the before and after

I truly hope that whoever this person is, has found a remedy for this skin condition and now really looks like that :)

Have a good night everyone!

Dull to Glamourous Photoshop Transformation

2011-09-28T09:52:00.000+08:00

Acne is no longer a problem when it comes to taking pictures. There is in fact, no need for make up at all! Photoshop does everything for you to give you the best profile picture. No matter how dull the pose or the look is, with Photoshop you can make it look glamorous.

Here is what I mean...

First, you have to analyze the photo and see what is missing and what needs to be added to it to enhance it.

We start by cleaning off the acne using the Patch Tool in Adobe Photoshop followed by a little airbrushing to even out the skin tone and texture.

Next, we adjust the brightness and contrast and using the Liquify tool, adjust the eyebrows and nose structure.

We then add more hair by copying a portion of it from the existing hair.

Now we adjust the color of the image to bring a nice mood to the picture.

Voila! The picture now looks more alive.

Trust me, with Photoshop, even poop can look sexy! :)

I will be posting a video on this transformation by the end of this week.

For any inquiries and requests, email me at designaholism@gmail.com

Car Tuning Logo Designs

2011-09-26T14:30:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone!

Today I am going to post some logo designs I did for an acquaintance for his Facebook page. His page is all about Cars Tuning, where he posts all sorts of ideas and pictures related to it.

Below are some of the designs I came up with

I tried to include the race flag and movement elements in it to support the tuning concept.
I personally like the first two from the top.
The one he went for was the first one from the top.
Let me know what you think of them!

Oh and don't forget to Like his page on Facebook! and if you haven't Liked my page yet, you can click here and do so :)
Thanks and have a great weekend! :)

Converting a Black and White image to Colored using Adobe Photoshop

2011-09-23T12:05:00.000+08:00

Do you have really old pictures from your parents' or grandparents' times that are in Black and White and you would love to bring them to life in color? or did you get a picture snapped in black and white and now you want to have it in color?

It is very simple to achieve that in Adobe Photoshop. You can either use the Hue/Saturation tool, or use the brush tool (that's what I have used).

Below is a picture I converted to color and enhanced a bit to my liking.

You can view the video tutorial I created on it below:

If you have a picture that you need to convert to color, do not hesitate to contact me at designaholism@gmail.com

Have a great day! :)
Nooreen

5 Useful Logo Designing Tips

2011-09-20T12:10:00.001+08:00

Okay, I am no pro here, but I have some valuable tips I can give from my own experience on things one should consider when designing a logo.

1. Concept
- This is the most important thing, depending on what you are selling. Try to reflect your company's personality in the logo. A logo does not necessarily have a product you are selling in it, you can also build your own identity in form of a certain shape, color or using logo type. For example, Apple Inc. does not sell apples, yet it has an Apple as a logo and it works very well. Just make sure the logo has the personality of your company or brand.

http://derickberry.com/Images/logo-samples/az-eye.png

The logo above has an eye within it, a good representation of the company name.

http://sd3167.sivit.org/lny2010/images/LogoNike-768364.gif

The Nike logo on the other hand, does not have any image of its sportswear or equipment in it, but has a single and simple swoosh on it, which effectively portrays flexibility, movement and speed in my opinion.

2. Planning
- Before you start designing, plan the basic idea out. You know what you want to show, now think of how you want to show it.
Think of a few ideas of execution in terms of design, colour etc
Write down notes/checklists and make sketches.

3. Simplicity
- Try to make your logo simple and have a point of focus on the main concept. You do not want a lot of elements present in it to confuse your client.
- Too many colours and fonts are also not necessary,
- If you do plan to use many colours. fonts or elements, place them in a way that is clear and comfortable to one's eyes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Target_logo.svg/432px-Target_logo.svg.png

The image above is a good example of a simple but effective logo

http://designtutorials4u.com/45-awesomecolorful-logo-designs-for-your-inspiration/

A good example of a colorful yet simple and meaningful logo.

4. Scalable and can be converted to Black and White.
- A logo should be designed in such a way that when scaled to any size, it remains legible. Also note that this logo might be printed in in various places and having very fine details in it can not come out clearly when printed on different items.
- A logo should also be made in such a way that when used in black and white, it still remains legible and looks good.

5. Unique
- Remember, every product or brand should have a Unique Selling Point, something that makes it different and better from others, so why use a common design for a logo?
Make you logo unique, original and interesting. That itself will reflect on your company image.

I hope the above will be helpful to you.

One final word: Practice makes perfect, so keep practicing till you get something you like; then simplify it, clean it up and polish it!

