21 Hi-Res Smoke Brushes for Photoshop
March 15, 2010
If only there was a site that specialized in offering high quality, high resolution brushes for Photoshop that were totally free. . .If only it was just a click away. . . that would be so cool. If there was such a great resource like that, I’d probably link to it right here.
Best Practices Workflow for PDFs from Ghent PDF Workgroup
March 9, 2010
If you use PDFs like I know you do, you need the information on this web site. From their home page:
The Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG) is an international assembly of industry associations, vendors and experts; whose goal is to establish and share process specifications for best practices in graphic arts workflows. We are pleased to offer here, at no cost; specifications, setup files, test suites, white papers, and other educational information that support the efforts of the international graphic arts community.
Creating an Elegant Web Layout in Photoshop Tutorial from [Re]Encoded.com
February 27, 2010
That ain’t workin’
That’s the way you do it
You make your website
With the Photoshop
—with apologies to Dire Straits
There are a lot of sources for information on using your Photoshop skills to create an impressive website. Here’s one that I think combines a great design sense with a patient, intelligent, step-by-step approach.
But this is just a small sample of the great material you find on the [Re]Eencoded.com site. Sections on Search Engine Optimization, Aesthetics, Graphics, Inspiration and many more Tutorials are available. Go there to learn or to be inspired. Highly recommended site!
Photoshop: Little Known Tips, Tricks & Techniques
January 21, 2010
We love the folks at Smashing Magazine online. Here they provide a great listing of shortcuts for Photoshop CS4 that even Adobe doesn’t tell you about, “Obscure Photoshop Time-Savers.”
BEFORE ROMERO: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby’s zombies from All Winners #1, Summer 1941
December 28, 2009
Click on image for larger size. The bottom 2/3 of page 8 of Captain America and the Case of the Hollow Men.
“How to kill a dead man? That was the horrible problem which CAPTAIN AMERICA and BUCKY had to solve before they could defeat the hideous menace who was the lord of death . . .”
Tiger Beat magazine — 44 Years of FAB! GEAR! Teeny Bopper Greatness
November 8, 2009
“They’re exciting! Helpful! Daring! Cunning! BUT. . . what is a GROUPIE?”
Founded in September 1965 and continuously published since them, Tiger Beat magazine has been serving the female ‘tween market place and “stoking the the star-making machinery behind the popular song”* prior to the invention of the word ”tween.’
When I first encountered it in the mid-sixties it was comic book-sized with garish color covers with B&W interiors on 68 pages of pulp paper. Today it is on slick stock, full color with the ever popular pull-out posters suitable for decorating suburban bedroom walls of adolescents across America. While I sit here and wonder: Are Pretty Boys Out?
There was a dance party TV show host, Lloyd Thaxton who was cover featured for the first 12 issues as Lloyd Thaxton’s Tiger Beat. When Lloyd left his TV show he was dropped.
Of interest here is the November 1965 issue that has 2 pages and 4 pictures on Bob Dylan; an article by Earl Leaf titled, “Groupies! Who Are They? Where Did They Come From? (6 pages); Beauty Secrets of the Stars with Lesley Gore, Barbara Parkins, Annette Funicello, Mia Farrow, Sandra Dee and Ann-Margaret and a feature called This Popsy Topsy Music World that mashes together Tom Jones, Jackie DeShannon, Dino, Desi & Billy, and Tina Turner with Bobby Sherman singing and Keith Richards backstage.
Even my own question is not too controversial for TB’s hard-hitting journalism. See this cover-featured article: Are Pretty Boys Out? George Chakiris, James Darren, Richard Chamberlain VS. Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Sonny Bono and Freddy (of Freddy & the Dreamers) Click on image for larger size.
The current version is certainly more polished graphically but the content, of course, is pretty much the same. Even the logo has only been changed (improved) slightly. Thought it could be argued that nobody remotely like Keith Richards would be covered today along side the Jonas Brothers, Hillary Duff and Miley Cyrus. It’s the triumph of the Pretty Boys of both sexes.
Sorry, Lilo. You are strictly a feather weight in comparison to The Human Riff. Click on image for larger size.
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* Joni Mitchell, “Free Man in Paris”
Below, just because we quoted her above, we present a beautiful version of Ms. Mitchell’s classic “Big Yellow Taxi.”
Watching this is it any wonder that I (along with most white adolescent males) was in love with her and her music in 1970?
And please note: long before Carl Sagan popularized the notion that we are literally “star stuff,” Joni sang that “We are Star Dust, Million year old Carbon. We are Golden, Caught in the Devil’s bargain. . .”
The original Woodstock Festival took place on August 15 through the 18th in 1969. A month before on July 20, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. On September 14, 1969 Joni Mitchell played a gig at Big Sur, California and debuted a song titled “Woodstock.”
Coolest CD Case EVER! Has built-in Theremin
August 31, 2009
From synthgear: “Moldover’s new CD, over 3 years in the making, not only delivers gorgeously diverse music with meaning and musical mastery, it completely redefines what it means to “play an album”. . .Moldover’s CD packaging itself IS a new musical instrument! The CD is mounted on a custom designed circuit board, intricately patterned and powering a ‘light-Theremin.’ Yes! You play the artwork and it makes sound! Only the musical supervillain genius of Moldover could develop something so stunningly innovative.”
40 Free Cartoon And Comic Fonts from Hongkiat.com
August 27, 2009
The good folks at Hongkiat.com, (Online Tips for Tech Users, Designers, Bloggers) have complied an excellent resource for cartoon and comic book fonts here. They are definitely worth checking out. Thanks, Hongkiat!
40 New High Quality Photoshop Tutorials
August 10, 2009
Here’s an excellent collection of 40 new Photoshop tutorials from Noupe, a few screen shots of examples appear below. For the link, go here.
I’ve gotta say that I’m not a fan of the letter spacing in their logo but I’m also a dinosaur who remembers when all type was spec’ed by hand. There was print media before desk top publishing, kids.
Great Collection of over 300 High Quality, FREE Splatter Brushes for Photoshop
August 2, 2009
The good folks over at Smash Apps have put together a collection of over 300 splatter effect brushes for Photoshop from 20 different sources. Well worth checking out, here. Did we mention they are completely FREE!
