“The idea behind this illustration was to create a war between reality and line art. I tried to make this one simple, but at the same time to make it look good.”

This is one of the coolest tutorials I’ve seen in a while. It’s for the more advanced Photoshop user, but I guess you can learn a lot from it even if you’re already a Photoshop nerd like me

Check it out here.

“Using vibrant colors is the best way to make an image stand out, although getting the right balance is not always easy. Here we learn how to use lots of vibrant color to create a slightly abstract photo manipulation using pencils and fruit. We will learn how to use the pen tool effectively and also some freehand brushing which looks good.”

Nice Photoshop tutorial by PSDlearning.com which I just found this morning. They also have a lot of other interesting tutorials as well.

“This tutorial consists of creating a digital illustration in Photoshop of a box of matches. We’ll be creating the matchbox cover design, the striker on the matchbox from a pattern, and placing the cardboard texture on the box. We’ll also create the matches and align everything into a 3D perspective.”

A really impressive tutorial from PSDtuts.com on how to create a realistic matchbox in Photoshop from scratch. View the tutorial here.

quick video 4, extreme macro photography trick from Jim Talkington on Vimeo.

We all love Photoshop and its effects, but sometimes it’s great to get your hands dirty when creating elements for your graphics. Ink drops can add a creative and energetic element to your designs. This tutorial demonstrates techniques to creatively work ink drops into your compositions.

This tutorial by PSDtuts.com is a great example on how to create manipulations using stock photos and the raw power of Photoshop’s layermasks and effects. The end result is very cool as well.

“It’s now almost July, and just because the weather outside is frightfully bright (for those in the Northern Hemisphere) doesn’t mean that you have to cancel all of your portrait photography. But taking advantage of the clear skies doesn’t mean that you have to shoot in broad daylight either. “

A nice article by digital-photography-school.com that brings some fresh ideas to the table, plus some good tips and tricks. Here are a few more articles from DPS worth reading:

- Summer Portraiture: Practical Technique
- The Secret to Ultra-Sharp Photos
- How to Photograph Fireworks Displays
- Wedding Photography Agreement (Contract) Tips
- When is Manual Focus Better than Auto Focus?
- How to Reduce Camera Shake – 6 Techniques
- An Introduction to High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR)
- Baby Time: Photographing Babies Without Losing your Mind

“In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use Fireworks CS3 and Illustrator CS3 together. You’ll create some illustrative vector elements to add to the final composition. You’ll also mix in photos and light effects. Learn how to use a cool paper background and tips to improve your workflow.”

In case you haven’t visited Vectortuts.com yet, I suggest you check them out. They got some great vector tutorials!

Starting with the design application of Adobe Illustrator create a group of vector based geometric lines at dynamic 45 degree angles, then follow the walk through to rough them up with brush textures in Adobe Photoshop resulting in a cool and trendy design style.

Click here to view the tutorial