In this photo manipulation tutorial we are going to digitally create a dream land using Photoshop. Along the way we will analyze lighting, incorporate a shattering effect, and use some brush tool properties.

MediaLoot is a brand new online toolbox of premium design resources. It’s a subscription based site that offers designers awesome icons, Photoshop brushes, textures, vectors, print templates, and more.

Facebook, your parents are now on it, and maybe even your grandparents too! Proving to have staying power, Facebook towers over the demise, and eroding of previous contender Myspace. Facebook has many interactive features, and various functions we can all take advantage of.

I was definitely preoccupied this month with the MyInkBlog redesign, so this MyInkTrail is shorter than usual. Nonetheless, I did stumble into some great stuff. Here are the best articles, tutorials, inspiration and more from the design community for February 2010.

In this post we are going to take a look at the fine art of brainstorming. Analyzing the ways and means that some of us use to get those clouds rolling in, and the storms raging relentlessly inside our heads.

The icon designer need not be weighed down by the contents of his or her toolkit. A combination of three or four good-quality tools is sufficient for producing sleek, polished and professional icons that will help users navigate their way around computers and the web.

Designing websites seems to appeal to a certain niche of people. Sure, we get called geeks and nerds (and we somehow find it endearing), but that doesn’t begin to cover the wide array of personalities that make up the design community.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics has begun and it is certainly a spectacular event. Over 80 countries around the world are participating. In this article, you will find websites designed for the Winter Olympics from around the world. These well-designed websites beautifully demonstrate the ‘Winter Olympics’ theme. Check them out and be inspired.

I was once told an inspirational little nugget of truth that I have clung to since, and allowed its influence to guide me along my path. The saying was told to me by an old manager whom I worked under for only a short time, but whose simple words stuck with me. He said, ‘Good is the enemy of great.’, and the words took a second to wash over me and for me to fully grasp what it was he was saying.

I took these images on a recent trip I took to Bangladesh. They are available for download at a nice high resolution of 3008×2000. I hope you find some good uses for them in one of your next designs.