Design Posted » Photoshop

800+ Photoshop Patterns For Your Next Web Design Project

Nikunj Tamboli — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:00:17 +0000

Use of patterns are really helpful in web design for creating some awesome web backgrounds using repeating patterns. Patterns helps to fill-up large area easily & adds details to the design. I have shared various sets of patterns that will help you with make your design look more beautiful.

Here you will find more then 800+ patterns files for download which you can directly used in Photoshop. Many patterns are available for free to use for both personal & commercial purpose.

1.Grunge Stripes Pattern(12 Patterns)

2.Photoshop Patterns(28 Patterns)

3.Dice patterns(5 Patterns)

4.Carbon Fiber(2 Patterns)

5.Textured Stripes(6 Patterns)

6.Swirls Patterns(9 Patterns)

7.Honeycomb Patterns(1 Pattern)

8.Patterns Set (6 Patterns)

9.Concrete Patterns (12 Patterns)

10.Seamless Skull Patterns (3 Patterns)

11.Photoshop Patterns Pack(25 Patterns)

12.Grunge Patterns(20 Patterns)

13.Modern Camouflage Patterns(12 Patterns)

14.Fancy Patterns(30 Patterns)

15.Really Cute Patterns(10 Patterns)

16.Wood Patterns(61 Patterns)

17.Brick Patterns(65 Patterns)

18.Textile Patterns(51 Patterns)

19.Pattern Set(5 Patterns)

20.Photoshop Patterns (20 Patterns)

21.Parchment Paper Patterns(7 Patterns)

22.Staphylae Patterns(6 Patterns)

23.Thai Patterns(33 Patterns)

24.Simple Patterns(32 Patterns)

25.Patterns Set(237 Patterns)

26.Photoshop Patterns(35 Patterns)

27.Halftone Patterns(52 Patterns)

28.Ornament Patterns(33 Patterns)

29.Floral Patterns(17 Patterns)

30.Indian fabric patterns(4 Patterns)

31.Stone Patterns(3 Patterns)

32.Metal Mesh Patterns(14 Patterns)

33. Pattern Pack (11 Patterns)

34. Pattern Pack(16 Patterns)

35.Mauve Collection Patterns(5 Patterns)

37. Tileable Web Background(270 backgrounds)

Hope you find the post useful, We would like to know how you will be using this patterns, let us know in comments.

20 Spectacular Photo Manipulations

Henry — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:49:09 +0000

Photo manipulation is by far one of the most popular applications of Photoshop. Images can be manipulated in various ways to communicate a message. Sometimes the manipulation is subtle, like adding something to a photo that wasn’t originally there. Then sometimes the message or idea is unrealistic, but executed in a realistic manner to make it appear believable. These types of spectacular manipulations can have a big impact on their audience, and have them asking, “Is that real?”. So for your inspiration, here are 20 Spectacular Photo Manipulations.

Editing Opacity With Layer Masks

Ben Gremillion — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:30:36 +0000

On screen, the colors of pixels are a mix of red, green and blue values. A fourth value, opacity, controls how pixels blend with pixels laid over them.

In image-editing programs such as Photoshop, changing the opacity of a layer is easy but not always precise.

Setting a layer to 50% opacity makes all of its pixels half-visible. If the situation calls for variable visibility, then layer masks are the answer.

A layer mask can give individual pixels different opacities. A layer mask is like a light cast onto a layer.

When the light is on, or white, the image is visible. When the light is off, or black, the layer can’t be seen.

Applying a layer mask to a photo hides certain parts. Photoshop uses a grid to represent “nothing” (i.e. completely transparent regions). Unlike areas modified by the eraser tool, areas hidden with layer masks can be restored even after the file is closed.

Shades of Gray Mean Variable Opacity

Opacity isn’t always on or off. Using shades of gray allows pixels to be partially opaque. The lighter an area of the mask, the more opaque it will be. For example, an 80%-white mask will be 80% visible, while a 20%-white mask will be 20% visible.

A mask with a dark-to-light gradient hides the top and shows some of the center and most of the bottom. Gray areas in the mask reveal or hide the pixels but don’t change the layer’s pixels.

Straightforward Examples

The image above shows how layer masks can be used to change a face.

The original image sets a cut-out head on a beige background.
Laying a happier face on top of the head doesn’t work; the lighting is slightly off.
A soft-edged brush on the mask blends the face and head together.

Again, one major advantage here is the ability to correct mistakes. Layer masks can be edited as often as needed. This benefit is more evident in the process than in the result.

The edges of a layer are no different than the center, in terms of editing.

A grid-like texture is interesting, but it makes text hard to read. By darkening a mask on the texture layer, the text becomes legible; the texture loses strength and improves the text’s readability.

A Range of Transitions

Layer masks lend themselves to two types of transitions: hard edges and gradual blends. Gradual blends create a fade over a certain area and are easy to apply with the gradient tool. Hard-edged transitions work best with the natural “seams” in an image.

