Tips & Tutorials

Photoshop Breast Enhancement

2010-05-18T12:57:00.001-04:00

Enlarging and enhancing breasts in Photoshop

34 Essential Tutorials To Get Started With Digital

2010-05-04T12:51:00.000-04:00

Here’s a compilation of the best photography tips and tutorials found on the web. Starting with basics to make your first purchase, all the way to the inner workings of your camera.

Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide

2010-05-03T12:40:00.001-04:00

An outstanding tutorial from PSDTUTS.com The Pen Tool makes appearances across almost the entire Adobe product range. Its function and behavior varies depending on the application, but by mastering it youll find you work quicker, smoother and with better results. This guide will give you a comprehensive basis for working with the Pen Tool in Photoshop.

jCarousel

2010-04-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Riding carousels with jQuery jCarousel is a jQuery plugin for controlling a list of items in horizontal or vertical order. The items, which can be static HTML content or loaded with (or without) AJAX, can be scrolled back and forth (with or without animation).

How to Add a Favicon to your Site

2010-04-28T12:04:00.015-04:00

Image via Wikipedia A favicon is a graphic image (icon) associated with a particular Web page and/or Web site. Many recent user agents (such as graphical browsers and newsreaders) display them as a visual reminder of the Web site identity in the address bar or in tabs. The wikipedia includes an article about favicons [FAVICON-WIKIPEDIA]. To add a favicon to your Web site, you'll need

How to Paint in Photoshop Using a Mouse

2010-04-26T12:23:00.002-04:00

I am going to show you how to do a nice looking paintings using just a mouse. Step 1 - The Outline - Create an outline of the pumpkin in Illustrator (or use mine). - Open up Photoshop and create a New Document with a white background.

Installing MAMP

2010-04-23T12:38:00.011-04:00

Installing MAMP is just a matter of downloading a DMG (disk image) file, unzipping it, and dragging the MAMP folder into your Applications folder. Read More>>

Visual Paths

2010-04-21T12:47:00.007-04:00

Help the viewer's eye move through your image by paying attention to visual paths. If we put too much randomly-placed visual information into an image, our audience doesn’t know where to look. The eye wanders about the image, and eventually falls off the edge without being really engaged. What we need to do is guide the viewers’ eye by placing visual paths of interest in our art. Unless

Photoshop Fun Making an Eyeball

2010-04-19T12:07:00.003-04:00

Eyeball, Color Pupil and Iris

How to Make a Door Paneling Effect in Adobe Illustrator

2010-04-16T12:13:00.008-04:00

The vector graphics software package Adobe Illustrator does not have a wood grain effect to make door paneling in one step. However, you can use Adobe Illustrator's shape, fill and pencil tools to create your own door paneling effect and use a clipping mask to transfer the effect to other objects. The benefit of creating the door paneling effect in Illustrator is that the object with this

Perspective

2010-04-14T12:39:00.006-04:00

A Different Approach Using Approximation And Relative Scaling Perspective is the illusion of three-dimensional space created in a two-dimensional image when objects grow consistently smaller as they move away from the viewer towards the horizon. This article will walk you through a method for setting up a calibrated two-point perspective in Illustrator. Our example illustration

3 ways to sepia tint a photo in Photoshop

2010-04-12T12:38:00.004-04:00

I want to show you 3 ways to sepia tint an old black and white photo in PhotoShop.

Develop A Personal Palette

2010-03-10T12:25:00.003-05:00

Artists and illustrators often talk about a “signature style.” It’s that look, that feel, that je ne sais quois that makes a person’s work instantly recognizable. We could spend all day analyzing styles and what makes them unique, but this articles’s focus is color. Specifically, creating a palette of color to call your own. Color is very personal, and just as our “palette” for certain tastes

Vectors for the Web – Part 1

2010-03-03T12:19:00.011-05:00

Did you know that you can use iStock vector illustrations for Web graphics? “Well sure,” you say, “every vector comes with a hi-res raster file, and I just open that in Photoshop, resize it, and slap it on my Web page.” But using the actual vector may give you even more options and better results. In this first of two articles, we’ll show you why. And how.

Save Time with Templates

2010-02-24T12:16:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself starting a new illustration, then spending 10 minutes changing the document size, color mode, the styles, the swatches et al? Ad nauseam? And by the time you get it all set up, your creative juice is about to run dry. Am I right? If that is the case, Templates are for you. Spend some time creating a template for yourself, and then when you’re ready to roll, all you need

Let Global Color Rock Your World

2010-02-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

Global Color is a very handy feature in Illustrator that makes quick work out of editing color in an illustration. It also helps you keep your file organized, and makes it easier for the buyer to use and edit. There are two main advantages to Global Colors: The ability to create tints, and the ability to change the color and update the illustration automatically.

