Any student across the world will tell you there is just one item in the whole world they need, and most importantly want. What is it…? Money. Unless of course mummy and daddy are sending the butler round with weekly cheques from the mansion (trust me it happens), there comes a time in every student’s life where he or she finds themselves out of cash and feels as though they would do anything just to have Queen Elizabeth II beam up at them from those crisp notes once more.

It is no surprise then, that when a new season comes along, the fashion conscious amongst us find ourselves in a turmoil of emotions; torn between the excitement of getting a completely new summer wardrobe (even though last year’s is perfectly acceptable) and the ever-present loom of the dreaded minus figures in the bank. It was thus in between considering whether to sell my own body for money or someone else’s, that I decided I could save some beloved cash by just cutting up my old wardrobe.

I have been known to be a bit of a hoarder with my clothes, so luckily I have a few pairs of old jeans lying in the dark, dusty corners of the wardrobe, and today I decided to finally make use of them by turning them into shorts. At first I was a bit wary of cutting up my jeans, especially after hearing horror stories of friends ending up with one leg way longer than the other, or just a piece of frayed denim hanging off of their waist Adam and Eve style, but desperate times call for desperate measures and I decided if done properly, I could be saving myself from having to buy expensive shorts this summer. And I am so glad I did. So here are my tips on how to DIY and turn your old wardrobe into a new, fresh one:

1. Choosing the jean is important. Try and find an old pair with your desired look, and try and imagine them as shorts. If you think it will work, decide on the length you think will suit them most. I have chosen an old pair of stone-wash denim jeans and I’ve decided to go for an above-the-knee crop.
2. Always cut a few inches longer than your desired length. If you are going for my style you will need the extra fabric to create the roll-up, but even if you are going for a loose, frayed effect, it is always better to start off longer because once those jeans are cut, there’s no way of adding extra length to them.
3. It is best to decide on length when the jeans are on. Put them on and mark with a biro where you want to start the cut (remember a few inches longer than the desired length). Take them off and with a sharp pair of scissors, cut as straight as possible starting from where you have marked them. Don’t worry if they look messy at first, this will be cleaned up later.
4. You now have several options depending on how you want the shorts to look once you are finished. For a simple roll-up as I have done, just roll twice to hide the messy lines. If they are too long and end up halfway down your knee, simply cut a little more fabric off. If you want a frayed, loose effect, then I find it is easier to cut with blunter scissors. Once cut, use the edge of the scissors or a sharp knife to fray the denim. Alternatively, if you know how, or know someone else that does, you can hem the shorts for a smarter look.
5. It’s now time to personalise. I have left my shorts pretty plain at this point, but there are several things you can do to add different looks. For a rough, worn effect (goes well with the frayed ends), use sand paper or a cheese grater to go up and down against the fabric and wear it down. For further personalisation, change the buttons or add more stitching to really make the jeans stand out. And voila! You have a new addition to your wardrobe!

Here is a close up of how mine turned out:

However, being the enthusiast that I am, and feeling like I was onto my own little project, I didn’t stop there. Using the leftover fabric from what I had cut away, I decided to experiment and try and create my own accessories. I had seen a bracelet in Oxford Street Topman the other week that was merely a piece of frayed denim cut for the nautical/beach look. So feeling inspired, I used the fabric I had left and cut about a centimeters width of fabric off of the bottom, ensuring it was fraying with my blunt scissors. Then I simply tied it round my wrist, using the knot as a focus point, and cut down the excess ends. Here’s what I ended up with, I feel it ‘ties‘ up the outfit nicely! (Oh yes I said it).

And why stop there? You could create a neck-tie or ankle bracelet the same way, the possibilities are endless! Just don’t end up looking like the denim monster threw up all over you. I hope this post was helpful and has inspired you to grab the scissors and get going on those old jeans. Happy cutting!