Above, two images are combined with a gradual blend and natural seams. Where there is pronounced contrast in an image, this is a seam; seams include the edges of objects, the sides of letters and numbers and abrupt changes in the depth of field. Natural seams are usually the most visually satisfying places to combine images, but detecting them takes some practice.

With some imagination, we can use the natural seams in the eyeglasses frames in the image above to show the sky image in different ways. Is the sky behind the glasses, inside the lenses, between the frames or somewhere else? The answer depends on the artist’s creativity.

The effect doesn’t have to be all or nothing. By painting with shades of gray (or using Image → Adjustments → Curves or Image → Adjustments → Levels), the glasses can appear to reflect clouds, rather than become portals to the sky. Sometimes this requires more precise control—or a better view of what the mask looks like.

How to See What’s Going On

To see the mask as a grayscale image, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) its icon in the Layers palette. Click the layer icon to return to the “normal” view. One advantage of Option- or Alt-clicking the mask is that it gives you the ability to paste.

Switching between the layer and its mask is a simple click, and the reasons to do so are two-fold. First, it shows exactly what’s going on and sometimes reveals mistakes. Secondly, it enables users to paste bitmaps into the mask.

Any image that can be copied—a layer, part of a photo or an illustration—can be pasted into the mask. The mask above was created by copying a solid shape, Option/Alt-clicking the mask icon and pasting. From here, the mask can be edited with any painting tool.

Editing the Mask, Not the Layer

Viewing the layer isn’t necessary, but it’s easy to forget which mode Photoshop is in. The key is a set of brackets around the appropriate icon.

A layer with a mask has two icons in the layers palette. When brackets surround the left icon, Photoshop is editing the layer’s pixels. When brackets surround the right icon, Photoshop is editing the layer’s mask. The difference is subtle but important. When painting a mask, be sure to click on the mask first.

Shortcuts

When editing a mask, a few keyboard shortcuts will come in handy. Type the letter “D” (Mac or Windows) to set the working colors to their defaults (black and white). Typing “X” switches the background and foreground colors. This toggles between reducing opacity (black) and restoring it (white).

The keyboard shortcut “X” makes switching between the two very easy, and the layer masks make removing and restoring opacity useful.

Conclusion

Layer masks are a flexible tool for creating complex illustrations, buttons, graphics, icons and logos. Any image that combines elements would benefit from layers, and designers would benefit from the ability to edit as they go.

Written exclusively for Webdesigner Depot by Ben Gremillion. Ben is a freelance writer and designer who solves communication problems with better design.

What techniques do you use to control opacity in a Photoshop layer? Share your ideas in the comments below.

If you find an exclusive RSS freebie on this feed or on the live WDD website, please use the following code to download it: H0Oa9C

How to Create a Wall Graffiti of Bob Marley

David_E — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:00:05 +0000

We’re are going to immortalize the iconic Bob Marley on a brick wall – graffiti style. Graffiti has come a long way to the point that its argued by some to be respectable works of art for it was and still is considered as rude and destructive in the public sphere. On count, it is highly expressive and does lend to images/text powerful forms representation.Same goes for this tutorial where we’ll be applying Layer masks and Blend modes to merge a grunge-like image of Bob Marley with a brick wall.

Step 1

Start with a Bob Marley picture of your choice. Open a new transparent
document with the document size set to 1280 x 1024 px and a resolution of 140 inch/pixel.

Step 2

Go to Image>Adjustment>Hue/Saturation and increase the Saturation value to 100.

The reason for increasing the Saturation to the maximum was to vividly bring out the shadings of the face. I also had the picture resized to reveal potions of the transparent background.

Step 3

Head on over to Image>Adjustment>Hue/Saturation yet again or
hit Ctrl+U for the Hue/Saturation dialog box. This time, reduce Saturation to -90.

If I had just opted to desaturated the picture completely to gray scale, the picture would’ve appeared to have a faint bluish tint.

Step 4

We’d now fade the details of the image. Clicking on Image>Adjustment>Brightness/Contrast set the parameters below:

Step 5

We’d now apply a rough tile effect by going to Filter>Texture>Mosaic Tiles from the menu. Set Tile Size to 27, Grout Width to 4 (which determines the size of the cracks) and Lighten Grout to 7.

The result:

Step 6

We’ll now apply the Brick Filter effect over the Mosaic Tiles which
would of course blend all nicely and hence, create a more convincing rough
brick wall composition. Go to Filter>Texture>Texturizer and click
the drop-down menu for the Brick texture and set the parameters below:

The result looks better than having any one of the texture filters left out.

Step 7

Download this brick texture from www.sxu.hu
but if you do find a wall with smaller bricks, the better. I was interested in this wall because of how uneven the bricks were. Drag the brick texture picture to the main document window and place it below the “Marley” layer.