Be a PowerPoint pro

2010-02-10T12:23:00.000-05:00

In business, presentations are a big deal. But who said they have to be boring? Add iStock to your PowerPoint. In business, presentations are a big deal. But who said they have to be boring? You're already a fan of iStock's affordable, royalty-free collection for your design tasks, so you should give us a whirl in the boardroom. Adding iStock's images, video and audio to your Microsoft Office

Web-based Favicon Generators and Favicon Resources

2010-02-08T12:15:00.001-05:00

Your website’s favicon is a key trademark to its look. It shows up in the navigation bar as well as on browser tabs (for most browsers at least), helping users quickly pick out your website out of the crowd. Creating favicons is simple, and with these online favicon generators, you’ll have your own favicons in no time!

Six things to keep in mind when designing a logo

2010-02-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a set of considerations for any illustrators ready to plunge into Logos. Logo design needs to begin with a great idea or concept, backed up with some jedi-like vector skills to bring it to life. In this article you'll find some design and technical tips to get you started and keep you on the right track. I've included some important things for you to think about as you are creating, as

How to Make a Stylish Glowing Box in Photoshop

2010-02-01T12:50:00.001-05:00

In this Adobe Photoshop graphic design tutorial, we are going to create a magical glow effect coming from a box in Photoshop. This is a pretty simple effect that looks great and can easily be adapted for use in other ways.

How to Create a 3D Text Photo Manipulation

2010-01-25T12:42:00.002-05:00

In this intermediate-level graphic design tutorial, you’ll learn how to realistically superimpose a beautiful three-dimensional text object onto a living room scene with the help of Illustrator and Photoshop.

Create a Zoomed In Effect in Photoshop

2010-01-18T12:27:00.003-05:00

This tutorial will walk you through a simple process of giving a zoomed-in effect for your illustrations. This can be used in numerous ways, but primarily for designing instructional visual material.

How To Convert AutoCAD Drawings Into PDF Files With DWGgateway

2010-01-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, no matter how useful or full featured a program; it is rare to find one that is perfect. AutoCAD is no exception. One major feature lacking from AutoCAD is the ability to export a drawing to a PDF, the standard almost across the board for business documents. Never fear, with DWGgateway you will be cranking out PDF’s of your drawings in no time to add to a report or to just send

How To Create A Logo Using Custom Shapes In Photoshop

2010-01-05T16:04:00.006-05:00

This how-to focuses on using custom shapes in Photoshop to explore possible ways to create a shaped-based logo. You will not be successful at creating your own logo without lots of patience. You might create a likable design on your first try, but more than likely it will a take a few hours to several weeks trying out different shapes, colors, fonts, and sizes to get your desired

How Important is Learning CAD?

2009-12-28T15:36:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia When you are someone who is interested in graphic design jobs and when you find that the design jobs that you are looking at are competitive, you might wonder what CAD has to do with it. When you are looking to make sure that the designer careers and the design jobs out there are looking forward to taking you in, you will find that the more you know about CAD and

Improve your Graphics Workflow with Wacom Tablets

2009-10-04T15:05:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia Hosted by Wacom's Dan Johannssen Monday, October 12, 2009 at 6:00 PM Dan Johannssen of Wacom will demonstrate how a Wacom tablet and stylus gives you a more natural interface for interacting with your computer, speeding up your work and producing better results. Make detailed drawings and illustrations that accurately simulate paint, pencil, and other mediums.

Handy Keyboard Shortcuts For Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox

2009-09-27T00:59:00.001-04:00

While the mouse is considered one of the greatest and most useful computing technologies ever made, sometimes the redundant point-and-click actions can slow you down. Keyboard shortcuts save time and help you get exactly where you want to be in seconds. Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts you can use while surfing the Web with the Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google's

Targeting Adjustments in Photoshop Using a Layer Mask

2009-09-05T16:15:00.000-04:00

Making overall adjustments to bring out the maximum amount of detail in your images is a common goal, but one of the reasons for using the tonal adjustments within Photoshop in addition to those you already made in ACR is so that you can apply the changes to only certain areas of the image. You may want to do this to help emphasize your subject or to reveal detail in areas of your picture that

Create a Natural Media Brush in Photoshop

2009-09-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

Begin By Painting a Brush Tip There are two types of brushes you can build and use in Photoshop: One based on math, i.e., geometry. This sort of brush is created by duplicating a Photoshop preset labeled “Soft Round” or “Hard Round”, and then customizing it as shown in the following sections; you click a brush, click New Brush Preset on the pop-up menu, name the brush in the Brush Name dialog

