Creative Cloud does not just provide creative individuals with tools to take their talents to the next level, but also offers the opportunity to explore other creative areas of interest. Take Geordie Milne (@geordiemilne) for example. The use of Creative Cloud has evolved his creative workflow by enabling him to work with multiple programs on a single project. Not to mention, new updates (some exclusive to Creative Cloud users) gives Geordie the ability to try programs he may have never used before.

Read about his current project, check out some of his impressive work, and learn which tool in Photoshop blows his mind below.

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Adobe: Describe a project you are currently working on or have completed with Creative Cloud.

Geordie: I am currently using Creative Cloud for a project for themeditator.com and marinacowdray.com. I am taking photos of the jewelry and sculptures and creating graphics using Illustrator and Photoshop; as well as some time-lapses using Premiere Pro.

What was your inspiration behind the project?

Geordie: My current client’s work has a meditation feel & knowing its positive effect; I find pleasure in modifying it and creating patterns from it.

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?

Geordie: It’s amazing to have access to all of Adobe’s programs! I probably would have never dipped into learning as many of them as I am now, and I’m excited to download some more.  I also end up using more than 1 program per piece such a making a time-lapse & then bringing it into Photoshop to apply some of the great new video capabilities, such as ‘Blur’ or ‘Liquify’. Creative Cloud gives me the ability to save and access files from any computer, and be able to share files with my clients and friends. As a visual person, I have found that Adobe Bridge helps me find files and stay organized.

What tools specific to Creative Cloud enable you to work more efficiently?

Geordie: I also work with drones (multicopters), so one essential tool for sure is Premiere Pro’s, ‘Warp Stabilizer.’  Illustrator’s ‘Pattern Options’, makes for quick, exact designs. Photoshop’s ‘Smart Objects’ offers a new, nondestructive workflow and is a great way to add filters.

Describe your style of work in three words

Geordie: Fun, Technicolor and Geometric

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t create without _________.

Geordie: I can’t think of one thing other than just answering, ‘Abode’ but one thing I absolutely LOVE is the ‘Oil Paint Effect’ in Photoshop… it blows my mind.

What advice would you give to an individual who is considering Creative Cloud?

Geordie: Do it, try it, you won’t regret it! I often urge people to sign up for ‘Creative Cloud’. Its monthly costs offer people who want to emerge into the creative industry, a financially strategic, practical step.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Geordie: I love signing into the Creative Cloud and seeing an update here and there. Adobe is pushing the creative technology like no other. I feel that I have also joined access to a like-minded community, have made some great connections and look forward to seeing everyone’s creations! 

Like Geordie, has Creative Cloud inspired you to try products you’ve been intrigued by, but have never tested out? If so, tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.  Care to see more of Geordie’s work? Check out his blog here.

If you’ve visited the Creative Cloud Facebook page, then there’s a good chance you’ve seen the work of Will Suarez aka “HI Def Willy.” A believer in bringing cultural awareness and unity, he enjoys creating pieces that showcase people from various ethnic backgrounds and their unique characteristics.

Intrigued by his work, we connected with HI Def Willy on Facebook. We wanted to not only see more of Will’s work, but to also learn how Creative Cloud helps bring his innovative ideas to life.

Find out more about HI Def Willy’s style, learn how Creative Cloud has enables him to work more efficiently and more in the Q&A below.

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Adobe: Describe a project you are currently working on or have completed with Creative Cloud.

Will: Recently I have been focusing on creating a series of fine art pieces combining illustrations, photography and analog techniques into digital formats to create surrealistic portraits .Using a matte gel transfer technique, I transfer high res images onto fine art paper, canvas or wood.

What was your inspiration behind the project?
During my long commutes around Texas for meetings and work, I find myself always meeting random people walking the city streets. I get inspired by the stories told, the way people view them and the myths that people create of them. I wanted to capture that and find a way to show those emotions in these pieces.

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?
Using the Creative Cloud has changed the way I work dramatically. It definitely has simplified everything and makes it easy to keep organized. I can seamlessly access and save progress on projects and pick right up from where I left off on any of my other devices on the go.

What tools specific to Creative Cloud enable you to work more efficiently?
As a freelance graphic artist and being on the go most of the time, having all my files accessible to view, edit and share, sure come in handy. I utilize many of the Touch Apps . One of the more frequent one I use is Adobe Ideas. It allows me to start a vector sketch on the go and access through the Creative Cloud on my PC where I can then continue to edit and complete.

Describe your style of work in a few words.
Everything’s a work in progress… pushing the limits.

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t create without _________.
Music and life experiences

What advice would you give to an individual who is considering Creative Cloud?
If you are looking to grow and develop your style, you definitely need to look into it! Invest in your talent and gain access to utilize all the great tools that you get with Creative Cloud. Not only will you stay current on updates and gain access to many options, but it will definitely streamline your workflow. The allotted space is more than enough to be able to carry along with you a mobile studio. Creating couldn’t get much easier. Everything you need is right there whenever, wherever.

Anything Else?

Thank you Adobe for always putting out great products! I am excited to see what new apps and features will be added in the future! For all fellow graphic designers, artists, creators, and innovators, keep pushing your limits, get out of your comfort zone and explore, create, define your work. Putting your work out there for people to see and enjoy is what it is all about. Stay humble, pour your heart into what you do and don’t ever be afraid to take a leap of faith.

Be sure to follow HiDefWilly on Instagram, Twitter and “like” him on Facebook.

