Wacom have announced the last and latest DVD tutorial release in their ‘Meet the Masters’ series. The third volume in the series focuses on 3D and motion design and is ideal for creatives in 2D/3D media and entertainment.

Running for approximately two and a half hours, the 3D and Motion Design tutorials show users new and interesting ways of how to use both an Intuos4 tablet and the numerous 3D options available in Photoshop to create fantastic digital creations.

The four main tutorials available are as follows:

User-friendly guides for getting to grips with Photoshop’s 3D options in 20 minutes

Workshops on how Wacom tablets can be useful when working with After Effects. Users will learn how their tablets can be used for motion capturing and as a painting tool.

Introductory guide on how to set up and use SketchBook Pro with a Wacom tablet.

ZBrush crash course that shows users how to sketch spheres, unify skin, polysculpt and polypaint.

The DVD features lessons with picture-in-picture footage of the trainer working with their Intuos4 pen tablet, enabling viewers to learn from their techniques up close. The watch & work mode enables viewers to follow the tutorial displayed in a small window on-screen and practise at the same time.

If this has peaked your interest, then see what you’ll experience for yourself.

The complete series contains over 10 hours of professional tutorials from international experts, on how to make the most of the Wacom Intuos4 drawing tablet. Each volume is purchasable separately at a cost of £26.95 here.

The entire collection of volumes one to three is available at £69.95 and available with the Intuos4 & Meet The Masters DVD bundle here.

MasterClass Volume 1 includes 3.5 hours of digital image processing, image retouching, image management, beauty retouching and photo optimisation, up to and including crash courses in Lightroom and Aperture.

MasterClass Volume 2 includes 4 hours of drawing and painting in Photoshop, photo illustration, fashion designs in Illustrator and using Corel Painter.

MastClass Volume 3 focuses on Photoshop’s 3D options and motion design, and covers lessons in After Effects, SketchBook Pro and ZBrush.

Mishmash is the global music video remix competition for 2012, launched by Getty Images, helping to inspire and foster video creatives of the future.

This unique competition offers film and music creatives from around the world complete creative freedom to produce their own short video, using a wealth of Getty Images’ content. Entrants will receive critical acclaim from leading industry professionals in the process.

Renowned for both its leading collections of still imagery and first-class media content, Getty Images has more than 825,000 commercial quality, creative and editorial video clips, as well as an extensive music catalogue, which contains a growing collection of over 140,000 pre-cleared original music tracks by some of the world’s best independent artists.

Entrants are invited to enter one of three categories: short story, music video or video art, constructing a video of between one and three minutes long.  Participants have access to content from across the entire Getty Images collection, such as Universal Studios, Warner Brothers Film and Barcroft Media, as well as iStockFootage and Archive Films.

Once completed, all videos will be uploaded to the Mishmash  website for creatives from around the world to view and rate the videos, ahead of the jury’s deliberations.

“We are thrilled to announce that Mishmash is back for its third year and are  looking forward to seeing how creatives from all over the world use Getty Images’ content, to produce such fresh and innovative work,” says Andrew Saunders, Senior Vice President, Creative Content, Getty Images. “This year’s Mishmash competition will once again enable some of the worlds up and coming creative talent to showcase their talent and also demonstrate why the evolution of online video and multimedia is still a growing and highly engaging communication platform.”

Mishmash is open to entries from around the globe, with the competition being run across three regions: EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa); the Americas and Asia-Pacific. A global grand prix prize of US$5000 will be awarded, as well as a first place prize package in each of the regions which includes US$2000.

In addition, there will also be US$1000 awarded to the best entry in the United Kingdom. The public will also have a chance to have their say, with a cash prize being awarded to the entrant who picks up the most public votes through the Mishmash website.

The competition, which is open until 29 February 2012, will be judged by some of the world’s leading music and film production professionals, including Ignacio Oreamuno, President at I have an idea, Nate Lanxon, Online Editor at Wired, and Leading Bollywood film producer Aashish Singh from Yash Raj Films.

Supply your entries at here

Advanced Photoshop magazine has teamed up with Impact Books and Hobby Warehouse to offer you an exclusive discount on the latest concept art book release – Digital Painting Tricks & Techniques: 100 Ways to Improve Your CG Art.

PhotoshopDaily visitors can purchase a copy for the special price of £8.99 with free postage and packaging. Simply log on to www.hobbywarehouse.com/digitalpainting and quote R21109 at checkout. Alternatively, you can order by phone by dialing 0844 880 5852.

Offer ends 31 January 2012.