Inspiration comes in many forms, and we see inspirational art everywhere we go in our daily lives. For a graphic designer, the primary medium for this inspiration is of course on the internet, and it is on the blogs we visit daily that popular digital art is often featured for us to be inspired from (such as MediaMilitia’s ‘Get Inspired’ posts). Several graphic design blogs also feature interview posts, where the most successful artists of our time are questioned along with their featured works. However, it is often forgotten that we can be inspired by the works of other members of the graphic design community similar to ourselves; it is not as often that we see the stories behind aspiring artists, rather than established graphic designers. It is for this reason that I will be creating a series of interview posts that will question designers of all abilities in the community; allowing you to share your tips, inspirations, your own artwork and your own journeys.

Today’s featured member of the community is Benabadji Samir, an 18 year old from Algeria, who has been enjoying graphic design for about two years as a hobby. He has kindly answered a few of my questions to allow you guys to have an insight into the process behind his works and perhaps inspire the way you feel about graphic design.

Hello Benabadji! Your works are very professional for someone who has only been learning for two years, can you tell us what originally got you interested in graphic design?
Thankyou! Well it began when I was watching a French video game channel, and I saw a show talking about speed-painting. I decided after that to find out which program the artist (Nico Di Mattia) was using, and it turned out to be photoshop. I quickly bought a version and began surfing on the web for tutorials.

Well you’ve certainly come a long way since then, do you have a favourite piece of yours, or perhaps one you are most proud of?
I think I’m most proud of “Digital Love”, because at the beginning of the two years I was only repeating tutorials, but this is the first piece that I created entirely myself from A to Z: from the sketch to the final piece. This piece was actually created for the MediaMilitia and Abduzeedo joint contest.

Is there a particular area of graphic design that you feel most comfortable in? Do you plan on extending your skills to any additional fields in the future?
My favorite area of design is Illustration, whether it’s photo-manipulation or drawings (Digital painting & vector art). I will certainly explore other fields like motion design & 3D art in the future.

Featured Work! – ‘The New Attackers’

My personal favourite of Benabadji’s work is his 1950’s-inspired sci-fi movie poster, which he has illustrated using vector-art. His modern, graphic twist on the old movie posters uses a variety of modern techniques to create this beautiful scene; whilst his use of a grunge texture and authentic typography helps give it that typical 50’s retro feel. The monotone colour scheme of this piece beautifully captures the ‘futuristic city’ theme that Benabadji has created. Click the image to visit this piece’s Flickr page and let him know your own thoughts on it!

Benabadji, if you had to describe ‘the purpose of art’ in one sentence, what would it be?
I think art is the key to explore the human mind and discover new emotions.

How do you promote your artwork and what have you found the most effective?
I mainly promote my works in community sites such as Flickr and Behance. I think my works emerged a bit when I began participating in contests, which are the best way to promote your work, even great artists use this tool!

Can you take us through the main process you go through when creating your works?
First of all, I search for hours on the web to find inspiration, then I make a sketch which gives me an idea for the general look of the piece. However, in 85% of my works, the final result is quite different from the first sketch!

Sketch for the Passenger Limited Edition Album:

There are thousands of designers out there and your work is very versatile in terms of graphic design fields, have there been any designers in particular that have inspired you?
There are so many great artists out there that it’s difficult to tell who’s my inspiration, however notable artists that have influences me are James White, Jared Nickerson, Joshua M.Smith, Archan Nair and Erik Jonsson.

The main thing that makes me say “wooow” when I see their works is their ease to catch the viewer by the hand and take him into their own world.

You’ve mentioned other designers that have influenced you, but as we all know influence comes in all shapes, sizes and forms: Is there any music that help you get those creative juices flowing?
It depends on the theme of the piece, for example, when I’m doing a piece with light effects, space-theme especially, I listen to perhaps Justice, kavinsky or Daft punk. However, for a more funky theme I listen to Jamiroquai, Wax Tailor, Kanye West and many others!

‘Daft Punk’ by Benabadji:

Daft Punk – Digital Love

Bit of an obscure question, but if photoshop was a deserted island and you could only take one PS tool with you, which would it be and why?
The brush tool of course! It’s absolutely necessary for me: when I don’t have the right stock image I can just paint it (not now, but once I’ve learnt digital painting and bought myself a wacom….hahaha!!!).

