Shreckman Design

Graphic Design for FREE!

Shreckman — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:06:17 +0000

Some of you might have arrived here by doing a search in Google, Bing, or Yahoo for “Free Graphic Design” or “Free Logo Design” or something of the like. Before you leave this page, realizing that I will not offer you free work (beyond some Photoshop brushes and some vector rockets), please consider the following. Nothing is ever really, truly, 100% free.

I know it’s cliché, but it is true, especially with graphic design. You might find someone online who will do design work for you for free, but in the end you might not be happy with what you get and you can’t usually do anything about it. You will probably end up spending more time and, inevitably, more money getting what you want.

Don’t misunderstand, I do believe there is a place for pro bono work. I have and will continue to do work for non-profits or those in the community who are in need. I also think that working for free might be necessary for some designers in order to build confidence in their work and give them some experience (although I think there are better ways to get these). But, like it or not, money is a great motivator, both for a client and a designer. Paying for design work makes it more personal for you and the designer. A designer worth their salt will be more invested in the project if they are getting paid (or if it’s for a good cause they are passionate about). If you really care about something being done right you will pay for it.

Ponder this, if you needed a new transmission in your car you wouldn’t go looking for a mechanic who will do it for free, you would want the best person for the job. You would want a mechanic who is good at replacing transmissions, is knowledgeable with the process and who you believe will do their best to get the results you want. Most likely, you would want someone who has had training or is certified to take apart your car and put it back together again. Granted, you might shop around for the best price, but you would still pay for it (unless you have a distant cousin who will do it for you in his front lawn in exchange for a case of cheap beer). Design work should be no different.

The bottom line is this: If you aren’t paying for the design work you need, is it really that important to you? If you really think your project is important, are you sacrificing the image of your organization, your product, your message, or yourself by settling for free work?

I think another old cliché is true… you get what you pay for.

FREE Vector Art – Rockets or Bombs

Shreckman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:37:58 +0000

For all of you out there that like to get FREE Vectors, here area couple of rockets to add to your collection.

I made these for the illustration below. I may decide to offer the texture later, but for now, you will have to apply your own.

These will work with Adobe Illustrator CS and above.They are 100% royalty free. Feel free to link to this page and if you use them in commercial work, please give me credit. Enjoy!

Download (1.2 MB .ai.zip) RocketsCS.ai

Download (424 KB .eps.zip) RocketsCS.eps

45 FREE Photoshop Brushes – “Inky on the Brain”

Shreckman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:28:58 +0000

“Narf! Wha awre we gunna do t’nite Bwrain?” We’re going to take over the world… with brushes! Here is a set of Photoshop brushes I made awhile back. They are made from India Ink with natural and synthetic brushes on various papers including watercolor paper. I wanted some ink brushes with more texture than some of the brushes that are out there. Hence the brushes before you.

These will work with Adobe Photoshop CS and above, 45 brushes, 166-2462 Pixels. They are 100% royalty free.

Feel free to link to this page. If you use them in commercial work, please give me credit. Enjoy!

Download (1.2 MB .zip file): Inky_on_the_Brain.abr

I’m A Picker

Shreckman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:39 +0000

I am working on a side project. Well, I’ve actually been working on it for the past twelve years. Before pursuing graphic design as a career choice, I worked in music retail. I love music and have been buying, selling and trading CD’s and vinyl since I was a teenager. I go to flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, and used CD stores looking for valuable and hard to find CD’s and vinyl. Then, I turn around and sell it (or keep it if it’s something I like). This is called “picking.” If you’re familiar with the History channel show American Pickers, then you know what it is.

I typically sell stuff on eBay, but they like to raise their fees on a regular basis. So, last night I decided I am going to make my own site, thecdpicker.com. Here is the logo I designed for it:

The Machine Doesn’t Stop

Shreckman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:13:33 +0000

So, what’s the deal with SOPA? Regardless of how you feel about intellectual copyright, do we really need the government dictating what can be posted on socail media? It’s possible that the intent of this bill is honorable. It’s possible that they really do want to protect us from outside threats. But, what if they just want to control what we consume and participate in? Call me crazy, but it’s possible.

I’m a Desig-ner

Shreckman — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:05:37 +0000

I have a computer, therefore I am… or not.

A friend of mine once said that any idiot with a computer thinks they are a designer. Not to sound like a design snob, but technical ability does not a designer make.

Really…?

Shreckman — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:03:03 +0000

What were these people thinking? On second thought, I really don’t want to know.