Love digital painting, game art and Prince of Persia?

Want a chance to win an the latest Prince of Persia console game? An XBOX? An XBOX and a Wacom Tablet?

If so then this is the competition for you. Visit http://news.deviantart.com/article/62882/

To celebrate the release of the exciting new Prince of Persia game, Ubisoft has teamed with the creative brilliance of deviantART’s Community to blow the walls off this amazing contest. Your challenge is to create stunning, innovative, and original art as inspired by the fantastic new game!

Deadline: December 12th

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.

64 out of nearly 11,ooo photographic and graphic works were chosen as winners for Epson’s annual contest.

press release

Seiko Epson Corporation (”Epson”) today announced that it has selected the winners of this year’s Epson Colour Imaging Contest. An annual contest that seeks to support the development of a new era in the culture of digital expression, this contest has been held across the Asia region since 1994 and has invited participants from India since the last 5 years. A total of 64 photographic and graphic works were selected (53 from Japan and 11 from other countries and territories) from among 10,956 entries (9,416 in the photography category; 1,540 in graphics) for the Asia Region & S E Region Awards this year. In addition this year 10 exclusive India Awards are being given.

A total of 1381 entries were received from India for the contest this year. Of these, the entries by Mr. Muhammed Safi of Malapuram titled “Window View”, “End of the Journey”, “Alone”, “Sacred Heart”, “Waiting with Dark” & “Untitled” (6 entries considered as 1 Series) was awarded a Runner-up Prize in Level 2-S-E Asia Region (Singapore) Award category. As a Runner-up Mr. Muhammed Safi has won a prize comprising of a trip to Japan in Dec 2008 to attend the award ceremony, SG$2,000 and an Epson Stylus Photo 1390 - Inkjet Photo Printer . Another Ten photographers have won prizes in the category of India Exclusive Awards.

The winners’ details of the India exclusive awards are:

First Prize Award - Epson Stylus Photo RX610 (All-in-One) Inkjet Printer
- Ms. Nisha Nair, Mumbai
Second Prize Award - Epson PicutreMate PM270 Inkjet Printer
- Mr. Poras Chaudhary, Panchakula
- Mr. Partha Pal, Birbhun
Third Prize Award - Epson Stylus Photo R290 Inkjet Printer
- Mr. Satish Bate, Mumbai
- Mr. Akhter Husain, Mangalore
- Mr. Jayavardhan Sampath, Chennai
Fourth Prize Award - Epson Stylus TX200 (All-in-One) Inkjet Printer
- Mr. Korou Khundrkpam, New Delhi
- Mr. Cyrus Dastur, Mumbai
- Mr. Tapas Basu, Kolkata
- Mr. Durgashankar Mukherjee, Kolkata

Could make a pleasant gift, an XXL photobook!

 fotoinsight.co.uk

press release

To provide space in which the favourite photographs can shine, photo book services like FotoInsight Ltd are constantly improving their software and their range. So far, most books printed with own photographs are limited to less than 100 pages. With the upcoming version 4 of FotoInsight Designer its photo books can feature up to 130 pages for the first time. After introducing the Photo Book XL (12″x12″ / 30×30cm) last year the software upgrade will add a new “Photo Book XXL” format (H12″x16″ / H30xW42 cm) in stylish faux leather and with a traditional screw bound. In the new XXL format landscapes can be spread over 80 cm wide double pages. For this, FotoInsight is increasing the print resolution to 360 dpi.

The software upgrade announced for the UK Retail Imaging Show has finally been launched. The clever ‘Assistant’ in the FotoInsight Designer photo book software will then be able to design a 130 page extra large photo book in under three minutes, For this the application automatically lays out the pages with the chosen images and can put these in order of date, file name or event.

When designing a photo book page by page hundreds of templates in the free software help to position images. A “Help Grid” can be turned on in the application’s editor window to provide optical guiding in positioning photographs and text. The size of the grid can be changed and the application can make pictures stick to the grid lines. An even finer positioning can be achieved by zooming into the editor.

Any picture can go without, with a standard or an individual frame to set the photo apart from the background or layered images. Text can be written on any part of any page or it can be copied & pasted from a word processor or other application. This ensures that names and dates can be recorded and the text of for example a wedding speech can live on for future generations.

Repeat Orders
Once the photo book of a holiday or party arrives everyone is cheering and many want their own copy. With the new release arrives what many regular FotoInsight customers have been asking for: the re-ordering option. During six weeks after an order a photo book can be re-ordered without having to upload the layout again. Photo Books ordered by the 16th of December should be delivered in time for Christmas.

The Managing Director of FotoInsight Klaas Brumann comments: “The larger formats XL and the new XXL provide the space to preserve the favourite pictures from holidays and events in shiny quality. Books can be accessed at any time. Unlike videos and images on digital media there will never be compatibility problems with future digital standards. With your FotoInsight Photo Book simply turn the pages and enjoy, now and in a hundred years.”

SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS TO OFFER MPS IN DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY ONLINE/SUMMER-RESIDENCY

SVA MAKES PRACTICE-BASED EDUCATION GLOBALLY ACCESSIBLE
Press release:

Online Information Session: Monday, December 8, 6:30 - 8:30pm
Register at www.sva.edu/gradopenhouse/app
New York, NY—November 12, 2008—Beginning in the fall of 2009, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) will offer the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Digital Photography Online/Summer-Residency degree. Expanding on the success of the MPS in Digital Photography, which is a residential learning program, the new degree takes a unique approach by combining web-based education with a summer residency. This one-year, low-residency program is designed for working professionals who are looking to advance their skills in digital image capture, management and high-quality output, or make a career change into the field of digital photography.
Katrin Eismann, photographer, author and chair of the MPS in Digital Photography Department at SVA remarks, “This program is ideal for anyone who has a deep passion for exploring the confluence of photographic aesthetics and digital technology but can’t relocate to New York for a full calendar year of study. Ideal candidates include working photographers, photographic educators and fine artists who are interested in developing a professional and unique body of work.” The program will be conducted online during the fall and spring semesters using state-of-the-art technology and will culminate in an intensive 9-week summer session in New York City, where students will produce a thesis project and the prints and collateral materials for a group exhibition.

The MPS in Digital Photography Online/Summer-Residency is comprised of a rigorous curriculum designed to advance students’ understanding and application of cutting-edge digital imaging technologies through in-depth online coursework composed of weekly classes and assignments, extensive discussions and critique sessions. Required classes include: Color Management and Output; Digital Materials and Processes; The Art of Editorial Photography; Advanced Image Processing; Photo Illustration; Studio Management and Practices; Thesis Development; and Scripting and Automation. Under the guidance of leading photographers, industry experts, retouchers, designers and studio managers, students master the latest tools and techniques to create technically perfect and aesthetically compelling images. Students also become versed in the critical aspects of marketing their work, studio operations and current business practices.

To provide students with a complete learning experience, SVA has developed a feature-rich online environment, including interactive video and audio components, allowing for synchronous and asynchronous meetings, exchanges in real time, virtual office hours and live feeds of lectures and events. Students will be able to make use of SVA’s library holdings online, in addition to other resources available to residential students, and will have 24-hour access to the course content.

As Eismann explains, “In creating this program, we thought a lot about how to bring SVA to you, wherever you are—everything from a sense of community with classmates, to abundant feedback from instructors, to access to technical support and student discounts.”

Katrin Eismann has written and lectured extensively on the latest digital imaging techniques and technologies as well as their impact on professional photographers, artists and educators. She has worked with Adobe Systems, Apple Computer, Eastman Kodak, Nikon and other companies to develop and refine photographic software and hardware. She is the author of multiple books on digital photography and digital imaging techniques, including Real World Digital Photography (Peachpit Press, 2003), Photoshop Masking & Compositing (New Riders Press, 2004), Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (New Riders Press, 2005) and The Creative Digital Darkroom (O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2008). Eismann is a featured columnist in American Photo and Photoshop User.

The study of the lens-based arts at School of Visual Arts encompasses commercial, fashion, fine art and documentary photography. Students have the opportunity to master multiple genres and image-making vocabularies in order to produce work that is both personally meaningful and marketable. In addition to the MPS in Digital Photography Online/Summer-Residency, SVA offers a BFA in Photography; an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media; an MPS in Digital Photography (residency program launched in 2007); a one-year certificate for international students, called PhotoGlobal; and nearly 50 photography courses and workshops in the Division of Continuing Education.

School of Visual Arts is a comprehensive college of art and design which has been authorized by the New York State Education Department to confer the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in advertising; animation; cartooning; computer art; film and video; fine arts; graphic design; illustration; interior design; photography; and visual and critical studies; and to confer the degree of Master of Fine Arts in art criticism and writing; computer art; design; design criticism; fine arts; illustration as visual essay; interaction design; photography, video and related media; social documentary film; and the degree of Master of Professional Studies in art therapy and digital photography; and to confer the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching in art education.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

The online information session for the program will take place on Monday, December 8, from 6:30-8:30pm. To RSVP for the session, please visit www.sva.edu/gradopenhouse/app. For additional information on the program, please visit www.sva.edu/digitalphoto.

If your looking to top of the range, consumer range DSLR then Nikon have an inviting retail deal for you.

Press release:

Nikon UK is pleased to announce a new cashback promotion offering customers up to £50 back on purchases of Nikon D60 digital SLR camera kits.

The cash back offer is available on all lens combinations purchased between 17th November and 18th January 2009 (inclusive). Details about kit combinations and cashback values are outlined below.
Kit Cash back available Deadline for claims

D60 single lens kit £30 / €40 2nd March 2009

D60 twin lens kit £50 / €65 2nd March 2009

More information about the cashback offer and details about how to submit a claim can be found at www.nikon.co.uk/cashback.

All claims must be made by 2nd March 2008 in order to qualify. Terms and conditions apply.

On a global trail for the worlds most creative individuals, Hyper Island is looking to recruit students for the fall of 2009 and they may just be coming to a city near you.

If you’re unfamiliar with this creative school then you should know that Hyper Island runs the long-term programs Digital Media (in Stockholm and Karlskrona), Interactive Art Director (Stockholm) and Business Management (Karlskrona) with over 260 students study full time at each year. They promote self-exploration and personal development prompting freethinking to create digital artists optimistic about their work and the industry it exists in.

Hyper Island will be visiting major cities such as Barcelona, London, Prague and Berlin, plus many more, until the 31st January 2009. All courses are open to English speaking people and recruitment days last for about 10 hours in the intended city so don’t be late. If this appeals to your creative appetite and you think that you can achieve at and add to the Hyper Island experience then visit the official website address below and check diary dates now.

www.hyperisland.se

A recruitment day consists of a personal interview, informal meetings with Hyper Island staff, an individual creative task and a cool team assignment.

Since the start in 1996, the methodology of Hyper Island has been a true success, going from strength to strength with over 260 students study full time at Hyper Island each year.