Finally, do you have any advice or quick tips to share with other members of the design community?
Try, try and retry until you’ve got it!

The key to achieve good work is perseverance. Many people think, when they see great works from great artists, that it is easy and within 3 weeks they will be as good as these artists, which is completely false: you have to work a lot – a looooooooooot!!!!

Thankyou very much Benabadji for sharing your works with us, I’m sure you have inspired many members of the community! Good luck in the future if you decide to turn your hobby into a career.

For more of Benabadji’s work, check out his Flickr and Behance pages! For your chance to be the next featured viewer, or if you have any questions that you want to be seen asked, add me on twitter!

Nautical by Day at ASOS

Trilby Hat, Sunglasses, Neck tie, Top, Bracelet, Belt, Shorts, Shoes, Bag

Top Tips:

• Push up the sleeves to the elbow to maintain the casual look and bring attention to the bracelet
• Go bright and colourful during the day to stand out in the sunlight
• When not wearing the sunglasses, hang them over the short pocket rather than by the neck, to avoid looking too busy with the neck tie

Nautical by Night at ASOS

Tee, Belt, Trousers, Shoes, Bracelet, Bag

Top Tips:

• Roll up the sleeves of the tee a couple of turns for a more retro feel
• Roll up jeans just one or two turns and wear shoes sockless to complete the deck shoe look
• On cooler evenings pair up with a cream coloured cardie
• Keep a darker, monotone look in the evening with splashes of colour for a smarter feel

Tip Three – Experiment!
Tutorials are a big part of the graphic design world. They can be found on pretty much any graphic design blog, and new ones are continuously being produced. In fact, the majority of the skills I have learnt as a designer have developed from tutorials I have read on the net. However, once these basic skills have been learnt it is important to try and break free from producing effects presented in tuts. By creating works based on tutorials we are merely imitating a popular style that has gained enough attention to be taught to designers. So how can we achieve effects that are original and therefore create this unique style that I have been talking about? By experimenting. So often when I am scouring the net, I come across the work of the designer that instantly makes me say ‘wow’, as it is something that I have not seen before. This leads me to wonder how they achieved these effects, and the answer is through experimenting. By experimenting with our work we can achieve great effects and develop them into our own personal style. But we have all at some point sat at photoshop attempting to experiment with the features and ending up with something looking like it’s been created by an infant. So how can we experiment correctly and use it to our advantage? Well this brings me back to those ‘wow’ factor pieces of unique work that we often come across. When you come across an interesting effect from another designer, try and achieve this yourself without the use of any tutorials. Now I know this idea of copying another artist’s work goes against everything this article stands for, but remember it is for experimental purposes rather than publication. By playing around with photoshop and attempting to achieve other artist’s effects, we can then develop this into our own style, and learn how to achieve a unique effect of our own.

A further use of experimenting is to combine the techniques that you have already learnt from tutorials and various sources and experiment to achieve something new. When doing this, try and break from typical conventions of graphic design. More and more often we are seeing pieces that incorporate techniques from more than one area of design, for example my previous reference to Chris Haines’s blend of 3D and photo manipulation. This is being taken further on all levels, with illustration, typography and even sketches being incorporated into artwork. For example take a look at these Clubmaster ads for Ray Bans that recycle an 80’s retro feel by collaborating several different techniques into one.

All of these stunning effects were achieved through the artist’s experimentation, and can be developed further into endless possibilities. At times as a designer we lack inspiration and it feels as if every theme and area of design has been covered by other artists. However, there is always room for development and expansion. Art has been around since the beginning of time in several different forms, and will never cease to stop growing, as long as individuals continue to bring originality and unique perspectives to the field.

