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Nick Saporito

Create a transparent gradient mask with Illustrator
How To Create A Transparent Gradient Mask with Illustrator
 How To Create A Transparent Gradient Mask with Illustrator 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how you can create a transparent gradient mask with Illustrator using an Opacity Mask. This would be useful if you’re trying to apply a gradient of transparency to an image, an object, or a grouping of objects. To create a transparent gradient mask with Illustrator, select your object, open…

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Trace an image to vector with Illustrator
How To Trace An Image To Vector with Illustrator | Color and Monotone
 How To Trace An Image To Vector with Illustrator | Color and Monotone 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how to trace an image to vector with Illustrator, both in color and in monotone. For this lesson I’ll be using the Image Trace feature in Adobe Illustrator, which allows us to make auto tracings of images as opposed to manually tracing them with something like the Pen Tool.…

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Inkscape 1.0 Update: How Stroke To Path Has Changed
 Inkscape 1.0 Update: How Stroke To Path Has Changed 800 470 Nick Saporito
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Earlier this year when Inkscape released version 1.0 they made a rather significant change to how one of the core path operations works, namely stroke to path. This change was significant enough that it actually broke some of my old tutorials, so I just wanted to post a quick update, along with a workaround, in…

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Inkscape vs GIMP
Inkscape vs GIMP: A Complete Comparison for New Users
 Inkscape vs GIMP: A Complete Comparison for New Users 800 470 Nick Saporito
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Deciding when to use Inkscape vs GIMP is a common dilemma a lot of new designers find themselves in, but they’re both very different tools. In this post I’ll be comparing both applications and going over what their intended uses are. There’s also a video presentation at the top of the page if you prefer…

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Character shading with Inkscape
How To Add Shading To Vector Illustrations with Inkscape
 How To Add Shading To Vector Illustrations with Inkscape 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how you can use Inkscape to add a simulated shading effect to your vector illustrations that makes the design pop and look more lively. This technique assumes the position of a hypothetical light source, and uses manually-drawn shapes with the Bezier Pen to simulate shadows and highlights. The following…

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How to show all tools in GIMP
How To Show All Tools In Gimp and Remove Tool Groups
 How To Show All Tools In Gimp and Remove Tool Groups 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be addressing a common problem in the way that newer versions of GIMP display tool icons in groupings. I’ll be demonstrating how you can easily show all tools in GIMP instead of having them grouped together into sub menus.  GIMP Tools Grouped Together According to the release notes for GIMP…

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Create isometric designs with Inkscape
Create Isometric Designs with Rounded Corners in Inkscape
 Create Isometric Designs with Rounded Corners in Inkscape 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how to create vector isometric designs using Inkscape. This is a technique that I’ve taught in the past, but thanks to some of the new features in Inkscape version 1.0, it now makes it easier to give your isometric drawings rounded corners, as you’ll see in the tutorial. The…

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Create a circular infographic with Adobe Illustrator
Create A Circular Infographic with Adobe Illustrator
 Create A Circular Infographic with Adobe Illustrator 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In today’s tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how you can create a vector infographic design with Adobe Illustrator. Once the design is completed you can plug in your own information and data as you please. The following is a brief overview of the steps taken to create this infographic. For complete step-by-step instructions, please watch the…

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GTA load screen effect with GIMP
Turn Yourself Into a GTA Load Screen with GIMP
 Turn Yourself Into a GTA Load Screen with GIMP 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be demonstrating how you can use GIMP to make a photo have a similar art style to the load screens from the Grand Theft Auto video game series. The style demonstrated in this tutorial is more like the load screens used in GTA4 rather than GTA5, but it still has that…

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All 39 GIMP tools explained
All 39 GIMP Tools Explained
 All 39 GIMP Tools Explained 800 470 Nick Saporito
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In this tutorial I’ll be giving you a rundown of all 39 tools found in GIMP, along with a brief explanation of what they do. I’ve put together a 15-minute video demonstration below if you want to check that out. Otherwise you can continue on to the written format. Enjoy!  GIMP Tools In this…

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