About the book

Digital Painting Tricks & Techniques: 100 Ways to Improve Your CG Art is the latest title from publisher Impact, authored by globally recognised artist Gary Tonge. This creative title is divided into the core elements of digital painting providing beginner, improver and advanced techniques to ensure progression and relevance to all skill levels. This makes it ideal for enthusiasts and essential for more experienced digital painters.

The 100-plus expert tricks provide quick and easy solutions to all aspects of digital painting through clear instructions, step-by-step demonstrations (14 in total) and breathtaking annotated art. Tonge explores brush modes, colour, lighting, special effects, layering techniques and even matte painting, with Photoshop playing an integral role in the book’s teachings.

You’ll soon realise that Digital Painting Tricks & Techniques: 100 Ways to Improve Your CG Art is an an essential resource tool to help emerging CG artists get started with digital painting and help advanced CG artists improve their digital painting techniques. More so when you consider Tonge’s 20 years in the business. His work with Vision Afar,  Swordfish Studios, games like 50 Cent’s Blood in the Sand and Operation Flashpoint 2 and 3 have been enjoyed by millions. This is Tonge’s follow up book to his 2008 title, Bold Visions.

Many of you digital creatives, photo editors and photographers will have received the gift of Christmas cash, and what better way to spend this than on some seriesly cheap and productive digital hardware? Well that’s why we’re letting you know that the generous folks down at Wex Photographic are holding some seriously advantageous January sales!

First is the Stock Clearance site section, selling end of line items at rock bottom prices. This is definitely worth taking a look at if you’re after affordable photo solutions, including a host of cameras, lenses, filters and studio lighting devices. The Bargain Basement site section is the place to find returns and ex demo products at extremely heavy discounts – up to 50% reductions – and there is such a large amount of variety to chose from you won’t be disappointed. Last but not least there is the Price Crash site section, giving you a selection of Wex Photgraphic’s best offers, with savings of up to half price. Here you’ll discover the 12 deals Wex are focusing on over this period.

Hurry now to get your hands on any of these amazing bargains!

Digital art packs are becoming a godsend, gobbled up by professional designers as time saving creative assets in commercial projects. Visual Freaks (VF) are a front runner in creating and supplying purchasable premium stock graphics as full packs or as individual elements.

If you’re unaware of the brand then educate yourself with this interview with founding member Sorin Bechira, and learn how a group of enthusiast designers create these amazing art packs from unique individual graphic elements using Photoshop and started up this profitable venture.

Poison Muse Graphic pack; click here

AP: Can you tell us what inspired you to start up a resource pack business?

Bechira: We felt like there was room and, more importantly, demand for an alternative to the currently available graphic design stock. Also, besides tutorials and resources, graphic designers are always in search of inspiration. That is why we decided that art could be packed and delivered to suit designers’ needs accordingly.

AP: Can you tell us where the brand idea Visual Freaks came from?

Bechira: It’s quite simple, actually. We’re designers. Everything we touch is visual and everything that touches us has a visual form. We like to think that we see things differently. Some would call it weird, freaky even. There isn’t anything wrong in being a Visual Freak – quite the opposite.

Walking Down The Path – Mistique CG artpack; click here

AP: Can you tell us why you produce the packs you do and why they better competitors?

Bechira: Our product is unique as it’s built in a unique way and serves different purposes than those of our competitors. Our aim is not just to make designers’ lives easier with our ready-to-use elements, but we also want to inspire them to make awesome works of art.

AP: Can you tell us how useful these packs really are?

Bechira: We’d better let our clients answer. Here’s an excerpt from some feedback we received: “I really dig the vibe and style of graphics that you offer in your packs.  The shapes aren’t too specific so they can be used for a variety of projects and styles. The colours and elements can be implemented well into new design trends, yet they’re different enough to produce original works using just artwork from the stock you offer.”

Chemical Reaction – Malfunction graphic pack; click here

AP: Can you tell us how important Photoshop is to your production of these resources?

Bechira: At a rate of 90% our packs are designed using tools, brushes and effects available in Photoshop. There’s nothing more natural and easy than working with these, especially when using the graphics tablet. The rest of 10% is done using 3D programs, yet the final masterpiece is assembled in Photoshop.

AP: What advice would you give to others looking to create their own resource packs for cash?

Bechira: We may not have the recipe for success but our advice would be to find a real need and then decide if they can supply the solution for it. There are many different resources for designers; they all strive to be time-savers but only a few can really inspire.

