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.

What do you get when you combine a popular mobile and web game, a classic painting, and a creative mind? Creative specialist Jeff Sydor’s (@JeffSydor) most recent Creative Cloud project: “A Friend in Need – An Angry Birds Parody.”

After coming across his work on the Creative Cloud Facebook page, we connected with Jeff to learn more about his project, how Creative Cloud played an integral role in the creation, and some features that have helped him evolve his creative process. Get the whole story below, plus learn some tips and techniques you can apply to your next project.

Finally, be sure to submit your own work on the Creative Cloud Facebook wall for a chance to be featured!

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

Jeff: I started my Angry Birds poker project in early 2012, titled: A Friend In Need – An Angry Birds Parody. This project was inspired by a tutorial by Marcos Torres (@marcos333) to design a custom Angry Birds scene.

What was your inspiration behind the project?

I wanted to design a scene that no one else had done yet, so I settled on the popular “Dogs Playing Poker” or “A Friend In Need” themed creation. I figured it was only a matter of time until someone made an Angry Birds variation given its relevance to current pop-culture.

The second part of this project was mainly a challenge for me – to design the entire image using tools only found in Adobe Illustrator CS6. Up until this point, I had only used Illustrator to design icons or logos, not full-scale graphics and scenes. I knew I could design many of the elements in Photoshop CS6 (especially the 3D ones), but I wanted to see just how far I could push both my and Illustrator’s limits. This helped me master many new skills and tools that would help me in future projects.

How has the Creative Cloud changed your creative workflow?

The greatest advantage that the Creative Cloud has given me was the ability to specify the computers I use with certain products. I use my desktops at home and at the office for all my Creative Suite 6 tools – whether it’s video editing, interactive design, web development, photo editing, or in this case – illustrating. Then I can specifically use my laptop with the essential applications without using up all my disk space. Plus, now I have the option to install any new and existing applications whenever, and wherever I need them. Thanks to Creative Cloud’s App-Store like interface, I can do this without needing to carry the install disks around with me.

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

When I started this project I would carry my work around on a flash drive. The biggest problems with this for me were making sure that I always had the most updated file on hand and worrying whether or not the file would get lost or corrupted. The biggest advantage of Creative Cloud is the ability to save my work in one place, the cloud. This allowed me to save all my files, settings, brushes, symbols, and color palettes while having access to them on any machine I was working on.

Describe your style of work in three words:

Organized, Colorful, Themed.

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

Adobe now offers many useful tools that that you can only get with a Creative Cloud membership.

One Illustrator tool that I especially love and can’t live without, the ability to preflight and package all my data like you can in Adobe InDesign. Now I don’t have to spend extra time finding document links and outlining fonts before sending them to another designer or printer. This allows me to work non-destructively while getting projects completed much faster. The other benefit is that Creative Cloud is subscription based. If you are struggling to justify spending a lot of money to upgrade or buy the most recent software, you can now spend a much smaller amount on a monthly basis.

Anything else you’d like to add?

The only way to discover your potential and creativity is to play, and Adobe’s Creative Cloud is always giving you cool new things to play with. So sit at the computer, open an application, and just try it. Keep trying new things and mixing techniques and you’ll discover something really cool.

You can check out additional projects Jeff has completed by vising his website.

Here is the second half of our countdown to our top 12 moments of 2012. We hope you’ve enjoyed the year as much as we did. As we look forward, we’re extremely excited for what’s in store in 2013. Here’s to an amazing new year!

Moment #6 | Creative Cloud Scavenger Hunt 

Back in April, we got creatives involved in a scavenger hunt right in our backyard in San Francisco the day of the Creative Cloud launch – and it sure was a blast. The grand prize was $10,000 and a lifetime Creative Cloud membership, with two runner-up prizes of 1-year Creative Cloud memberships, which ended up being grabbed by some very lucky winners. Thanks again to all those who participated! We had some great memories from your social documentary.

Moment #5 | Create the Web

Kicking off the first leg of the tour in San Francisco, we announced key updates for the web development community, including Dreamweaver updates and new Edge Tools & Services, exclusively for Creative Cloud members. This also included the first release of Edge Animate (formerly known as Adobe Edge). With these new apps added to Creative Cloud, we’ve seen a tremendous appreciation from you – landing its rank at number four.

