Packaging design is a specialized area of graphic design, one that carries its own guidelines and best practices. The goal of a package is to make the product stand out among its competition, and better compete in the marketplace. Package design projects might consist of something as basic as a label to a complete packaging solution, with custom materials.

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Landscapes aren’t necessarily the first thing that come to mind when one thinks of vector artwork. After all, landscapes are often very nuanced and hold a wide variety of shapes, colors, and patterns that can be difficult to mimic in a vector image. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some incredibly talented vector artists out there creating beautiful landscapes, some of which are almost photo-realistic (especially if viewed from a distance).

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When most people think to create a portrait, Illustrator isn’t the first program that comes to mind. Photoshop, sure. Pencil and paper, definitely. Even paints or collage seem obvious. But Illustrator?

The truth is, though, some truly fantastic portraits have been created in Illustrator and other vector art programs. And the process can be as difficult or straight-forward as you choose to make it. Most designers seem to start out with a photo, though others have been created from scratch and may even be fictional characters with no reference image. In any case, the end results are fantastic, whether they’re kept a bit more abstract and two-dimensional or they’ve gone for a more realistic final result.

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With World War II now more than sixty years ago, it’s easier to appreciate the propaganda posters of the era for their artistic merit. Allied posters of the age aimed to influence citizens to enlist in the military, buy war bonds, join the workforce, and sacrifice in ways that many people in the U.S., Australia, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere have a hard time imagining today. But the tactics employed in many of these posters and adverts were wildly successful in building national pride and support for the war effort, and today are cherished for their campy nostalgia and patriotic messages.

The posters below are the best of the best from the WWII era. Left out are many of the more offensive posters (of which there are plenty of examples). Looking through these can help give us a better understanding of what life during war-time was like a few generations ago.

Remember that propaganda posters were, in reality, sales tools. Their aim was to sell the citizenry as a whole on the war, and to get them to participate actively in the war effort in various ways. Study the motivational tools they use: pride, fear, patriotism, and a sense of duty.

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