Step 8

It was delibrate to have parts of the brick wall to show through when
the Marley image was resized earlier. Also resize the brick picture by
pressing Ctrl+T to enter the Free Transform mode. Holding down the
Shift key, drag the corners of the picture to scale it down while maintaining
its original aspect ratio. Hit the Enter key when done.

Step 9

Set the “Marley” layer’s Blend mode to Hard Light and reduce its opacity to about 45%.

Step 10

With the Foreground colour set to black by hitting the D key, select
the Brush Tool (B) as a Spatter Brush. Increase its diameter to about 153
px and on the brush’s Options bar reduce its opacity to 90%.

Step 11

Click from the left, the third icon at the base of the Layers Palette to create a Layer mask for the “Marley” layer. Now paint around the edges of Marley’s head and his face, particularly around the chin areas. Don’t completely reveal the bricks (except for the edges of the image) while painting away.

Step 12

Select the Gradient Tool (G) and set the colours of Color Stops as shown below:

Step 13

On the Gradient Tool’s Options bar, set the Gradient to Radial and then
drag the tool from the center to the left side.

Step 14

Set the Graidient layer’s Blend mode to Soft Light and its opacity to 75%. And we’re through! Jah Rastefari mon.

MORE VARIATIONS:

Here, I’m playing around with Blend modes and opacities to come up with a
couple variations. The one below is a favourite of mine; the Marley image is a lot more
defined but yet it blends quite nicely with the wall. The “Marley” layer Blend type here was set to Hard Light and its opacity reduced to about 60%.

Moving on further, a Brick Texture Filter effect was applied to the brick picture to get the result shown below:

Now finally, this is another variation with the Blend mode set to Vivid Light. The details of the face here are more faded and the orange-brownish colour of the bricks shows through.Whatever your choice of the Blend modes Ive highlighted, it all comes down to your personal preference.

By David Ella Ella

The Ultimate Photoshop Toolbox

vitaly — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:34:29 +0000

By Robert Bowen

For years now, whenever designers have been asked about their go-to program for image editing and creation, one of the top answers that comes back, is Adobe Photoshop. Its generations of evolution has centered around the growth of any number of digital imaging professionals and has made this software giant a staple in the graphic design community. Since so many of us find this tool in our design arsenals, we thought we would put together a post that would have you get the most out of this dynamic imaging program.

Below is a collection of invaluable Photoshop resources from the online community that runs the proverbial gamut of available PS content. From toolkits full of templates, shapes, gradients, brushes, and so much more, to individual resource downloads of informative PDFs, usable PSDs, and other content galore, this post has everything you will need to amp up your Photoshop toolbox. So if you are a Photoshop devotee, or even just a newb getting started with the program, take a moment to browse down through these useful downloads that we have amassed.

Websites

The websites that have been gathered below are the first place that you should go when you are setting out on a path of beefing up your proverbial toolbox of Photoshop resources. From the new updates that are still coming, to all of their past archives these sites provide a constant stream of tools.

Web Designer’s Toolkit is a valuable resource for Photoshoppers indeed. From buttons, to form elements and even a collection of free Photoshop templates for professional layouts (including browser screens) this toolkit’s depths are packed with design goodies for many occasions and needs.

Free4Photoshop is another great place to head for all those resource hunters out there looking to score a wide variety of Photoshop freebies. This virtual vault of tools includes shapes, textures, brushes, gradients, patterns, and so much more. If you are serious about Photoshop then you need to check this site out to get your toolbox started.

Photoshop Essentials is another website that you should definitely be checking out if you are looking for in-depth, fully explained Photoshop tutorials which are written by Adobe Certified Experts. From beginners to seasoned vets, their tutorials are put together with any and everyone in mind. Photoshop made easy.

Psdtuts+, speaking of approachable tutorials for taking your Photoshop game to the next level, this site is another go-to resource for many in the design world. So if you are looking for more ways to tackle your design projects by employing techniques that you need explained a bit better before you proceed, then you might want to just head over to the pasture of tuts.

Photoshop Ninja is another popular site to check into for Photoshop downloads, tutorials and more that is geared towards the more experienced users. As you build your arsenal and level up your experience points towards a more PS ninja-like status, or if you are already on ninja par expertise-wise, then you should stop on by and check out all they have to offer.

Photoshop Lady might be another site that you want to keep bookmarked and handy for all your Photoshop wants and needs. They scour the archives of the web and gather the finest Photoshop tutorials for you and bring them all to one easy to find location. With most of the guesswork taken out of the equation, the site is definitely worth a look.

Photoshop Tutorials is a site whose name slightly undersells the place. When you are constructing your virtual Photoshop toolkit keep this helpful site in mind because they not only cover tutorials, but they also focus on inspiration and a variety of useful downloads for a range of users and expertise levels.

