Artist's tools. Computer Graphics Tools Different Types of Pens

Basic concepts of computer graphics

The image on the screen consists of small cells. Each of them can have a specific color. This cell is called a pixel. The collection of pixels makes up a matrix and forms an image on the screen. Depending on the monitor model, the matrix parameters in pixels may change: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1600x1200...

The size of the matrix does not affect the physical size of the screen and does not depend on it. The larger the matrix on the same screen, the smaller the cell size, and, therefore, the better the image quality.

It should be clearly distinguished:

Screen resolution

Printer resolution

Image resolution.

All these concepts refer to different objects. These types of resolutions are in no way related to each other, until you need to know what physical size the picture on the monitor screen, print on paper or file on the hard drive will have.

Screen resolution is a property of the computer system (depending on the monitor and video card) and the operating system (depending on Windows settings). Screen resolution is measured in pixels and determines the size of the image that can fit entirely on the screen.

Printer resolution is a property of the printer that expresses the number of individual dots that can be printed in a unit length area. It is measured in units of dpi (dots per inch) and determines the size of an image at a given quality or, conversely, the quality of an image at a given size.

Image resolution is a property of the image itself. It is also measured in dots per inch and is set when creating an image in a graphics editor or using a scanner. The image resolution value is stored in the image file and is inextricably linked to another property of the image - its physical size.

The physical size of an image can be measured in both pixels and length units (millimeters, centimeters, inches). It is set when the image is created and is stored with the file.

If an image is being prepared for display on a screen, then its width and height are specified in pixels in order to know how much of the screen it occupies.

If an image is being prepared for printing, then its size is specified in length units in order to know how much of the sheet of paper it will occupy.

Types of images.

Black and white line art

For each pixel of such an image, one bit of information is allocated. One bit encodes two states, in this case two colors: black and white.

Halftone images

A pixel of a grayscale image is encoded with 8 bits

Indexed colors

The first color monitors worked with a limited color gamut: first 16, then 256 colors. They were encoded with 4 bits (16 colors) or 8 bits (256 colors)

Full color images

True color refers to image types with a color depth of at least 24 bits, that is, each pixel of such an image is encoded with at least 24 bits, which makes it possible to display at least 16.7 million shades.

File formats

Format is, to a certain extent, a bureaucratic concept; everyone had to fill out all sorts of forms. A questionnaire is a format for organizing data; it is tedious to fill out, but then easy to process. Without a format, information does not exist.

For each type of computer activity, there are standard formats, that is, the most convenient or frequently used. For texts, such formats are DOC, TXT, for printed products - TIFF, P1ST, for Internet graphics - GIF, JPEC, etc.

Computer Graphics Tools

A video card (other names: graphics card, video adapter) controls the operation of the monitor, freeing the processor from constructing image frames.

The quality of the video card determines the speed of video processing, image clarity, the number of colors on the screen and the resolution at which the monitor will operate.

Monitor

In the 19th century, a painting technique arose in France, which was called pointillism: The design was made up of multi-colored dots applied with a brush to the canvas. A similar principle is used in computers. There are monitors based on different physical principles. On the screen electron beam On the monitor, the image is displayed along the “lines” that the electron beam draws as it runs across the screen.

Screen liquid crystal The monitor is a matrix, each element of which is a liquid crystal (as in an electronic watch). The crystals are illuminated with special lamps. Under the influence of electrical signals, the crystals change their optical properties, simulating image elements on the screen.

Advantages

good image quality;
relatively low price.

Flaws CRT monitor:

Harmful effects on human health.

Advantages

· absence of harmful radiation;

· takes up little space;

· consumes little electricity.

Flaws LCD monitor:

· high price;

· not very high-quality color rendition.

Mouse

The most common type of manipulator.

Graphics tablet

A digitizer is used to enter drawings or drawings into a computer. The image is converted into digital data. The conditions for creating an image are close to real ones; it is enough to use a special pen to make a drawing on a special surface. The results of the work are reproduced on the monitor screen and, if necessary, can be printed on paper. Digitizers are commonly used by architects and designers.
The pen is the source of the signal that is received by the antenna located inside the tablet. It is a wire mesh with a pitch of 3-6 mm or a similar printed circuit board. The antenna receives the signal and determines the position of the manipulator, as well as other data. The physical limit of a tablet's resolution is determined by the grid pitch. The error of modern graphics tablets is no more than 0.1 mm.
Now tablets have become very popular due to the rapid development of the Internet and the popularization of electronic signatures for use in various operations. Design programs have reached a new level, where things are very difficult without graphics tablets.

3D graphics

Three-dimensional graphics (3D, 3 Dimensions, Russian 3 dimensions) is a section of computer graphics, a set of techniques and tools (both software and hardware) designed to depict three-dimensional objects. It is most used for creating images on the plane of a screen or sheet of printed materials in architectural visualization, cinema, television, computer games, printed materials, as well as in science and industry.

A three-dimensional image on a plane differs from a two-dimensional one in that it involves constructing a geometric projection of a three-dimensional model of the scene onto a plane (for example, a computer screen) using specialized programs. In this case, the model can either correspond to objects from the real world (cars, buildings, hurricane, asteroid) or be completely abstract (projection of a four-dimensional fractal).

