There are only two things I like about Christmas; iced mince pies and the fact that at some time, on some channel you will be able to watch ‘The Great Escape’ on TV. Aside from that, I find the whole event pretty tedious and stressful. From the moment in November when you start racking your brains trying to think of presents you can get your senile grandmother or your workaholic Dad to the post-Christmas dinner washing up session when it usually takes a year’s supply of cleaning chemicals to remove the bits of burnt turkey from the roasting tin, it’s all horrendous. ‘Tis the season to be jolly? ‘Tis the season to disappear off to somewhere warm and sunny and forget all about your family and friends, I say!
I once read that war is 95% boredom and 5% insanity. Soldiers often have to walk over long distances only to discover that they are in the middle of a firefight at the very next second. In such a scenario, maintaining one’s attention and focus can become very difficult task. This is pretty much the case with the world of illustration as well. I work on many projects that are very standard and almost boring. Ever so often, I get a project which compels me to utilize my skills to the fullest. Such a project need not pay a lot but the challenge is so exciting that I find it impossible to give it up.
I manage to maintain focus and keep my skills intact by constantly pushing my boundaries. When I am drive on the road, I look around and ask myself how I would present the information around me through illustrations. How will I convert the glaring neon board promising cheapest laser eye surgery into an illustration? Will I keep it funny? Will I rely on the reader’s natural intelligence or make it simple?
In some cases, I manage to lay my hands on paper and pen and come up with minor illustrations on the spot. Of course, I would be paid for this task in an ideal world but I keep these bits and pieces of paper as reminders of my enthusiasm for the profession.
Some people find it very odd that I spend bulk of my time drawing stuff on odd pieces of paper. However, they fail to understand that it is not just a job I do but also a part of who I am. This is the reason why coming up with good illustrations is so difficult. If you are really immerse yourself in it, you will discover that the opportunities for making illustrations never really end.
Why are illustrations important? Well, illustrations happen to be the universal language on the internet. How many times have you visited a web page in a foreign language only to successfully navigated using illustrations? Well, just a simple sign that points towards a hyperlink may help you understand that the message being given here is - customer data management webpage - click here. This is the reason why illustrations are so popular amongst webmasters. It is a very simple and efficient method of conveying data.
Napoleon once said that it is important not to be misunderstood as compared to being understood. This is particularly true in case of webmasters. It is very easy for people to take offense at some real or imagined insult by the designer of the web page. In such a scenario, using illustrations can help overcome numerous potentially dangerous areas and issues.
Of course, the wonderful advantage of illustrations only means that good illustrators are in very high demand. It is obvious that an illustration which is expected to simplify the message being sent by the webmasters should be simple in itself. However, the process of making a good illustration is very complex. An expert illustrator will find it very difficult to explain how he or she comes up with the right ideas. It is intuitive and the individual often works on the basis of gut instinct.
Asking the expert to explain is no different than asking Michelangelo to explain why he decided to come up with the sculpture of Jesus Christ with Mother Mary. He may be in a position to tell you how he executed the project but he certainly will not been a position tell you why he decided to come up with this idea. Their same is true in case of illustrators as well.
The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.
The old rule
Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.
The rule presently allows pensioners to convert any kind of built up capital they have in any personal pension policy to a regular pension that Read the rest of this entry »
The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.
The old rule
Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.
The rule presently allows pensioners to convert any kind of built up capital they have in any personal pension policy to a regular pension that Read the rest of this entry »
Recently I was told that my dear dog Rufus has Vertigo and I did not know hat that as. So here goes as I share what I know with you.
Vertigo is a feeling of dizziness. A person may feel that he is moving when actually there is no movement at all, like when looking up at banner stands. It is very rare in dogs, so when detected should be taken seriously and acted upon quickly. Usually it is Read the rest of this entry »
Some people are cool, calm and collected when going for a job interview. Others are a mess for no real reason: they have the right experience, they’re good at what they do, and it makes absolutely zero sense! So, then, if you’re in the latter group then you need to get some serious techniques down to calm those nerves. If you don’t you’re asking for trouble.
Technique one: positive thinking. On a piece of paper, list all your positive attributes Read the rest of this entry »
The roar of the crowd. The building tension as the goal is about to happen…the screaming and the chanting as the end of the match, the end of a season, is about to be decided. The whole world on tenter-hooks…
Me? I couldn’t give a monkeys. And I am not on tenter-hooks, I can tell you that much, my friend. I just don’t get what all the fuss is about with this football thing. I wish I did, but I Read the rest of this entry »
Child abuse can happen to a child of any age, sex, race, religion, and socioeconomic background. There are many who fall as a victim to child abuse and neglect. These days many parents, do not know how to cope up with stress and may experience difficulty in caring for their children. There are many factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect. The other day I was standing with one of my friend next to a horse insurance office. My Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you work at an Internet security company or you fix hoovers for a living, it doesn’t matter, we all need a break from time to time. But that’s when things get a bit more tricky: while one party will find one break in the morning perfectly adequate, another will need three or four just to satisfy their nicotine based habit.
Which is really frustrating if you’re not a smoker. For 2 main reasons.