Photoshop Roadmap is one more bookmarkable Photoshop super center for users of all levels and needs. They have a selection of downloads from brushes to text and photo effects, and they even have a section dedicated to Photoshop related books and more. And to complete the Roadmap’s journey they even have PS tutorials as well.

Photoshop Toolbox Reference is a Photoshop users best friend! This site is a comprehensive cheat-sheet on all things Photoshop. The perfect addition to your PS toolbox, PTR has you covered from keyboard shortcuts to specific tool tutorials at the click of a tool name. Add a touch of convenience to your Photoshop workings, just follow the link.

Photoshop Gurus Community Forum is another invaluable resource for you to keep close as you strive for a more Photoshop savvy status. This is a very large and active forum of Photoshop users which is always a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. Take time to become a part of the forums and when you need help, you can always get a little help from your friends.

My Photoshop Brushes is another website whose name is deceptively underselling of the range and bevvy of Photoshop resources users can expect to find there. Beyond just a variety of Photoshop brushes, they also have a large collection of patterns, shapes, styles, and gradients to boot. Not to mention they even have some tutorials on hand.

PS Galaxy is the final multi-purpose site that we are going to feature, and if ever the saying last but not least applied, it applies here. The Galaxy is a dynamic resource hub that packs a titanic collection of tools for Photoshop users from PSD files to actions, and from shapes to gradients. With web buttons and templates also in their ranks, the galaxy certainly is vast.

Brushes

Now we start to refine our focus a bit, and move into a more narrow area of tool gathering. Brushes. They are one of the more popular Photoshop resource downloads that are made and shared around the online design community, and they are also the next stop in our toolbox building journey. Below are some brush specific sites and some individual brush packs.

Brusheezy is a site that any Photoshop brush enthusiast should keep readily on hand. Not only is it a hub for thousands of available PS brushes from around the world wide web, but the site is also a great place to go to share your thoughts and opinions on the design communities collected brushes.

PSBrushes is another site whose focus falls specifically in the Photoshop brush arena, and should certainly be added to the designers list of go-to places on their resource hunts. With hundreds of free downloadable brush packs to offer, the site will definitely keep you busy for a while as you build up your toolbox.

Brush King is also a fantastic site to turn to when you are looking for sources for high quality Photoshop brushes. Brush King is near a necessity as far as bookmark additions go, as all of their downloads are free for use in all of your website and graphic design related projects. So the next time you need a brush, browse through their fine selection.

QBrushes is one more for the bookmarks indeed. This is a Photoshop brush focused hub that pulls in all of the free quality PS brushes that are released into the cyberspace aether. They pull in brushes from all around so that you do not have to do the proverbial footwork yourself. This site is regularly updated so be sure that you check back often.

BlendFu is another Photoshop brush carrier that has a bit of a twist from the others that we have featured thus far. BlendFu is actually a membership based resource site, wherein the members can log and track all of their favorite brush packs that they have found within the websites deep database.

iDesign Brushes is a daily updated Photoshop brush specific site, that is a submission based brush resource hub. They take in brushes that the community has sent in and pour over them, combing through with a fine tooth comb to find the best and the brightest brushes among the bunch to present to their readers each day.

1000+ Free High Resolution Photoshop Brush Sets is a useful collection from Smashing’s sister site with hundreds to thousands of incredible Adobe Photoshop brush sets from all around the web. If you are on a quick path for brushes without having the time to browse through the masses that the online design community has to offer, then let Noupe do the hard sorting for you. Just stop in on this post and load up your arsenal.

Over 550 Photoshop Brush Packs Free for Commercial Use is just what the title says it is. A post that has ammassed a huge collection of Photoshop brushes that are all free for both commercial and personal design projects. Another bonus is that the post is also kept up to date and current, updated about once a month.

25 Original And FREE Abstract Smoke Brushes from 1st Web Designer is a great collection of free high quality Photoshop brushes. The is a pack of fairly unique resources, all smokey in nature, including sharp edges and smooth gradients to complete the vapor-esque appearance of the set.

8 Free Fantastic Fractal Photoshop Brushes is another unique set of from the far reaches of the web over at Design Shard, that we wanted to feature for you here rather than making you go in search of them yourself. These high quality fractal based brushes are useful for achieving very abstract and astral like effects for the design projects that you include them in.

Hi-Res Splatter Photoshop Brush Set is another set that we have set aside to feature specifically so that you have them ready and loaded into your arsenal without having to look very far. This pack of 17 high resolution paint splatter based Photoshop brushes is a clean and crisp set that are ideal for both web and print centered projects.

High Res Mixed Brushes Pack for Photoshop is a set of grunge styled brush resources that include a variety of strokes, ranging in thickness and weight to cover all of your bases and needs. If you are looking for a quick way to add a bit of a distressed appearance to your designs, no matter their scale, then these awesomely detailed brushes should certainly get the job done.