I hope that my 3 tips have helped inspire your own originality in your designs. I think the main importance is to impart a part of yourself, as no two people are the same, and if this can be translated into design then you will have achieved your own style. This can be difficult when working for a client who will obviously have set ideas about what they want you to express, but when creating pieces for the sake of art, never be constrained by the conventions and trends of the design world. Always try and manipulate your own style out of your work, and most of all be happy with what you have created and the message it portrays. If you are not happy with your art yourself, then it will be even harder for anyone else to be.

Let me know your thoughts on how you ensure your pieces are original, and follow me on twitter! @TomBloomfield

Tip Two – Create Your Own Distinct Style
By definition, to be ‘original’, you must create something that is individual and unique to you as a designer. By creating a style that is instantly recognisable and connected to you, you are not only bringing a new area into graphic design, but you are making yourself recognisable as a product to the client. If they like your particular style and feel it would fit well with their campaign, they are going to choose you because the product you are offering is unique and they will not find that style anywhere else. If you are merely repeating styles and techniques used by top designers, then you are offering no more than the other hundreds of designers that are trying to do the same. Some styles may not be a huge success at first, but it is important to have a style connected to your name – proof of this success can be seen everywhere in art. For example, once you are familiar with the work of Salvador Dali, a piece of his work that you haven’t seen before is easily recognisable as belonging to him. It is exactly the same concept in graphic design, and many of the top designers have a distinct design style to offer. Here are my personal favourite top three successful designers with distinct styles:

Alberto Seveso
Alberto is my personal favourite example of how an artist can create a distinct style. His beautiful skin manipulations in his portraits and illustrations are both visually stunning and sexually suggestive, creating a bold design statement across his works. His use of colourful vectors against monotonic portraits has become so distinct that the style has been coined as ‘sperm shaping’. It is this style and technique that has lead to Alberto’s success, where he has worked on several magazine covers and been noticed by companies such as Nikon who have wanted him to transfer his style onto their campaigns. View more of his designs on his Flickr or Behance.

Christopher Haines
Christopher Haines is a young designer from Australia who’s blend between 3D modeling and photo manipulation is second to none. It is through this beautiful blend of mediums that Chris has created some truly outstanding works that have set him apart from the rest, allowing him to be the king of his own style. He is proof that it is possible to have your own style whilst still being versatile, as his work covers several areas of design. Here are just a few of his beautiful pieces, you can view more on his Behance.

Jerico Santander
I have included Jerico here because he is a good example of the correct way to be influenced by another artist’s style. You can see from his works below that he is highly influenced by the works of Salvador Dali, but at the same time he has transferred Dali into a new medium, whilst incorporating his own thoughts and style into the pieces. His use of fluidity in textures and his abstract take on portraits show characteristics and origins of Dali’s style, but develop rather than imitate it. More of his works can be seen via Behance

From all three of the above designers, it is clear how they have achieved a distinct style and made it unique to them. However, when creating your own individual style, it is important that you do not limit yourself to one particular area of design. Practice ways in which you can transfer your style to other areas of design, such as illustration, 3D, photo manipulation, typography and web design. Whilst it is good to present yourself as a unique product, it is also important to display a diverse range of works to prove to your client that you are versatile. Originality and success is finding the balance between your own style and a variety of works that display this. You can only achieve a style you are comfortable with by experimenting, which brings us on to tip three, which I will discuss in my next post!

Whether designing for a client or simply just for artistic purposes, it is always important to maintain originality in your design. Why? Because originality means that you as an artist stand out as an individual. This means you are offering a distinct service that others are not providing, therefore putting you a step ahead of the competition in the eyes of potential clients. If you as a designer merely reproduce or imitate work that is already out there, then you are not proving that you are any better than the artists that created them and are therefore bringing nothing outstanding or spectacular to the client. More importantly, by implementing a sense of originality throughout your designs you are creating pieces that express your individuality and inspire others, which are essentially the primary functions of art. So now that we have established why is it important to create originality in design, we need to determine how it can be created, in order to make you as the designer stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Over three blog posts I will share with you my tips for how to achieve exactly that.

