Best of TUTS – November 2008
The TUTS+ network has been growing like crazy and this month we received more page views and visitors than ever before. Here’s a showcase of the best TUTS+ content in November.
VECTORTUTS – Vector & Illustrator
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How to Create a Magic Wand Icon
In this Illustrator tutorial, I will show you how to create a magic wand icon. This tutorial will utilize gradient feathering and some simple shapes. These techniques are easily translated to other icons, illustrations, and logos.
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New PLUS Tutorial – Producing an Informative Map In Perspective with Illustrator
We recently launched the VECTORTUTS PLUS section of the site. We have another great PLUS tutorial exclusively available to members today! Learn how to professionally illustrate a detailed 3D map in vector. This tutorial describes a well balanced approach that blends information graphic principles with aesthetic choices. Learn more at the jump!
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Use Adobe Illustrator to Create a Clean Website Layout
This tutorial is perfect for the beginning to intermediate Adobe Illustrator artist. We’ll cover how to layout a website and prepare it for use on the web. Also, we’ll use the recently released Website Elements Freebie to mock up the design as well.
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Create a Sweet Pair of Glossy Vector Lips
Pucker up, let’s create a sweet pair of super glossy vector lips. Start with a sketch, scan it in, Live Trace it, then proceed to color your illustration with layer upon glossy layer until your vector lips are complete. The workflow uses the Eraser Tool to reveal the shadows below, which is a useful approach to review. Let’s get to it!
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How to Create a Cute Bunny Vector Character
In this Illustrator tutorial, I will show you how to create a cute bunny character. This tutorial uses simple shapes and gradients that are easy to apply to other character illustrations. The great thing about his tutorial is you don’t have to be an amazing artist to create it! Check Chris Spooner’s post 70 Cute and Cheeky Vector Animal Characters for more character inspiration.
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How to Create and Dominate Hip-Hop Drums
One of the most important aspects in hip-hop and popular music is the drumbeat. What makes it sound so big? The drum patterns appear so simple, so why are they so hard to create? In this tutorial, we’re going to break down the fundamental elements of a hip-hop beat.
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How to Record the Best Live Drum Sound Ever
Recording drums is a bit of a lost art. Engineers used to spend a year experimenting with mics before they were allowed near a Fairlight or a Synclavia (old school samplers for the young among you).
There was no Logic Pro, plug-ins or even very good effects, so it was all down to clever mic techniques and improvisation. Here’s a few tricks Sean Vincent picked up over the years—tips and tricks which come in handy time and time again.
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Using Hitpoints and Markers in Cubase 4 to Create a Tempo Track
AudioJungle’s own Andy Slatter explains an effective method for keeping the tempo accurate in Cubase 4 even when the music shifts back and forth in speed using hitpoints and markers.
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How to Add the Experimental to Electronica, Part 1
It’s a bit of a shame that the abstract electronica genre isn’t thriving commercially the way it used to be. The heyday of labels like Warp Records and Planet Mu has long gone, and very few experimental electronica producers are making a living from their music.
That said, there’s a great wealth of absolutely amazing free electronica out there. I’d recommend any fan of electronic music to take a listen to the brilliant Bleepshow podcast for many fantastic examples. It’s a highly creative area, and one which needs a constant supply of fresh talent, so it’s a good time to get started!
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How to Recreate Lil’ Wayne’s Lollipop in Reason 4
In 2008, perhaps no song has dominated the charts more than Lil’ Wayne’s Lollipop. Produced by Jim Jonsin, Lollipop is a prime example of how a hit song does not have to be complex; instead, it is a perfect blend of simplicity and catchyness.
In this tutorial, we will look at how to go about recreating this track in Reason 4, and also what helped make it such a successful song.
AUDIOTUTS – Production and Sound
PSDTUTS – Photoshop
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New PLUS TUT – How to Create a High Resolution Composite Panoramic
This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. The larger the photo, the more you can do with it and the sharper it looks at reduced scale. With those goals in mind let’s leap into learning the process of stitching together multi-shot composites in Photoshop.
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Create a Sleek Illustration that Fades from Line Art to Color
In this tutorial, you will work with a few images you chose and you will create a nice looking illustration. The idea behind this illustration was to create a war between reality and line art. I tried to make this one simple, but at the same time to make it look good. I hope you enjoy the tutorial and try it with your own tools and stock.
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Design a Shiny Bass Guitar Illustration Using Photoshop
In this tutorial, we’re going to draw a detailed bass guitar illustration. I’ll show you how to create all the shapes and connect them to make this quality bass. It’s a pretty long and time-consuming tutorial, though I’ve streamlined the descriptions as much as possible. So let’s get started!
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New PLUS TUT – Casting Light on the Creative Retouching Process
This is a new addition to the PSDTUTS PLUS section. With the western world so preoccupied with looks and beauty, retouching is something that can be seen on a daily basis. Learn to put those skills to better use to create mood, atmosphere, and professional digital art. This tutorial casts light on the subject of creative retouching. Learn more at the jump!
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Create and Then Shatter a Grid, while Making a Typographic Poster
Let’s get our own share of typography with this dark and grungy poster. No, this is not your typical design, as we’ll be ‘breaking the grid’ in hope of creating a dynamic and exciting layout. So grab the usual tools of the trade, Photoshop and Illustrator, and follow these steps into creating your own solution.
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best tuts indeed!
oh…………..
Very good list… Now is the time I got Illustrator, not just PS!
Some pretty awesome stuff there. Which reminds me, I need to visit audiotuts much more often.
These posts are informative, but kinda ‘tooting your own horn’ IMO..
Great post!
Just 3 word from me: Nice tutorial list!
I just want to thank the owner of this site