Photoshop & Illustrator
Three Quick Drop Shadow Techniques in Adobe Photoshop
Adding a shadow to an image can add an extra level of depth and really make the image stand out. In this video tutorial, I’ll be showing you three quick methods for creating useful drop shadows using Adobe Photoshop CS4. To begin, I’ll show yo...
Advanced Character Illustration, Part 4: Tracing Your Character in Illustrator
This is the fourth installment in a series on the process of developing a detailed character illustration from scratch. In Part 3, "Moving Sketches Into Photoshop,", I created digital copies of my sketches and used Photoshop to prepare them for ...
Make Your Own Music Player Graphic
Fellow Ecommerce Developer contributor Jonah Were recently started a great tutorial series on developing a music player using Adobe Flash. His tutorial featured a small music player design that is used with ActionScript to play audio files through...
Advanced Character Illustration, Part 3: Moving Sketches Into Photoshop
Developing custom characters for clients or for your own site can help to establish your brand and set your work apart from the competition. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been showing the steps involved in developing a detailed character using a ...
Advanced Character Illustration, Part 2: Put Pen to Paper
Developing custom character graphics is an excellent way to make a brand stand out and to gain a competitive advantage as a freelancer. Last week, I wrote the first installment of a new tutorial series on character development and gave you a brie...
An Introduction to 'Channels' in Photoshop
Even if you’ve been using Photoshop for a while, you may not be familiar with its powerful Channels feature. You may have used it inadvertently through a user-friendly menu option or effect, but accessing Channels' raw power of can lead you to ast...
Quick Tips & Shortcuts: Manipulating Anchor Points in Adobe Illustrator
The two tools that I use the most in Adobe Illustrator are the Pen tool and the Direct Selection tool. And I have a few tips and tricks for using these tools that I will share with you in this second installment of my "Quick Tips & Shortcuts...
Advanced Character Illustration, Part 1: The Introduction
Character design is a growing trend in web graphics and an important way to add a little life and branding to a site. Two sites that offer some great examples of character design are Tapbots, which sells iPhone applications, and Firehost, a PCI-...
Create Custom Vector Buttons in Adobe Illustrator
Buttons are one of the most common elements found on web pages today. They are used to attract attention to specific links or to direct user actions. In this video tutorial, I will show you how to create a stylish vector button using Adobe Illust...
Watercolor Brush Options in Adobe Photoshop
The simplest tools can often produce startling results. In this video tutorial, I will show you how to use a simple watercolor brush set in Adobe Photoshop to create a unique photo effect. To begin, I will open up a paper texture image that I...
Design Unique Twitter Bird Characters in Adobe Illustrator
As Twitter becomes a more prominent part of online marketing, many merchants are choosing to customize their website’s Twitter link. One of the best ways to do this is with a custom Twitter bird character. In this video tutorial, I will be showin...
Build a Custom Masked Pattern Element In Adobe Photoshop
Sometimes the simplest techniques can bring out the greatest results in a design. In this video tutorial, I will be showing how to create a paint splatter element out of a diagonal line pattern in Adobe Photoshop CS4 that can add a lot to a design...
Quick Tips & Shortcuts: Custom Keyboard Shortcuts and Workspaces
Customizing workspaces and keyboard shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator can significantly speed up the design process. Several weeks ago, I received an email from Ecommerce Developer reader Paula Biles, who suggested a tutorial series o...
Make Your Own Vector Textures
Modern and grunge site designs often use vector textures or brushes to add details and depth. Knowing how to create your own custom vector textures can set a designer apart and create the opportunity for more custom designs. In this video tu...
Create An iPhone Vector Image in Adobe Illustrator, Part 3
Over the past two weeks, I have been taking you through the process of designing a high quality iPhone illustration in Adobe Illustrator. In this episode, I will be finishing this tutorial series with the final installment, where I will show you h...
Building Collages in Adobe Photoshop
The ability to create high quality, detailed collages in Adobe Photoshop is a sought after skill in the design community and being able to create a beautiful composition in Photoshop can set you apart from other designers. In this video tutorial,...
Create An iPhone Vector Image in Adobe Illustrator, Part 2
In Part 2 of this tutorial series, I will be showing you how to create the interior elements for an excellent iPhone illustration. Be sure to check out Part 1, if you have not seen it. To begin this second tutorial, I will show you how to qui...
Developing a Custom Font, Part 3
Over the past two weeks, I’ve been taking you through the steps to create a custom font. In the third and final part of this tutorial series, I will show you how to make the final changes to your font before uploading a completed font grid to Yo...
Create An iPhone Vector Image in Adobe Illustrator, Part 1
As mobile browsing becomes more prevalent, many online developers are looking for ways to communicate that their sites have mobile capabilities. One great way to do this is through an illustration. In this video tutorial, which is part one of a n...
Developing a Custom Font, Part 2
Custom fonts are the epitome of branding, and web designers that can create them are in demand. Last week, we published the first installment of a new tutorial series on creating a custom font from start to finish. In that first tutorial, we walk...