Thanks for reading, and remember to Like my page on Facebook, and subcribe to my Youtube channel!

Nooreen
designaholism@gmail.com

Chanel Handbag attacked by the Gradient Mesh Tool

2011-09-19T16:56:00.001+08:00

Mesh tool has become my passion now, I love how after a frustrating period of time, something beautiful comes out of it!

Mind you, it is not always frustrating, it is usually fun, but the bag above was not easy! Too many details to look into.

It took me about 3 hours to complete it, including short breaks. It still needs some perfecting to do, but I shall stop here for the time being.

Below is the preview of the images in different forms.

Till my next post, stay inspired readers!

We live in a Photoshopped World

2011-09-17T12:54:00.000+08:00

I came across this video today that made me reflect a lot on various issues, some of them contradicting my own profession.

Take a look at the video below before I go further

See the thing is, we live in a photoshopped world. Everything around us has been photoshopped in one way or another to attract people's attention. I am not implying only on the software Adobe Photoshop. I mean EVERYTHING has been altered into something a person would want to see because the world gets attracted to unusual or extraordinary things.

The news channels show people content they think will bring more viewers, hence they alter the truth.

Fashion and cosmetic industries use several techniques to make their models 'more beautiful,' hence altering people's perception of beauty.

All this is done because of competition, money and popularity, which is fine to a certain extent, but when it reaches a point where it affects a person's self esteem (in terms of beauty) or leads to conflicts (in terms of propaganda in news channels), it can be quite damaging.

This is a practice that has gone out of control. Being part of the Advertising industry myself, I personally retouch, transform and manipulate pictures when I have to, and I do that on my Youtube channel in form of tutorials. Considering this is a field of selling, it is fine as long as it doesn't completely alter the truth.

I also feel it is our parents' responsibility to ensure that we grow up focused on other important things instead of obsessing over beauty.

The pictures below shocks me tremendously:

http://www.globalshift.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/human-barbie-injects-teen-daughter-botox-425kk0303.jpg

The image above shows a woman injecting her 15yr old daughter with Botox to prevent wrinkles in the future. The mother herself has spent over £500,000 on cosmetic surgeries.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlVvdQfnebZiMVkAm3BC9pEqgHt55uBywaN97nfgmld9SmYGfuy9ydmyuNMdeAY3VBqeFQrEEBnYV3C0pxGwKIRVaJeQJwonof_TKDB96XZkf8UseQSlamtqJQglYt-lOq-K3vjSqU6Ze/s1600/barbie_in_real_life_20.jpg

The image above is of a Russian girl who endeavors to become a human barbie.

And last but not the least,

http://www.supanet.com/jocelyn-wildenstein-39960.jpg

Plastic Surgery gone wrong!

Remember guys, without all the makeup, 'photoshopping', cosmetic surgeries, packaging etc we are all perfect as we are. Embrace your inner beauty and be proud of yourselves. Nobody looks like that naturally. Never compare yourselves to what you see in various media and take extreme measures to look like that in reality.

I apologize for the long post, just felt the need to share my views.

Have a great weekend!

Nail Designs on Adobe Illustrator

2011-09-16T20:16:00.000+08:00

I was really bored last night and decided to do some nail designs on Adobe Illustrator. I love nail art so this was real fun for me!

Each of the designs have been inspired by something.

I don't know if you can figure out the birds :)

I personally love the leopard print one from the animal print designs. I think I will be painting my nails like that real soon!

I really enjoyed designing these and am thinking of making more soon.

Have a great weekend everyone! Stay creative!

Cheers.

Nooreen

designaholism@gmail.com

Color Correction in Adobe Photoshop

2011-09-15T16:13:00.000+08:00

Have you ever taken a picture of yourself or a friend, and it turns out to have a red eye? or we put on too much makeup and ended up looking a bit too dark or brighter than normal?

Well, with the Selective Color option in Photoshop, we can correct that very easily within a few minutes and not let that lovely picture go to waste!

Below is an example of a picture I touched up in less than two minutes.

The image is taken from http://celebfwdmail.blogspot.com/2011/04/orange-aplenty-towies-lauren-goodger.html

You can watch the video tutorial I created below

Enjoy!

Don't forget to Like my page on Facebook! :)

Cheers!

Nooreen

designaholism@gmail.com

Designing Logos

2011-09-14T13:13:00.000+08:00

Last night, I randomly had an idea to experiment with the image of an eagle and use it to design a logo.

I initially had no concept, which is a shame, but as I worked on the logo, I got a few ideas where this logo could possibly be used.