To obtain a three-dimensional image on a plane, the following steps are required: modeling - creating a three-dimensional mathematical model of the scene and objects in it. rendering (visualization) - construction of a projection in accordance with the selected physical model. output the resulting image to an output device - display or printer.

However, due to attempts to create 3D displays and 3D printers, 3D graphics do not necessarily involve projection onto a plane.

Conclusion

The need for the widespread use of graphical software has become especially noticeable in connection with the development of the Internet and, first of all, thanks to the World Wide Web service, which connected millions of individual “home pages” into a single “web”. Even a quick trip through these pages is enough to understand that a page designed without computer graphics has no chance of standing out from the widest range of competitors and attracting mass attention. The vast majority of web pages contain graphic images along with text information. The lion's share of images loaded in the browser window are created in GIF or JPEG formats.

Vector graphics represents an image as a set of geometric primitives. Typically, these are points, straight lines, circles, rectangles, and also, as a general case, splines of some order. Objects are assigned certain attributes, for example, line thickness, fill color. The drawing is stored as a set of coordinates, vectors and other numbers that characterize a set of primitives. When rendering overlapping objects, their order matters.

Raster graphics

Example of a raster graphic Raster graphics always operate on a two-dimensional array (matrix) of pixels. Each pixel is associated with a value - brightness, color, transparency - or a combination of these values. A raster image has a number of rows and columns.

Fractal graphics

Fractal- an object whose individual elements inherit the properties of parent structures. Since a more detailed description of smaller-scale elements occurs using a simple algorithm, such an object can be described with just a few mathematical equations. Fractals make it possible to describe entire classes of images, the detailed description of which requires relatively little memory. On the other hand, fractals are poorly applicable to images outside of these classes.

When purchasing everything you need for creativity, it’s easy to get carried away and acquire extra or completely unnecessary items. Try to limit yourself to only the essentials to begin with, and then you can add new tools and materials as needed. Always choose the best that your budget allows, because cheap purchases often disappoint - the wrong shade of pigment, the wrong texture of the paper, or the fibers falling out of the brush.

Types of brushes

Brushes add color to large or small surfaces, but they can also create vibrant and highly dynamic lines, both subtle and contrasting. Springy brushes are much more expressive than “flaccid” ones, so to preserve the quality of the brushes, be sure to wash them after finishing the work session, and brushes should only be stored in a vertical position.

Brushes come in various shapes and sizes. Round, pointed brushes with long hairs apply broad or thin strokes. But round, pointed brushes with short hair are easier to use and are convenient for painting small details. Flat brushes with short or long hair are suitable for covering large areas.

The best material for creating brushes is considered to be kolinsky. This brush is expensive, but it is very strong and durable, and also gives excellent results.

Squirrel and synthetic brushes are cheaper, but they also allow you to create good quality drawings. High-quality brushes last a long time, and over time you will accumulate a good collection.

To start, buy nylon brushes, take a couple of wide brushes - they are quite good at painting details and filling. You can also purchase an oriental alternative to expensive sable and squirrel tassels. A brown kolinsky brush, which springs well when wet, paints details, and a soft white goat brush perfectly covers wide surfaces of paper or canvas with wash.

Simple pencils

Good old “lead” pencils in a wooden frame with a core made of a mixture of graphite powder and clay have many advantages: they are economical, compact, versatile and easy to take with you. These pencils have designations of different hardness: “H” - hard, and “B” - soft. Hard pencils are intended for technical drawings, and the line they draw is pale and expressionless.

For artistic drawing, pencils marked “B” are better suited, where there is much more graphite than clay. The higher the number next to the letter, the softer the lead of the pencil will be and the faster it dulls, but the line turns out blacker and is easily smeared. When purchasing, choose quality pencils or leads that clearly indicate their softness. “2B” is a good place to start.

If you draw with pencils of different hardnesses, try to let the black color predominate, and do not expand the range of halftones too much. A short-sharpened pencil will quickly become dull, so try to sharpen longer pencils using a sharp knife. Erase pencil drawings only with a soft eraser. To prevent lines drawn with a soft pencil from being smeared, they are secured with a fixative.

When creating a design with many small details, try to sharpen the stylus more often so that it always has a sharp tip. The leads of soft pencils quickly become dull and require constant sharpening. Try to do this so that the wooden frame is far enough away from the tip of the lead, otherwise it may scratch the paper and damage the drawing itself.

Among the types of pencils, one can distinguish types with a lead as wide as a chisel, which draws a very wide line.

There are an incredible number of colored pencils, and experimenting with them is very interesting. Try, for example, putting one color on paper and then another on top of it, and you will get a new color. Or “mix” the shades like this: draw multi-colored dots or lines on paper close to each other, as the famous French artist Georges Seurat did - you will get a very unusual and beautiful effect.

Individual graphite leads have the same graduations as wooden pencils. Actually, these are thick pencil leads, only without the usual wooden frame. They are widely used in painting because they create an advantageous uneven texture and can be used to cover large surfaces very quickly.

Please note that a line made with a dry water-soluble graphite pencil will spread widely when blurred. Soft pencils dissolve the easiest. Before using the pencil, test its effect on a draft to select the level of moisture.

Crayons and wax pencils

These very soft materials are not at all suitable for drawing thin and precise lines, but they perfectly cover the surface on large, loose and textured designs. Pastels are made in a wide range of colors, and each color always has several shades.

