Font management tools reviewed

On top of font management issues, having thousands of fonts installed and active at the same time can be a drain on system resources and can reduce productivity – especially in a workgroup environment.

Both the Macintosh and Windows platforms have utilities for managing fonts to some degree, but neither is really adequate in a professional environment. This is where professional font management software tools come in.

There are numerous font managers available but, from a design and graphic arts standpoint, only three are really pitched at the professional design market. Suitcase, from Extensis; MasterJuggler, from Alsoft; and FontAgent Pro, from Insider Software.

And font management is not always simply a task for individual designers. The ability to manage multiple typefaces and font families across a network is an invaluable tool for busy studio managers. So, which font manager is the best choice for both self employed designers and also for fast moving creative workgroups? What factors should be taken into account when choosing a font manager.
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How to draw a portrait is one thing most art students want to know. Not only art students, most of us would love to be able to draw portraits of our family and friends. The good news is that learning to draw portraits is not as difficult as most people think. It simply requires a little instruction followed by plenty of practice.

Learning how to draw a portrait and bring it to life is a skill set that anyone can learn. The quickest way to get started learning how to draw a portrait is to get a photograph and try to copy it. Don't expect your first attempts to be good. They're not meant to be. You wouldn't expect someone who is learning to play the violin to pick it up and start playing it flawlessly would you?

So don't expect your earlier drawings to be good. I always tell people to keep their early attempts at portrait drawing so they can see how much they improve as they continue to practice. One of the keys to learning how to draw portraits is observation. Learning to look and I mean really look at a subject, with the eye of an artist.

This comes with practice and looking is one of the skills you need to master if you want to learn how to draw. Shading is crucial to learning how to draw a portrait. Shading is a skill you need to master and comes under basic drawing skills. Shading is used to cast shadows which are what brings a face to life, subtle shadows around the nose and cheeks bring a portrait off the paper for us and give it a 3D appearance.

The human face is diverse but all the parts are basically in the same place. When first leaning how to draw a portrait getting the dimensions right is crucial, this is not as difficult as you probably think; it just requires a little instruction to get you on the right track and plenty of practice.

The essential fact you need to understand about drawing a portrait is that it is just a number of different skills all put together. You have probably mastered hundreds of skills in your lifetime without even realising it.

Remember when you thought you'd never be able to drive a car? Now you get into your car and drive without thinking about it. Learning to drive is just a skill. To learn how to draw a portrait you just need to apply the same mind-set that you did when learning to drive.

There's plenty of good courses out there to teach you how to draw a portrait. If you're prepared to practice then you will soon be drawing realistic portraits in no time.
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