Brand Nu, aka Radim Malinic, has unveiled My New Book Of Colours, a 68-page book showcasing Brand Nu’s inspirational artwork. This book is a follow up to last year’s Splatters, Shapes & Colours. It is designed to be “An ideal coffee table inspiration book will give you an insight into the magnificent world of Brand Nu illustration for music, editorial, fashion, advertising and all other industries in between.”

Three times Advanced Photoshop cover artist, Brand Nu’s work is colourful, vibrant and inspiring. Find out more about the book and how to order at www.brandnu.co.uk.

The Ballistic series of books serves as inspiration for thousands of artists and the latest addition to the collection has been unveiled. For more information, visit the website or see the press release below.

Press release:

BALLISTIC PUBLISHING ANNOUNCES —EXOTIQUE 4: —The World’s Most Beautiful CG Characters
Adelaide, South Australia - 24th November 2008

In its fourth edition, EXOTIQUE 4 firmly establishes itself as the benchmark for CG character art featuring the work of artists from 45 countries (a record for the EXOTIQUE series). EXOTIQUE 4 includes more art from China, Korea, Indonesia, and Singapore showcasing a broader range of styles and cultures. It also packs an additional 30 pieces of artwork into 16 more pages than the previous edition.

“In our sixth year of collecting and publishing the best digital art in the world, it’s exciting to see the number of countries from which artists submit their work continuing to grow”, explains Daniel Wade, Co-Publisher at Ballistic Publishing. “While still receiving a healthy number of North American and European entries, we are now seeing substantial entries from countries like China, Korea, Indonesia and Singapore which expands the breadth of styles we can present. From traditional styles to the new, there are many more opportunities to gain inspiration from the remarkable work submitted by artists from diverse cultures. We believe this diversity makes this book the best EXOTIQUE so far.”

The EXOTIQUE series is the world’s best showcase of character artwork. The latest edition in the series packs more wonderful artwork into more pages than any previous edition making it the biggest and most beautiful EXOTIQUE collection to date. The work of 215 highly-talented artists fill EXOTIQUE 4 with 322 pieces of inspiring character art in genres from science fiction, fantasy, and anime, to photorealism and stylized realism. The new edition also presents the work of 117 artists (over half the artists featured) who are published for the first time in a Ballistic Publishing book. With just over 2,500 entries in total, roughly one in eight images entered for EXOTIQUE 4 were successful.

Established Taiwanese artist Jen Der is featured in a Ballistic book for the first time with EXOTIQUE 4, and great new artwork is on show from high-profile artists such as Kekai Kotaki, Michael Kutsche, Wei-Che Juan, Bobby Chiu, Jonas Thornqvist, Hong Kuang, Henning Ludvigsen, and Marta Dahlig. Indonesian artist Mario Wibisono is featured on the cover of EXOTIQUE 4 with ‘Pepper Project’ (character concept by Stanley Lau) in addition to a number of pieces in the book.

From the traditional to the new, there are more opportunities to gain inspiration from the amazing art submitted by artists from many cultures. This diversity makes EXOTIQUE 4 the best book in the series so far, and with the enormous talent in our online communities the EXOTIQUE series will continue to document the development of character art and the world’s best examples of digital character art.

Pricing and Availability
EXOTIQUE 4 is available in two editions: Softcover (USD$52); & Special Edition (USD$115).
More details about the books and availability can be found on the Ballistic Publishing website at: http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/exotique_4/

Publication Details:
* ISBN: 978-1-921002-54-0 (Softcover), 978-1-921002-55-7 (Special Edition)
* Pages: 208 pages (Softcover & Special Edition)
* Dimensions: 220 x 297mm
* Editors: Daniel Wade, Paul Hellard
* Co-Publishers: Mark Snoswell, Daniel Wade