Many manufacturers number shades of the same color with numbers from 0 (lightest) to 8 (darkest). Pastels can be purchased in either pencil or stick form. Pencils are harder and easier to sharpen. Both are sold in ready-made kits or in bulk. First, you should buy a few pieces and try how comfortable it is for you to work with them, and whether you like pastel at all. In addition, this way you will determine the colors that you use most often, and then you can gradually expand your collection.

Kare pastel is a hard pastel, and art crayons are dry oblong rods, tightly pressed from powdered pigment, to which a binding component is added - gum and clay for hardness.

Pastel is usually square in cross-section; it creates a beautiful, expressive line, but does not erase well. As a rule, earthy tones color schemes are the most durable. The tip of the pastel is blunt and wide, but can be easily ground off. By turning the chalk worn off on one side, you can get a thinner line. The leads of pastel pencils are similar in composition to pastel and go well with it if the drawing requires more subtle elaboration.

Soft pastels are pigments with a small addition of gums (gum arabic), chalk or dark paint for a lighter or darker color. It crumbles very easily, turning into dust, and can be easily erased with a plastic eraser.

The pastel has to be fixed with a fixative, but the beauty of the velvety pastel is created precisely by the light reflected from the dust particles, so excess fixative makes the drawing faded.

If you mix too many shades of soft pastels, the drawing will appear messy, so moderation is important here, and it is better to choose simple mixtures at first. Oil pastels, like wax crayons, have a dense coating, which allows you to scratch a design on the surface they apply.

If you are working on paper stretched over a stretcher, glued with gum arabic, or held in a hoop, oil pastels and wax crayons can be thinned or removed completely using turpentine or white spirit. The drawing made with these materials also needs to be fixed.

Different types of handles

It is impossible to list all pens because new types are added all the time. Let's give just a few examples.

Fountain pens familiar to artists consist of a holder and a detachable nib. They are dipped in ink or any other liquid coloring substance. The best traditionally are flexible steel nibs with a split tip, in which varying degrees of pressure allow for varied and expressive lines and strokes.

Unfortunately, colored inks made from synthetic dyes fade extremely quickly. Therefore, choose durable water-soluble inks from traditional formulations.

Sometimes you can see reed and bamboo feathers in specialized stores. A thin reed pen (kalam), like a strong bamboo pen, is not flexible, but its tips can be written at different angles, creating many different lines and strokes.

Regular technical pens are convenient to carry and easy to use. They are a mechanical device with a pointed tube designed to create lines of a certain thickness. It takes a lot of skill and ingenuity to make their "boring" lines interesting.

Refillable pens can save you money, but choose ones that are easy to clean. Automatic pens draw ink into an internal cartridge, making them very convenient to take with you when you go sketching. Some pens even come with interchangeable heads that allow you to draw different types of lines.

Ballpoint pens can also be a useful tool for sketching, just make sure that they do not make blots and draw a high-quality line without “slips”.

Coal

An ancient drawing medium, charcoal is made from olive or willow branches that are burned with minimal oxygen. Modern options include compressed charcoal and special charcoal pencils. All of them, although not completely, can be erased with a soft eraser. True, a drawing made with charcoal, as in the case of pastels, requires fixing. Sauce is a thick lead used to create a thin or thick stroke, and also as a wash.

Typically, coal rods are sold both in bulk and in packs. They come in different sizes, from thin to very thick (the so-called “stage”), and according to their hardness they are divided into three categories - hard, medium and soft. They all create a quick and easy-to-remove coating in varying shades, from dark gray to brownish and black.

Pressed charcoal is sold in pastel form. A high concentration of soot allows you to apply very dense, slightly oily strokes that are expressive and rich, but it is useless to erase them. There are also coal rods of gray tones, in which soot is diluted with chalk.

Typically, charcoal pencils with charcoal leads are either sold in large packs, like charcoal leads, or are graded according to their hardness, like graphite. Their advantage is that with their rich tonality they emphasize the expressiveness of a pencil drawing. The comté pencil (a particularly hard pencil invented by the French scientist Nicolas-Jacques Conté) is slightly greasy than a charcoal stick and hardly rubs off. It is not as brittle as coal and comes in black, white, terracotta and sepia tones. Sanguine is a soft pencil without a rim, red-brown in color. And graphite pencil is the favorite material of many artists. It comes in different softnesses and can be used both for instant sketching and for drawing small details.

If you are going to work wet, stretch a sheet of paper over an unvarnished board to avoid deformation from moisture. Cut four pieces of water-based gum arabic tape (they should be slightly longer than the edges of the sheet) and then gently dampen the paper with a sponge.

Run a sponge over the tape to dampen it and glue all four pieces - half on the board, the other on the paper. Then the sheet will remain flat, and after drying it will be securely attached to the stretcher. You can remove it by carefully detaching the side tapes.

Water based paints

Most paints and inks are water-based and can be easily diluted to achieve the desired color intensity. So, watercolors can be both bright and muted. They create a soft effect, especially if applied to soft, thick paper. Typically, liquid paints are used on heavy grades of paper. In addition, you will need a palette on which you will mix colors, as well as a surface on which you can place jars of ink, paint, water and some brushes.

