Interviews with digital illustrator artist´s

Everytime we go to a movie which have special effects of any sort, we can be sure some concept artist been involved in the movie. And just about any movie at some point or the other have used a storyboard. Advanced or a simple scribble. Point is that at any point a movie is done some illustrator artist have been involved.

Some are famous in the digital art business, some are not, but they are there.
I have done storyboards myself for commercials, still photo sessions and short movies. I have done presentations skecthes for campaigns and you name it, there are images being done all the time, by great artists never nown to the broad public. They put down a lot of work and effort. And inspires many of us.Therefore here are some nice interviews. Just cklick the links.

Have fun and hopefully be inspired.

1. Syd Mead (Blade runner concept artist)
   Nr 2 Part 1. Movie clip interview at BoingBoing TV/ DRAWN!
   Nr 2 b. Part 2. Movie clip interview at BoingBoing TV/ DRAWN!
   
2. Ryan Church (Star Wars concept artist)
3. George Hull (Matrix concept artist)
   Nr. 2
4. Linda Bergkvist
   
5. John Wallin Liberto
6. 
   

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Convert text into curves and transparant

I once got the question on a Swedish Graphic & illustration forum, asking how to make a text into a vector object and with a transparancy fading out. This is a very simple and fast task to do in CorelDRAW. Here is a picture where I show how I did it. I used CorelDRAW X4. Sorry for the Swedish language on the picture sample.

It says:

1. Choose typ/ font
2. Choose Ctrl+Q (convert text to curve)
3. Choose transparancy tool, an in this case drag handle downwards
4. Finished!
   

Hope you enjoy it,


Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Reading about tourist´s coming to Stockholm, Sweden

Old Town Stockholm, Sweden. Photo by Stefan Lindblad, copyright 2008

Every year its the same kind of articles in many of the Swedish daily news papers. And I admit I always read these articles when I see them with joy. Its about tourist´s coming to my home town Stockholm, Sweden. Enjoying the scenery and the town and the people. Well that´s who they interview anyway. I am not naive, there must be people who dont like my town, but it seems most enjoy it. But what is fun is to listen to what these tourist anyway feel about the town. Tourist´s stop me on town and talk, by asking me directions, or I approach them myself to help out when I see them standing and dont seem to know where they are. I go traveling myself and become a tourist in other countries, so I am glad when people enjoy my hometown as well.

I wonder if these kind of articles are written in other countries local news papers? It would be fun to know.

So if, dont hesitate to comment and link to an article in the comments field.

Today its sunny in Stockholm, Sweden. Its summer. Enjoy!

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

CorelDRAW & Photo-Paint as a Viewer

You may not know this, but you can use CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 as a viewer of internal file formats of CorelDRAW and Photo-Paint, even after a trial version of the program has ended.

Here is a quote on this from one of Corel Corps Product Managers telling this: Gérard Metrailler

Click to read more here >>
And the quote from Corel:
One of the requests that we've received on a regular basis has been for a CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT viewer. This has always been a very interesting point of discussion internally regarding how we could do this. Good news: With CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4, there now is a viewer... and here is the detail on how to get it: Simply download and install the trial version.

The trial version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 enables you to test the full version for 15 days. Once the trial period is over, the application will automatically convert itself into a Viewer, disabling all output features such as save, print, ... You will still be able to use the product, but you won't be able to save your creations. This means that you can keep the trial on your computer if you need to view CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT files on a regular basis without the need to print / save these documents.

Gérard

End quote.


Stefan Lindblad

Illustrator & artist

Summer read and drawing

Its summer in Sweden and I am working doing illustrations and writing some. But hey it´s still summer and what do I read? All over people talk about their summer read dont hey, in Sweden its a classic question. "Whats the summer read?". While having the coffee cup on one side, half in the sun and half in the shade, on my "table" I have my sketch pads and pens, Moleskine skethpad and a sketch book bought in late april in London, England while on the London Book Fair. Just waiting for the right first drawing to make, and I have finished reading Barack Obamas "The Audacity of Hope", "Alpha Beta" by John Man. "Watchmen" by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons. A Michael Connelly waiting to be read "The Lincoln Lawyer".

Stefan Lindblad
illustrator & artist

Read Swedish News in English language

Ever whanted to read Swedish Local news in English language, well here it is: THE LOCAL.

Its a Swedish paper online which have been around for a while. I bump into it now and then myself, when for example the big Swedish newspaper dragon, The "Dagens Nyheter" (Daily News), make a quote refering to it. DN as its useally called, is one of the Swedish daily morningpapers, the influential one to read if you live in Sweden or actually know how to read Swedish language.

Enjoy.

Stefan Lindblad

Designing logos - Apple vs Apple & PRV

For me copyright is very important. Especially for the individual creator and his/her work, but equally so for company´s.

The Beatles / Apple Corps vs. Apple Computers is a tricky issue. Something that they faught over, the right to their logo. When a Swedish Enterprise in Dalarna (equivalent to State/county) wanted to use an apple as their logo, they chosed to create an apple, looking very similar to the Apple Computers apple. At the same time Apple Computers apple is looking a bit like The Beatles / Apple Corps apple. Now, many may think that this is a non-issue, especially if they believe that copyright should be abolished, dismantled and not let anyone own a copyright at all.