Moment #4 | Create Now Live

This online event pulls into the number three spot due to the big feature updates we were thrilled to announce for Creative Cloud members. Photoshop updates included Retina Display support and more, Muse acquired a way to create mobile versions for websites, and the very popular announcements of Creative Cloud for Teams and the addition of Creative Cloud Training. You can still watch the keynote and other snippets from the event on our Create Now Adobe TVchannel.

Moment #3 | Adobe & Behance

We’re thrilled that the Behance community will be joining our family! 2013 holds more in store for how we deepen the connections between our creative tools and services via Creative Cloud and creatives like you around the world.

Moment #2 | Creative Cloud Launch

This is where it all began, which is why were placing this in the runner-up spot for our notable moments. Along with the launch of Creative Cloud, we were excited to introduce the new version of Creative Suite 6, loaded with major feature updates to all our CS applications.

Moment #1 | Top 3 Creative Cloud Facebook Posts

None of the moments up to this point would have mattered if it weren’t for you, our community. A big thanks goes out to our Creative Cloud Facebook fans. We hit our 50,000 likes milestone just before the end of the year! Here’s a look at our Fan favorite moments based on your engagement.

We can’t believe 2012 is about to come to a close! Before we start planning for 2013, we wanted to reflect on some of the most memorable moments this year. Join us in counting down our top 12 most notable memories of 2012. Check out the first half of our list below and stay tuned for part two!

Moment #12 | Acrobat XI Launch
October marked a milestone for Acrobat with the release of Acrobat XI. This version is focused on simplifying everyday work from editing PDFs more intuitively to building forms from scratch in limits.

Moment #11 | Exclusive features for Creative Cloud Members
2012 was certainly a great year for Creative Cloud members. Just as we promised back when we introduced Creative Cloud in April, we’re providing exclusive tools and feature updates for fan favorite Creative Suite applications like Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and more. And this is just the beginning. Just wait and see what we have in store for you in 2013!

Moment #10 | Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition Added to Creative Cloud
In September, we launched Digital Publishing Suite, Single Edition to members, allowing them to create, develop, and deliver iPad apps – all without writing code! As of our Create Now event this month, there have been more than 20,000 apps published via our Digital Publishing family.

Moment #9 | Muse added to Creative Cloud
Added to the Creative Cloud in August, Muse has continued to receive updates that allow users to design HTML websites like never before. At the recent Create Now event (more on that in part 2), Creative Cloud users learned about added features, which enable users to design for mobile with ease.

Moment #8 | Lightroom added to Creative Cloud
In June, photo buffs certainly received a treat when they found out that Lightroom 4 was available as part of the Creative Cloud membership. The Lightroom team was exceptionally proud of this release – as they found the right balance between powerful controls and an intuitive user experience. Combine that with publishing tools and you have one magnificent update to Lightroom.

Moment #7 | Illustrator 25th Anniversary
On March, 19, 1987, drawing and line art changed forever. Enter Adobe Illustrator. This flagship product turned the big 2-5 this year and took vector graphics to a whole new level with the release of the CS6 version, offered in the Creative Cloud.

‘Tis the season for some holiday-inspired creative work! Tad Carpenter is no stranger to us when it comes to sharing some of his great pieces of artwork. He was a part of our Creative Suite Spotlight series and was featured on our Design Center showcase for his interpretation of the ‘Modern Day Venus.’ This time around, we reached out to Tad regarding his recent book, Sad Santa, which was created using a number Creative Suite 6 applications.

Get a feel for his book in the below animated teaser and get an even more in-depth understanding to how Tad found his inspiration for the project in a Q&A exchange we had with him.

Adobe: What’s the background and creative process for your Sad Santa book? 

Tad Carpenter: Working on Sad Santa was a dream come true. It was 100% a project built on passion. It was an idea I was kicking around in my head for sometime and decided to take the time to make it a reality. I wrote the manuscript and created several examples of how I envisioned the artwork looking and the book being designed to start. I was lucky enough to have contacts with various publishers I had done work with prior and then started to shop the concept around. I was thrilled with the feedback I got from publishers, and Sterling Books quickly acquired it.