Spray Paint Pack (Hi-Res Textures & Brushes) is the final brush pack that we are singling out in this toolbox building trek. Crafted using actual spray paint and textured paper, these Photoshop brushes are a wonderful way of adding bits of texture to your work. Which is actually said to have been the designer’s main intention when putting them together.

PDFs

As we continue with our focus refined, we come to the next section in our search for Photoshop tools to add to your arsenal of skills, the PDFs. Not to be confused with the upcoming PSDs. This section includes several useful downloads that will provide hours worth of study time.

Adobe Photoshop CS – Tips and Tricks from the Experts is an interesting instruction manual of sorts that you can download and check out from wePapers. This PDf is a helpful look for beginners, and those looking for a refresher, at a variety of techniques that you can employ thorugh Photoshop on any of your creations and designs.

25 ESSENTIAL Photoshop Moves is an extremely useful learning tool, in a full color downloadable PDF, for users at both a professional and at a beginner level. With a varied collection of information ranging from tools to tutorials, from trechniques to helpful tips for getting the most out of your PS works, this lesson book focuses on 25 tasks that are essential for growing your Photoshop skillsets.

Worth 1000 Photoshop Tricks is a downloadable PDF of massive proportions that consists of links to one thousand useful Photoshop tutorials. Taking most of the time consuming web search out of the equation for you, this comprehensive shortcut places a huge amount of tuts right at the click of a mouse for you.

Photoshop Quick Reference Card is another handy download to keep in your design arsenal. This comprehensive PDF is a virtual Photoshop two page cheat sheet that can prove a useful tool as you dive into this in-depth and fully loaded program. It never hurts to have a sheet that you can quickly reference at a glance, and with this little cheat, now you can.

Photoshop Tips, Tricks, and Basics is another very useful, must-have download especially if you are just beginning to work in Photoshop. This PDF is somewhat of an introduction into the very basics of this creative tool to assist you in laying down a solid foundation of knowledge on which to build and grow. The tips and tricks may also offer somewhat of a shortcut or new approach for some of the more experienced Photoshoppers.

PSDs

Now we come to the PSD section of this tool gathering post, and below are a handful of places on the web where you should definitely steer if you are wanting to get your hands on some .psd files that contain all of the original layers, masks, etc. then scroll down and get going.

Free PSD is a website that any serious psd explorer should have readily available. This site gathers together a massive collection of usable web based PSD templates that are ready for you to dive right into and get started.

Official PSDs is a bit of a different sort of a stop along our PSD collecting path. This site is actually a community focused endeavor that is kept alive and thriving by the users who make the site a invaluable place to come and share their favorite resources. PSDs of all varities await you, so it is definitely worth a look.

JackRebel PSD Files is a section of the JackRebel site that strictly covers Photoshop downloads. This is essentially a variety of PSDs all brought together to assist the design community with a lot of their shopped needs. Especially for those looking to design with a focus on electronics, this collection of files is the direction you should head.

50+ High Quality .PSD Files and Tutorials is another helpful Photoshop post from over at Smashing’s sister site. Want to get started on your next PS project, but do not really know where to start, or worse, don’t have the desire to start from scratch, then let this post of more than 50 high quality Photoshop .PSD files be your starting point from which to find design gold.

500+ Free Download High Quality Photoshop PSD Files For Designers is another fantastic post where most of the work has already been done for you. The hunting and gathering has mostly been done for you, now all you have to do is make your way over to this expansive PSD resource collection and you can get a quick overview of what is considered to be some of the best free PS downloads available.

Download Free PSD Design Template from Lava360 is a free downloadable design template that is simple and easy to use to get started. Don’t want to have to scour through the numerous entries from some of the other featured sites to find a PSD to get your design project underway, then check out this free offering to see if it will fit the bill.

DVD and Business Card PSD File is another place to turn if you are looking to get started on a business card design or a DVD label, but you do not feel like taking the time to sort through the massive collections, then metamags.com may just have the PSD file that you have been waiting for.

11+ Stunning Objects PSD Templates is a fabulous little collection of PSD files that will assist you with your web design layouts and so forth. Since so many of us design strictly for the web, we wanted to offer another more web geared set of PSD resources, and this post from The Design Work is it. If the web is where your design eye tends to fall, then you might just want to give these elements your attention.

Music Player UI is a bit of a different PSD file as to most of the others that we have featured, where as it is specifically focused on the user interface of a music player. The UI file is another that was separated out from the rest given its unique flavor, and should help you add a bit of bite your interface.

Everything Else

In this final section of the post, we come to somewhat of a grab bag of downloads that range from gradients to patterns and shapes, and from actions to plugins and filters. As you are finishing off your toolbox, be sure you do not overlook these final additions that could really make a difference in your Photoshop designs.

