hello, loves!
happy friday!!!
i tend to get quite a few comments & e-mails on the graphic design elements of my posts
& have been asked if i am a graphic designer.
well, the answer is that i am not...
& i am extremely flattered that anyone would think so :)
i am actually a visual merchandiser by day.
in this role, i have had to pick up some basic skills in primarily inDesign & a little bit in Photoshop.
over the years, i have basically self-taught my way through anything i have learned.
so, truth be told that i have absolutely no idea what i am doing half the time! i am just a wannabe ;)
i just run with what i think looks pretty & from that i have been able to create my own aesthetic.
the other question i get often is if i will share how to do the things i do...
well, this has always been something that scared me a little since i don't really have a formal education in the inDesign & Photoshop programs
but then i realized, who cares?! i would be happy to share any of the basics that i know & how i know how to do them...a quick disclaimer: there may be many quicker or other ways to do some of the actions, but this is just the way i have learned that works for me.
so, that means lucky you!
starting today, i am going to share some {maybe not so technical} how-to's in the tech world!
i hope to offer a new volume every couple of weeks or so!
if there is anything that you are dying to know, shout out!
send an e-mail my way @ chartreuseandatwist@gmail.com
i do apologize...i never want to alienate any of my readers,
however, this series does require the Adobe programs inDesign & Photoshop
{either on a mac or pc - either works!}
if you don't own these, i realize how pricey they are,
but that cost is such an investment in the end
if you are looking to improve the aesthetic of your posts & blog!
{one more quick disclaimer - i know that photoshop is the beloved choice of many,
but i truly do the majority of my work in the inDesign program
with generally very little use of Photoshop}
1.
picking up color attributes:
this one is simple! & can be done the same way in each inDesign & Photoshop. i used inDesign here.
ever see those color posts out there with the perfectly matched color swatches
and wonder how they do that?
all that you need to do is choose the eyedropper from your toolbox
- click on the color you wish to pick up & voila!
when clicked on to a blank shape - like that circle - you can then use the dropper to pick up the color & it will directly fill the shape.
you also have an option of adding it to your color swatches - there is a drop-down menu on your color swatch box that will offer that option.
2.
color fill & transparency - creating a filter
{done in inDesign, haven't figured out how to do this in Photoshop - though i am sure it is possible}
one thing i like to do is use color filters over my images sometimes
so, now that you know how to pick up the colors you want, let's learn how to make them more transparent...again, this is super easy!
once you have your color and it is filled into a shape that you desire,
simply choose the percentage drop down menu from the top menu bar & choose the percentage you desire - the lower the percentage the more transparent, the higher the percentage, the more opaque
place that filter over the image & voila!
so, there you have it friends!
a couple of quick, easy tools that can make a large impact!
i would love to know if this is helpful to you all...
and please do shout out if there is anything you are just itching to learn in these programs!
have a lovely weekend :)
XO
brynn