Ready to have your work featured for everyone to see? Share your work with us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below and you could be our next spotlight!

We’re making Adobe MAX (May 4-8) bigger and better this year. For those who are wondering, “What’s MAX?” – it is THE conference for creative pros. It’s an opportunity for designers, developers, video professionals, photographers, and more to come together to learn about the latest technologies, techniques, and strategies for delivering your best creative work – not to mention the idea exchange and networking opportunities that exist. And it doesn’t stop there.

We have an agenda packed full of amazing speakers, tracks, sneak peeks (yes – you don’t want to miss this!) and more. Choose from over 300 sessions and labs taught by industry leaders and Adobe experts to maximize your creative experience, and even customize your MAX agenda by mixing and matching sessions from all five MAX tracks:

• Design and Creativity
• Web Experiences
• Digital Publishing
• Gaming
• Video

If that’s not enticing enough, we’re throwing a cherry (or two) on top to get you to L.A. Register today using this special promo code: MXSM13, to receive $300 off AND get your hands on a free 1-year Creative Cloud membership.

Be sure to follow Adobe MAX on Facebook and Twitter as we’ll be announcing keynote speakers and other exciting information soon.  We hope to see you there!

The 2012 Presidential Election has now concluded and all the campaigning can finally be put to rest. Since we’re four years away from the next wave of campaign art, we wanted to reflect on some pieces that caught our eye during this year’s U.S. Presidential Election. So take it in, savor it, and use it for inspiration – we’ll be looking forward to your designs come 2016!

Infographic: How Both Presidential Candidates Grossly Outspent Their Predecessors

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Arnold Skolnick’s iconic 1969 Woodstock poster

When some of the memories begin to fade, gig posters are ever-lasting reminders of experiences past. Take for instance Arnold Skolnick’s Woodstock poster that went on to become one of the most recognizable images of the last 40 years – or another 60s classic, the Monterey Pop Festival artwork, which still continues to be recognized.

Today, gig posters are still making their mark, and are becoming the ultimate pop art and coveted collectibles. Here are some of our recent favorites.

Are there any you would add? Tell us in the comments below.

Phish by James Flames

Dave Matthews Band by DKNG Studios

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Delivering on Adobe’s promise that Creative Cloud members get early VIP access to new product updates, we’re excited to announce new Adobe Illustrator graphic design software feature updates exclusively to full Creative Cloud members and point product subscribers.

Focusing mainly on productivity, new features in this include:

Package Files – a long-requested feature that allows designers to automatically collect all the files used in an Illustrator project, including linked graphics and fonts, into a single folder helping make handoffs and sharing of projects more efficient and error-free.

Unembed Images – a new capability that helps enables production artists to quickly unembed images that have been embedded into an Illustrator file by other designers or customers, eliminating much wasted time in day-to-day production work.

Links Panel Enhancements – a new feature enhancement that allows users to access and track information on any artwork placed in an Illustrator file much quicker. What used to require multiple clicks to ensure all placed graphics meet necessary requirements for output, is now surfaced up front.

To learn more about these features, please check out the videos below or visit the Illustrator Team Blog.

Package files

Unembed images and Links panel enhancements

If you haven’t had the chance to join Creative Cloud, you can subscribe for 40% off if you have a CS3 product or later. To learn more about Creative Cloud, visit: http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud.html

Strokes are core to drawing in Illustrator, and for Illustrator CS6, the ability to apply gradients on strokes will let designers transform simple paths into visually complex and compelling shapes. And the beauty of this approach, beyond the imaginative artwork, is that the shape that’s created is an easily edited stroke – not a typical shape that’s defined by many points.

 In Illustrator CS6, gradients on strokes can be applied along the length, across the width, or within a stroke, but the real magic happens when these new gradients are combined with the variable width stroke feature introduced in CS5.

Join Illustrator product manager Brenda Sutherland as she shares this exciting new creative tool coming in Illustrator CS6. Remember, Adobe Illustrator will be included in the upcoming Adobe Creative Cloud Membership!

2012 is an important year for Adobe Illustrator, marking 25 years since the software first shipped as version 1.1, March 19, 1987.

It’s hard to even remember the world of professional graphic design in 1987, where technical drawing pens, French curves, X-acto knives, and rubylith masking film were the tools of choice. It was a world where just printing a beautiful, smooth curve from a computer to a black-and-white printer was magic, and being able to use a desktop computer program, Adobe Illustrator 1.1, to actually create those shapes in a fully controlled way was pure freedom. read more…

We first noticed the wonderful digital artwork of London-based designer Mike Harrison popping up on various design blogs. We were immediately intrigued by his mix of photography, graphic design and vivid colors. Mike has worked as a freelancer for a number of high-profile athletics companies, and is a member of the international modern art collective, Depthcore, and the Keystone Design Union.

Check out some of Mike’s work and find out what he has planned for future projects, below. read more…

Fonts, when used well, can be absolutely beautiful. However when many people think of typography, they likely envision some sort of poster or graphic design, or perhaps even web design. That said, there is something that makes fonts especially wonderful in video as the power of kinetic typography brings words and letters to life through movement.

Below are some examples of a few of our favorite fonts given the kinetic typography treatment. If you’d like to learn more about fonts check out Typekit, which will be included in the Creative Cloud membership.

Rockwell by Jordan Clarke

Rockwell from Jordan Clarke on Vimeo. read more…