Well for me, it is rather a question of how, in this case, the apple looks like, How similar in design it is. Not that it is an apple in itself. Now, the apple by the Swedish Dalarna Company, if the apple they made had been approved by the PRV (Swedish Patent & Registration Office) , which it was not, could have been seen as different with its hand drawned style. But equally the problem of recognition and brand similarity would quickly occur, on the day the Swedish Dalarna company would be "updating" its logo with a re-design. This would probably quickly become very similar to Apple Computers apple. Furthermore, it would undoubtedly have been stopped because of the likeness to the Beatles apple.

Another example is the software company that develops the desktop publishing software "Quark". When Quark made a redesign of their logo, which they did for the release of its new Quark version, it was instantly criticized for its similarity to other logotyps. It was then redesigned again, but then it became in my view very similar to Sony Ericsson mobile phones logo. Does it sound chaotic? Exactly. Quarks sign is a story in itself.

But still it is important that a logo as much as possible is the logo of one company, not several, otherwise the similarity can be a problem. Why you may ask?

Well every year in Sweden bogus invoices keep pooring into legit companys. They try to fool economic departments during vacation time, when there might be temporary workers in charge of handling the payment of invoices. And the rest of the year bogus companys use similar logotypes and letter heads of legit companys, and send to private households and companys in hope that people will pay without looking and checking the invoices. Basically stealing their money.

So yes, logotypes and the "sender" being the correct one is extremely important.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Just re-read a fun post about CorelDRAW

I just re-read a fun and interesting post about CorelDRAW.
Its from last year, 2008, and still fun and valid. Enjoy!

Click here, Wafflesatnoon.com >

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Explorers enters cave and discover light & water in a cave

Amazing pictures from what might be the largest cave, at least for now. According to the brittish newspaper, tabloid Daily Mail. Read more here, and watch amazing pictures.>>

More interesting articles and pictures about cave explorations and findings can be read on the National Geographic website, read more>>

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Rock Poets new book from BTJ, Illustration and Cover Design Stefan Lindblad, using CorelDRAW X4 & Photo-Paint X4

The new book "Rock Poets" from BTJ Förlag (Sweden), author Richard Ohlsson, came out recently. I did both the cover design and the illustration. The book's ISBN 978-91-7018-644-8. The book is an interesting book about the lyrics in rock music. In this book the music have to take a back seat for a moment, and listen and talk about the lyrics. What are they telling us and what is it we are listening too.





























You can read more about the book at the publisher's website BTJ Förlag.
Since I sometimes get questions from illustrators and designers interested on how I work: I first made a set of pencil drafts in my sketchbook, on the idea of the guitar. From there I draw the guitar ( a Gibson), and made both the illustration and book cover design in CorelDRAW X4 and Corel Photo-Paint X4 (CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4)



Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Razzia, a new book, illustrations & cover design by Stefan Lindblad

The new kids book Razzia, Hegas publishing (link in Swedish) were made in 2008 and came out just before spring in 2009. I wrote earlier about the book, and here is a photo of the book that I took recently. The book in itself, and illustrations and the cover has received good reviews. Which is always fun. Here are some comments & reviews about my illustrations inside the book and the cover design with the illustration.

Razzia, written by Leif Jacobsen
Review from Bibliotekstjänst booklet No 5 / 2009.
"Petter, with its old Puch Dakota, lost in reputation in the small village moped gangs by helping to deceive the police and rescue a friend escape a fine for speeding. Here is to be "cool" and "cruel" to gain popularity, the girls' admiration. Leif Jacobsen succeed easily create a story for young teens, which is easy to read and live enter in. It depicts how to get friends by himself to be a friend. With youthful inside talk of today, seasoned with the technicalities of the trimmed two-stroke engines mysterious realm, with sufficient realism to make the story probable, and with a lot of conciliatory humor succeeds author certainly capture even novice readers and get them to smile recognition. Stefan Lindblads dozen expressive, full, ink drawings transpose up petition. Books of this kind will lead hopefully to read more advanced literature. - Bo Nordstrand"

The author, Leif received an email:
"This is a book that will fit many pupils, and with an attractive cover as well. This I will buy several items of for the school library. "
- Lisbeth Göransson, librarian, Kirseberg School in Malmö, Sweden

The Publisher Hegas got an email:
"Hello, I bought 4 items for the school library and woops! as they all were lent out
directly. I have read the book and if you want to know my opinion: Very good and funny
to read it. Just like this, I think guys are in that age. The cover is very appealing.
We wish more similar books. Thank you very much "

Look at a double spread of the book with an illustration>>

Review in several newspapers
In Swedish language
Norrbotten Kuriren>>
Sundsvalls Newspaper>>
Helsingborgs Dagblad>>
Allehanda>>

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Good Design by OK Mark, Old Spitelfields in London

I was in London for several days, and came back home yesterday to Stockholm, Sweden. On Sunday I whent with Mia my girlfriend to the market Old Spitelfields Market. A place and market on sundays filled with high and low design, food and a general nice atmosphere. It was my third time on my third trip to London, England. Among many nice things I (we) saw the design by OK Marc, Kervin Marc. T-shirts with screen prints on and bags. There were more items, but those where the items I stoped and took a closer look at. In plain english I liked it a lot, very good design. Great bags and T-shirts. Very nice colour combinations, and it all seemed well done. As well as I liked the prints on the t-shirts, I have to say also Iiked the seam on the t-shirt sleves. A seam that was not to tightly stitched. With space in between every seam.