The Special Edition release includes four Special Edition prints.
A set of four bonus prints from:
* Mario Wibisono, INDONESIA “Pepper Superstar” Pepper character © Stanley Lau
* Tang Yuehui, CHINA “Butterfly”,
* Yang Qi, CHINA, “Red Angel of revenge”
* Benita Winckler, GERMANY “The beckoning”

Press release:

BALLISTIC PUBLISHING ANNOUNCES — d’artiste: MATTE PAINTING 2 - Learn From The Masters

Adelaide, South Australia - 21st November 2008

The seventh book in the d’artiste series—Matte Painting 2—features Master Artists, Yusei Uesugi (the first digital movie matte painter), Max Dennison and Chris Thunig. With more than 30 Hollywood blockbuster movies to their credit, they show you the approaches and techniques used to create unforgettable movie environments.

Each of the artists presents their matte painting techniques through a series of in-depth tutorials covering 2D and 3D environments. The 192-paged book also contains the Artists’ personal gallery, the artists’ work and thoughts, and an invited artist gallery, featuring work from some of the most talented matte artists in the world. The combination of artist interviews, their own artwork and art that inspires them, gives the reader a comprehensive and personal insight into the mind of the Master Artist—their approaches, their techniques and what influences them in their own work.

Yusei Uesugi, Max Dennison, and Chris Thunig have worked on an epic number of high-profile movie projects including: ‘Star Wars: Episodes I, II & III’, ‘The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Return of the King ’, The Two Towers ’, & The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘Eragon’, ‘AVP: Alien vs. Predator’, ‘Troy’, ‘Wanted’, ‘The Golden Compass’, ‘Superman Returns’, ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ’, ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’, ‘Artificial Intelligence: AI’, ‘Star Trek: Generations’, ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’, ‘Sunshine’, ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, ‘Pitch Black’, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, and many more.

Each artist provides wonderful insights into their approaches and thoughts on the direction and challenges of their careers. They also cover in detail, their process from concept, right through painting and 3D techniques and tricks to the completion of 1-3 major environments—including the famous Coruscant sequence from ‘Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith’.

d’artiste Matte Painting 2 celebrates the creative talents of digital artists worldwide. It is the digital art industry’s premier how-to series, featuring the world’s best artists’ own art and techniques and gives all aspiring artist’s the chance to ‘Learn from the Masters’.

Pricing and Availability
d’artiste Matte Painting 2 is available in two editions: Paperback with slipcase (USD$69); and Limited Edition (USD$170).

Publication Details:
* ISBN: 978-1-921002-41-0 (Slipcased), 978-1-921002-42-7 (Limited Edition)
* Pages: 192 pages (Slipcased)/192 pages (Limited Edition)
* Dimensions: 220 x 297mm
* Editors: Daniel Wade, Paul Hellard
* Co-Publishers: Mark Snoswell, Daniel Wade
* More details about the books and availability can be found on the Ballistic Publishing website at: http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/dartiste/matte_painting_2/

Exclusive Offer to Ballistic Customers who order Matte Painting 2 Limited Edition!

* A specially created Camtasia walkthrough by Frederick St. Arnaud, the artist who created the front and back cover of Matte Painting 2 (The Decline of Babel Myth). Frederick describes each layer he uses to highlight and design the action scene, showing how he created a futuristic image inspired by ‘Blade Runner’.

* Also a set of four bonus prints From Yusei Uesugi, Max Dennison, and Chris Thunig as well as the cover artist Frederic St. Arnaud, are yours free.

Praise for the Matte Painting & the d’artiste series:
“Ballistic Publishing has quickly worked its way to the top of the list of instructive books about digital art with the d’artiste series and Matte Painting does not disappoint the readers either.”
Art Scene International

“These “Invited Artist Gallery” sections are another example of the smart thinking that goes on at Ballistic. Not only do readers get the opportunity to see what is inspirational and exciting for the featured artists, but we also get commentary on many of these pieces. There is nothing quite like reading an accomplished creator examining the work of others”.
VFX World

About The CGSociety and Ballistic Media Ballistic media operates two major divisions—The CGSociety and Ballistic Publishing. The CGSociety is the world’s largest society of professional digital artists and provider of forums, portfolios, training, job and event services for the digital arts industry. Ballistic Publishing is the leading, independent publisher of books for the digital arts industry. Dedicated to publications of the highest quality celebrating the talents of digital artists worldwide, Ballistic has set the benchmark as a quality boutique publisher. Ballistic Media is based in Adelaide, South Australia, with offices in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) and Tampa (Florida, USA).

