I can’t believe I’m in my second month already. So far, so good. I’m stoked about the response and the climb in readership. It’s awesome to receive some of the emails and comments I’m getting. I should say a quick thanks to Chris Spooner from blog.spoongraphics for putting a link up to my site and encouraging me. If you haven’t already visited his site, check it out, he’s got a great eye for things and a bunch of tutorials you can learn a lot from.
But enough about that, take a look at some of the links below. June was another awesome month, stacked with quality articles, tutorials and freebies.
Here’s MyInkTrail for June 2008
Articles
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A well thought out list of the equipment you need as a graphic designer. Of course the options are limitless and no one thing on the list absolutely necessary, but it gives you some excellent chooses and a good starting point.
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A really extensive compilation of 2008 design trends. Vintage and retro styles are popping up all over (I love this style), Web Designer Wall showcases 82 of the best.
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This post is just awesome and fun. And just like Franz at Fudge Graphics and most of us designers, I’m addicted to coffee/tea. This post shows off some of the coolest coffee/tea mug designs out there. Enjoy.
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A comical look at 5 of the worst websites you’ll ever see. Here’s to hoping, by learning what not to do, designers will learn what to do. These are horrible!
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Keeping with the theme of the last article, this is a list of the top 10 “thou shall not do’s.” As an example #1 is “Thou Shall Not Abuse Flash”, Amen!
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An interesting take on the abstract world that is freelance design. This article goes into the ethics of accepting a job you are not qualified for. I don’t agree 100% with everything, but some good advice and comical elements, make it very much worth the read.
Tutorials
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Yet another awesome tutorial from PSD Tuts. A little tough to follow, but a lot of nice technique and workflow are discussed. You will learn a ton of stuff from this, check it out!
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This tutorial covers how to create an AJAX accordian effect using Prototype and Scriptalicous. It’s really well written and simple to follow. The end result is a really slick, smooth effect that is popping up more and more on the web.
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I’ve always wanted to know more about how to create this look, so finding this tutorial was awesome. Really helpful and a nice technique to learn about.
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There’s nothing trendier right now then these colors with these lines at 45 degree angles. Blog.Spoongraphics will walk you through how to recreate this look using Illustrator and Photoshop.
Freebies
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Grant over at colorburned has given away a lot of free textures this month. You can also check out parts 1 and 2 of the waves textures, rocks and pebbles and wet sand.
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One of the best roundups of ornate vector swirls I’ve ever found. You can use some swirls you like to complete the Super Cool Frilly Bits Typography tutorial from above.
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Really beautiful set of 9 Photoshop brushes. Butterflies work great in a lot of different projects, these brushes are no exception.
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I try to stay away from too many icon sets, as they are really being overused right now. But this set is nice and original. I love the look and feel of these.
Cool Web/Graphic Design Blogs I’ve Stumbled Upon this Month
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This is the home of graphic designer, AJ Troxell. AJ offers daily blog entries, including “The Daily Drop” which covers some of the interesting things that happen in the technology field every day. Also on the site are some nice freebies and news.
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A blog for all things Photoshop, including freebies, tutorials, inspiration and advice. This blog is updated often and is loaded with good stuff, they are definitely worth a visit.
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June 30th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Wow, I found your blog like 2 days ago but it’s actually the best source of design tips and links I’ve ever found!
July 6th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Lovely title, very nice links. Congratulations for being the newest addition to my RSS reader, see you around/
July 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Thanks Tarains and Liam. It’s quite encouraging to get this kind of feedback!
It should be mentioned that Liam runs wefunction.com, which is a beautifully designed blog that offers web design and development services as well as some high quality freebies.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Thanks for the mention once again!
July 14th, 2008 at 7:21 am
No problem Grant. I love the free textures, keep up the good work!