I searched an image from the net, traced it out into a silhouette using Adobe Illustrator, and then using a few Illustrator techniques, wrapped it around another image I designed of a globe.

Below is how it turned out.

Eagles in my opinion represent power, freedom, focus (because of their powerful vision)

This logo could therefore represent an organization dealing with global empowerment of people, hence enabling freedom, achievement of goals and power.

I used red as it is the colour of movement, excitement and energy, which suits the eagle perfectly.

The blue in the globe, adds contrast to the red and makes it more prominent as a globe.

I find it fascinating how any object or element we come across in our daily life can turn into inspiration if we keep our minds open.

If interested in a tutorial on this, let me know via comment, email (designaholism@gmail.com) or Facebook and I will be glad to make one for you.

For business enquiries, please email me at the address above.

Have a great day everyone!

Vector Shoe Rendering using the Gradient Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator

2011-09-13T11:52:00.001+08:00

So I got bored one day and decided to render this shoe using the Gradient Mesh tool in Adobe Illustrator (My all time favorite tool!). It came out pretty well so I thought of sharing with you all.

The original image has been taken from here

Pretty realistic eh? This is why I love the mesh tool. Brings everything to life in vector form!

If you want to know how to use this tool, you can watch my tutorials on Youtube by clicking here and here.

The series of images below show the original, wireframe and final vector outcome of the shoe.

You know what? This has really inspired me to make other shoe designs of my own! Let's see how far that goes :)

Till my next post, take care everyone!

Removal of eye glasses from images

2011-09-12T14:01:00.001+08:00

It is said that eyes are the window to a person's soul. I don't know much about that, but I can agree that eye contact leads to better communication and portrays more confidence.

Unfortunately, not all people have clear vision and are therefore compelled to wear eye glasses. Eye glasses are not really bad, but they do block the true beauty of a person (unless you are one of those people who are made for glasses!!)

People often get their pictures snapped while wearing glasses and later wish they hadn't worn them. With Photoshop tools such as the Clone Tool, Healing Brush tool and Patch Tool, and a lot of patience, one can successfully get rid of them.

Below is my glass removal progression and outcome on Anne Hathaway. I will be posting a video tutorial on how to achieve this soon.

For more information, requests and business queries, email me at designaholism@gmail.com

Thank you, and till my next post, take care you all!

Mission Retouch & Transform

2011-09-12T11:04:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had a photograph of yours that came out too dark, or you had an ugly zit that stopped you from using it somewhere? or you went overboard with your tan and ended up looking fried?

Do you have an old treasured black and white pic of a loved one that you would love to have in color instead?

Are you currently on braces and need a picture without them? Would you like to remove your eye glasses in your picture?

Or leave all that, would you like to magically transform yourself into a flying creature in fantasy land, or have a realistic 3D vector portrait made from your picture?

Well, guess what? In the world of design, everything is possible. It doesn't cost much, and in this web-based world, you end up looking as gorgeous as ever.

As of today, I will be posting various Photoshop possibilities in this blog, in my Facebook page and in my Youtube Channel. It is always fun to see great transformations taking place.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Take care and have a great day everyone!

For information or business queries, please contact me at designaholism@gmail.com.

Gradient Mesh Tool Portrait

2011-06-13T14:32:00.000+08:00

Have you ever come across any applications that vectorize your images and "cartoonifies" them or converts them into a 3D vector version of yourself?

Ever wondered how you can achieve this manually?

There are several ways to attain this.

If you have been following my blog or my Youtube channel, you must have seen my Gradient Mesh Tool tutorial, where I make 3D realistic fruits using Adobe Illustrator CS3.

In this new tutorial, we use the same technique to make a portrait.

The key to a perfect realistic image, is the detailing and the amount of time you give to it. As for me, I didn't give too much time to the details for this one as I am just demonstrating the technique quickly, but I will be working on this same outcome further to create the exact version of the original image in vector in the near future.

As for now if you are interested and curious to see how its done, you can view the video tutorial here.

Have a good day everyone!

I'm Back! + Adobe Illustrator Opacity Mask Tutorial.

2011-05-29T00:09:00.000+08:00

I came across this proverb today, "A poor workman always blames his tools," and I was like, that sounds just like me! (sounds like am boasting, but am actually pretty ashamed of myself).

For the past year, I have been blaming the absence of a software in making my Youtube videos. When I read this proverb, a thought struck me, there must be a substitute software for making my videos, I researched like mad, and discovered I did have an alternative software all along! Dumb me!