Do take a look if you have your way through Old Spitelfields in London. OK Marc design is worth taking a look at!

And dont forget to take a coffe and carrot cake, the one without diary products, in the entrance towards Commercial street. A great cake!

Stefan Lindblad

Illustrator & artist

Wacom Intuos4 - an illustrators wet dream

Yesterday I saw and tested a digital illustrator & artist's wet dream - Wacom Intuos4. Everything I previously wrote on the subject of Wacom tablets is still true and valid, and now even more. Yesterday, March 25, I was at the Munchen Brewery in Stockholm (Munchenbryggeriet), on a Wacom event, the official release of the new tablet Wacom Intuos4, partly because I was personally asked to participate, exibit and so I contributed and exhibited a (bitmap) illustration. 70 x 100 cm printed on a art paper. An illustration, painting which I designed and painted entirely digitally with my Wacom Intuos3 tablet, and the program Corel Photo-Paint X4 (CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4) over the weekend. And especially for this event/release. The other illustrator, Concept Artist John Wallin Liberto, who have made concept art for the Harry Potter movies, painted live for the audience using the new Wacom Intuos4 XL. As well as exibiting a digital painting, which I did too. An exquisite painting he's done in Photoshop, a concept art image for a movie.

Guido Möller talking at the Wacom Intuos4 release event

Guido Möller, Wacom Europe's product manager for professional products, held a presentation about the product. And a ERGONOMIST gave a presentation, important one, which in itself is a selling point to use the Wacom drawing tablets instead of a mouse. But everything in moderation as her insightfully noted. I was also enlightened that in the French version of Photoshop, the Magic Wand Tool is called "Le Baguette Magic". And we were told it was actually true. :-) But thats another story.

Stefan Lindblad & John Wallin Liberto, infront of Johns work

And as mentioned John Wallin Liberto, who closed the evening.
As an artist & illustrator, of course I can feel how I on a good day can go into a meditativt state of mind while working. Which I could feel quite strongly this evening as well, when I saw how John painted his work live infront of the audience. All was quiet at times, in the event hall, and it was not just me who enjoyed what we saw painted up before our eyes, on a big screen with the projector's help through Johns computer.

Stefan Lindblad, infront of my own digital work at the event

What the new Wacom Intuos4 adds is a whole lot of very smart functions and settings. The Wacom developers have really made an excellent job. Shortcut lovers will get a heaven of opportunities, however, the first immediate feeling I got was the Wacom tablet drawing surface, the structure, the over all feeling. I told John Wallin how I sometimes put special art surfaced paper on the Wacom tablet itself, and draw on that paper, the Intuos3 that is, to get the friction you get with hand movements you get with real paper. Which is important for me,

when I am drawing and painting. It turned out he did the same. Both the nib´s movements over the paper structure is important, yes, but also and equally important to me, is how your hand glides over the surface of a sheet of paper or a linnen canvas. The material on the new Wacom Intuos4s drawing area is simply exquisite. It feels "real." It is precisely this natural feeling of drawing and painting on paper or linen canvas I feel now. This, together with all the different pen tips make this Wacom Intuos4 to a real "Kick Ass" product. Sure I was personally invited to this event from the Swedish Wacom representatives and exhibited my own work on the event/release, but I am really honest when I write that Wacom really Rock! with their drawing tablets, and this new Wacom Intuos4 in particular. And the thing is that it is incredibly difficult not to like this product.

Tech specs in selection.
2048 levels of pressure sensitivity in contrast to previous 1024, that means a lot actually when you draw and paint digitally. It was good already with Intuos3 and its 1024 levels, now it is just so much better, and much more fun.
Right & left handed will love it. Simply turn the Wacom tablet 180 degrees, and replace the usb cable outlet, to the other side. And jippii you have as a right or left handed buttons all on the correct side.
The Surface itself, drawing area, for the exquisite feeling of friction between the hand and tablet drawing area.

General specifications Intuos4 Tablet:

Resolution 5,080 lpi
Pressure levels 2,048
Accuracy (pen) +/- 0.25 mm (0.010 in)
Accuracy (lens cursor) +/- 0.15 mm (0.006 in)
Tilt range (all pens) +/- 60 degrees (+/- 50 degrees on Intuos4 S tablets)
Reading height 10 mm (0.39 in)
Maximum report rate 200 points per second
Interface USB 1.1 to USB mini-B (Intuos4 S, M and L tablet models); USB 1.1 (Intuos4 XL)
Cable length 2.5 m (8.2 ft), detachable on S, M and L tablet models
Power requirements DC 5V, less than 300 mA, from primary USB port or powered USB hub


Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Here is my work I exibited at the Wacom Intuos4 release in Stockholm, Sweden

CorelDRAW Design Contest 2009

Corel, the program developer of CorelDRAW, Corel Photo-Paint, Corel Paint Shop Pro and Corel Painter, launches an international competition in illustration & graphic design. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4, which includes CorelDRAW and Corel Photo-Paint are the programs to be used to be able to apply and compete. So either if you already have a license and already working with the programs, or if you like to compete, and download a trial version, which Corel allows to be downloadable on their own page.