Alien Skin has announced its latest plug-in for Photoshop that enables photographers to simulate depth-of-field and focus effects in post-production. Find out more in the press release below, or at www.alienskin.com.

Press release

Alien Skin Software Announces Bokeh Lens Simulation Plug-in for Photoshop
Accurate lens simulation lets photographers manipulate focus and depth of field after the shot has been taken.  Realistic highlights give more beautiful results than any other software.  Creative controls help photographers focus attention on the subject or add atmosphere to the scene.

Raleigh, North Carolina – December 1, 2008 – Alien Skin Software today announces the immediate availability of Bokeh™, its new lens simulation plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements.  Photographers use Bokeh to draw attention to their subject by manipulating focus and depth of field after the shot has been taken.  From changing the depth of field to placing a radial sweet spot and adding a vignette, Bokeh has many tools for realistic blurring and altering the mood of a scene.  Bokeh is the first software based on mathematics sophisticated enough to produce a natural blur and creamy highlights.

“Bokeh is the Japanese word for ‘blur’ and is a photographic term that refers to the visually-distinctive appearance of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph,” said Terence Tay, the lead developer of Bokeh. “Alien Skin’s Bokeh plug-in provides photographers with the creative freedom to manipulate the aesthetic quality of bokeh, including the ability to create heart and star-shaped bokeh highlights.”

Making the Subject Pop
A busy background or shooting with a narrow aperture can distract the viewer from the photographer’s subject.  Bokeh can draw attention back to the subject in multiple ways.  If the photographer selects the subject in Photoshop, Bokeh can blur the background to give the realistic impression that the shot was taken with a lower f-stop.  This decrease in depth of field gets rid of visual clutter.  This capability is useful for any photographer, but particularly for the many cameras without full-frame sensors.

Limitless Creative Freedom
Bokeh provides a flexible radial sweet spot for gradually softening a scene everywhere except on the subject.  This effect could be achieved with expensive tilt-shift lenses, but is more easily done after the shot using  Bokeh.

Vignette darkening can be used to draw the eye to the subject, change the mood of a scene, or simulate a low-end Lomo camera.  Bokeh provides full control over the vignette, including feathering and shape tools such as the radial sweet spot.

The photographer has a wide range of control over the shape of the simulated aperture in Bokeh.  This shape has the most noticeable effect on highlights.  Everything from the number of blades to blade curvature to the creaminess (photographic term for softness) of highlights can be manipulated.  Bokeh is so flexible that it can even render heart-shaped highlights.

Accurate Lens Simulation
Bokeh is the only software that accurately simulates the distinctive blurring and creamy highlights of real lenses.  The engineers at Alien Skin Software performed careful experiments with lenses famous for their bokeh highlights, such as the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 II and the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Macro.  The result is a photo-realistic look, in contrast to the unnatural blur from other software.

Pricing and Availability
Bokeh sells for $199 USD. Online or physical delivery is available through the Alien Skin website at www.alienskin.com.  A real live human (imagine that!) can take orders or answer questions at 888-921-SKIN (7546).  Bokeh is also available worldwide through stores, catalogs, and resellers.

Host Requirements
Bokeh is a plug-in and requires one of the following host applications:
Adobe Photoshop CS3 or later
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0.1 or later (Macintosh)
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 or later (Windows)
Adobe Fireworks CS4
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

System Requirements
Microsoft Windows users must have at least a Pentium 4 processor or compatible and Windows XP or later. Apple Macintosh users must have a PowerPC G5 or Intel processor and Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later. For best performance on either platform, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM is recommended.  A monitor with 1024×768 resolution or greater is required.