600+ Photoshop Gradients to Download is a wonderful place to turn whenever you are looking for that perfect gradient to complete your design. Not only does the post have a huge bevvy of downloadable gradient goodies for you, but it also includes a useful tutorial which gives you an in-depth look at the gradient tool in Photoshop and how to get the most out of it with an easy to follow by step breakdown.

Designerpie Freebies has a collection of thousands Photoshop design downloads for the whole community that anyone looking to expand their proverbial PS toolkit should certainly make note of. With an array of patterns, gradients, swatches and styles this freebie collection is sure to put a smile on the face of any resource hunting Shopper.

Free Photoshop Patterns is a website which focuses completely on one aspect of PS. The patterns. So you can bet that they are going to have an enormous selection to choose from, and that they certainly do. With thousands of patterns to choose from, you are nearly quaranteed that they can satisfy any of your PS pattern needs.

124+ Free Photoshop Actions to Boost Your Designs is a post of amassed actions that we felt you should most definitely have on your radar. What better way to take so many of the steps out of some of the repetitive processes that come with the design territory than by having an arsenal of actions ready and waiting to take the edge off and even shave some time off of the tasks for you as well.

400+ Time Saving Photoshop Actions is another time saving collection that we could not exclude from this ultimate resource post. When it comes to Photoshop actions, the more that you have at your disposal, the more repetitive tasks you can avoid in your work which makes for a happier designer. So for more downloadable time turners, stop by and see what all this post has to offer.

Richard Rosenman Filters and Plugins is a page that continues to grow and expand, featuring personally coded PS plugins and filters that range in their use for 3D productions, 2D design, and even reseach purposes. Unfortunately, due to a compiler limitation, the filters are not Mac compatible. They only work in Windows.

That About Does It!

That wraps up the toolkit building on this end of things. Now the rest is up to you. With so many resources and hubs to check out, you should have your hands full for the time being. Feel free to hit us up in the comments and let us know what you think of the collection. Whether we left something crucial out, or whether we turned you on to a new source for PS elements, we want to hear what you have to say below.

Consider Some of Our Previous Articles

The Ultimate Collection of Photoshop Custom Shapes is a post from Smashing’s past that contains a plethora of shapes for your Photoshop arsenal.
Splatter and Watercolour Brushes for Photoshop is another Smashing post from before where you can load up on some brushes to add to your Photoshop collection.

Creating a Grunge Autumn Themed Calendar for September

David_E — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:22 +0000

In this tutorial, we’ll be creating an Autumn themed Calendar for this month of September. The style here is dark and grungy and the final result is appropriately titled the ‘The Fall.’ This being the season of falling leaves from trees. The techniques used to attain the final image are the application of Blend modes, the use of grunge brushes

Step 1

First off, open a new document Ctrl+N, and set its document size to 1280 x 768 px and the resolution to 140 dpi. The wood texture below was from www.mega-tex.nl. Drag wood texture into your working document window.

Step 2

Press Ctrl+U for the Hue/Saturation Dialog box and then reduce the Saturation to -42. This is to fade the wood’s colour a little. We don’t intend to make the colours of our composition too vibrant.

The result:

Step 3

Go to Filter> Render> Lighting Effects and set the Lightening parameters below:

The Lighting Effects result:

Step 4

Now to paint over the lightened wood texture with a grunge specific brush. Download a set of grunge brushes by ART-D. Select the ‘BB Grunge_9′ brush from the Brushes Palette and increase its size to 1166 px and the brush colour that is, the foreground colour to #1f1710.

Step 5

Create a new layer and paint just once over the wood image.

Step 6

Change the layer’s Blend mode to Soft Light.

Step 7

Create a new Curves Adjustment Layer by clicking on the fourth icon from the left on the Layers Palette or go to Layers> New Adjustment Layer> Curves. Drag the midpoint of the straight line downwards to reduce the brightness of the image slightly.

We have now a dark wood surface that appears to be whittling away. Name this layer ‘grunge.’

This is the arrangement of the layers on the Layers Palette so far.

Step 8

Set the Foreground colour to #322c28 and from the Tools Panel, select the Rectangle Tool (U) and on its Options bar, select the ‘Fill Pixels’ icon.The square to be
drawn would be automatically filled with colour.

Step 9

Double-click on the ‘block’ layer for a Layer Style and select the Drop Shadow style. Set its parameters as shown below:

The Inner Shadow Layer Style adjustments:

Step 10

Create a new layer and with the Brush Tool (B) selected, right-click to choose a new grunge brush – ‘BB Grunge_7 ‘and ‘BB Grunge_9′ to be precised. Set the brush colour to #262321 and reduce its opacity to about 85%. Paint on the block not minding if you exceed its boundaries and then on the layer, right-click to select a ‘Clipping Mask’ to ‘fasten’ the brush painting to the block.

