[How to] Make Glitter Glue! (in Photoshop)

Sorry to disappoint if you thought this was a tutorial for how to make glitter glue IRL, BUT I hope this digital fabrication of it will bring you similar levels of joy.

Glitter is one of my favorite elements, maybe because it's often the opposite of professional so if I'm using it that means I'm working on a fun personal project that doesn't have any risk or feedback to it. I've been using the same glitter .pat files (mentioned below) for YEARS now and have learned some fun (basic) tricks with it. In this post you'll learn how writing or decorating rather messily before adding this glitter glue magic is a great way to get a little more loose in the digital space and have fun!

Ingredients

— Photoshop

— A way to draw in Photoshop (Wacoms make this a bajillion times easier IMO)

— Most importantly, the FREE .pat files this wonderful designer has graciously shared (that are made from actual photos of glitter!)

Steps

1. Have a new layer of its own where you roughly draw the words or shape you'd like to be in glitter.  Make sure your brush is 100% Hardness, 100% opacity, and make your best judgement on size for your needs.

****Don't worry at all about:****

Imperfection— Here imperfect is best. We're creating the look of something hand drawn remember, if the letters were perfectly spaced and squiggle free, it would look fishy. 

Color— We're eventually going to overlay the pattern on this so just use something easy to see.

2. Taper some edges like the glue is running out, and conversely glob some edges, ends, and all places lines meet. Consider how glue consistency is- there are never sharp corners, and when lines meet they sort of join and bead together.

3. Add the glitter! Make sure you have the .pat files installed. (If you don't know how or feel like doing this manually, you can simply open each .jpeg in Photoshop and go to Layer > Define Pattern...) 

Double-click on your layer to add a layer style.

Hit 'Pattern' and choose from the drop down one of your new glitter options.

Play around with the colors and scales for your needs. For some reason, (currently) Photoshop can scale your .pat files at 100%, or 50%. I have no idea why (if anyone knows the answer please share your wisdom), but any other percentage that does not fit this perfectly looks horrible and blurry. But luckily, the designer of these glitter patterns included images of glitter at different zooms. It might take some time to figure out which color and scale, at either 100% or 50% works best for your final output. Always judge your layer styles by final output! My example is 1200x1200 if you are wondering/following my numbers.

When picking which glitter color to use, I usually end up adjusting my background later depending on what the color inspires. Of course, you can always change the glitter color with a 'Hue' adjustment.

Congrats! you have glitter! ... but not glue yet.

4. We're going to add highlights/shading to give the illusion this is glue. To do this, we're going to use good ol' Bevel & Emboss. This part of the layer style modal can be frightening with its ability to create the kind of "late 80's uber-intense we're using computers now so lets show off the effects we can do with them" styles. BUT, it's all about subtlety here, and using the lowest settings we can to achieve the look. 

Make sure your highlights are overlaid as "Normal" - this is the most important part! This is how we achieve the glossed over glue style, and we luck out with this feature.

This step also takes some playing around and testing to see what works best at your scale. Remember at default settings, Photoshop's layer styles do not scale! So work at the final size (or higher if you will end up converting it to a smart object).

Below are my numbers (for a 1200 x 1200 canvas):

I also recommend a very subtle drop shadow. Pay attention to the tapered edges you made when judging. Essentially we don't want this shadow to be even noticed, it should enhance the illusion without it being super clear why. 

Here are my numbers for my drop shadow:

5. We're basically there! At this point I like to adjust the original drawing if it needs. For example, I felt my tapered edges needed to be even thinner after seeing the glitter glue texture on, so I used the eraser tool with no feather to adjust. You can add and adjust freely to this layer, the styles of course will stay the same.

CONGRATS! You've successfully made some glitter glue with no mess to your home.

If anyone uses this technique for a project I'd love to see what you've made.

Adding glitter glue is so much fun, even if its just for a personal art project. Hope this helped or inspired you do make something!

Best,
Danielle Attinella

These roses were grown in our garden! They were so beautiful and our brown kitchen counter is the perfect spot to take photos of them. This was a Valentines Day post I made. <3 

Startup jitters: 'Hip My Trip' (hopefully not 'Trip & Break My Hip')

UPDATE: website is live! HipMyTrip.com thanks to collaboration with Onar.

I've been waiting to write about Hip My Trip until the website was up and I could proudly share the completed project, but I saw a lot of value in expressing where I'm at right now in the beginning stages.  So, as of March 28 2017, this is where I'm at.

What is Hip My Trip?

