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Learn how to Draw: Facial Features

In the previous 'Learn How to Draw' articles, Linda provided information about your drawing materials and basics on how to draw the human head. She now takes you deeper in this tutorial, as you learn how to draw the features that belong on that head including the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. As usual, you'll receive a homework assignment at the end of the article. Read More

Learn How to Draw: The Head

Linda offered information on all the basic materials you need to learn how to draw in the previous article. In this tutorial, you’ll put your practice with circles and ovals to good use as you learn to draw the human head. She’ll cover the basics, including the head shape, eyes, mouth, and other features that lend expression to human emotions.

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Learn How to Draw: The Basics

You might be out of the running if that new job requires drawing basics that you’ve never learned outside computer software programs. In this first of a series of tutorials, Linda will introduce drawing basics for the beginner. From this point you’ll learn how to draw the human figure and more so that you’ll have the skills it takes to compete in any design field.

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A Return to Colour Theory

It seems that some designers soak up colour theories with gusto, whereas other designers feel that colour represents an issue that’s best ignored and left to the “pros”. In this article, Linda talks to the latter designers, and shows you how to master colour with a bit of work and with the help of many new online tools especially designed to deal with the issues that Web designers encounter…

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Webby Awards More Accessible Sites

Webby’s ’07: The Good, the Better, and the Great

Linda reviewed some of the Webby Award winners in 2006 and found that they lacked substance in the accessibility area – even the ones that were chosen for superb functionality. One year later, Linda found that accessibility and usability is prevalent among some winners, a factor that may have been influenced by the Webby Awards’ new standards and Website. But, is this competition worth entering, even with this year’s improvements?

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WordPress: How to Take Gila to the Next Level III

Over the past two weeks, Linda shared PHP file changes that allow WordPress users to change the three-column Gila theme into a more accessible format. In this last, concluding article, Linda shares the CSS file that pulls the new Gila files together. This new CSS moves the sidebars to the right and the main copy to the left. Get ready to start from scratch!

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WordPress: How to Take Gila to the Next Level II

Last week, Linda walked you through the first portion of the PHP files contained within the three-column Gila WordPress theme to create an accessible layout for a blog. This week, she takes you through the header, side column, footer, and comments file and helps you to create a 404.php to add to the mix. The new version that you’ll create works well with recent WordPress updates. After this tutorial, Linda will show you how to alter the Gila CSS file so that you can fit the blog layout colours and text to your liking.

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WordPress: How to Take Gila to the Next Level (updated)

If you like to blog in WordPress, and if you’ve searched high and low for a three-column layout, you might have come across the “Gila” theme originally created by BloggingPro. While this theme works “out of the box” from the zip file, it’s an older version that spans the entire screen. Linda used this blog in a number of sites, but she altered the PHP and CSS files so that the site is now as accessible as possible. The new version works well with recent WordPress updates. For the next several articles, Linda will lead you step-by-step on a journey that will help you to create new accessible code for a sturdy three-column theme, as well as show you how to alter the CSS to build a theme that is uniquely “you.”

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Creating Graphics for your Portfolio Projects

If you want to create a graphics box for your portfolio, but you don’t have a 3D software program, what do you do? If you have Photoshop, you can create a box with your own design that looks like you put it together with a snappy 3D program! In this tutorial, Linda leads you through the box creation and adds numerous other tips on how to make that image pop out with Photoshop CS2 magic.

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Creative Portfolio: Putting It All Together

Within the past few months, Linda has led you through several portfolio projects that will help you to expand your skills and offerings to clients and to potential employers. Now, in this last article to the portfolio series, Linda shows you how to put it all together. This tutorial covers the print portfolio as well as the CD and online portfolio with examples and guidelines.

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Creative Portfolio: Information Graphics/Symbols

It seems that everyone these days suffers from “information anxiety,” not only in the amount of information that’s available but also in how to interpret that information so that it’s useful rather than detrimental. In this tutorial, Linda presents varying perspectives on information design, the role that graphic designers play in presenting visual information, and suggests a project that will round out your portfolio and that will help you visualize quantitative and qualitative information.

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Creative Portfolio: Annual Report

An annual report represents a juicy job for any designer, but the work can be rough. An understanding of the company in question, a trust between a designer and that company, and a willingness to forgo some creativity when it comes to dealing with financial pages is a must. In this article, Linda demonstrates some annual report problems and how to avoid them as you begin to create an annual report sample for your portfolio.

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