Surprisingly, wax crayons and pastel pencils go well with water-based paints: they do not mix with each other, which allows you to achieve special effects. The expressiveness of the drawing increases when using liquid and dry paints.

Unlike water paints, oil paints dry very slowly, are expensive and require good skill to use effectively. Water-based paints, like inks, are cheaper and more suitable for beginning artists.

If you apply ink with a pen, drawing lines, and then wash it with a brush, the drawing will be more artistic and voluminous. These two methods can also be used separately. In order to maintain a sharp line under the wash, draw it with waterproof ink. After the main drawing made with ink has dried, a colored wash can be applied on top, which will not damage the lower drawing. The ink produces vibrant color and is easy to blend. Some inks, especially waterproof ones, can damage your brush, especially if you don't wash it thoroughly, so it's best to have a dedicated, medium-quality brush for working with ink.

The familiar watercolor paints are a finely ground pigment that easily penetrates the paper, giving it a long-lasting color. Really good paints are expensive, but they are durable and bright and shiny.

For larger jobs, immediately purchase tubes or concentrated liquid for dilution. For small drawings, it is enough to buy a small box of solid paint tiles, although mixing them is a very tedious task. If your budget allows, buy large ceramic cups with semi-soft paint. An interesting combination can be obtained from watercolor paints with water-soluble colored pencils, which, unlike graphite, do not bleed through the watercolor layer, but softly dissolve in it. You can even wash them while they are still wet before covering them with wet paint.

If you draw on wet paper, the pencils immediately lock into place and come to life. Sometimes you can use oil pastels and wax crayons - the watercolor rolls off the grease stains, coloring only the uncovered areas of the paper, resulting in a very unusual effect.

Gouache is a thick matte water-based paint. The best gouache is sold only in tubes, poster gouache is sold in bottles, and very simple gouache is sold in tiles. The great advantage of gouache is its covering ability; it gives the artist the opportunity to hide an unsuccessful place if the top layer is applied carefully, without touching the lower ones.

Not everyone has the money to spend on the most expensive graphic design software, especially when starting a new business or starting a new career in design. Many will default to Adobe's fantastic suite of Creative Cloud applications, but for those who want to build a solid foundation, there are plenty of free graphic design software that can do the job too. And do it quite well.

But to save you from the painful search for such tools, we have compiled this list and divided it into five sections to make it easier for you to navigate.

VECTOR DESIGN SOFTWARE

Platform: online, PC,MacLinuxChromeOS

Gravit Designer, formerly known as plain old Gravit, is a full-featured vector design application suitable for all types of assignments, from screens and icons to presentations, illustration and animation.

With a simple and intuitive interface that you can customize as needed, this free graphic design software contains a variety of tools for creating detailed and beautiful vector images, including non-destructive booleans, as well as multiple fills, blend modes, and a powerful text engine.

It exports as PDF, SVG or bitmap, and if you need to access your project while you're on the go, Gravit Cloud can help you get to your work wherever you are.

Platform: online,MacWindowsLinuxChromebook

Available as both a browser-based web app and a standalone desktop app, Vectr is a free editor for creating 2D vector graphics. With all the vector features you'd hope for, plus plenty of options for using filters, shadows, and fonts, it's versatile enough for everyday design tasks. Particularly useful are its collaboration and synchronization options, which allow you to connect with anyone, anywhere, and create in tandem.

Platform: web browser

If you want to quickly export to SVG or edit an existing SVG file, there are few online editors that will do the job as well as Adobe Illustrator. SVG is an open format that allows you to render your vector art programmatically, and one of the best projects is SVG-Edit.

The tool is completely built on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, and does not require any third-party server processes. So not only can you use it to create and edit documents, but since it is open source, you can also download and modify the code, creating your own version if you want.

Has the standard, albeit basic, set of tools for every vector image editor, and although limited to the SVG format, it is surprisingly capable.

Platform: Windows/Linux (maybe Mac if you're tech savvy)

Like many free options available, Inkscape focuses on the SVG format as its primary file format. This highly capable editor has very good integration with SVG, supporting many of the more advanced features that are not always available in other applications, such as alpha blending, cloned objects, and markers.

Full support for different color modes means it's a viable alternative to Illustrator for both print and web design, and while the interface is somewhat simpler than Illustrator, it's still possible to achieve complex artwork. Of note are the ability to trace raster images, support for variable stroke widths, and native import of Illustrator files.

Source binaries are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac, as well as compiled versions currently offered for Windows and Linux.

FREE IMAGE EDITORS

Platform: PC

If you work on a PC and need a decent set of image editing tools without paying for Photoshop or the huge GIMP toolkit, then Photo Pos Pro should blow your mind. Created with the purpose of image enhancement and editing, it's ideal for typical photo editing tasks such as correcting contrast, lighting, and saturation, but it also expands to more advanced techniques.

The editor boasts a very user-friendly interface, as well as a deep help system to help you get started, and if you want to expand its toolset to suit your needs, there are plenty of extensions and plugins available.

Developed with input from VFX and concept artists, illustrators, matte and texture artists, Krita is a free and open source painting tool that has been in development since 1999. It comes with a full set of brushes to suit any job, and there's a range of plugins available, from advanced filters to painting assistants for advanced work.