Hip my Trip is my project, currently just living on Etsy, that creates custom artistic maps to remember your impactful trips. It was started after I plugged in the route of my round-world trip in 2016/17 to Google Maps. It was functional, but for extra fun I made a stripped down version that was much more aesthetically pleasing. It hit me that many others probably would love to have a way to show special trips or geographical locations. So I researched, and saw there were definitely a handful of shops (largely on Etsy) that were selling geographical prints and products, but I couldn't find anyone actually showing the route, which to me was the best part! The route is what you're in charge of, there's a lot of pride and significance in it.

Questions that keep me up at night:

• Is no one specializing in trip routes because there's no demand for it?
• How the hell do I compete with other map art companies that have had their shop open for 7+ years and have 6k sales? How do some of these shops pay for thousands of listings? How do people even find me on Etsy if these companies completely swarm the space, with employees to help and Etsy SEO tools to keep all products new and in front of others?
• Ethically am I supposed to be creating all the background patterns? Is it fair if I purchase a pattern and use repeatedly on products? Is it OK to use patterns that belong to other cultures? Isn't it unethical as a white person to use elements from other cultures to make a profit? Does that change if I buy directly from artists and use credit? Is it OK to create my own patterns from elements I take from stock art?
• How would I be able to afford to offer any small items if the custom design time is what costs the most, not the materials? Are there products I can offer other than posters that are still cost effective and worth it for the customer to hire me for? Do I want to only be open to custom work?
• Is it worth putting hours of time into setting up geographical prints and products like the other shops with my own style, or are people just looking for whats cheapest, which I cant afford?
• Is it worth all the time and effort to post and manage my Instagram and social channels just for hope that someone will be a customer from it? Other shops with tons of sales don't seem to be stressing about it and they are quite successful.
• Is the name Hip My Trip, and concept of focusing on the routes from trips, too narrow of a category? Do I think it's a great idea because I'm weird and don't relate to most people and what I might think is a great idea might not be as celebrated by others? Is traveling for leisure too much tied to privilege? How to I try to be aware of this and balance with some good?

Thoughts that keep me going:

• I believe in the product- it's beautiful and lets you tell your story 
• The feeling of inadequacy and comparison to other shops is a blessing and a curse. Of course it eats me up a bit to think of how late to the game I am compared to these other companies who have been published in magazines, blogs, etc. But, it also gives me inspiration because that means enough people love maps and the emotional significance they hold
• Maps encourage curiosity and let us think more globally, peacefully
• I always dreamed of being a good pattern designer, and this medium lets me try out different concepts and be my own art director
• Getting a new order brings me such a thrill-not because of the money, but because it means I've connected with someone, they've seen me and appreciate my vision, and more importantly I get to hear of their wonderful stories of their trips which is truly inspiring!
• I don't have a job. (Hopefully) finding freelance gigs, a PT mindless data collection job, and my projects are what I have. This is my special time to build something that matters.
  
  Today I just started obsessively creating templates and images for some pillows. I believe they are beautiful and I want to keep pushing myself to only create things I truly love to see, instead of something I assume others would want to just fill space in their home. Intentionality is my goal. 

And here's a pattern I designed! I'm really happy with it: 

I want to keep my standards high, surprises often, and quality top notch. Thing is there's SO MUCH I want to do, and I feel SO BEHIND others. But I'm trying to stay focused on why I believe in this project and keep moving forward each day, even if it's a tiny bit. 

And just like in other aspects of life, it's smart to value your differences. Following, or believing you're supposed to be in the same game as others, doesn't get anyone anywhere and that belief comes from fear of failure. I'm trying to figure out how my unique perspective and values can be a greater focus of the work I put out in the world.

For now- the website. There's a whole lot to tackle in a custom website that includes collecting specific information and payment- and currently it's just set up for the custom posters. Eventually I hope to expand and have more pre-designed map products, and have fun with pattern creating like I always dreamed of as a kid. I'm soooo lucky that my partner can make anything possible I think of and is working on it for me. Well, it's part of our goal to have projects together under a new entity, but that will be sometime in the future and saved for another post.

I'm trying to not feel overwhelmed and take it one step at a time. Wish me luck! (So far it's not going the best...........)

Thanks for reading,
Danielle

[DEALING WITH] Design Style Envy

I hate wasting time; I hate wasting energy. There's too much to accomplish! But this morning I trailed off from redesigning my portfolio on a path I don't hear a ton of graphic designers talking about, regrettably consuming my energy and time into a black hole. 