Anyway, I didn't waste any time...I whipped up a new video tutorial today.

You know how we have gradient masks in Adobe Photoshop? Well, many people don't really know how to get the same effect in Adobe Illustrator. It is in fact very simple.

It can be done by using Opacity Mask.

You can watch the video here or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQb5TC0wCvI to watch it:

This technique can be applied kinds of images, be it photographs or vector images. I feel it is very useful when creating vector logos.
This should be the final look once the effect has been applied.


Notice the reflected smiley fading into transparency.

Well, that's it for now. I would love to receive suggestions on future tutorials from whoever comes across this blog.

Happy Weekend People! :)

Shame!

2011-01-11T11:52:00.002+08:00

You know what's shameful?
it's been nearly one year since my last blog post! That means I have wasted nearly one year of my life in doing things that I felt obligated to do rather than those that I actually enjoyed (Yes, blogging is what I was really enjoyed!)

This year, I want to start afresh. I want to get back to blogging, making new videos on Youtube and focusing on my career.
This is not really a New Years Resolution. It is more like a new mindset I want to embrace for now and always.

So here's wishing you all a Happy New Year! May this year be filled wish joy and success for all!

PS. I would love to receive design-related suggestions from you guys for my future tutorials. So if there is anything you want me to make a tutorial on, please bring it forward!

XOXO

My Mesh Tool Fruits

2010-03-28T02:36:00.002+08:00

If you have gone through my previous posts, you might have noticed that I have posted some of my fruit illustrations using the Mesh tool in Adobe Illustrator.
These fruits were drawn for a reason - Packaging. The packaging is going to be displayed in a branding gallery where I work along with many others that my colleagues and I have created.
This project is what kept me away from making videos and posting on my blog.

I will be posting some of my final artwork here after the launch of this new gallery. So please keep checking!
I shall also (hopefully) start making my videos again soon. I have truly missed them and I really hope I can squeeze in this hobby into my tight schedule.

Till then. take care and stay inspired!!

Another Self-Reflection

2010-03-13T22:26:00.004+08:00

I was reflecting on my life today...summing up all the things I used to do, have been doing and want to do...
Here is what I came up with:

USED TO DO:
- Write poems...tons of them!
- In the process of building six pack abs
- Collector of various Photoshop goodies - brushes, textures etc
- Read lots of novels
- Work out daily
- Drink Avocado milkshake and have a banana daily!

WHAT I DO NOW:
- Work as a Graphics Designer
- Blog occasionally.
- TRY to work out once in a while
- make video tutorials for youtube.

WHAT I WANT TO DO:
- ALL that I used to do + what I do now + get a new exciting hobby

After this self-reflection,
I tried to tackle the no.1 thing in my list. Write a poem.
what used to come naturally to me before, took me ages and in the end I just gave up. A bad case of writer's block and a warning sign that I shouldn't let go of my passion!!
This really scared me.
My word of Advice for all today is:
if u like to do something, DO IT! don't leave it for a later time. Time don't wait for no one! we all know that...yet we take it for granted?
hmmmm...

What a strange morning

2010-02-27T13:33:00.003+08:00

I slept like a baby last night; feeling really relaxed and calm. I woke at 7am, 30mins before I usually wake up for work and I felt happy that I had gotten enough sleep.
Then I felt something strange: I could not open my right eye. It felt like dust or my puppy's fur had gotten inside my eye. I stood up to wash it off...after a few minutes I realized that it wasn't dust or fur. My eye was infected :( It had turned terribly red and wouldn't open.
The worst part about this was that it was my right eye - my good eye. I can barely see from my left eye. I had to skip work (yay) and go back to sleep.

An hour later, I was awakened by my phone ringing. It was DHL with great news. My new laptop that I was expecting on Monday had arrived 2 days earlier. that boosted me up.

A few hours later, my eye felt better. It is still slightly swollen but I can now see and keep it open. Thank God.

I am glad I can now get back to making my videos. I really missed it!

I really like the idea of sharing my thoughts in here...I think I am going to do that more often now :-)

Why I haven't been posting on my blog lately...

2010-02-26T22:44:00.003+08:00

These past few weeks have been terribly depressing for me...my laptop has been giving me lots of problems. It goes off without warning and disrupts everything I have been doing. I just lost heart in making my tutorials and posting in here.

I have been saving up for a Macbook and I have finally managed to purchase one. Once my order arrives (on Monday) i will be back to uploading videos once a week and be more active in my blog.

Just thought of updating you all :)

So till my next post, take care and stay creative!! :)