1. Read more on how to register and download the trial version if needed: http://www.corel.com/coreldrawdesigncontest
2. And here a little more information about Corel>>
3. And here a direct link on the actual program suite, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4>>


A small tip for those like me who use Corel's software.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Photo-Paint batch process & recorder - my love affair

I have a love affair with Corel Photo-Paints batch process and script recorder. Seriously.

Many new users of a program dont know, for obvious reasons, about all that is hidden in a Program like Corel Photo-Paint X4. (CorelDRAW Graphics Suite). I remember all the illustration assignments, with multiple images I have made, and which I have had to convert from .cdr or .cpt file formats, to jpeg file format. If I had known back then I would seriously had saved a half of a days work, in just doing the convertion.

In short, learn about the script Recorder in Corel Photo-Paint X4, and how you can use the Batch process to speed up your work. The recorder in Photo-Paint X4 can be found via Window>Dockers>Recorder, or Ctrl+F3.

I came to think about this fact again, and just had to tip you about it, now when I have myself just finished a storyboard for a 20 minutes short movie, with more than 70 illustrations. With all the illustrations that makes the storyboard, which all had to be converted to jpeg. Half a days work took me less than 3 minutes. Increadible but true.

Explore and have fun.


Stefan Lindblad


illustrator & artist

Great designed Bags & Beads

Red velvet handbag by Gabrielas Bags & Beads

If you like to look at great original hand crafted bags and beads, then here is a website to explore. Gabriela´s Bags & beads >. On the website Gabriela both show and sell her own designed goods. She have both designed and made everything by herself. So if you are looking after something unique, then this could be it. If you like to know more about the designer, click "profile" on the website.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Laptop screens and colour palettes illustrating

Ask yourself how many times you have been sitting with a badly calibrated screen, colouring an illustration in Corel Photo-Paint, worked for ours, only to see how it comes out to bright or just simply with the wrong colours, especially when you look at it on a paper, or a better desktop screen. For this reason, one good thing is to make your own custom made colour palettes. So you are sure to work with the correct colours. I wrote about this earlier, click here, custome made palettes >>. There are several ways to make a custom made colour palette. Which is an especially good practise when you work on a laptop computer, because of the way a laptop screen show colour.

Me for example, I sit a lot working with my illustrations on a Laptop computer using Coreldraw or Photo-Paint and my Wacom intuos3 tablet. Either in a studio, or out on town at a café. Or just simply at home. And later check the colours on my desktop screen. And to add to the issue on colour using a Laptop, (this could be said about a desktop computer as well), if you sit in a room where there is a common light bulb, then you are sitting in a very yellow light surrounding. If you sit in an airport it might be a very blue light. And if you sit with a Laptop Sceen, then the washed out colour you thought you picked, show to be very bright. There are so many things to think about when you work with colours.

To sit in a completely grey neutral environment/room might not sound so fun, or you might not even have the possibility to either. So what is a good practise then when working with a Laptop?

I would say that one (but not the only) is to try to get hold of a PANTONE colour guide. Or any other colour guides. It doesnt have to be a Pantone. For example the Swedish Graphic Business Association have one they used to sell for a smaller price. My point is anyway to get a colour guide. With this colour guide you could get the correct RGB, CMYK or PANTONE colour settings/digits. With the colour guide at hand, using Corel Photo-Paint X4, go to the Palette Editor and make your own custom made colour palette. With "your" colours at hand (and of course you can add from the standard colour palettes), you can be more sure to get the correct colours in your illustration. You could then use that specific colour palette in Photo-Paint X4, and consequently not having to carry with you the complete Pantone colour guid. Which is just extra weight.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Book tip, the creative digital darkroom

Okey, there are not so many books written about photography using Corel Photo-Paint X4 as a program to work with photographs, in a digital darkroom environment. This on the other hand doesnt mean you cant use a book, in this case the book "The Creative Digital Darkroom" as a reference book, and something to learn from, even if it says it use Photoshop. Lets face it Photoshop is more known basically, and because publishing company´s thinks money the book authors/ photographers use PS as their software reference. And because Corel PHOTO-PAINT X4 and Photoshop still have basically the same tools, its perfectly okey to learn from this book. Tone Curve is Tone Curve, and Levels in PS is called Contrast Enhancement in Photo-Paint X4. My girlfriend Mia bought this book, she uses PS CS3 and I uses PPX4, and its as good for both of us. All this said is because tools are just tools. A hammer is always a hammer. No matter what its called around the world.

What I like is that the authors/ photographers Katrin Eismann & Sean Duggan seem to pull it off in this book, when they say that this is a book about digital photography, about working with photographs digitally and not about Photoshop. And this is the good thing. This is what makes this book work. Hats off for that.