Notable features include brush stabilizers for smoothing out any wonky lines, a circle mode for creating seamless textures and patterns, and a pop-up palette for quickly choosing colors.

Platform: iOS, Android

Free graphic design software Pixlr claims to be "the world's most popular online photo editor." It boasts more than 600 effects, overlays, and borders, plus it lets you do all the basic things you'd expect from a photo editor, from cropping and resizing to red-eye removal and teeth whitening.

If you're used to using Photoshop, you'll find Pixlr's user interface quite easy as they are very similar. This free app is available for both iOS and Android.

Platform: Windows

Paint.NET is a Windows alternative to the Paint editor that Microsoft ships with versions of Windows. However, don't let this fact put you off as it is an amazingly capable, useful and most importantly free graphic design software.

The focus is on ease of use, and there is also a definite trend towards photo editing rather than artistic creation. However, there are a number of special effects that make it easy to create fake perspectives, blend pixels around the canvas, tile and reselect, etc.

A good set of selection tools, support for layers, and tweaks like curves and brightness/contrast mean that Paint.NET is a great alternative to Photoshop for photo editing, especially if you can do without some of the new additions to the Photoshop toolbox.

Platform: Web browser (requires Adobe Flash Player)

Sumo Paint is a high-performance browser-based image editor. All the standard features you'd expect from a desktop tool are present and correct, and by purchasing the Pro version, you can install the desktop version of the app if you want.

You'll need Adobe Flash Player to use this tool, so you won't be able to use Sumo Paint on your iPad. However, it is easy and fast to download, and the free version is very convenient.

This includes the standard set of tools and settings you'd expect to see. Brushes, pencils, shapes, text, clones, gradients, etc. All are quickly accessible from the floating toolbar. The editor can also open saved documents from your hard drive, making Sumo Paint a great option for editing and republishing.

Platform: Linux, Windows, Mac

A free and open-source graphic design software that debuted on Unix-based platforms, GIMP stands for nothing more than the GNU Image Manipulation Program. And today the editor is available in versions for Linux, Windows and Mac.

GIMP's interface is slightly different from Photoshop, but a version is available that mimics the Adobe look and feel, making the transition easier if you've left Photoshop behind. A full range of tools is available - everything you're used to is within easy reach, including painting tools, color correction, cloning, selecting and enhancing.

The team that oversees the development has worked hard to ensure compatibility, so you can work with all popular file formats without any problems. You'll also find a very capable built-in file manager, just like Adobe Bridge.

3D SOFTWARE

Platform: PC, Mac

To get your first foothold in the world of 3D, the free version of Sketchup Make is ideal. It provides a friendly and forgiving introduction to creating materials in 3D, starting with simply drawing lines and shapes that you can then push and pull to turn into 3D shapes.

If you need some inspiration, you can find it in SketchUp 3D Warehouse's huge library of models and download them for free.

Platform: Mac, Windows

Daz Studio is a 3D figure customization, posing and animation tool that allows artists of all skill levels to create digital art using virtual people, animals, props, vehicles, accessories and environments.

With Daz Studio you can create your own 3D characters and avatars, create virtual environments, graphic design elements and much more. There's also a handy table that shows you what this free tool offers compared to its paid alternatives.

Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux

If you're serious about 3D but struggle to afford the software, then you're in luck. Blender is a free and open source 3D content creation suite available for all major operating systems.

Created by Blender Foundation founder Ton Rosendaal back in 2002, Blender has become the largest open source 3D content creation tool. Its creators are constantly working on its development, but you can easily do things today, including modeling, texturing, animation, rendering and compositing.

Platform: Mac, Windows

If you're interested in the art of digital sculpting, check out Pixologic's Sculptris 3D software. It's ideal for all skill levels, and is a great starting point for users new to the discipline, while more experienced CG artists will find the software a quick and easy way to realize their concepts.

Sculptris is based on ZBrush Pixologic, the most widely used digital sculpting application on the market today. So, when you're ready to take your detailing to the next level, the skills learned in Sculptris can be directly transferred to ZBrush.

Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux

Houdini is a 3D animation and visual effects tool widely used throughout the media industry for film, television, entertainment and visualization. And its cheapest version costs just under $2,000.

But the program's creators, Side Effects Software, knowing that cost could be an issue, offered a free version of Apprentice. Thanks to this, you can access all the features of the full version to develop your skills and work on personal projects. The program is intended for non-commercial and educational purposes only.

DATA VISUALIZATION SOFTWARE

Platform: web browser

Google's chart tool is powerful, easy to use, and free. You can choose from a variety of graphics and customize a wide range of options to perfectly match the look and feel of your site. Connect real-time data and Google Chart becomes the perfect infographic generator for your website.

Platform: web browser

It was only a matter of time before an infographic resume generator came along. With it, you can visualize your resume in one click and also take a look at previous examples. To enable people to express their professional accomplishments in a simple yet compelling personal visualization, we think this is an option worth exploring.

Platform: web browser

This free web infographic tool offers you a dozen free templates to get you started right away, all of which are easy to customize.

You get access to a library of things like arrows, shapes, and connectors, and you can customize your text with a range of fonts, colors, styles, and text sizes. The tool also allows you to upload graphics and place them with one tap.