Step 11

Select a Soft Round brush and change its colour to #181412. Paint over the block as shown below:

Step 12

Head on to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set the Blur Radius to about 45.5 pixels. *Note:when the effect has been applied, there’s no need to erase around the edges of the block where the blur might have spread. Finally, set the layer’s Blend mode to Soft Light.

Step 13

For a new layer, select the Elliptical Marquee Tool (M) and draw a circle that just encompasses the lower right corner of the block. Use a White Soft Round brush with an opacity of 75% to paint within the circle. Press Ctrl+D to clear the selection.

Step 14

Apply a Gaussian Blur of a Radius of about 60%. This in effect, increases the light intensity at a point without affecting other areas of the image.

For this layer ‘light,’ reduce the blur’s opacity to 60%.

Step 15

We’ll now add text for the date by selecting the Type Horizontal Tool (T).With the Tool, drag to create a rectangular shape.

Step 16

On the Type Tool’s Options bar, choose the font type as ‘Agency FB‘; the style as ‘Bold‘; size to 24 pt and colour to black. Alternatively, these adjustments can be made on the Character Panel. Enable this if not visible already, by going to Menu bar and select Window> Character. Type in the numbers for the month of the September; hit Enter to go into the next row for another set of numbers and so on.

Step 17

For a new layer, type in the numbers “30, 31″ for the numbers of the previous date and “1, 2, 3″ for
the numbers of the next date (the text colour doesnt matter for now).

Step 18

To make the date correspond with the direction of light, we’ll add a Gradient to it. Double-click on the first date text layer and select a Gradient Overlay Layer Style. Edit the Gradient by changing the Color Stops to the colours show below:

Step 19

Reduce the Gradient’s Opacity to 85% and set its Angle to -72.

Step 20

Add a Drop Shadow style with the adjustments below:

Step 21

For the second date “30, 31, 1, 2 and 3″, add a Bevel and Emboss Layer style. Set its parameters as shown below:

Step 22

Still on the second date, add a Color Overlay Layer style and set its colour to #957f6fand reduce its Opacity to 85%.

The final result:

Step 23

Also type in the days of the week and on the Character Panel, set the font colour set to #181615.

Step 24

For the month and the year, type in “SEPT . 2010″ and the Character Panel set the font type to “Broken Ghost” (you can download it for free at dafont.com)and the font colour to #363535.

Below we have a font with uneven edges that tallies with grittiness of the whole composition.

The completed date for September:

Step 25

Select a Spatter brush for the brush and set its Opacity to 85% Erase a little the set of numbers last row and the last two numbers on the row before. The aim is to make the numbers appear scratched.

Autumn wouldnt be complete without leaves; these maple leaves were downloaded from www.sxc.hu.

Step 26

Drag any maple leaf you fancy into the main document window and use the Magic Wand Tool (W) to extract the leaf from its background. Just click anywhere outside the leaf and hit the Delete key to clear the selection and you’re done! You may have to use the Eraser Tool to clear any hint of white left on the leaf.

Step 27

Use the Move Tool (V) to position the leaf and with the Free transform Tool (Ctrl+T), you might have to scale the leaf down.

Step 28

For the ‘Maple leaf’ layer, add a Drop Shadow Layer style:

Step 29

Follow up with an Inner Shadow style making the adjustments below:

The result below:

Step 30

Select the Brush Tool as a grunge brush and paint just once over the leaf.

Step 31

Create a Clipping Mask for the layer by right-clicking it and selecting this option. Set the layer’s Blend mode to Soft Light and reduce its opacity to 70%.

Step 32

With the Elliptical Marquee Tool, draw a circle and fill with a white colour and deselect or you could just use a Soft Round brush with the appropriate size and stamp a white brush mark over the leaf.

Step 33

Have the round white circle blurred with a Gaussian Blur and set the layer’s Blend mode to Soft Light. Also erase around the leaf to clear any paint outside it.

And this is our Calendar for September. Like I mentioned earlier, its titled “The Fall.”

By David Ella Ella

30 Fantastic and Splendid Digital Painting Tutorials

vitaly — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:21:22 +0000

We all have our spirit of imagination from our childhood — we give a shape to our thoughts by drawing image on school yard, on a piece of paper or on a digital tablet. Photoshop, Wacom and Illustrator are beautiful tools that help us transform our imagination into beautiful drawings. Today we present useful tutorials teaching us techniques for digital drawing and painting.

Digital Painting Tutorials

Making of Funfair
This tutorial will show you how to make a funny character in Photoshop.

Do you want to Play with me
Author has created this artwork in Photoshop and with a Wacom Intuos.

Making of Hecate
Author will share making of a painting of Hecate who is the Greek goddess of the crossroads.

Project Overview: Public Transportation
In this tutorial, author will take you through the transition process of the drawing of the trucker sitting on a seat to a cool colored picture in Photoshop.

Digital Painting Lesson: Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge Special Edition
In this tutorial author walks you through the construction process in amazing detail.