The book can among places be found at Amazon, but my girlfriend bought it from a Swedish online store instead. ISBN ISBN 10: 0-596-10047-7 | ISBN 13: 9780596100476 and direct link to Amazon is>> or via the O´Reilly Publishing website>>

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

New Book Razzia now released

Finally, the new book "Razzia", published by Hegas Publishing House in Sweden, came out. Click here to be taken directly to the book on their website>>

I made the cover illustration and the cover itself, and 9 additional illustrations, black and white inside the book. It was again a fun illustration assignment. Thank you Hegas for the illustration assignment. Leif Jacobsen, the author wrote a text I immediately found easy to illustrate. Hopefully you will all like it. Its in Swedish though... The book is targeted toward kids of 11 years and older, but I think even slightly younger kids could read it as well. A Swedish daily newspaper in South of Sweden "Skånskan" wrote about Leif the author, read more>


Quote from a Swedish review critic & a school librarian:
With youthful current talk of today, seasoned with the technicalities of the trimmed two-stroke engines mysterious realm, with enough realism to make the story probable, and with a lot of conciliatory humor the author successfully and certainly will catch even novice readers and get them to smile in recognition. The dozen expressive, full page, ink drawings by Stefan Lindblad surely brightens up the portrayal, description. Books of this kind will hopefully lead to more read of more advanced literature. - Bo Nordstrand, at BTJ

"This is a book that will fit many students, and with an attractive cover as well. This one I will buy several several items of to the school library. " -Lisbeth Göransson, librarian, Kirseberg School in Malmö, Sweden

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Wacom tablets, when doing digital work

After I wrote this post, I posted a new about the new Wacom Intuos4, read here>>

I work as an illustrator proffesionally in Sweden, on a daily basis, and use Wacom tablets for all my work both in CorelDRAW X4 as well as Corel Photo-Paint X4. And I use a scroll mouse from Logitech as well, for the scroll & zoom part. (With the scroll mouse you zoom in and out when using CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4) My suggestion is to only use Wacom tablets for the simple reason, because of its superior simplicity working with it. The Pen´s are great, both the standards and the extra pens you can by from Wacom. My wacom tablets are Wacom Intuos A5 and the Wacom Intuos3 A6 Wide. These sizes and tablets work great for my needs. And the Wacom Intuos3 A6 Wide aint to pricey either. Wacom offers several kind of tablets, so what is a must for you might not be a must for someone else. There is no "must" when you use a Wacom. Only towards the comptitative brands. You understand when you go from using a Trust tablet to a Wacom tablet. No more words needed.

If you dont like to by the Intuos3 line of tablets, then I can higly recomend Wacom Graphire 4 or the new Wacom Bamboo line. They are more than half the price of a Wacom Intuos3 line, depending where you buy them. The new Bamboo line is really nice in that they give you the pressure sensitivity as well. I have tried all these tablets, and if it wasnt for reasons of resolution and pressure sensitivity I would have now hesitation in buying the Bamboo or Graphire. I have done a lot of proffesional work with them all, when I didnt have my Wacom Intuos with me. And hade to borrow tablets. There is no quality differens in respect to DPI and PPI when working with CorelDRAW or Photo-Paint. Meaning when you create a document in CorelDRAW or Photo-Paint in let say 300 DPI/PPI and then draw with your Wacom Intuos3, Bamboo or Graphire4, the quality is the same when you do for both printed material on paper as well as for clean digital work. Its when you like to get more out of your brush strokes in details you will see the differences. For example if you in Corel Photo-Paint or Corel Painter paint a "water colour", the details is better drawn/painted with a Intuos3. It imitates real life much more. Its so much more subtle and detailed. But in all tablets from Wacom here mentioned quality is excellent. And you almost need a trained eye to see it.

If you work as an Art Director, Graphic Designer or making daily work that doesnt NEED to be extremely sensitive in the details of the brushes like many illustrators and artists need, then its more than okey with a Bamboo or Graphire - or the Intuos3. And this said, many illustrators and artists will never need this either. Because they dont work in such a style or technique.

They are great to work with. And you really don´t need to have the largest size of tablets either. Relax. I use to love the large size tablets, but because I like to sit outside my studio, at cafés and work, to be able to work where ever I go, the smaller sized Wacom Intuos3 A6 Wide, have come to be my absolute favorite size. Easy to put in my back-pack together with my laptop. IN total contrast to a fellow illustrator I used to share studio with. She bought the biggest Intuos she could find. I thought it just hindered me, and was way to big. As an artist I have made a painting big as 192 (Kvm) square meter, and other paintings in large sizes, so its not necessarily so that you buy a smaller size becaouse you draw small images, that has nothing to do with it.

My over all feel is that if someone have used a Graphire before, they will feel comfortable with this new Bamboo line. And if the go further and buy any size of the Wacom Intuos3 they will feel "safe". Its a pure joy to work with them. I would say that if you made a decision on pressure and resolution issues, then its just a question of portability. Designwise I prefer the look of the Intuos3, but after that the simple Bamboo Classic which is kind of small but in black colour.

Here is a link to a previous post of mine about Wacom on my blog for those who read it.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustratör & konstnär

Swedish newspaper article: Cuban blogger about Cuba

I read an article this morning, in the Swedish daily morning newspaper called Dagens Nyheter. The article was about a Cuban blogger living in Havana, Cuba. Who I would say is a brave blogger. She can tell more herself on her blog: "GenerationY". Important reading. She lives in Cuba and dare to write about things that are being taken for granted in a country like my own. Where everyone have internet and complete freedome of speach. Where she lives its not . Click here >> to read her blog. And you can red it in many different languages. Her friends outside Cuba help her with the updating and translation. GenerationY>>

To quote here own blog headline:
"Generation Y is a Blog inspired by people like me, with names that begin with or contain a "Y." Born in Cuba in the 1970s and 1980s, marked by schools in the countryside, Russian cartoons, illegal emigration and frustration. So I invite especially Yanisleidi, Yoandri, Yusimí, Yuniesky and others who drag their "Y's" to read my Blog and to write to me."

