Binary Angel is one of my newest photo-manipulations, though it differs from most in the fact that I decided to combine a large number of  vector graphics in this piece. The vector wings were from Go Arsenal Media, a great resources for brushes vector graphics and templates at a reasonable price. The model is from istockphoto and the remaining elements are custom.

Inspiration

Ultimately I came up with this while trying to decide on what to do about creating my custom 404 page (still a work in progress).  I wanted something unique and different that also still demonstrated graphic design. This approach was heavily influenced by the fact I was watching the last few episodes of an Anime called “Outlaw Star” in which the characters entered the “Digital Plane” and were interacting with a “Machine Diety”. The idea of angelic presence administrating over cyberspace intrigued me and prompted me to create this image.

The Design Process

The choices in the elements and colors was fairly simple after I picked the stock image. I knew that I wanted her to be an angel and I wanted to create an interesting but “uncluttered” cyberspace environment for her. I had already had the wings for quite sometime, and incorporated them first to set the tone of the image and figure out the spacing.

After that I had to decide on the illuminated screens. At first I had thought to use website screen shots (most likely from my own site) but I decided against that as I wasn’t sure how well it was coming across, so I decided to use blank screens with lighting effects. One of the hardest things was planning the angles for this and creating just the right perspective. Next I created a custom pixel brush by defining a square as a brush and adjusting the custom brush settings for it.

When I created the light spirals around her lower body I had another chance to look at the image and remember that she was an angel and it occurred to me…”When is the last time I saw an angel with a halo?” So I decided to add one in a light blue, in a shade very close to the one I used for the screens earlier.

I have to say that I’m very happy with the way this image came out and that I think it will be one of the stronger pieces in my portfolio.

Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is a Professional Graphics Designer and Photographer, living in Fayetteville NC, has work been working with Photoshop® for over 8 years now, and Flash® for the past 5 years.

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In keeping with my new tradition of participating in twitter #musicmonday I’ve designed a new piece of Music Monday digital artwork . I’ve also posted my inspiration playlist for this week!

Music Monday Inspiration 2

Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is a Professional Graphics Designer and Photographer, living in Fayetteville NC, has work been working with Photoshop® for over 8 years now, and Flash® for the past 5 years.

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Today I interview a truly talented Graphic Designer and Digital Artist you may be familiar with from Deviant Art, she has been featured in Advanced Photoshop Magazine, and Photoshop Creative Magazine just to name a few. I am personally a huge fan of her work and have had the pleasure of talking with her about it, her name is Karen McDade and her work is nothing short of spectacular!

Niyo by Karen McDade

Where are you from, and when did you first develop your artistic ability?
I’m originally from South Africa, and have recently moved to Europe with the intention of seeing more of the world. I’ve always been artistically inclined and I fell into design a few years ago purely by fluke – a friend introduced me to Photoshop and I was hooked from then on…

alien-manga by Karen McDade

How did you decide to become a designer?
I had played around with Photoshop for quite a while before I decided to take the plunge into graphic design as a profession. I didn’t have a formal education in design so I went on a self-study frenzy, reading design magazines, doing online tutorials, buying design books, watching podcasts and spending hours a day learning the Adobe products. I’ve been freelancing for a few years now and I haven’t looked back.

gothic-night by Karen McDade

A lot of your work is vibrant and full of color, could you talk a little more about your style?
The colourful style isn’t a conscious decision. I take each piece as it comes to me and I try not to over-think the design. Most pieces are done over a couple of days, and I often take breaks from the design so I can review it with fresh eyes. It’s a very fluid process .

Myst by Karen McDade

Who are some of your favorite artist or people who have inspired you creatively?
I remember seeing Dave McKean’s work and being completely captured by it. I love how weird his art is, so dark but filled with meaning. I wanted to do that. My style couldn’t be more far removed from McKean’s but I would be disappointed with myself if my work resembled any other artist’s style. I’m also a big fan of Richard Marchand.

forest-nymph by Karen McDade

Did you have to overcome any barriers in pursuing your artwork?
I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had the support of my family the whole way through. I can’t complain at all. My fiancé has been especially supportive of my career, most notably when I was starting out and I didn’t have that much work coming in. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I reckon the only barrier to pursuing my artwork currently is lack of time. Unfortunately I work most evenings and weekends so I don’t have much time for personal work, which explains my limited gallery. But it’s quality, not quantity that counts, right?

the-thinker by Karen McDade

What advice would you give to other people looking to enter the design world?
Try to look for alternate sources of inspiration and differentiate your work as much as possible from the current trends. Try find your own style, and if you feel you don’t have your own style, then don’t put any pressure on yourself – just keep on learning and it will come with time.

New Age Arms Dealer by Karen McDade

What do you feel are some new advancements or trends you’ve noticed in the design world today?
I’m happy see the overuse of lighting effects dying down a bit. I’m guilty of using them myself but I think, as a design element, it’s getting old. Unless it works for the overall concept of the design, you should try something less clichéd. The more attention I pay to international design, the more I notice how the trends differ in each pocket of the world. Personally I think the design coming out of Poland at the moment is some of the best in the world, followed by the UK and Brazil.

You’ve been published in a few magazines, is there anything in particular you can tell us about how that came about? And what was it like seeing your work featured?
It was quite validating seeing my work published in a reputable magazine. I make a point of trying to get my artwork seen by as many people as possible, so I have multiple online portfolios with graphic art communities. I credit this method with getting my work noticed by publishers.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you for your thought-provoking questions. I hope I’ve mentioned something here that will help out other designers in some way. I’m always willing to assist designers whenever possible – the more support we give each other the more we uplift the level of the community.

Thanks for a great interview Karen, your work is truly amazing and has been an inspiration to me, as I’m sure it is for many other digital artist out there. I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next! The rest of you out there can let Karen know what you think by dropping a comment or visiting her galleries.

Advanced Photoshop
Photoshop Creative
Deviant Art
GFX Artist
Behanced Network
ModelMayhem

Karen’s own website is: http://www.omegared.co.za/ where you can contact her or hire her for a project!

Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is a Professional Graphics Designer and Photographer, living in Fayetteville NC, has work been working with Photoshop® for over 8 years now, and Flash® for the past 5 years.

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