What inspired you to create this book? 

This book was written and illustrated shortly after getting married to my best friend and now wife, Jessica. After planning a wedding for over a year, it came and went so quickly. We planned a huge party for all our friends and family for an entire year and then it was over. I thought, “I bet this is how Santa feels each year.” He works all year for one day and just like that, it is over. No doubt December 26th has to be an awful and horrible day for Santa. So, after many conversations with Santa himself, I was right! Santa does get the post-holiday blues. When the toys are all made, the presents handed out, and the Christmas cookies eaten, Santa is miserable. Will Santa ever feel like his old holly-jolly self again? What will cheer him up? And with that, the idea for the book was born.

Do you have any useful tips to share with our community?

Passion projects are good. Sad Santa started as a little sketch and a few lines of copy in my sketchbook. I was passionate about the idea and the project. No one was initially paying me to work on this project but I knew something was there. Always trust your gut and make your vision happen.

Any other details you’d like to share with the community about the project?

One thing I want all the kids and parents to do this year and make a tradition moving forward is this: Since Santa’s most difficult day of the year is December 26th after all the presents have been delivered, make sure you drop a little thank you note to Santa in the mail on that day so he knows how much you care. That will surely give the big guy a smile.

Recently, Adobe Ideas v2.5 was released on iOS and our fans love it! For over a year now, graphic designer and Touch Apps user Ryan Garratt (@NemesisGraphics) has continued to improve his creative process and creations with each update to Ideas. Excited about the update, Ryan connected with us over Twitter to let us know what he really loves about the update and provided us useful pointers for both rookie and veteran users.

Read on to learn more and be sure to visit our Adobe Touch Apps Facebook and Twitter channels to see his work on display. Also, check out the Adobe TV video after the Q&A to learn more about what’s new in Adobe Ideas v2.5.

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Adobe: Have you had a chance to try out the new features in Adobe Ideas v 2.5? Which are your favorites?

Ryan: The update is SUPERB! The addition of the new preset tools is fantastic and the paintbrush is possibly my favorite addition to the arsenal, as I really enjoy how you can vary the strokes to give power lines to work. The paint bucket fill is an absolute genius addition as well. Before it would be a case of coloring and getting a few spots that you had missed, but with the new fill bucket it increases productivity and efficiency. Needless to say, I was really excited when the update came out.

What tips/suggestions do you have for creative individuals thinking about getting into Adobe Ideas?

Enjoy what you do. I recommend having a stylus on hand and find somewhere you can relax. Experiment as well – try different opacity settings and line thickness. It’s all about finding your style!

For Ideas veterans like yourself, what tips and/or techniques can you offer them to improve their creative workflow?

Just enjoy what you’re doing! I absolutely love what i do and think that fuels me to keep creating. Also, keep everything you do, regardless of whether it’s a quick doodle or masterpiece. To look back on and see your journey progress is critical.

Which pairing of the Touch Apps and CS6 products are most instrumental to your creative process and why?

I would have to say Illustrator. I can sketch something roughly on my iPad using Ideas, and after uploading it I can use Illustrator to clean up and tweak everything. The live trace preset is fantastic.

How much of a difference has direct touch input made to your creations?

Immensely! I take my iPad and stylus with me everywhere… just in case the mood to draw strikes me. Uploading to a computer from anywhere makes life extremely easy and 100% more efficient. Its’ been a huge help and boosted my ability and workflow.

Anything else you would like to say?

If you don’t already own any of the Adobe Touch Apps, I strongly recommend getting them. They are enjoyable and easy to use, and not to mention they are very powerful tools for creating. Without them, I don’t think I could draw. I can’t recommend them enough!

The Create Now event has officially come to a close. If you missed all of the news and demos, check out the keynote on-demand above and additional Meet the Pro sessions on Adobe TV. And for those looking for the highlights, we have you covered, including snippets of the #CreateNow Twitter chat with our evangelists. Check out our recap below:

Adobe Photoshop – Big feature updates including Retina Display support, Smart Object support for Liquify, Copy CSS, and Conditional Actions. Check out these, including additional features and services on the Creative Cloud team post about Photoshop version 13.1.

Adobe Muse – Now, you can create mobile versions of your website without writing code. Get all of the details on how graphic designers can create mobile sites from the Creative Cloud team.