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Photographers - use Photo-Paint

I am an illustrator by profession, and I do graphic design occasionaly. What I also do is using my own photographs in some of my mixed media illustrations. This means I do image adjustment in Photo-Paint. Many photographers probably use either Photoshop, Lightroom or Paint Shop Pro, and Photo-Paint. For those of you who do take photographs, and like to have a great program in which to image adjust your images, as well as adding illustration and graphic design elements into them. And maybe work at times with layout, putting together your own portfolio and broshure material, for you CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 could be a very good choice. To know more on what you can do with your photos, using Corel Photo-Paint, go this website CorelDRAW.com, with a very active forum, with people from all over the world. Just recently http://www.coreldraw.com/ crossed the 20.000 member. And this alone since last year. Look at the main site, and browse to Photo edit or Photo-Paint X4 when you like to ask questions. Post your own photos in the Gallery and get comments. Just a little tip to start the new year.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Photo-Paint effects & custom made Halftones

Illustration copyright Stefan Lindblad 2009
In Corel Photo-Paint X4 there are several effect filters one can use. Halftone being one. But one other nice thing is the Texture>Canvas filters. If you choose "other" in the Texture>Canvas dialog, you can add any filter you have created yourself, or the preset ones that comes with the program. All though Halftone in effects is okey to use, I like to have even more control over the halftone.

So by using the Texture>Canvas approach I make my own halftone texture filter effects, which I apply to my illustrations. In this illustration you can see it on the human face, and the background. On the background I added a preset canvas texture. One other thing is the outline to text objects in Photo-Paint X4. It could be quicker to do, but it really just take 4 steps in 3 seconds. Not more. So what the heck, how lazy can we be these days if we think that takes a long time to do. As long as you know exactly how you like to have it. As long as you use the short cut keys on the keyboard. Its your own custom made stuff that takes time to make. The artistic stuff.

In this illustration I used the Lens filters in the Object Docker, such as Contrast Enhancement, Add Noise and Posterize Lens filters. And of course the Merge Mode: add, subtract and Hard Light effects. I used two different custom made textures of my own Halftones for the face. On the text with added outlines, I used the 3D perspective effect. To add outline on text you select the text object, ctrl+m, press P, hoover over and choose outline width and then right click and choose brushstrokes>outline.

I post this illustration for this reason, to give a little tip on the effects we can add to illustrations & graphics using Corel Photo-Paint X4.

So who is Mona Sahlin? She is the former Swedish vice Prime Minister.

Have fun!

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Corel font book & Coreldraw.com Font survey

When the survey on how users look for fonts, it got me thinking that many people might not understand what a good book that comes together with the Box version of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4, and which can be bought from Corel Store. Its a great book which I use many times when I look for fonts I dont already have installed. I can highly recomend it to any who uses CorelDRAW X4 and Photo-Paint X4. It has more than fonts to look at, clipart for example. But to concentrate on the Font thingy, I really enjoy holding the book in my hand or on the table. Browsing around the fonts. And we are talking about a great deal of fonts. As always CorelDRAw Graphics Suite X4 comes with a lot of fonts. In X4 there is 1000 high-quality Open Type fonts and International Fonts, as well as 75 Windows Glyph List 4 (WGL4) fonts and 10 single-line engraving fonts. And of course if you still like to make your own fonts, Coreldraw is perfect for that too :-)

For all users like me looking for fonts, which I am doing as I am writing this, take a look in the book. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Photo-Paint X4 making 60´s pop-art & comics effects

Here is a very simple and straight forward tip.

A lot of people like to know how to make a picture in the same style as some of the pop-art in the 60´s and 70´s. Those halftone images. With dots building up the outlines and contour of a human face. And bright colours. So how is that made in Corel Photo-Paint. Well here is one way of doing it.

Pick a good picture to begin with. In my case I use the picture of the Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeldt. I didnt vote for him, but he is probably a nice guy in private anyway ;-) First is the actual steps, and below my explanation for doing it in a bit more detail.

1 Open the image and use the Magic wand on the background
2 Choose cut and past on a new object in the Objects Docker
3 Select the first object again and choose desaturate
4 Continue with image>transform>Threshold and choose 132 bi-level in the threshold dialog.
5 Go to Effects and choose Blur>Gaussian blur.
6 Effects>color transform>Halftone, and choose amount of dots to your liking.

Now over to the next steps. Colouring the image.
7 Face colour. In the Object Docker choose Lens>Photo Filter, and choose a colour.
8 The background colour
9 Choose the old background object you earlier cut and pasted before
10 Magic Wand and select it, and choose a colour
11 Choose Fill tool (the bucket) to fill the object with colour. And fill the object
12 Colour the right hand eye as red, make new object in objects docker
13 Choose Lasso tool and cath the eye
14 Choose Fill tool and fill with red colour
15 Choose Multiply in the Merge Mode in the Docker on the eye object.
16 Repeat the step for the yellow part of the hair on the head.
Finished.

Open the image and use the Magic wand on the background. When background is selected and masked choose cut and past on a new object in the Objects Docker. This will make outline around the head, which I personally add for my own enjoyment. Not necessarily in the style, but I like it. Select the first object again and choose desaturate. Continue with image>transform>Threshold and choose 132 bi-level in the threshold dialog. Go to Effects and choose Blur>Gaussian blur. And then Effects>color transform>Halftone, and choose amount of dots to your liking.

