30 Photoshop secrets to improve your skills

Creative Bloq created a list of 30 photoshop secrets to help improve photoshop. Hey, it never hurts to read and see if there's anything that'll help finish your tasks quicker. Check it out over at Creative Bloq here.

How toVectortuts- Create an Editorial Illustration from Sketch to Vector

Vectortuts has a very good tutorial on their site that may be very helpful for everyone. The above image is the final product from the tutorial, but you can read and see the step by step for the tips and tools used by Rafahu Aguilar.

Read this tutorial here

Infographic Tutorials

Tutorial lounge has provided a list of tutorials on composing infographics. Whoever said that infographics had to be boring?

Click here to view the list.

How To Do Levitation Photography: Amazing Tutorials And Images

How To Do Levitation Photography: Amazing Tutorials And Images

15+ Illustrator Tutorials on retro effects & vintage lettering

Vector Tuts has compiled a list of vintage & retro effect tutorials from across the web. If you're looking to add some more tools in your design toolbox, check it out.

Click here to view

Making of a futuristic city Photoshop Tutorial

CG Arena give you a brief description on how to make the above image in Photoshop. Read the tutorial here.

InDesign Tutorial: Create an Interactive Magazine for the iPad

For this tutorial you’ll need InDesign CS5 or later, Photoshop, and the Mag+ plug-in. Publishing on a tablet device is in vogue now. This tutorial will get you up to speed with a workflow for creating iPad destined digital magazines. Learn how a popular fashion magazine is brought to fruition on the iPad and how you can do it with your own publication.

Read this tutorial here

Dark Bronze Skin Tones Tutorial

Here's a tutorial on changing the colors of a portrait and giving it a bit of a darker tone. As you can tell from the picture above, it gives the image a bit more dramatic look. I came across this tutorial a couple years ago from FubarGenre and liked it. I figured maybe someone else out there might like this simple tutorial and apply it to their work.

Click here to read this tutorial

VIDEO: How To Draw Sports Logos: Text Beveling by Fraser Davidson

I was looking at Fraser Davidson's site and he has a couple videos on creating sports logos. You can definitely check out the rest here. I happen to really like this text beveling tutorial and it was helpful. Maybe it'll be useful for you as well.

Create a vintage label

Here's a tutorial on creating a vintage label. This will give you a nice base, before you add your own flare to your label.

Click here to read

Photoshop Hidden Gem: Automated Lens Correction

In this tutorial, Photoshop Senior Product Manager Bryan O’Neil Hughes shares how common lens artifacts like distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting can be easily corrected with Photoshop CS5.

View the video above or watch it on Youtube here

Envato Birthday Bundle $500 worth for $20

Envato is turning 5 years old. To celebrate they have a bunch of great, awesome, and very useful items for you for $20. Yes, $500 worth of items are available for you for $20. This is only happening for 4 days!

But Joe, what the hell are we getting? Good question, made up person that I used for this article.  You're getting themes and templates, codes, music loops and sound effects, video, tutorials, a couple awesome stock graphics, stock photography, flash files,  and 3D graphics. Trust me, this package is worth it.

Click here to go view the whole bundle.
Enjoy, I know I am.

Create a realistic orange in Photoshop

If you want to create an orange from scratch, check out this tutorial. It's a nice step by step tutorial that tells you how to make this orange. It shows the color palette you want to use and how to get the texture. Take a look and see, maybe you can use the techniques for something else.

Read tutorial here

Surreal Landscape Tutorial

Check out this tutorial on how to create your own surreal landscape. Learn how to manipulate the photos to make each element believable. The images used are stock images, so you can create as you read each step. The end result is really good.

Click here to read

29 Things Young Designers Need To Know!

This is a great list and is pretty much the truth. I personally feel that even though this a guide geared towards young designers, even vets can learn and be reminded from this.

Double click the image to enlarge.

Create a Dramatic Meteor & Burning City in Photoshop

If you're looking to create an apocalyptic scene for your next project, here's a pretty good tutorial on how to do so. You can view the step by step process at PSD Vault and you can form your own destruction in Photoshop.

There's no stopping on Snow Days

For those of us on the east coast, we have been recently hit by a snow storm, which caused plenty of places to shut down. Yes, New York City jobs are closed....most. Now after shoveling, what is a person to do besides relax? There's plenty to do for all those graphic designers that want to keep themselves occupied on a snow day after you finish your hot chocolate. Here's a short list and I'm sure there are more you can add to. Feel free to comment on more to do.

Freelance- Some designers are freelancers so there's no such thing as a snow day, but to those who work a full time day job, you can look for extra jobs to do or work on those jobs that you finally have time to do, but couldn't for whatever reason.

Personal Designs- This is the most fun, because there are no limitations. You can experiment and create whatever you feel like working on. This is the best time to catch up or learn new techniques. Design is always evolving, so who knows maybe you'll set the next trend or perfect what's out there.

Read design blogs- Yes, you can do this during a lunch break, but now you have time to read all the blogs that you want. You can participate in any discussion that you think is worth commenting on. Maybe there are articles that you find very intriguing, either way it is an option and it always good to rest the creative mind, especially if you happen to be in a creative block.

Search for inspiration- This is similar to the option above, but not every blog has inspiration posts. You can search through various portfolio sites and see what is out there. Who is the next designer to inspire you to try something different or help push you?

Practice tutorials- Whether you read a tutorial from a magazine or online, it is good to learn something new and try incorporating it for your own educational purpose.

Work on your portfolio- Update your portfolio. Redesign your portfolio site or simply showcase your new work. It's always a good idea to keep up to date with it.

Build a snowman- This one is just for fun. It's not everyday that you have the option to do so. This can be your creative outlet.

There you have it, a short list of activities to do on a snow day. If there are more that you would like to contribute then please comment.

2 Splash effect tutorials

Here are two tutorials that use splashes in their designs that I liked and maybe useful for you in the future.

Click here for 
Create a luxury retro car poster with paint splashing effect

Click here for Photoshop Roses bouquet splash effect

College Humor - Photoshop Tutorial Rap

I thought this was funny, especially since everyone is a graphic designer and uses photoshop. It's a funny song from rapper CMYKilla. I know the name is great. Enjoy

Tutorial: Screenprint business cards from your home!

We all know how important a business card is and if there are any tips that can help you stand out from the crowd, then let's take a look. Jordan Metcalf gives a tutorial on how to create your own promo card from home through the use of screen printing. Take a look and maybe this can be very useful for you in the future.

Look at tutorial here