Creative Cloud for Teams – The much-anticipated service for teams is now available! The team offering includes centralized license management, 100 GB of cloud-based storage per team member and access to expert product support.

Creative Cloud Training – Exclusively for Creative Cloud members, in one week you will be able to explore a new library of online training content from Adobe and leading training partners like Kelby Training, video2brain and Attain.

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Be gone the days of lugging around a laptop, the days where confined space would limit your creativity, the days where designing was restricted indoors. Adobe Touch Apps is a game changer when it comes to creating on-the-go, and one user who knows that better than many is Jessica Garza (@jessicamariedesign).

Jessica’s talents were discovered via Twitter. After identifying her as a veteran Touch Apps user, we threw some questions her way to better understand her creative workflow, discuss the creative projects that she is most proud of, as well as get tips for otherTouch Apps users. Check out the full Q&A below and visit our social channels (Facebook and Twitter) to see her work on display.

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Adobe: How has the integration from Touch Apps through to the Creative Cloud features changed your creative workflow?
Jessica: Adobe Ideas has allowed me to create on-the-go. I used to create using my Wacom tablet and laptop, which was fine, except in situations where I had limited space. Now, I carry my iPad with me and create with Adobe Ideas. I can design at the park, by the pool, or on a flight – all without having to carry all my equipment.

What are your favorite features in Adobe Ideas?
What really made Ideas essential to my creative workflow was that it exports my art work in vector. I would not have much use for the app if my final product was just a JPEG, as I take what I create and refine it using Illustrator and Photoshop.

Which Adobe Ideas project are you most proud of and why?

I’d have to say the project I am most proud of is my “Gameday Dress” sketches. I created a template in Ideas to show my customers what their “Gameday Dress” would look like with specific colors and designs. Ideas made it easy for me to duplicate my original and edit the template by adding layers.

What tips/suggestions do you have for creative individuals thinking about getting into Adobe Touch Apps?

Do it! You won’t regret it. Ideas will give you the flexibility to create on-the-go. Whether you are sketching or creating complete works of art, Ideas makes it easy for you to do so. Even if you don’t consider yourself a digital artist, you will find a use for Ideas.

For veteran users like yourself, what tips and/or techniques can you offer them to improve their creative workflow?

When I used my sketchpad, I was hesitant to begin drawing until I had an idea of exactly what I was going to do. Now that I use Ideas as my digital sketchpad, I draw out all my ideas and work with new layers to refine the original sketch. My tip for users is to create without hesitation. You can always create a new layer or work on your file in Illustrator/Photoshop to refine it.

Stay up-to-date with all of Jessica’s projects by visiting her design blog. Also, remember to reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below for the chance to be featured. That’s all for now. Until then, keep on creating!

Depending on his mood and where inspiration may strike him, you might find Adobe Touch Apps user Isaiah Bela (@BelaTheBoy) creating in the bedroom, a park or in the back seat of a car. We connected with this Los Angeles-based creative after coming across his “Fluttershy” project, which he shared with the Adobe Ideas Facebook Fan Page. Impressed with his work, we reached out to find out more about his work and creative process.

Being the vector-art fanatic that he is, Isaiah discussed the simplicity of creating on-the-go with Adobe Ideas and further refining his work in Illustrator CS6 through the use of the Creative Cloud. Additionally, he provided us with useful tips for all Touch Apps users, from newbie to veteran, and much more! Check out the full Q&A below, the photo album of his creations we’ve included directly below and his work displayed on our Touch Apps Twitter and Facebook channels. You can also see more of his creations on Deviantart.

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When it comes to looking at options for portability, Todd Powelson has tried it all from dragging along his canvas, paints and brushes, then downsizing to markers. It wasn’t until Todd tried the Adobe Touch Apps that simplicity sunk in, allowing him to quickly concept anywhere and transfer creations to his desktop where he can further refine until he is satisfied.

In addition to the Cubism/Surrealism/Fauvist art he has shared with us today, Todd plans on utilizing new products, such as Edge Animate, to incorporate animation into his work.

Read the full Q&A below to find out how Todd found Adobe Touch Apps, how they and other Adobe products have benefited his creative process.

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