International art collective Depthcore are world-renowned for presenting modern digital art, incorporating illustration, photography, animation and audio. This is mainly due to the collective Chapter art packs – put forward every three to four months. Each has a though provoking theme, containing anywhere from 50 to 150 selected works from various mediums, including illustration, photography, music, animations, and collaborative works. The themes are only as binding as the members imagination allows them to be, and artists are free to project any construction of the subject they desire.

In Motion, copyright: Justin Maller – A study of motion in stillness. Trying to create something elegant.

The recent addition is Depthcore XLIII – Time, and founder Justin Maller tells us the inspirations behind this theme, as he explains: “As we near our 10th anniversary, this seems to be an appropriate subject for us as a collective to reflect upon. Finding the time to create these Chapters has become increasingly difficult, but here we are, with one of our largest collections in the past few years.”

This pack certainly came together slowly as Maller reveals: “Pieces drizzled in over the first few months, and for a little while it seemed like this theme would get the better of us. Then, all of a sudden, art started pouring in. Not just art, but really good art; the put-your-headphones-on-and-stay-up-until-one-o’clock-in-the-morning-because-you’re-excited-by-what-you’ve-seen good art. All of a sudden, the collective is buzzing with guys and girls talking about how this might turn out to be something special. More than eighty pieces later, we’re tremendously excited by what we’re putting on show today.”

The Time Machine, copyright: David Mascha – Inspired by H. G. Wells science fiction novel “The Time Machine”.

This Chapter welcomes several new members, including artists Pavel Sabelnikov, Benjamin Mounsey, Pat Perry, Abo and Ooli from Orka Collective, and musician Falinox. The Chapters featured artists is Vesna Pesic, a very recent addition to the collective. “Her work, with it’s unique aesthetic and collage based approach, adds a wonderful new depth to our collective aesthetic and provided a couple of the key sparks in our creative process,” explains Maller. “We’re very excited by what these unique talents bring to the table—browse Time to pick out their debut pieces!”

The Time Chapter will look to keep on inspiring you well into the new year, sharing more content including workshops, wallpapers and more with you over the coming weeks. Time also includes Kervin Brisseaux work ‘Timecop’, which is originally produced for issue 91 of Advanced Photoshop magazine. Buy your issue here to see how he creates this exciting piece.

Log onto depthcore.com for more on all Depthcore Chapters.

Vectors resources always come in handy when you’re looking to create large sized designs. These can be applied to many projects including web layouts, graphic design and even t-shirt illustrations for print. Certain themes are more popular than others of course – for example skulls, graffiti styles, grunge and ornate, and our own Top 5 include these and more, again raising the bar in both creativity and quality.

Go Media Arsenal

Go Media Arsenal have produced up to 20 themed sets already, at high resolution sizes and all royalty free upon purchase – so you can use them in both commercial and personal works. Sets can be bought individually or in bumper packs including over a hundred samples.

VisualFreaks

VisualFreaks assets are extremely creative, which is understandable when you consider they’re invented by a group of enthusiast designers, including the renowned Sorin Bechira. These resources not only include vector sets but also premium stock graphics that are photo, pixel and 3D-based, up to 3,000 x 3,000 pixels 300dpi resolution.

Vector Mill

With resource ‘crates’ uploaded monthly, Vector Mill assets are up-to-date and optimised for Adobe Illustrator CS5. These elements are perfect for creating logos, illustrations, web designs, and more! Icons, textures, patterns and brushes are all up for grabs, for as little as $15 per crate.

Kapitza

Kapitza are all about beauty, creating artistic bespoke resources that will appeal to illustrators. Artworks are bright, colourful and minimalist, featuring abstract graphic art and flower illustrations in bold colour compositions and compelling arrangements.

Design TNT

Founded as recent as this year, Design TNT are the new kids on the block, providing a website created to empower the design community in using creativity at its best. All designs resources are produced to a professional standard, and include  freebies. The majority of resources are subject to a minimum $9 a month subscription.

Fancy winning an awesome t-shirt?

Advanced Photoshop Magazine have teamed up with Glorious Nightmare offering Photoshop Daily visitors the exclusive chance to win a cool alternative t-shirt of your choice.

Glorious Nightmare offer tees with a contemporary edge. A mix of horror, metal and punk genres influence these ‘hard core’ tee designs. Elaborate illustrations are complemented by striking two-tone colour schemes.

For your chance to win your copies please answer the following question:

What’s the precise shirt colour the Erebus V1 design printed on?