Platform: web browser

Infogram is a great free tool that offers access to a wide range of graphs, charts and maps, as well as the ability to upload images and videos to create cool infographics.

The data on which the infographic is based can be found in an Excel spreadsheet that the user can easily edit and see how the results change in real time. Once you achieve the desired result, you can publish your infographic on the Infogram website for everyone to enjoy or embed it on their own website and share it via social media.

OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

Platform: online, PC, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS

Klex is an easy-to-learn and accessible tool for anyone who wants to create impressive graphics with just a few clicks. While it's not explicitly aimed at professional designers, it's an ideal tool for those who want to quickly create memorable designs. There are many ready-made templates to choose from, thousands of assets, a wide selection of effects and filters, as well as customization options, font downloads and text assets.

Platform: Windows

If you are a PC user, Microsoft has made their free Expression Web 4.0 app for you. There's no free technical support available, but it's a pretty powerful Dreamweaver alternative that won't cost you a penny.

2. Drawing tools, materials and accessories. Workplace organization

2.1. Drawing Tools. What will you need to complete drawings at school?

Ready room. A preparation kit is a set of drawing tools placed in a case. Typically, the preparation kit includes circular (Fig. 11, a) and marking (Fig. 11, b) compasses, a drawing pen for working with ink, an extension for a circular compass and other tools.

Compasses. The graphite rod should protrude from the tip by 5...7 mm. When working with a compass, the ends of the needle and writing rod, as well as the ends of the needles of the marking compass, are placed at the same level (Fig. 11).

Rice. 11. Drawing compasses: a - circular; 6 marking

Reisshina. During operation, the crossbar of the crossbar is pressed against the left edge of the drawing board (Fig. 12). Using a ruler, horizontal and inclined lines are drawn.

Rice. 12. Drawing board and drawing board

Drawing squares(Fig. 13). Together with a ruler or gauge, drawing squares are used to draw perpendicular and parallel lines and construct some angles.

Rice. 13. Drawing squares: a - with angles of 90, 45, 45°; b - with angles 90, 30, 60°

2.2. Drawing materials and accessories. Drawing materials and accessories include paper, pencils, erasers, and pins.

Drawing paper. For drawing, use thick white unlined paper.

Pencils. To perform graphic work, you need T (hard), M (soft) and TM or HB, ST (medium hard) pencils. The larger the number next to the letter, the harder or softer the pencil.

A pencil properly prepared for work is shown in Figure 14. It is first sharpened with a sharp penknife or in a special sharpener. After this, the rod is sharpened using sandpaper—hard into a cone, and soft into a spatula.

Rice. 14. Properly sharpened pencils

All drawing tools and materials must be kept clean and in good working order; the quality of the drawing depends on this.

2.3. How to work with drawing tools. Straight lines are first drawn along the edge of a ruler or square without pressure with a hard, sharply sharpened pencil, and then outlined with a medium-hard pencil. In this case, the pencil is slightly tilted in the direction of movement, as shown in Figure 15. Horizontal lines are drawn from left to right, vertical and oblique lines are drawn from bottom to top.

Rice. 15. Techniques for drawing lines: a - horizontal; b - vertical; in - inclined

To get clearer and even lines when tracing, the pencil can be drawn along these lines repeatedly in the opposite direction. When drawing vertical and inclined lines, the square is moved along the edge of the gauge or ruler from left to right, and when drawing horizontal lines, from top to bottom.

To draw circular arcs, the leg of the compass is placed in the center. The compass is rotated by the head with the thumb and forefinger in a clockwise direction (Fig. 16). The short leg with a pencil insert and the compass needle in the working position should be parallel to each other. While rotating, the compass can be tilted forward slightly.

Rice. 16. Drawing a circle with a compass

When marking sections with a marking compass, you should not press it hard so as not to leave punctures on the paper.

2.4. Workplace equipment. The quality of the drawing largely depends on proper preparation of the workplace.

The light on the drawing should fall from the top left. In this case, shadows from tools and hands will not interfere with your work.

When performing a drawing, you should sit upright without hunching over. The distance from the eyes to the drawing should be approximately 300 mm,

Only those tools that are needed for the job at a given time are left at the drawing board. In this case, the preparation table, squares, pencils and eraser should be on the right, and the book on the left. The drawing board should have a slight slope. In this case, it is easier to work, since you do not need to bend over the drawing much.

In design bureaus, drawings are made using a drawing device, which replaces a measuring ruler, square and protractor (Fig. 17).

Rice. 17. Drawing machine with device

The designer's work on the drawing is very labor-intensive. Therefore, recently they have been using devices that, according to a given program, automatically perform all graphic constructions. Such automatic devices for making drawings are called plotters.

Electronic computers (computers) are also used to construct drawings. The drawing board is increasingly being replaced by a television screen (display). The designer sets the necessary data, and the computer automatically searches for the most rational solution.

How to prepare a drawing compass for work? How do they draw circular arcs?
Why do you need a rail tire? How to work with it?
How to prepare a pencil for work? What types of pencils are there in terms of hardness?
How to properly prepare a workplace for drawing?

In the workbook, as instructed by the teacher, using drawing tools, draw vertical, horizontal and inclined lines, as well as circles.

Directions for use. Try to draw all lines the same thickness. Arrange groups of lines beautifully on a sheet of notebook.