About Alien Skin Software
Alien Skin Software makes Photoshop plug-ins for photographers and graphic designers. We distill advanced math and cutting edge research into simple tools that render beautiful pictures.  Our reputation for bug-free software and fast, friendly tech support has grown worldwide since 1993. For more information, visit our website at www.alienskin.com.

Go Media has expanded its range of t-shirt templates: http://www.gomedia.us/arsenal/morestuff.php. The packs include high-res images of the front and backs of t-shirts, both flat and gently wrinkled. The photos come as Photoshop PSD files with layers and masks, so that you can try out your designs on t-shirts before committing to printing them. There are different colours available so that you can test your designs out on a number of variations. An essential tool for t-shirt designers.

Adobe has posted 30-day trials of all its new CS4 products on its website, so that you can try out the new and improved features before choosing whether to upgrade your version of Photoshop.

HP and MTV are challenging young artists to create a design for a special-edition HP notebook PC. See teh repss release below for more information or visit http://www.mtvengineroom.com/languages/choose.
Press release:

HP and MTV Launch Second Global Notebook PC Design Competition for Youth

London – HP and MTV today announced the second global design competition that challenges young people around the world to create graphics for a special edition HP notebook PC.

At the conclusion of the “Engine Room” series, which followed four teams representing Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia-Pacific, chronicling their teamwork and creative processes using HP gear, MTV’s Pak announced a new digital artistry challenge – the “Engine Room” notebook design challenge – but this time it’s for the audience. The contest invites artists around the world to submit their best designs for a chance to have their art displayed on an HP notebook PC. Artists can submit their designs at www.mtvengineroom.com until Dec. 7 for a chance to win.

“Today’s youth are some of the most talented and creative digital artists of any generation,” said Luciana Broggi, vice president, Group Marketing, HP Personal Systems Group, Europe, Middle East and Africa.  “Collaborating with MTV on the ‘Engine Room’ notebook design challenge allows us to provide an outlet for people to showcase their creativity on a global scale.”

Fans that visit the “Engine Room” website and vote for their favorite design also will automatically be entered in a sweepstakes to win cool technology prizes from HP.

The competition builds on the phenomenal success of the last year’s design competition which drew more than 8,500 notebook designs submitted by youth from 112 countries around the globe and turned 20-year-old Joao Oliveira of Porto, Portugal, into an up-and-coming designer.

The winning submission will be used in the design of a special edition HP Pavilion notebook PC using the company’s innovative HP Imprint finish. The Grand Prize winner will receive a special edition HP notebook featuring their winning design, an HP printer and the chance to attend the 2009 MTV Awards show as a VIP guest. In addition, four regional winners will be chosen to receive an AMD-powered HP Pavilion dv7z Series notebook skinned with their own design and an HP printer.

Photobox has introduced its latest addition to its Photobook range, featuring Swarovski crystal elements - a perfect Christmas gift. For more information, see www.photobox.co.uk or the press release below.

Press release

Photobox launches the first Photobook on the web made with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements
Helping those memories sparkle

London – 04 November 2008: Photobox today launched its new and exclusive Crystal Deluxe Photobook. Made with CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements, these elegant albums further extend the fully personalised A4 Photobook range offering customers a new stylish high-end alternative to cherish their most valuable memories, in an eye catching and unique way.

These Photobooks make perfect gifts for family members or loved ones. They are ideal for any wedding and family photos that deserve some extravagant safe keeping. The shimmering crystals will guarantee your Photobook will not go unnoticed when you have guests round for dinner.

Photobox.co.uk Marketing Director Mark Chapman comments, “We’re really proud of the way these Photobooks have turned out. The Crystal Deluxe Photobook is fit to grace the top table at any wedding or the ideal gift for a loved one around Christmas. Do your cherished memories justice with beautiful cut crystals that should last a lifetime.”