Now over to the next steps. Colouring the image.
Face colour. In the Object Docker choose Lens>Photo Filter Lens (only if you have at least version X4), and choose a colour. I choose a light pink. Done. Magic isnt it.

Step three
The background colour. Choose the old background object you earlier cut and pasted before. Use Magic Wand and select it. Choose a colour, let say blue. And then choose Fill tool (the bucket) to fill the object with colour.

Step four.
Now colour the right hand eye as red. Make a new oject in the Objects docker. Some would maybe tell you to use the Clipping Path. But why when you can use the Lasso mask tool. So use the Lasso tool and cath the eye. Use the fill tool to fill the selection. Its now all red. So therefore go to the Objects Docker again, and select the new Eye object, and the in the Merge Mode choose Multiply. Voilá! Transparancy. Looks great. Repeat this with parts of the hair and make it in another colour, let say a Yellow.

Easy isnt it.
It all sounds like a lot of steps, but it really isnt.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Unknown creature found in Antarctica by Swedes

According to a small article today, in the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, an unknown creature, size of several square meters and very heavy, might have been found and cought, but fell back down to the Antarctic ocean. It was found on 250 meters depth. Read more here>> and use Google translate to read it, if you dont read Swedish. Pieces of it was still stuck to the CTD-sond they used for measuring salt level, pressure and temperature. Tissue samples says it couldnt be an octopus.

Stefan Lindblad

Using Calculations in Corel Photo-Paint

Illustration copyright Stefan Lindblad 2008

Ever thought of using Calculations when either combining channels on a coloured image or photo, or just trying to get interesting effects applied to a photo or illustration? The latter is my tip this time. Interesting effects.

I wonder how many actually use Calculations in Corel Photo-Paint, the hidden gem. One of the nice things working with Calculations is to use the Merge Modes, which you find under the Method field. To try this, start by open two images.

A nice thing with calculations is that you can switch between two images or more, by using two image sources. You change image source in the Source field. Open the images, without closing the dialog, and shift between channels.

By using two image sources you can combine those two images, by clicking OK. When this is done you dont have two objects in the object docker, only one object. So this approach in image manipulation is in a way very brutal.

By either check or uncheck using all cannels or just the grey channel, you will get a coloured RGB or 8 bit image, using invert or normal effect on the image. If you are just working with a pencil drawing you scanned, you can try different ways to increase the intensity, contrast of the pencil outlines. When you finally click OK, you are combining channels and objects. And in doing this the interesting effects starts. With this tip I am not making a tutorial, more giving a tip in manipulating your images, creating an interesting effect. But look out, this tip will combine your images, channels, not separating them into two objects in the object docker.

The more useal reason to use calculations is not necessarily to get the interesting effect as I show in my sample image, but this is one way of using it. In my sample image I used one coloured photograph I took of a street in Stockholm, Sweden and a pencil drawing I made in London , England. A drawing I scanned into my computer and the photo I took with my mobile phone.

Have Fun!

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Corel Photo-Paint Custom made Colour Palettes

When I work with an acrylic or oil painting on canvas in the studio, I have my set of colours and brushes I use on a table next to me. And my sketches for a painting, drafts, are useally on single paper or in my sketchbook. But sometimes digitally sketches I´ve done using Corel Photo-Paint and my Wacom Intuos3 tablet.

In the same way I work with colours in real life, I use palettes of colours in Corel Photo-Paint X4. I use both the standard colour palettes as well as custom made palettes I put together myself, with colours I will use for a certain image. And what is especially good, when working with digital art work such as digital painting, drawings and finally maybe an illustration of some sort, is to be able to make my own custom made colour palettes. The way to make a Custome made colour palette is very easy. One way is to simply choose a set of colours you are familiar with and like to use. A set of colours you now the exact name and RGB/CMYK number of. But one other way to do it is to use an image you bring into the computer. Wether its via your digital camera or digital scanner. It can be photos that you "googled", graphics, drawings, water colours paintings on paper you scann into your computer. It can be just about everything you can bring into Corel Photo-Paint as an image, and then use it as a reference of colours you like to use.

What I do is that I open the reference image. Then go via Window, Colour Palette and finally "Create Palette from visable". Next step is a Palette dialog that opens. In this dialog I select all colour swatches (squares) that I see, or just like to use, by choosing Ctrl+A. And then choose a name for the new Palette and then hit the OK button. The palette dialog closes down.

After this I close down my reference image, and again go via Window, Colour Palette and Colour Palette Browser. This opens a set of Palettes, in which one is the new one given a new name. Now use the palette the same way you do with the Default palettes set up by Corel Photo-Paint itself.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Swedish Design according to Stephen Bailey at the Guardian

Swedish Design according to Stephen Bailey at the Guardian, the Brittish newspaper, a good one for that matter, wrote an article that was fun to read. Not only because he mentioned Sweden, but that´s a fun kind of reading over a cup of coffee at the local café.