We present to you a selection of free services for designers. This is the first option, we plan to expand it in the future by adding new sections and tools.

Fonts

Google Fonts is everyone's favorite font library. Allows you to select and download different fonts for all occasions.
1001 Free Fonts - font library. It has easy navigation - fonts are sorted both alphabetically and by type. There is a section of Russian fonts.
Fontstruct is an online font designer. A very simple tool that will allow you to create your own font. You can draw not only with standard squares, but also with other shapes - dots, rounded corners, etc. For a beginner, it is an ideal tool to try and see typography in action.
Font Squirrel is one of the largest font libraries. In addition, you can upload a picture and get the names of the fonts used in it. There is a font store, and even a clothing store with logos.
Type light is a full-featured font editor. Allows you to create, edit and convert OpenType, TrueType and PostScript fonts. Needs to be downloaded and installed. The free version has limited functionality compared to the free version. But it’s enough to create a simple font.
What Font is is an online service for selecting website fonts. We download the font file, indicate the site url and see how the downloaded font will look on the site. Convenient service.
1001 Fonts – library of fonts (more than 15,000). Easy navigation – font can be selected by size, type, theme, design, etc. The menu allows you to customize the output, which makes it possible to see each font in different options: size, style, etc.
Font Flame is an online service for selecting a pair of compatible fonts. It works very simply - on the main page there is a sheet with two inscriptions made in different fonts. If you liked it, click “Love”; if you didn’t, click “Hate”. Then you can view the selected ones again. Clicking on the font name opens Google Fonts.
Typecast – selecting a font for the prototype. You can see how the font will look on any device. It is necessary to identify different types of text - headings, quotation marks, etc. You can choose a typeface, size, style, and set indents. You will see your future page in the fonts you installed. A big plus is the choice of layout (one column or several, different block arrangements).
Wordmark - allows you to select the font installed on the user’s computer for text, logo or title. When you enter text in a field, it shows it in different fonts. You can select the size, register, display in black and white or vice versa. The options you like are published on Twitter or on Facebook - at the user’s choice. Can be sent by email.

Stock Photos

Unsplash is a constantly updated stock of photos. Collections are divided into themes. You can find anything from "African-American" to "Nature". Each photo has its own rating, you can see the best or new ones.
FoodiesFeed – food photos. The images are divided into categories. You can choose the best, exclusive, icons, mockups, etc.
Free Refe Photos - a huge list of "Real life" images. Mainly landscape and nature photography. Inconvenient navigation, all the photos on the main page appear when scrolling.
Little Visuals – high-quality photos of landscapes and buildings. You can download an archive of the best photos posted during the week. Photos are labeled with hashtags, but are not categorized.
Gratisography is a huge library of free photos. All photos are divided into six themes: people, grimaces, cities, objects, nature and animals. You can search by words.
Death to the Stock Photo – stock photos. You can't just look and choose. They make a selection a month in advance and let you download it after entering your email. The archive weighs about 11 MB. The best photos and a download link are sent by email.
Superfamous – a large collection of photos from an unusual angle. The set is small but interesting.
The Pattern Library - patterns and textures. The set is quite large, the templates are unusual. They are replaced by scrolling, and gradually. You can see how the template will look on the entire screen or part of it.
New Old Stock – vintage photos from the archives. There are few free photos, but new ones appear regularly.
Pexels – a large number of photos for all occasions. They are divided by topic, very easy to search.
Jay Mantri - large set of photos. There is no classification as such, you can look at it by month.

Stock graphics

Brusheezy – free brushes, templates, textures and more for Photoshop. 12 categories, each with subcategories. The choice is huge.
Iconfinder – icons, both paid and free. You can download in ICO, PNG, ICNS, SVG formats.
Brushez is a large collection of brushes for Photoshop. In addition to them, there are also vector primitives, forms, templates, styles. Each section is divided into subsections. For example, there are more than 20 categories for brushes.
Vecteezy is a library of vector graphics, including images and illustrations. A large number of categories and a huge number of graphics.
Iconbird is a Russian-language icon search service. You can enter a topic and get a set of icons, or you can browse by category.
Icons8 is a Russian-language service that offers more than 42,000 icons on various topics.

Infographics

Vizualize is an online service for creating “About Me” infographics. Essentially creates a graphical resume.
Canva is a simple tool for creating any design. Allows you to design a presentation, poster, post on social networks, books, letters, materials and much more. Everything is done based on templates, the text changes. But there are a lot of templates to choose from.
Easelly – creating infographics based on templates. The built-in online editor allows you to change the design, place additional elements, and change the text.
Infogram is an online service for creating infographics and interactive diagrams. Not all functions are available; you will have to buy an account.
Visage is a simple tool for creating any visual content (charts, infographics, blog images, etc.). Lots of templates, simple editor. Some features are paid.
Gliffy is an online service for creating diagrams. The editor operates on the principle of Microsoft Visio.
Visme is an online tool for creating presentations and infographics. More than 1000 templates. The editor allows you to add text (headings, lists, quotes and regular), animated text and widgets. In a free account you can download it as a JPG file.
Piktochart - Create high-quality graphics - presentations, infographics or printed materials. Uploads PNG, JPG of different sizes.
Drawio is a convenient online service for creating diagrams. You can save to dropbox and similar services, or to disk.
Venngage – easy creation of infographics, posters, reports, materials for social networks, etc. In the free version, it only provides a link to the publication. You have to pay for downloading.
Cacoo is an online service for drawing diagrams and sitemaps. Perhaps the best in terms of capabilities. A large number of tools and templates. You can export to PNG, PDF, SVG, PPT, etc.
Creately is an online diagramming service. Available for publication only. There is a charge for downloading.
Lucidchart is an online service for creating diagrams and drawings. It is possible to import a Microsoft Visio diagram. Exports to PDF, PNG and JPG. Paid functionality available.

