Artists can get inspiration from just about anything. Stains appear all over the place, on walls, furniture, clothing and paper. We can replicate the look of a stain to create added intrigue in a piece of art – an effect which is very popular with grunge style design. In this post, we’ll take a look at the use of stains as inspiration, as well as some resources that can be used to add stains to your own work.

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Design inspiration can come from all kinds of sources. Dirt, stones and rust can be excellent sources of inspiration for textured and grunge-style designs. Many websites are now using textured background images to replicate these items, and these techniques can be used in a variety of ways in graphic design.

In this post, we’ll look at some photographs and websites for inspiration, tutorials to show some techniques for incorporating these textures into your work, and some Photoshop brushes to make it easier.

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In graphic design and photography, smoke is capable of producing dramatic and powerful effects. In modern design digital smoke is frequently combined with lighting effects to create stunning work. In this post we’ll take a look at more than twenty sources of smoke-related inspiration and resources that can be used in your own design work.

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Photoshop is an incredible tool for graphic design, but there is certainly a lot to learn for new designers, and there’s always more to master for those who are already experienced. If you’re currently working as a designer and looking to improve your skills, you probably find that time is a major constraint to improving your abilities.

If so, you’ll need to develop a plan to improve your skills step-by-step in the time that you have available. If you’re an aspiring designer, you may have no idea where to start in order to achieve the level of success of some of the Photoshop masters that we see online. In this, article we’ll look at ten steps you can take to progressively build your skills using resources that are readily available.

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When working with Photoshop, paint effects can often help to create colorful and interesting results. In this post we’ll look at some inspirational resources for working with paint splatters, watercolors, and brush strokes. We’ll look at some tutorials, exemplary website designs, artwork, and Photoshop brushes that you can use for your own work.

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Photoshop users have the opportunity to drastically improve productivity and efficiency by gaining a solid understanding of the Photoshop tools, the capabilities of the program, and by learning some handy shortcuts.

This article looks at more than thirty useful resources for getting more out of less time when working with Photoshop. There are a few different collections of keyboard shortcuts, guides to getting more familiar with some of the tools, and resources to help you with automating repetitive tasks.

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For graphic designers, nature is often an excellent source of inspiration. Sometimes those things not created by man showcase more beauty and style than we would have imagined. In modern web and graphic design, the natural elements of trees, leaves, and grass are a recurring theme.

Fortunately, designers have unlimited potential for using Photoshop to create stunning artwork depicting nature. In this post, we’ll take a look at inspirational website designs and photos, as well as some tutorials and free brushes that can help you to easily integrate these elements into your own work.

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About six months ago Sean posted Inspiration: Fire, Flames, and Infernos. I thought it would be appropriate and fun to take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum for some additional inspiration. Much like fire and flames, water and ice are prevalent in web and graphic design. Here is a showcase that will give you a taste of what is possible.

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