I'm talking about: design style envy. Not lusting over different styles, but the fact designers even have one at all.

After my daily espresso, I searched for inspiration from designers and studios I look up to (Darn Good, Pollen Studios, for example) and realized many of them had something in common- their projects used similar colors, themes, design eras, and textures; they had a style.  And I became incredibly envious!  It seems like they know themselves, like there's confidence in where they belong in life. 

In University we were taught good design meant there were no biases from the designer, a scientific leaning approach. The instructors believed any semblance of personality was 'bad' design. They taught the design process is about the client and listening to every one of their needs before coming up with the (closest to) objective solution specific to them. It would be near impossible if these specific custom solutions happened to have similar color pallets and fonts coming from the same person. Design isn't about ego, it's about solutions. Personality didn't have a place in these solutions.

HOWEVER— now after marveling at these beautiful self-branded portfolios, this principle learned from University is challenged and part of me wants to throw away this mindset all together. These studios consistently create absolutely incredible design and visuals and I wonder if the restraints they set for their branding is actually what lets them create such high quality content. Any designer knows, rules are your best friend! Design principles are always there, is it really horrible to have a general color pallet, pattern and font usage that is consistent amongst projects? 

So I want to work through positives, negatives and reasons for having a style as a designer and figure out if this is something all designers should strive for, or if it serves a purpose bigger than what I understand currently. Lets explore!

When would a style be beneficial?

It can make sense on the client end, there's less risk. You visit the portfolio of one of these designers and you essentially know what to expect. You can anticipate the general aesthetics & quality and decide if the personality of your brand aligns with theirs. 

It also can make sense from the designer's end. How much simpler of a career would it be to have a brand standard .ai file for yourself!? Or at least a generally similar lettering voice? You might put in extra work up front polishing your colors, type, and creating custom patterns lets say. But after that the eyedropper with a little fine tuning would be your best friend. This would be be much more efficient on the designer's end. And you would still deliver exactly what the client is hoping for, at an expedited rate.

Both the client and designer would benefit from this rough assumption of expectations. It saves time by cutting out the initial sketching and presenting of completely different brand concepts.

When would a style hurt you?

Of course it would turn away many people if their needs weren't represented on your portfolio. If versatility isn't showcased, you better hope your specific style is in demand. (But, being selective in jobs could be seen as a milestone of success to some). Thing is, design principles are forever, but the demand for specific aesthetics might be as fickle as fast fashion. Even if your abilities are broad and you are a multifaceted person, if you present yourself as one personality many individuals and businesses that need help with their own vision, not yours will look elsewhere. They need to be listened to, not told.

I've personally gotten feedback from clients that I was hired because my portfolio showed versatility. This is especially beneficial if you enjoy variety in your day. For me it is not due to desperation that I want to be open to all types of work, I genuinely enjoy variety and the element of surprise. (And need to keep reminding myself of this as I marvel at others' beautiful self-branded portfolios!)
 

How might long term life goals relate to a style?

It's important to consider your long term goals for your (design?) career, because accommodating potential clients might not even be important to you. Self-awareness is key in your career and lifestyle. 

Do you hope to sustain variety in your work and continue to help entrepreneurs (and/or businesses through working at design firms) reach success, without much credit needed? Then maybe you have a passion for the objective design process and should keep a plethora of variety in your work so you can stay open to any opportunities that come your way. If you want to work at a design firm or marketing company, versatility is important. Here the client's unique needs are the focus and there's extensive research plotting that most objective solution to design, as I was taught at University. It definitely has a need and purpose and you are able to create designs completely custom and one-of-a-kind. As long as you are listening to their goals, you will help design meaningful solutions for their brands that impact many.

Do you hope to eventually utilize your years of experience and quality design examples to own your self-created educational content? Maybe start speaking about design and leading others? Then finding the sweet spot of both branding yourself but also showing your versatility should be your pursuit. And I think this is where the designers I was looking at this morning fall into, so it makes sense now. To be a leader you need both a personal brand that expresses who you truly are and content to prove you practice the design principles you preach. It's possible to get in trouble with a fickle identity that needs to change every few years to stay with the times, but I do believe if you stay true to who you really are at the core, and you use versatile enough elements you can do this successfully. If you are showing your true colors (literally) then your brand will have resonance and stability for years to come.