Colors

Color Hunt – selection of color combinations. You can select up to four colors. There are ready-made solutions to choose from.
TinEye – analyzes the site and displays a list of resources that use an image from the site.
ColorZilla – allows you to create colors and gradients. Displays css properties for them.
Adobe Color CC – creating color schemes.
Colicious – press the spacebar and generate a new color.
Colorscheme - selection of color schemes. There is a version in English and Russian. Allows you to select colors for the site. Has fine tuning and shows the color code. Ultimately, it allows you to view the page in the selected color scheme. The biggest advantage is viewing the gamut in terms of color perception deviation. It also allows you to choose different color models. Saves Gimp, CSS, PNG, etc. to the palette. Has a color converter for converting from one color model to another.
Paletton is a tool for creating color combinations. No different from Colorscheme.
Pictaculous – Analyzes the palette of a PNG, JPG or GIF image. Upload an image and get a set of all the colors that are present in it.
Hex Color Tool – color selection tool. Use the sliders to adjust the color, and you can choose the brightness. The selected color is then saved. You can choose a palette.
(Un)clrd is a browser plugin that removes all colors and leaves the site in black and white.
BrandColors - the largest collection of official brand color codes. Select the brand name and download the names of its colors, including the css file.
Colortyper - selection of colors from an unusual angle. The screen shows multi-colored symbols that intersect. The result of the intersection is a new color. Looks interesting.

Inspiration

Dribbble - The largest community of designers. Work, community, communication - you can find anything here.
Freebbble - templates and designs from Dribbble. Some things can be downloaded for free, some can be purchased. You can find templates for CMS, designers, icons, mockups, designed website templates and much more.
Muzli - Daily design inspiration. A resource for designers with examples of the most unusual works.
Awwwards – the best developments of designers. Organized as a community voting site. The site of the day, month, year, etc. is selected. A large number of designs, videos, developments.
Design You Trust is a community of designers sharing the latest trends, news, portfolios, designs and creative announcements.
Really Good Emails - A huge collection of well-designed emails. Choose a template and get its html, css and js code. You can change text, pictures, etc.
Fubiz – publications from the field of design and creativity. You can find photographs, designs, graphics, videos, etc. Everything is divided into categories.
Designspiration is a collection of Pinterest-inspired designs. A huge number of ideas and examples - typography, logos, letters and much more.
Behance is a collection of portfolios from professionals. You can leave a vacancy or a resume.
Mobile-patterns – library of iOS and Android screenshots. Everything is divided into sections. You can find many ideas.
One Page Love is a gallery of the best web page designs. You can buy templates and themes. There are also free ones.
Uispace is a resource for designers. You can download psd, sketch, fonts, mockups, etc. for free.

Graphic editor

DAZ 3D - 3D modeling. Register and download the desktop application.
Gimp is a free analogue of Photoshop. Allows you to customize a modular grid, create guides, work with layers, add effects, etc. It is a good free replacement for Photoshop. It is extensible - you can download additional plugins.
Blender - 3D modeling, animation, rendering, sound, video. Allows you to create games. Fast growing editor, very popular.
Aviary is an online photo editing service. Many options, including Red-Eye Effect, resizing, etc.
Pixlr is an online photo editor and a separate graphics editor. The last one looks like Photoshop. Saves to disk.
BeFunky is an online photo editing service. Effects, frames, graphics, retouching and much more. There is a Russian-language interface.
Inkscape is a complete open source vector graphics editor. Supports the capabilities of the SVG format - working with shapes, contours, text, vectorization of raster graphics, etc. In addition to processing vector images, it allows you to create a website template and cut it - a modular grid is present. Allows you to draw backgrounds, banners, vector logos, etc.
IconEdit2 is a very simple program for drawing icons. Has filters. Allows you to export an image for Android and Apple. You can adjust the color depth, rotate and adjust the icon. Supports translucency, multiple images per ICO file, and anti-aliasing in all drawing tools.
Falco GIF Animator is a program for creating frame-by-frame animation and animated icons. You can download many different programs on the resource.
Krita is a professional open source desktop editor. Available for different OS.
Boxy-SVG is a vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Sketch and Inkscape.
Photopos is a multifunctional program, with the functions of a photo editor, a graphic editor and an application for creating computer graphics.
5Dfly is a free batch photo processing application. Can create slide shows using PowerPoint. You can download the PDF converter separately.
PaintStar is a free image editor. The interface is very similar to Paint, but has more options. Layers, for example.
PhotoScape is a simple photo editor. It has functions for adjusting brightness and color, white balance, backlight correction, frames, balloons, mosaic mode, adding text, drawing images, cropping, filters, red-eye removal, colorization, brush, clone stamp, effect brush, etc.