Tip One – Avoid Design Clichés!
It goes without saying that the most important thing to do to achieve originality is to avoid imitating clichés and design trends in your work. However, this is easier said than done when the internet is crammed full of design tutorials and inspiration posts that suggest we should base our work on pieces already created. Although these types of posts are essential for our growth and development as a designer, and of course inspiration is essential for any artist, it is important to ensure that whilst we are being inspired by other pieces, we are interpreting and developing them into our own style, rather than merely imitating them. To do this, we must steer clear of particular design trends that have been reproduced continuously across the net, and attempt to create new trends ourselves. After all, even the most reproduced and worn out design trends had to start out as original designs at some point. For example, take the Avatar franchise that started out as original designs and have now been imitated and reproduced by thousands of today’s designers. So what are the most common design clichés and how can we avoid them? Well if we see it on the net, then it’s been done, and admittedly I am guilty of some of the following clichés, but it is important to distinguish whether your work is for experimental uses or for the purpose of creating an original design. Here is a list of just a few of the most overused design trends seen today:

Floral and Swirly Brushes
All too often do I see pieces of art lazily finished off and vamped up with free brushes found across the net. The most common being the dreaded floral and swirly brushes! Admittedly these can achieve nice effects, and can instantly add that extra something to your artwork, but it is ridiculously overdone! These brushes are free to download and available for anyone to use, and should only really be used when experimenting, in order to save time – but not when creating original pieces of design!

Eye Photo Manipulations
In ‘photo manipulation’ or ‘photo montage’ designs, several themes and symbols are frequently repeated across the net. One of which is the eye manipulation, again the effect achieved can be beautiful, but whether it’s a hand crawling out of the eye lid or flames, moons or water for pupils – it’s all been done!

Mystical and Futuristic Female Characters
Another overused design in photo manipulation is the use of mystical female (and sometimes male) characters. They are often placed in the design with no purpose other than being aesthetically pleasing, and serve no contribution to the overall message of the design. Obviously sometimes it is important to have human characters in your art to express certain emotions or create a connectivity with the viewer, but please ensure they serve a purpose rather than just being there for the sake of a focal point of the design!

Splashing/Fragmented Skin Manipulations
The third photo manipulation cliché seemed very popular throughout 2009 and I am constantly still seeing it across tutorials and pieces of design. This is the distortion of the skin with a splash/fragment effect where the skin looks like it is breaking apart. Visually stunning when it was first achieved, but again, constantly overdone.

Grunge Textures
The use of grunge textures is something that has been used for years now, and sometimes it can be used in innovative ways to achieve great effects. However, all too often I see it being used as a heavy, dark overlay to cover up the unprofessionalism of the work underneath it.

Background Gradients
Similar to overused brushes and textures, gradients are often overused as backgrounds for designs when the artist cannot think of anything else to put there. Photoshop gradients have many functional uses, beyond the aesthetic use, and should generally be avoided to cover space in designs.

In Web Design:
Similar to the clichés found across illustrations and photo manipulations, there are many overused trends that can be seen everywhere across the net in the form of web design.

Drop Shadows
Drop shadows are used in all sorts of areas of design to create a three-dimensional effect and make pieces ‘pop’. However, there are far more innovative ways to achieve this effect, as drop shadows often look amateur and lazy.

Rounded Corners
Rounded corners on boxes in websites are often used to create a ‘soft’, ‘friendly’ feel, but again it is way overdone and can sometimes look amateur.

Glossy Buttons
Glossy Buttons are famously connected with the apple merchandise, and instantly give an elegant, professional feel to a website. However, they have been imitated so much by websites that they now offer nothing creative and original, and even make the website seem cliché and boring.

This list is just a few of the hundreds of overused trends that can be seen across designer’s work. Sometimes they can be recycled to create new, innovative designs, but the general rule of thumb is to stay well clear of these clichés if you want to stand out from the crowd in the design industry. Watch out for my next blog post for tip two, but for now, check out the following design cliché parody by the guys over at makemylogobiggercream.com!