In this two part tutorial on creating the “Let’s Go To Monster School!” book cover, I’ll show you a complete process from initial sketch to the final artwork, using an Illustrator to Photoshop integrated workflow. In Part 1 we will employ Illustrator to trace our hand drawn sketch, lay down the shapes and define the basic colors.

In Part 2, available on Psdtuts+, we’ll take the vector drawing into Photoshop, where we will refine the shading, add some textures and complete the book cover with the appropriate typography. Let’s get started with Part 1.

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Make a unique character design of a European Goldfinch with paint splatters and textures. The techniques used will be Live Trace, Pathfinder, Transparency, Distort, Warp and Clipping Masks. We’ll give this character a unique look and fun personality.

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We’re going to put those vector eyes you learned how to make not long ago to some good use! This tutorial will show you how to combine basic shapes with some clever coloring and blending to make a fantastic looking koala character.

We’ll use some opacity masks, brushes, gradients and effects, in addition to an easy shading technique you’ll find yourself using in plenty of other projects. Get ready to tuck into this Aussie-flavored tut!

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In this tutorial, you’ll learn how you can easily add a retro feeling to your creations. We’ll also cover techniques such as using gradient mesh tool to add inner shadows to your objects, which gives them a subtle rounding while keeping your artwork scalable. Let’s learn how to make a character head of a retro circus bear, then you can apply these techniques in your own work!

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This tutorial will teach you how to create detailed vector eyes that can be used for all sorts of character design projects. The techniques used here are basic and the processes quick and simple, but the result looks great.

If you’re a beginner, expect to learn a little more about opacity masks, gradients, effects, and handy shortcuts. If you’re a more advanced Illustrator user then we encourage you to experiment a bit with the steps shown here! Enjoy!

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I started a character design project that merges typefaces into unique monsters, cute animals, and various other font inspired character creations. The method is simple, I take different sections of the characters of a specific font and I put them together, giving birth to different kinds of creatures.

The interesting thing about Typefaces is that each font gives a different aspects to the characters. That is the essence of Typefaces – Faces with Type. Learn the basics of how to create these fun characters!

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One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Twin Peaks and one of its most memorable lines is “The owls are not what they seem.” Inspired by that ominous truth I decided to create a little illustration. I chose a rather non-spooky scene set at dusk, with a curious owl sitting on a branch and some scenery in the background.

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In this tutorial we’ll use illustrators 3D tool to create text with depth. We’ll give the letters personality by placing them at angles and choosing a fun font. We’ll add a crazy rabbit character and unify all the colors as we add simple shading. Lastly, we’ll give this fun logo a sticker effect. We cover quite a bit of ground in this tutorial, so fire up Illustrator and let’s begin!

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Learn here how to create a this bird using a few techniques in Corel Draw. Successful completion of this tutorial requires an intermediate knowledge of Corel Draw. We think it’s easy as there is no need for Art school sketches that are usually needed in the first step. Let’s get started!

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In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a cartoon zombie in Illustrator. Starting by creating a fresh corpse, we will then ‘yuck’ it up using a number of techniques. Let’s ‘rip’ this one apart!

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