Fabulous, detailed Photoshop tutorial for creating the image above. Many, many tips and tricks can be learned through following this tutorial, I recommend it!

Space Explosion Photoshop Tutorial »

OK, I’ve been using Photoshop for over a decade, and every last one of the options used in this video (whose origins I don’t know) is completely new to me. I actually watched this extremely short tutorial in complete awe.

I’m off to find a series of photos to merge into one!!

Removing People from Photographs »

I found a really nifty tutorial by a woman who creates textiles. She not only gives a tutorial but shares her actual template file! It’s really quite simple to put together after that

In fact, I tried my hand at making our Cape Breton Tartan. Here’s the reference file I used:

And after some studying of the pattern and some guesswork at the warp and weft colours, here’s a small version of what I produced!

It’s not perfect, but it was definitely fun! I think the white needs to be more gray than white, I might re-do this.

What kind of plaids can YOU make?

Tutorial for making Plaid in Photoshop »

Photoshop Secret Shortcuts Flashmint Download Flash Templates Next generation of Flash Templates. XML, CMS, Video. It is proven that by using software shortcuts can boost up productivity. Here are 30 secret Photoshop shortcuts that I’ve learned from years of experience. Well, what I mean by “secret” is that these shortcuts are not documented in the menus. Keep reading and you will find how these shortcuts can speed up your productivity. I bet you don’t know all of them.

Note: this article is written in Mac Photoshop format. If you are using PC, Cmd = Ctrl and Opt = Alt.

Photoshop Secret Shortcuts

A fun little progression video I put together of a painting I created last week. I started with a free stock photo of a male model, used the Liquify filter to push his face around, and then painted over top with the Wacom tablet and a small default Photoshop brush.

What you’re seeing here is all of the layers I used, turned on sequentially until the whole painting is shown. I didn’t add colour until nearly the end of the painting process, as that made it easier to determine the value and tone of the shapes on the alien – particularly the bumps and holes.

Full-sized, uncompressed painting when you click on the image below!

Great video tutorial for Photoshop retouching from Peachpit.

Liquify as a Retouch Tool »

Whether you’re a student designer learning the tricks of the trade, a web designer looking to delve into the world of print or an accomplished designer looking to broaden their knowledge, there’s always something to be learnt when it comes to designing for print. One of those areas is how to approach using blacks in your design and knowing how it will end up when it comes back from the printers. Read on for a few tips and techniques on how to create artwork containing black.

Designing With Black »

In the spirit of showing my students some examples of how to make one animal look like another, here are the top two entries in Worth1000’s latest Mamsects and Insmals contest. Above is a leopard insect. If you look closely I think Mandrak (the artist) has used grasshopper and wasp as well as leopard sources.

See how the placement, size, and orientation of the markings lend reality to the piece? Another reason I like this one is the great contrast between the blurry lime green and the bright yellow and black on the ‘mamsect’ – it allows the subject to really stand out. The lighting is really important here as well – all of the source images were either lit from the same light source, or altered to appear so. You can see why it won the contest!

Below is a set of source images posted by HopePhoto to show how he put the final image together. I’ve posted some detail closeups for you to peruse as well. See how the horse’s texture was kept while altering the structure of the legs to match those of a fly? This is almost an artistic skill, to use a reference like this. It’s important to note that the wing’s resolution was very high in order to be placed so large on top of the horse. Little details like the fur under the horse’s chin and around the knee joints are why this one stands out for me!

You can see full-res versions of these entries (and the rest of the contest) here:

Worth1000 Mamsects & Insmals 7 –>

Peachpit press is where many of our favourite book series and authors come from – Hands On Training, Robin Williams, Classroom in a Book – and they’ve recently begun publishing articles and videocasts on their website, free to browse and view.

There are plenty of topics to choose from, but today I’m pointing you at two Photoshop topics that should be immensely useful, especially for beginners.

Layer Masking 101 Video Tutorial –>

Photoshop Shortcuts –> (note: CS3 does not have ImageReady, but the rest of the tips I use every day!)

CGSociety has announced the winners of their latest challenge, “Strange Behavior”:

‘Strange Behavior’ – “The unexpected can delight or shock. It can be exciting or frightening. It’s often funny. It’s never boring!”

Pages of beautiful entries, including Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, Visual Effects, Art Direction, Cinematography, Matte Painting, Compositing & Editing and Screen Play adaption.

Make extra effort to watch the animated winning entries. I’m having trouble deciding between the black-and-white stripes of Polkarella, and the beautiful purples of Spaced Out as my favourite. Also make sure to click on the Challenger Page for each of the winners, because you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look backwards through the process of creating each scene.

It’s a LOT of eye-candy, folks, don’t overload yourself but make sure you take it all in eventually!

Strange Behavior –>