According to him it sounds like all of Sweden have minus -30 celsius degrees. And he mention the detective novel series "Wallander" by Mankell. Me who havent read the novels myself still beleives its placed in the south of Sweden. And I cant remember when - 30 celsius hit the south of Sweden. This country is a very Loooooong or Taaaallll country, depending how you prefer to look at it. And in the nothern part, yes it can be -30, but then we talk about way up north. Last time it was -20 celsius in Stockholm, was during winter time many years ago. Maybe 5 - 7 years ago. At least. But that said, -10 and -15 is a possibility in Stockholm, in february, which is slightly south of the middle of the country. And when this is said, when these temperatures do hit Stockholm, then with the humidity, stockholm which is built on islands, it really does get cold. And can easily feel more cold. Its goes in to your bones. Because of the humidity. But hey just relax, and dont shiver and tighten your muscles and you will be fine. And dont dress with to tight clothes. ;-)

And Wallanders area is even "hotter" than Stockholm.

Oh, and we rarely have snow during Christmas this south of Sweden. To have snow all winter, october to march, you really have to go more north than Stockholm. We get some snow in October/November shift useally for a week, sometimes two. But February is the real month for Snow and cold in Stockholm. November is the rainy dark month that makes no man happy. A britt would feel at home ;-) Oh, no we dont have polar bears on the streets.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Learning to Drive a Car in Sweden

All countries have their own ways to teach people to drive a car. I wonder how it is in other countries. In Sweden its both easy and difficult, depending on how you look at it. Sweden is a country with four seasons Which means we have Snowy winters with a lot of ice. Summers with sunny hot and humid days, with sun that never seem to go down. Winter and autmun with a mix of cold & hotter days and nights. Winters with a lot of dark days and nights. And springs with quickly shifting caracter on the weather, from one day to the other. Meaning, we have a lot of different weather conditions to take in consideration when driving a car. One thing we dont have, and probably never will have, are 15-16 year old´s allowed to have any kind of driving license´s for driving a car, like in the USA and probably other countries I dont know of. 15-16 year old´s are on the other hand allowed to drive a moped, vespa. But not faster and heavier than a EU-moped as its called here in the EU. In Sweden you are allowed to take driving lessons when you are 17, but can only get a driving license by age 18.

When you finally get the Driving licens in Sweden you only have your driving license for a year test period, to start with. During that first year you are not allowed to make any misstakes while driving. Like speeding for example. If getting caught doing that, you will instantly loose your driving license and have to start all over again. Tuff yes.

In Sweden you have to take a days lessons on learning, get to understand, how it is to drive on slippery ice and wet streets in contrast to dry and better gripp road & street surfaces. Panic breaks in higher speed, and push the breaks on different street surfaces. And you will also get to know how it might feel in different speed, to know the crashs peed in different situations.

When you finally get your driving license, you must have succed in the theory test exams, driving test, and taking the slippery, crash, speed test.

If you like to know more in detail, go to these website´s.
Gillinge (use Google translate) >>
Vägverket >>

People go to driving class, and pay evrything from 500 euros up to 2000 euros to get a driving license. Depending on if you only go to driving lessons at the drving instructor schools, or make a mix of Intrsuctor driving school AND driving privatly at home so to speak. Having a private instructor like your dad, mom, friend and so on. And since a year back, these people now have to take a small class to pass as private instructors. And it can take everything from 6 months to a year or even longer, depending how often people take classes. But probaly at least 6 months to get a driving license with a lot of practise and theory lessons with exam

I wonder how it is in other countries :-)

New design on my blog & news

As you might notice, those of you who have visited my blog & news before, I have made a change of the design on my blog & news. I felt it was about time. Its still blogger/blogspot that I use. Its the template I made some changes to. I will make a change later on to my header image. But this one will have to do for now. I have also added some new widgets to it. Such as the search filed. A search for looking searching on this blog & news solely. A new widget for blogger. For the moment I have issues with howe the images and text goes together. Because of the new width. But it will hopefully start looking okey again soon. Hope you like the new look.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Bettie Page icon pin up dies at 85

Some iconic figures are just there. You cant escape from them weather you like it or not. Bettie Page who is EVERYWHERE dies at 85 by a heart attack.

How many artists and illustrators, tatoo artists and you name it, havent in some way been, in one way or the other, effected by the image of Bettie Page. She will for ever be a icon larger than her own self. With merchandise of her. Just look at the Dark Horse comics website. Read more about it in LA Times and the Swedish Dagens Nyheter.

Bettie Mae Page was born April 22, 1923, in Nashville.


Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

Simple camera won Metro Photo Challenge

The Swedish daily free newspaper Metro (choose language), yes it actually is a Swedish paper, which comes out in approximatly 22 countries world wide, had a Photo comptetion they call Metro Photo Challenge. The person who won the competition is from Cananda. His name is Joel Charlebois lives in Toronto, Canada. He won against 55.000 entries from all those countries theoretically. He used a Canon Powershot SD500 and a plastic tripod. Well done Joel!

Apparantly Joel Charlebois, amateur photographer, had noticed a strange fog. And with his simple pod, he wondered around town to get "the Photo".

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist

I bought pure joy - Daler Rowney pencil set

This summer I whent with my girlfriend Mia to London again.
While there, during the last days, we whent in and bought a few things at an art supplie store. I think it was close to Holland Walk & Kensington High Street. It was a Sale, which is always fun when on a vacation :-) But I would have bought this pencil set from Daler Rowney anyway. I mean, how could I not. Just look at it. Its beutiful and inspiring to look at. And the pencils are great.

Stefan Lindblad
Illustrator & artist