Colorize a Comic Strip With Photoshop
In this quick tip tutorial author will demonstrate how to import a sketch into Photoshop and color it.

Breakfast Wars
In this tutorial, author will show the process and some techniques to create his artwork from design to rendering.

Painting fantasy eyes
Author explains how to make eyes look natural in painting.

Making of “Autumn”
In this tutorial, you will make Yellow & red leaves flying around the girl, with autumn smiling.In

Painting Jake Sully’s Avatar
In this tutorial, author makes a fan art of Avatar movie’s protagonist, Jake Sully.

How to Paint a Realistic Proportioned Female Face from Scratch
In this tutorial author will show you how to paint a proportioned female face from scratch. this tutorial will start with the absolute basics and move on to more advanced techniques, so even beginners can follow.

Making of Grenat
Author shares the details of making of “sparkling blossoms of the rock”. Grenat (garnet)

Seascape Part I: The Landscape Photoshop Tutorial
This Photoshop tutorial will show you how to complete an underwater landscape painting step by step. This is part one of a two part series.

Making of Under the Root
This tutorial will take you through the process of Making of Under the Root, inspired from the children story “Nausicaa and the Old Tree”.

Matte Painting: Making of Barbarossa
This is a matte painting that author have realized for the “Barbarossa” movie and shows Rome’s sunup in the year 1000.

Draw a T-Shirt in Photoshop
This detailed step by step tutorial will show you techniques on creating shapes, shading, embossing, and more.

Making Of Boudicca 3060 A.D
This article will provide you with a walkthrough ofauthor’s experiences during the creation of Boudicca 3060 A.D.and informative.

How To Create A Slick Anime Character In Photoshop
n this tutorial, we’ll learn how to draw an Anime Style character.

Making of The Royal Assassin
In this short tutorial author will give you a walkthrough of the way he build up an illustration from start to finish.

How to Draw a Photorealistic Coffee Cup
In this tutorial we’ll draw a very realistic cup of coffee. Underneath the cup we’ll add some stain using custom brush.

Cloud strife
This tutorial will show you how to make a character in Photoshop to capture the mood in the portrait.

Making of Cadenus and Vanessa
Author will take us through the process of making Making of Cadenus and Vanessa, made using Wacom Intuos, Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.

Seascape Painting Part II: Creating the Fish and Finishing the Picture
This detailed tutorial is the second part of the Seascape Painting series to teach you how to draw the fishes and add a finishing touch to the image.

Making of Always in My Heart
Author has created this artwork using: Corel Painter, Wacom Graphire and Hyde, Japanese rocker and vocalist L’arc~en~ciel (in French it means “The Arc in the Sky) band.

Beach Girl Drawing
Learn how to create a delightful portrait from sketch to Photoshop. This tutorial will teach you how to color, shade, and create a gorgeous beach scene.

Use a Tablet to Create Stunning Comic Book Fan Art Illustrations
In this tutorial author will review some tips and tricks when working with a digital tablet and Photoshop. The artwork we will use is a fan art illustration of the Knights of the Zodiac character.

Romantic Couple Painting
This tutorial will teach you how to transform an inked drawing into a full-color piece of fantasy artwork entirely through the use of Photoshop.

Making of Be My Valentine
Author shares the details of making a beautiful paining of a girl.

Spider Harp
This picture represent a fantasy musician able to play harp on a spider web.

Design Posted » Photoshop

800+ Photoshop Patterns For Your Next Web Design Project

37. Tileable Web Background(270 backgrounds)

20 Spectacular Photo Manipulations

Editing Opacity With Layer Masks

Shades of Gray Mean Variable Opacity

Straightforward Examples

A Range of Transitions

How to See What’s Going On

Editing the Mask, Not the Layer

Shortcuts

Conclusion

How to Create a Wall Graffiti of Bob Marley

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Step 13

Step 14

MORE VARIATIONS:

The Ultimate Photoshop Toolbox

Websites

Brushes

PDFs

PSDs

Everything Else

That About Does It!

Creating a Grunge Autumn Themed Calendar for September

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Step 13

Step 14

Step 15

Step 16

Step 17

Step 18

Step 19

Step 20

Step 21

Step 22

Step 23

Step 24

Step 25

Step 26

Step 27

Step 28

Step 29

Step 30

Step 31

Step 32

Step 33

30 Fantastic and Splendid Digital Painting Tutorials

Digital Painting Tutorials

Top Articles On The Web Design Billboard In August’10

Top Articles On The Web Design Billboard In August’10

Design Showcase, Feature Collection

35+ Unique & Interesting Product Packaging Designs

Corporate Website Design: Creative and Beautiful Solutions

50 Fresh Portfolio and Blog Design Interfaces for Inspiration

40 Stunningly Creative Resume Designs on DeviantArt

Showcase Of Delicious Coffee Websites

Photography, Digital Showcase and Art inspiration