Do you hope to step away from client work all together and dive into the entrepreneurship sector, developing your own companies and entities as a source of income? Then it would make sense to spend efforts on your brand and voice, in order to build credibility as part of a wholistic representation of your values and work. But in this case the value of your portfolio to your lifestyle would be more of a conversation piece and less of what defines your future work. It would be where you have connecting URLS to your own projects that live in their own space. Maybe if you have income from other business pursuits you've created yourself, your portfolio could be more of a fun place to show your art and you can take more risks.

Do you want to step away from the design process and focus more on how to utilize your illustration skills and self-expression in conjunction with the design world? Then absolutely try to narrow in on your primary illustration skills and voice you want to be sought out for. It might take some time to figure out what sort of creative expressions can be consistent enough and work best in conjunction with brands, but if you go this route companies would seek you out for your unique personality, which would feel rewarding I imagine. Of course in this scenario you would still be in the business world, not at the end of the artistic self expression spectrum, optimizing your skills and creativity for compensation from brands rather than being an artist tucked away in a studio expressing your political passions. Having large influential brands hire you for your skills could feel validating, though indeed you can choose to focus on editorial content, or focus solely on small businesses, for your illustrative expressions if you don't like the idea of appeasing to large consumer brands! 

In conclusion

There's never going to be a blanket 'right' way to be for your specific path, and worrying about or comparing your portfolio to others with different long term goals than you is a waste of time and energy. It's not so bad to have a style in how you present your work, and can be very beneficial to you, as long as it aligns with the short and long term goals you have set for yourself, which is not going to be consistent with everyone no matter how pretty or self-aware that other portfolio looks.

There's nothing wrong to have those feelings of inadequacy or lust when seeing other portfolios, just like it isn't wrong to have those feelings about a beautiful person. It's perfectly natural and timeless to feel envy, what matters is how we act with these feelings. We can face our feelings head on to analyze what this means for our next steps. It's not feeling happy or stable that motivates us to create, contrarily often it is those feelings of inadequacy that really drives us to move forward. (I recently read a great article where Jessica Walsh admits to something similar.) In an uncomfortable way, we have to embrace these feelings.

It all boils down to looking inward. What do you find important? What are your short term goals? What are your long term goals to work toward? 

The primary lesson I've learned is how extremely important it is to understand the difference in presenting yourself as an illustrator/artist vs. designer. Some of the 'designers' I was going to share earlier I realized were actually primarily illustrators, so of course they will have a more consistent personality in their content. When you identify towards an artist, there's space for your personality and expression. When you identify on the other end of the spectrum as an unbiased designer, you will take a more scientific objective approach to your work. Awareness of this spectrum is essential. Maybe it's a good time to consider if you want to be considered more of an illustrator/artist rather than designer. It boils down to who you are at the core and where you belong.

For therapeutic motivations I'll try to reach a personal conclusion to avoid wandering into this time and energy black hole again. To be honest, I have a general idea of my long term goals but I'm still trying to figure that out. For now, I mostly love the freelance lifestyle having variety and getting a rush working directly with entrepreneurs making their ideas come to life and legitimacy with a solid brand. But I connect with them because I also have the entrepreneurial spirit myself, and would love to create products that help people. I'd also like to design a way to earn and direct capital past my myopic point of views and towards important global issues, like climate change, social justice, and peace.

The philosophical connection in design thinking is what keeps me engaged. I can see logically why showing versatility is important, but might not be able to get over the existential arguments for it. After all, if we aren't introducing our unique view points and expressions into the world, what exists from us? Are we merely just deduced down to a tool to get from point A to B? Having at least some loose style is what helps the design world move forward in a way.

So— for now I will keep a variety of styles on my portfolio, though I do think adding a page to show more illustrations and patterns I've created would be important to me to scratch the artistic expression/existential itch. I think some personal branding is important to seam your site together, but for me I don't plan on being a public speaker anytime soon* (*ever) so concentrating on my personal brand doesn't need to be a huge time and energy focus right now. I want to be open to a variety of projects and perhaps while a designer builds their career from branding others with that objective design process, it eventually feels natural and organic to see real value in treating yourself as your own client. [meta] Reaching that level of self awareness without forcing it does sound philosophically appealing, and maybe it's best to relax and let the fruition of this need see its time as I'm still extending my creativity and figuring out who I am at the core. (Right now I just feel confusion and a bit of frustration from my consistent inconsistency!)

Writing this all out really helped me. I'm obviously not a teacher or leader, I just hope to work through my issues publicly to maybe relate to others so we can figure this design thing out together!

If you have any comments or thoughts on the topic I'd love to hear from you! Have you had similar issues with your identity? Do you feel there's another way to see it? I'm all ears.

Thanks for reading,
Danielle