Please send your answer, along with your name and full address (including Zip/Post code and Country) to adam.smith@imagine-publishing.co.uk by the 2nd January 2012. Three lucky winners will be picked at random on the 16th January and notified directly by the Advanced Photoshop Magazine team.

Good luck!

George Krallis is a freelance digital painter and advertising designer based in Greece. After studying graphic design and finding a penchant for 3D apps, in 2010 he founded his own advertising company Natural CMYK. But we put advertising aside for a moment and take a closer look into his fantasy art portfolio. He explains how he controls light even if it does mean stepping away from Photoshop for just a second.

How are you finding the freelance lifestyle?

Watching tutorials and creating worlds and characters that I imagine up is my favourite occupation. Time has no meaning when I become inspired, so I can spend many hours in front of my screen working on just one idea. I have a very strong passion for my job and that makes the whole thing feel like it’s not acutally a job. Unfortunately, here in Greece, there are not many opportunities for a digital painter or 3D artist.

How do you pre-visualise the final composite?

A simple sketch is very essential, especially when everything begins from scratch. Doing so, there are many shapes that pop up and only some of those will become elements in my final composition. This happens very often when I work with different brushes.

Your work is mix of futuristic composites and portraits. For you, what are the most intriguing subjects?

Almost everything. It depends on my mood, but what I like most is conceptual art. No matter what I design, the most intriguing part is creating a small story behind that. I always keep in mind that I want the viewers to participate with their imaginations and give their own versions or explanations as to what’s happening. This is very important to me because it is what feeds my creativity. They can sometimes give scenarios that I could never imagine.

When do you use Photoshop in your work?

Almost all the time. I feel so familiar with Photoshop that I can’t imagine doing something without it. From small business cards to large illustrations, complex web designs, brochures and of course digital paintings and post editing for my 3D renders. I spend most of my time combining different lighting and brush styles with colours. I always try new techniques and new effect combinations that will take my designs go one step further.

What’s the best way you’ve found to manipulate light?

I’ve tried many different ways to manipulate light so far, from custom brushes, or brushes that I’ve created from scratch. But the best light manipulation method was achieved using an amazing plug-in called Magic Bullet PhotoLooks by Red Giant. It has many lens and camera filters that manipulate light and can give a magical look to illustrations. I also use it when I’m working effects into animations; the results are just beautiful.

Many budding artists have the aptitude to create their own t-shirt designs, but few show the ambition to create an entire brand. Some of you may find it daunting, too much hassle, or financially a bridge to far. But there are those who have made a success from this vocation. Craig, founder at Glorious Nightmare, is one such designer and here he sets to inspire and educate you, revealing how to triumph in your own ventures.

Firstly, Craig always wanted to create his own t-shirt company. Designing tees and CD artwork for bands started him to question what it would take to turn his passions to his own start-up enterprise. He had a head start style-wise, heavily into the alternative scene, as he explains: “ This included punk music, tattoos and that kind of thing. My love for horror movies also played a big part in the design you see at Glorious Nightmare.

With his target market decided early and with a distinct style to match, Craig then had to address budget. He advises: “When working out yours get several quotes from different printers. This will help you compare what each tee will cost.” Print per t-shirt (ink cost) can make or break your venture, so discover these out before determining the colours used in your designs. “Designers should then refer to the cost of the garment itself,” adds Craig. “The brands Gildan and American Apparel are the two most popular for a good reason.” Adding both prices together will help you decide on how many units per design you can truly afford.

Once you have your tees in production, you’ll need a landing page for sales and you’ll need to advertise your items like hell. The Glorious Nightmare store site reinforces the alternative designs as well as the brand name, to further inspire Craig’s target audience. He explains: “It has dark aesthetic that make products stand off the page. We all have nightmares at some point in our lives, so the artists I use – myself and friends Craig Robson and Si Mitchell included, can use these to draw interpretation and create designs. The glorious elements are personified by the colour used on-site and in designs.

Glorious Nightmare has been promoted successfully via numerous methods. “We’ve advertised in magazines that cover our target market, which is a great way to cast your net wider. However, good negotiation skills are needed here to get the best deal,” Craig admits. He also endorses social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, which not only ensure peer support but also give you free and instant access to potential global audiences. “This way you can offer specific offers exclusive to each site members,” he explains.

However, once your sales start to roll in good customer services become paramount in sustained success. “I have a good understanding of what people like and hopefully this is reflected in the designs and provision of Glorious Nightmare,” Craig adds. So much so that he’s offering free shipping until Christmas. Simply log onto www.glorious-nightmare.com and enter the following code at the checkout – GNXMAS