On 8 January 75 years ago David Bowie was born in Brixton, singer, author, musician, actor, pop-rock icon, considered a “chameleon” of music, for his continuous changes in artistic and musical skin. Among these, one of the best known and most loved is that of Ziggy Stardust, an alter ego created 50 years ago for one of his most famous albums, in which Bowie played the role of an androgynous messenger of the extraterrestrials.
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Adobe has decided to pay tribute to this creative icon by launching a new range of Bowie-inspired digital tools within the Creative Cloud to encourage people to freely explore their identity and personality. The instruments celebrate both Bowie’s 75th birthday, who died in New York in 2016, and Ziggy Stardust’s 50th anniversary. Among the new products, available on Photoshop, Illustrator, Fresco, Substance and Adobe Express, a range of makeup brushes that bear the name of some of his greatest hits, such as “Ashes”, “Changes”, “Major Tom” and “Queen Bish”. Adobe’s pattern sampler, which allows creatives to choose the fabrics and patterns of Bowie’s best-known clothes to transform them into something completely new.
Brightly colored backgrounds and 3D Substance props, inspired by David’s posters and album covers.
A sticker pack featuring Bowie’s iconic graphics, such as Aladdin Sane’s famous lightning bolt (or A lad insane) and Ziggy Stardust’s astral sphere.
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Digital tools are available free of charge. Bowie fans are invited to try Bowie’s Photoshop range, create their own characters and share their designs via the #AdobexBowie hashtag. The range includes over 150 graphics, color swatches, vectors, patterns and stickers, created by Tina Touli, Kae Neskovic, Tabea Mahern and Thomas Hedger. They can be used in all Creative Cloud applications including: Photoshop, Photoshop for iPad, Illustrator, Illustrator for iPad, Fresco, Adobe Express, and the Substance family. Additionally, 18 digital brushes created by Kyle T. Webster can be used in Photoshop, Photoshop for iPad and Fresco.
“Adobe x Bowie” is the latest in a series of initiatives that Adobe has carried out in recent years to keep alive thanks to digital historical tools of artists who have changed the world. The company wants to give contemporary creators the tools of Timeless artists. The project was launched for the first time with the digital creation of Edward Munch’s brushes, continued with the Bauhaus-inspired fonts of Dessau and in 2020 with the release of a wide range of brushes inspired by the legendary New York artist. 1980s, Keith Haring.
Pictured by Justin de Villeneuve / Hulton Archive / Getty: David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust with British model Twiggy. 1973