Tutorials added on September 29, 2008

Emek is an awe-inspiring artist with a natural depth and vibrance to his work. From stunningly styled typography to intricately carved creative designs, Emek’s work shines out among his peers, and was an easy addition to this inspiring bunch.

Rex Ray’s eclectic work in concert poster design combines a retro feel with a piercing, modern attitude that explodes from within his work and captures the attention while tickling the imagination. Rex Ray’s stimulating style can not, and should not be ignored.

Jim Phillips’ singular voice and untethered style give his work such a varied and boundless feel that it’s easy to see why his work has spanned generations, standing firmly against the tests of time.

Jermaine Rogers is one of those raw expressive aritsts whose work makes you feel like an addict. It seeps into your skin and excites your senses with it’s bite and it’s dark beauty leaving you longing for more. With his sharp and edgy style, Jermaine Rogers’ work will be inspiring artists for years to come.

Here it is folks, Simple Balance 2.0 - a free, simple WordPress theme with enough options to make it “premium-like”. After launching the first version (1.0) in July, I’ve decided that the next release should not be an intermediary version, but rather a real, meaningful update. And that’s how Simple Balance 2.0 was born. Simple Balance 2.0 is launched under a new slogan: “More Power. More Style. Your Style!” Why? Because that’s what it has to offer! More control over it’s options, advertising space, layout and color, and with each future update you’ll be able to tweak it more and more to your own style!

I’ve always had a soft spot for Absolut ads. So simple and yet positively genius. According to Wikipedia, it’s the longest running ad campaign, ever. Not sure of the validity of this claim, but it’s certainly been a very long time. Based on the shape of the bottle, which is distinct among other vodkas, unlimited variations of the ad have been made. Over 1500, according to Wikipedia! I compiled some ads here to showcase the fact that each ad is completely unique, while maintaining the brand and making a statement. There is definitely something to learn here, this ad concept was first started around 1980, and it’s still running! Enjoy..

Last week I released 106 delicious water color Illustrator brushes. Today, I am releasing part two of that set. Part Two includes an additional 105 amazingly realistic-looking water color Illustrator brushes. In my opinion Part Two looks even better that Part One. You should definitely download this set and try it out for yourself. Like Set One, this set is perfect for creating multi-colored brush strokes and could easily be used to create an artsy, hand-painted design or a children's illustration.

As far as insipiration goes, the work of James Rheem Davis is that rare breed of designer that adeptly captures the very essence of beauty in the dark and macabre. Flawlessly conveying the desired message with near nightmarish representations of a twisted take on the world around. With morbid and melancholy tones to match the images, Davis’ posters have a haunting effect on the viewer.

Frank Kozik stylishly blends a punk rock attitude with intense colors and textures to stamp an imaginative mark on the design community. His no-holds-barred and uncompromising approach to his work, make it easy to see why this creative giant has been credited with reviving this lost art form.

Last week I posted a collection of Photoshop brushes for creating your own textured graphics. In addition to using brushes, you can get great results and save considerable amounts of time by taking advantage of textures that are freely available. One excellent resources of textures (and other types of stock images) is Stock.xchng. Browse: Wood Textures, Grass Textures, Sand Textures, Paper Textures, Canvas Textures, Leather Textures, Metal Textures, Satin/Silk Textures, Wall Textures,

Some artist’s style speaks volumes with the depths of their designs, and the intricate weaving of different elements throughout their work. Nel Jacobson, known also as Jagmo, is the type of artist that can accomplish these amazing feats with ease and simplicity. This inspiring artist consistently uses minimalistic design elements, and then fills the space brilliantly incorporating massive typography with balance and skill.

Damn. Im sitting in my room writing this article and i hear loud raindrops falling on my window. A sign to finally post the second article of the WEB PICKS series. After the success of my last post about smoke I decided to keep on posting WEB PICKS. This time my pick will be: WATER.

For nearly a decade, Craig Howell, has led a charge through the concert poster design community leaving a vibrant and explosive mark in his path. His highly original work has kept his name circulating throughout the industry, and has kept this talented artist in popular demand. With an unmatched voice, and unparalleled vision, this behemoth of beauty is destined to be a classic in the field.

Some artists' work has an aura about it, that creates a tone which radiates from the piece and infects the environment around it. There are not many artists with a voice this vibrant and alive, but Chris Shaw is one of them, and a concert poster list would not be complete without giving this titan of artistic style and complex composition a nod.

Mike Klay is a stellar stand-out in the field of concert poster design. His simplicity of style and nature packs so much of the message in such compact creations, using clean, crisp vectors to achieve his task without using all of the available space. Saying so much with so little, is an awesome feat, and Mike Klay achieves this with ease.