Five Windows command prompt tips every IT pro should know

2009-09-01T14:55:00.001-04:00

The Windows GUI may be easy for the average user to navigate, but power users and IT pros alike still recognize the usefulness of the command prompt. Bill Detwiler shows you five tricks that will help you become a command-prompt ninja.In the video, I mention a tip from TechRepublic member Kiwi.Dusty and mytmous about using the Function keys from the command prompt. Here’s the complete list

HTML

2009-03-16T17:41:00.003-04:00

HTML Goodies intended purpose is to help new and growing website developers learn their trade, and to provide them with tips, guides and reference sets for their use as they become more accomplished. To that end, we have arranged the site into sections that range from a completely non-technical introduction to the concepts involved in developing websites all the way through to keyword

Creating Grunge Effects in Illustrator

2009-02-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

One of the more popular design elements these days isn’t an element at all, it is really destroying the elements you already have in your design! Simply put, grunge. We have all seen many tutorials on creating grunge elements and grunge brushes in Photoshop, but I would like to show you that it is just as easy to apply grunge elements to your vector art work in Illustrator. Try it Now>>

Avoiding White Outlines in Photoshop

2009-02-14T14:21:00.006-05:00

Most Photoshop users build up their own libraries of images that they’ve photographed. If they’re objects, then it makes sense to save them with a clipping path, so that they can be easily lifted from their background at a later date. The trouble is that when objects are saved as cutout images, with no background, the act of turning a clipping path into a selection will, because of the

How to Make a Seamless Offset Pattern in Illustrator

2009-02-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to create seamless patterns in Illustrator, but I’ve found many of them to be too simple and limiting, or even worse, too complicated. Through practice and experimentation, I’ve found a method that gives me the creative flexibility I’m looking for, but is also easy enough to be achieved in minutes instead of hours. Try it Now>>

Effortless Reflections

2009-02-02T17:08:00.000-05:00

Create a Reflection in 5 K.I.S.S. Steps If there is one thing I have learned in my years as a graphic designer, it’s that I need to keep things simple. I always try to keep in mind the old adage, K.I.S.S. (keep it simple silly). Now, I’m aware that normally the word “silly” is replaced by “stupid,” but the word “stupid” is not a very positive thing to be repeating to yourself each day. Try it

Creating a Vector Face in Illustrator

2009-01-26T17:06:00.000-05:00

Let’s take the mystery out of creating a vector face using Illustrator. Although there is no single way of doing it, I will guide you step-by-step from sketch to the finished illustration using the magnificent Pen Tool. No reference photos will be needed, just your vivid imagination and drawing skills combined with a basic knowledge of Adobe Illustrator. Try it Now>>

Mastering Opacity Masks in Illustrator

2009-01-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

Behind the Mask, Part 2 .sh { color: #660066; font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; } In Part 1 of Behind the Mask, we examined how to make masks in Adobe Illustrator. While masking presents a variety of uses, there is still one aspect I have not yet addressed. There's a little something called an opacity mask. Many designers may have never heard of it. Try it Now>>

Mastering Clipping Masks in Illustrator

2009-01-15T16:59:00.004-05:00

Behind the Mask, Part 1 .sh { color: #660066; font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; } One of the more beautiful things about being a designer is the seemingly never-ending thirst for knowledge that permeates throughout the industry. I, for one, absolutely love learning new things that can help me creatively, or can help streamline the production process. However, there has been the odd time

Advantages of a Custom Website versus using a Website Builder Tool

2008-12-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

by: Rodney RinglerThe internet has revolutionized business all around the globe. Almost every competent new or existing business wishes to exploit the incredible potential of the internet, and the first step is to have a web site designed done and maintained by a professional web site design service or build and maintain it yourself. One of the first things to consider is your computer ability.

Silhouettes Creation Using Adobe Photoshop

2008-12-23T13:19:00.002-05:00

by: Blur LoterinaDo you want your image to have that commercial look? If you want to learn how to make a stunning background like what you always see on posters, follow these simple steps. When you read a magazine, try to focus on the ad pages. Can you see cigarette ad with valleys and lakes for a background? Or a waterfall that was set behind a bar of soap? These images are called silhouetted

Optimizing Images in Photoshop with Curves & Levels

2008-12-18T15:44:00.002-05:00

Now that Curves includes the ability to adjust the black and white points in my images, is there any reason to use Levels?Actually, Curves has always had (or at least for as long as I’ve been using PhotoShop) the ability to adjust the black and white points for your image in a manner similar to Levels. The curve always had end points that could be moved inward (or elsewhere if you wanted) to set