The Crystal Deluxe Photobook is available in two different cover themes on a pristine black background. Customers can personalise up to 100 pages with numerous photos. Pages are printed on the highest quality glossy 170 gsm paper. The crystal deluxe Photobook is available on the Photobox website at a starting price of £34.99.
For more information about this stylish addition to the Photobook range go to http://www.photobox.co.uk/shop/photo-books/crystal-deluxe-photobook.

PRESS RELEASE:

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1 and Camera Raw 5.1 Updates Now Available

Adobe has released updates to Photoshop Lightroom and the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, both available immediately as free upgrades for Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 users. The releases provide added raw file support for 15 digital cameras including the Nikon D90, Nikon D700, Canon EOS 50D and Canon EOS 1000D. The Lightroom 2.1 update also includes improvements to Photoshop integration, Web module stability for Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems, performance with 64-bit Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers, and Keyword migration from Lightroom. A complete list of improvements is available in the Lightroom update documentation.

In addition, Adobe has released a new set of camera profiles available on Adobe Labs. The camera profiles are targeted at improving Adobe’s default raw processing and emulating the colour rendering provided by camera manufacturers. The update includes added support for the Leica M8, Canon EOS 50D, Canon G9, Nikon D90 and Pentax models. Camera profiles are the visual starting point for the raw processing workflow. Since image preferences vary by photographer, Adobe minimizes surprises by supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers normally see from their cameras.

The 15 new digital cameras supported in Lightroom 2.1 and Camera Raw 5.1 include the Canon EOS 1000D, Canon EOS 50D, Fuji FinePix IS Pro, Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS, Leaf AFi II 6, Leaf AFi II 7, Leaf Aptus II 6, Leaf Aptus II 7, Nikon D700, Nikon D90, Nikon Coolpix P6000, Olympus SP-565 UZ, Pentax K2000, Sigma DP1, and Sony A900. Additionally, Adobe recently released Camera Raw 4.6, which includes the same raw file support for Photoshop CS3 customers.
Pricing and Availability

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1 is available as a free download for existing customers at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. Photoshop Lightroom 2 can be purchased through the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store. The estimated street price is £199.00 ex Vat  for new users with an upgrade price of £79.00 ex Vat for registered users of qualifying Lightroom customers. The updated camera profiles are available as a separate download on Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com.

The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-ins are available as free downloads for existing customers. Camera Raw 5.1 for Photoshop CS4 users and Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 users are available at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/.

If you’re looking for a new way to show off your artwork, then consider one of Photobox’s acrylic print options. More details can be found below or at http://www.photobox.co.uk/shop/wall-decor/acrylic-prints.

PRESS RELEASE

Photobox bolsters Wall Décor range with stunning acrylic prints

Customers demand modern ‘masterpiece’ for home interiors

London – 20/10/2008: – Photobox, the UK and Europe’s number one online community for photo printing and personal publishing, has today announced the extension of its Wall Décor range to include Acrylic Prints, perfect for budding interior designers and photographers who want to make the most of their photos. Now anyone can turn their favourite photos into impressive pieces of modern art.

Eight popular sizes are available, from 30cm x 20cm right up to 110cm x 47cm. The image is printed on 220gsm professional photographic paper and affixed to 8mm thick diamond polished acrylic.  The prints are delivered pre-drilled with stylish aluminium fixings.

Priced at £69.99 for a single 30cm x 20cm print, and with volume discounts, these wall mounted acrylics are versatile enough for any interior space and an easy way to bring living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens or offices to life.

Mark Chapman, Managing Director at Photobox confirmed “Our customers have been crying out for acrylic prints as a modern day alternative to canvas prints and poster prints. When we asked customers to rank our product suggestions these shot to the top of the list. ”

To find out more go to http://www.photobox.co.uk/shop/wall-decor/acrylic-prints