{"id":614,"date":"2020-03-13T10:22:04","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T17:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalfacilitation.net\/?p=614"},"modified":"2020-03-13T10:22:11","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T17:22:11","slug":"help-they-want-me-to-do-remote-graphic-recording-next-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalfacilitation.net\/?p=614","title":{"rendered":"Help! They want me to do remote graphic recording next week!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With many face-to-face events (wisely) being switched to remote events right now, I\u2019ve seen a lot of questions go by on Facebook from graphic recorders who are being asked if they can work their magic remotely. You can! Even if you\u2019ve never done it before, you can. I\u2019ve got you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My first (test) recording using the Concepts app<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The screen shots in this post were made using Concepts on an iPad. If you have a different drawing app, a non-iPad tablet, or you\u2019re using a drawing tablet with your computer, the basic points are the same; just find the equivalent tools in the application that you have. Check the bottom of the post for a list of common applications and links to their tutorials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the list of what you need to know.*<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
  1. Set up three brushes and an eraser.<\/li>
  2. Choose a simple and limited color palette, and\nsave the palette for quick reference.<\/li>
  3. Set up three layers, name them, and don\u2019t panic\nwhen you get them mixed up.<\/li>
  4. Set aside 2-6 hours just to practice.<\/li>
  5. Get a headset that\u2019s comfortable and reliable.<\/li>
  6. Ask for a 30-minute tech check sometime before\nthe meeting begins. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Those are the basics. Everything else is optional for the\nmoment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is a little more detail to each of those steps, of course. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Set up three brushes and an eraser.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I use a small solid brush for most of my lines and letters; a larger solid brush for color fills; and a slightly larger watercolor brush for shadows and pastel effects. My eraser is usually sized in between the two solid brush sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    My brushes in Concepts. The numbers are the size in pixels (2.5 for the outline, 19.7 for the eraser, 10 for the pastel, and 7.4 for the color fill). Ignore the other brushes for now.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to do solid titles rather than outline &\nfill, you will also want a larger brush for the titles (or know how to quickly\nswitch between a large and small pen size for your single lettering brush).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pro tip for neat lettering: With the canvas at 100% zoom (that is, fully zoomed out so you can see the whole page), make a mark like the upright of a capital letter (like P or R or I or D) at the scale (size) you want to write in. Zoom in to a comfortable level for writing, note where the upright is, tap undo to get rid of it, and start writing where it was, at the scale that it was. Zoom out now and then to check your orientation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    I set my brushes up in advance and save them for easy\naccess. Ideally, you will be able to see them all at the same time and just tap\nto switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Can you use more? Sure. Do you want to? Eventually. This week, stick to three. Trust me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Choose a simple and limited color palette, and save it for quick reference.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    This one is so important that it\u2019s worth looking up a tutorial for how to do it in your tool if it isn\u2019t obvious. My most basic palette has black, a pastel blue, a pastel grey, a bright blue, and red. Sometimes I swap in another color for the two blues for different recordings. I also have white in my palette, but I use it rarely, and sometimes I include a yellow for glow and highlight effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    My most basic color palette for the Concepts app. Concepts allows up to 8 colors in one palette, so sometimes I add yellow.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    I use black for lettering and for outlining my icons. Red is\nfor emphasis. Light blue is for pastel effects and light gray is for shadows\nand fills (shadows are done with the pastel brush and fills with the color fill\nbrush). Bright blue is for splashes of color in icons and titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like the brushes, you want to be able to see all the colors in a permanent or flyout palette and just tap the one you need. Can you use more colors? Of course. Eventually. This week, keep it simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Set up three layers, name them, and don\u2019t panic when you\nget them mixed up.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    From bottom to top, the layers are: pastels, color, line-work. Or whatever names will remind you of those classifications. That way, your letters and outlines are on top, colors slip neatly behind the outlines, and you can gaily sweep pastels behind icons and letters with no fear of messing up the clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    My basic layers setup. Concepts allows you to assign a brush to a particular layer, which helps make sure I don’t mix them up, but I still manage to do it sometimes.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    You will mix up the layers at some point and put your outlines on your pastel layer or vice versa. If it\u2019s the pastel on the outline layer, it\u2019s immediately obvious and you can hit \u2018undo\u2019 and fix it. It\u2019s harder to notice when you start writing on your pastel or color layer. Don\u2019t stress when you do notice, and don\u2019t undo a lot of writing. Just make a new layer, drag it to the bottom of the stack, and start using that for your pastels or colors as needed. There are no layer police and you will be fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Set aside 2-6 hours to practice.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    And you can guess which end of that scale I\u2019d rather you were on, right? The more you practice, the calmer you will be; the calmer you are, the better your work will be. It will take a while to get the hang of zooming in to write and zooming back out to check sizing, of switching pens and colors, of working with the layers. Don\u2019t stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The very first graphic recording I ever did on an iPad, back in 2011.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    … And this is a few years later, in 2014. See where a little practice will get you?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s a practice regime that I use when testing a new drawing app: <\/p>\n\n\n\n