Creating Envelopes in Adobe Illustrator

2008-12-18T15:39:00.007-05:00

By Sheila Pen, Shutterstock Submitter .sh { color: #660066; font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px; } If there is one thing I really love about Adobe Illustrator, it has to be reshaping objects with an “envelope.” Real envelopes are pretty boring things -- you can only use them for mailing letters. But in this tutorial, you'll discover just how powerful and versatile Adobe Illustrator’s “

Paste by remembering layers in Illustrator

2008-09-08T16:32:00.000-04:00

If you work with files that have a common base and several custom layers for languages or other mutations, you should always remember to switch on the Paste Remember Layers option in Illustrator. You will find this option by clicking the little contextual menu icon in the top right corner of the layers pane. Try it Out>>>

Tips & Tricks:

2008-09-07T13:57:00.000-04:00

We all want our web sites to perform to their optimum capability. To ensure this, usability testing is a critical tool for businesses, though finding quality feedback isn't always straightforward. Well, now it can be, with UserTesting.com providing a service for a low USD $19. Read More>>>

The Client Worth Chasing--Even If There's (Seemingly) No Profit

2008-09-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

One of the most common topics in the forums is about winning more business. Let's take a look now at why you should target a certain type of client--not so much for how profitable they are, but for who they are. Read More>>>

Set your Illustrator tools to grey

2008-09-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

When you work with Illustrator documents your document's background is mostly white. The interface of the application, such as the panes and the toolbox are also white by default. This puts some strain on your eyes and brain when you're trying to identify each area. To relieve this extra effort you may want to experiment changing the background of the user interface to a shade of grey instead of

Forensic Lightroom 2 Tutorial - Importing Photos Into Photoshop Lightroom 2

2008-09-03T16:27:00.000-04:00

Importing Images Into Photoshop Lightroom 2 We'll start the discussion on importing images into Lightroom 2 by looking at those images that were captured by another device and already exist on our system (internal or external storage device). Select File>New Catalog to start with a fresh catalog. When we do, Lightroom will relaunch and you'll see a screen that looks like this - an

Backing Up And Resetting Your Photoshop Preference Files

2008-09-03T16:23:00.002-04:00

Backing up your Photoshop preference files How many of us use a dedicated back-up software or software/hardware combination? I think that the percentages are quite small. Most save their important files to an external hard drive and hope for the best. In choosing what's important enough to send to your hard drive, do you include your Photoshop preference file? Try It

New Photoshop Actions Sets — Surreal Colors And Tritones

2008-09-03T16:18:00.002-04:00

Gavin Phillips, owner of ‘Photographers Photoshop.’ What’s different in your latest set of Photoshop ‘actions’ & movies?With our ‘Surreal Colors & Tritones’ we are combining not only different colors & techniques, but also giving artists several different ways to customize the effect. So they have several creative ways to go with many of the ‘actions.’ Read More>>>

Photoshop Fundamentals: Create a Blueprint Effect

2008-09-03T15:41:00.003-04:00

The Photoshop Fundamentals: Create a Blueprint Effect tutorial leads you through the process of giving your images a striking blueprint effect. Try Now>>>

Photoshop Toning Techniques

2008-09-03T15:21:00.001-04:00

In Photoshop Toning Techniques, Leslie Alsheimer shows how to emulate the toning of traditional processes as well as utilize a new spectrum of creative toning possibilities. Try Now>>>

How To Handle Thorny Clients

2008-09-03T13:45:00.001-04:00

Let's digress from the Marketplace this week. I have something more interesting! Over the last year my business has enjoyed a significant leap in revenue and profitability. This increase came at a time when we initiated what we called the "No Jerks" clause. It works like this: if you're a client of ours and you become too demanding or unreasonable, then we stop doing business with you.

Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion

2008-06-19T22:02:00.000-04:00

We are very excited to have Elle Phillips guest write for us this week. Please visit her fabulous portfolio to see more of her wonderful work. You will find that this catalog design article is very well written, informative, and extremely helpful. She wrote this article to guide you through her own graphic design process, from conception to completion. Please feel free to contact us if you want

Arrow-Controlled 3D Ball Tutorial 1 (Flash)

2008-06-17T18:58:00.000-04:00

This is the first part of a tutorial in which I will be showing you how to make a 3D looking ball, and to move it using the arrow keys. Try it Out>>

How to Make an HDR Image in Adobe Photoshop Cs3

2008-06-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

A quick step-by-step tutorial on one of the newest technologies in Digital Photography. HDR images allow a wider range of detail than possible before, essentially allowing you to create Large Format Images digitally.