Let’s continue, shall we?

 
As I mentioned in Part 1, my style and process is somewhat unorthodox. I don’t have any formal training or education as an artist; I’ve just developed my craft over a number of years. I know that most designers would probably suggest taking a different approach than what I’ve suggested so far, and that’s ok with me. One of the ways that a lot of people like to start their design work is with a pencil and paper, sketch it out. I have great admiration for the people that take this approach, because I simply can’t - I’m not ashamed to say it, I couldn’t draw my way out of a paper hat. My co-worker, Kyle, is one of those guys who can… he’s an extremely talented artist and designer, and I have a lot of respect for him when he pulls out the pencil and sketches his ideas onto paper - the result is pure genius!

 
Ok… on with how I work:

 
3. Design elements - After getting some ideas into my head about where I want to take a design, and trying to establish an overall tone and feel; I will start to incorporate some design elements that will help support my starting imagery. Design elements could be number of different things; such as: vector art, textures, photos, color adjustments, or anything that will help to support the direction I’ve established. In the “How to Pray for America” piece shown above, I used several texture overlays and color adjustments to help bring out the deep and rich tone that I wanted it to have.

 
4. Typography - This is probably the most important part of any design piece, and if I’m being honest, probably the thing that I need to work on the most. Typography is key - it’s often the final thing that helps seal the deal on connecting your visual design to the message. Finding a typeface that will fit and flow with the look and feel of your design is never easy, but it’s very important. Once I’ve found the typeface that I want to work with, I’ll try to find a way to work into the design. One way of working with typography that I’ve found to be useful is thinking of your type as more of a shape, rather than just words. If you can get the “shape” of your type to fit smoothly within the composition of your piece, you’ve hit a homerun!

 
5. The finishing touches - There has to come a time in every design process when you have to just stop and finish it up. I’m a perfectionist at heart and sometimes I just need to realize that it’s finished… stop and walk away! The finishing touches are key to any design. For me, it’s doing things like cleaning up layer masks, making final color adjustments, tightening up the overall composition; and of course, cleaning up my layer palette. Cleaning up your layer palette is a HUGE step that is often forgotten. Not only will it reduce your overall file size, it will save you a ton of time the next time you open your file and want to make any changes - no more sorting through unused layers!

 
So that’s the general overview in how I go through the process of my design work. Every designer has their own way of working, and I’ve always thought that establishing a work flow is a part of the process that should not be forgotten. I hope that reading through some of my process will either help you to establish your own workflow, or just give you an idea of what a new workflow for you could look like!
P.S.
Some of my favorite sites to find free typefaces:
- www.dafont.com
- www.bvfonts.com

- www.abstractfonts.com