Textures, Photoshop, and the Creative Journey with Brady Erickson

In this week's podcast, we chat it up with Brady Erickson—pro musician turned design master.

From playing guitar in the underground music scene with his band Slowburn, Brady's journey shifted gears to tweaking pixels in LA and founding Texturelabs, an online tutorial and assets site. His transition from the world of music to the realm of visual arts is a testament to the fluidity of creative expression.

Brady shares actionable insights from his design journey — tips you can use to amplify your own projects.

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Short on time? Here are 5 of our favorite takeaways:

• Explore Color Science: Understanding how colors work in digital formats can unlock new creative possibilities. Brady recommends delving into color theory and experimenting with different color settings to enhance your design work.
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• Refine Your Design Process: Continuously evaluate your designs from different perspectives. Use techniques like zooming in and out, flipping the design, and adjusting saturation to assess the composition and balance of your work. This practice can help you identify areas that need improvement and enhance the overall quality of your designs.
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• Embrace Iteration: Accept that perfection is rare in the initial stages of design. Embrace the iterative process of refining and adjusting your work. This mindset will help you overcome discouragement and lead to better design outcomes.
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• Experiment with Blending Modes: Brady highlights the potential of blending modes like "Blend If" for creative results. Explore these lesser-known modes to achieve unique effects and add depth to your designs.
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• Capture Real-World Textures: Incorporating textures from the real world can add authenticity and emotion to your designs. Brady suggests taking the time to photograph textures yourself, experimenting with different objects and lighting to create unique effects.