Look out for David Cross in the following cities:

Toronto – June 3

Ottawa – June 4

Montreal – June 5

Live Webcast – June 3, 4 or 5

***Live In-Person attendees will receive a complimentary loot bag containing 25 credits for free images from Fotolia.***

Investment: $150

*To receive $25 off the cost of registration, enter the discount code: DC125-003

All attendees will also have a chance to win a 1-year license for Adobe’s Creative Cloud. We will draw one winner per city at the end of each workshop.

To learn more about the workshop, and to register, please visit Eliquo’s web site.

For TEN, Mike Harrison takes on “animal energy”

 In his subversive but colorful piece, “Just a game”, British artist Mike Harrison blends hand-drawn images with stock photos and rearranges layers and elements for a “homogenous and purely graphic composition”. “I wanted to do something based on a powerful animal, one that would allow me create good energy and complexity. So, using a bull as my main theme, I wanted to create a high-energy illustration loosely based on bullfighting, but adding a playful aspect to it by using certain colors and elements,” he says.

More than just a learning tool for other designers, every artist shares his or her personal style and influences, how they came to become the artists they are today, along with the techniques they used to create the PSD through short videos.  These videos are released on TEN Collection’s Facebook page and on Twitter (@Fotolia).  Watch the teaser.

Mike Harrison’s PSD will be available for free download for 24 hours on Friday May 10^th  as of 10 am in your time zone.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenCollection

Twitter: @Fotolia

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/tencollection

TEN was born as a community initiative through cooperation between Fotolia and two well-known graphic communities: Wisibility and Amkashop. TEN is also supported by national and international partners, such as Adobe, Behance, FJWestcott and Wacom.

Following the success of TEN Collection’s first season, TEN Season 2 officially launched on Dec. 10th 2012, with 10 new artists and two secret artists, to be revealed at a later time this year. This community initiative was born from cooperation between Fotolia and two well-known graphic communities: Wisibility and Amkashop. TEN is also supported by national and international partners, such as Adobe, Behance, and Wacom.

Making images out of sound – Marumiyan’s “visual symphony”

TEN artist, Marumiyan” produces a visual symphony in his creation, “ON”.

TEN Season 2’s artist for April, Marumiyan, blends Japanese iconography and fantasia in his dark yet harmonic creation. His creation for TEN, “ON” can only be described as a “visual symphony”. “I love painting sound,” he says. ON is built around Japan’s iconic bonsai tree, and eloquently built around his theme of choice: sound. Complete with speakers, amplifiers and cables, Marumiyan’s visual symphony is a sight to be seen – and heard.

“I took on the TEN project because I found it interesting. I figured I could create even more elaborate and attractive photomontages through the use of Fotolia’s images. The images make the artwork more powerful. As a graphic design teacher, I also appreciate the learning and pedagogical aspect of the project, which helps others learn,” he explains.

More than just a learning tool for other designers, every artist shares his or her personal style and influences, how they came to become the artists they are today, along with the techniques they used to create the PSD through short videos. These videos are released on TEN Collection’s Facebook page and on Twitter (@Fotolia). Watch Marumiyan’s lifestyle teaser.

Marumiyan’s PSD will be available for free download for 24 hours on Wednesday, April 10th .

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

Following the success of TEN Collection’s first season, TEN Season 2 officially launched on Dec. 10^th 2012, with 10 new artists and two secret artists, to be revealed at a later time this year. The first two creations (by Gustavo Brigante and Soonguy Gwon) set new download records to the TEN site, which already receives over 100,000 visitors in a month. This community initiative was born from cooperation between Fotolia and two well-known graphic communities: Wisibility and Amkashop. TEN is also supported by national and international partners, such as Adobe, Behance, Wacom.

 March’s energetic rebellion

March’s artist, Adhemas Batista, is known as a “color salesman” thanks to his use of     bright and lively colors, as he states in his personal slogan, “I’m selling colors”.  Inspired by the vibrancy of his home country, Brazil, Batista’s work is highly energetic, detailed and urban. “I think our environment and personal experiences directly influence our life, as artists or designers. My work is probably more Brazilian than I am. I can be very calm and serious, while it’s happy all the time,” says the now L.A. resident. According to the artist, his creation is a “graphic explosion evoking the urban and youth culture, a kind of energetic rebellion, with bright colors and complex shapes.”

More than just a learning tool for other designers, every artist shares his or her personal style and influences, how they came to become the artists they are today, along with the techniques they used to create the PSD through short videos.  These videos are released on TEN Collection’s Facebook page and on Twitter (@Fotolia).  Watch the lifestyle video and learn more about Adhemas’ personal philosophy and approach to design.

TEN Season 2′s PSD will be available for free download for 24 hours on Friday, March 8^th  (PSDs are made available on the 10^th of every month unless the 10^th falls on a weekend). Check on the TEN Fotolia page to get the PSD.

Follow us!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenCollection

Twitter: @Fotolia

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/tencollection

Gustavo Brigante’s upcoming creation for January 10th, 2013

TEN Season 2: an international casting

Creators with diverse cultural influences

On January 10^th,  Fotolia will re-introduce the experience of the TEN Collection with the first of 12 compositions. This time, Fotolia invited 10 notable international artists from Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Russia, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany. Fotolia will also present two “special edition” artworks from a French couple of artists, and an American artist, under a secretly kept format.

“Building on the success of Season 1 and the enthusiasm of creative communities present on the five continents, we could invite international artists this year who, not only will share their creative secrets, but also will be cultural ambassadors for their countries, through their testimonies and their creative choices. The selected artists are also totally free to express their universe in the works they propose. Fotolia therefore continues with its goal of democratizing digital art across borders,” explains Oleg Tscheltzoff, the CEO and co-founder of Fotolia.

Like season one, online users will have access to the PSD file of each artist each month, with all its layers and resources free for 24 hours. Each composition will come with a Making-of video shot in the artist’s country of origin, and translated into 12 languages, giving international viewers everywhere an education glimpse into the artist’s creative tips and techniques.

Up-close and personal, thanks to social media

Fotolia focuses more on social media in season two. Users will be able to discover a sneak preview on the TEN Collection Facebook page, the backstage Making-of video, featuring the artists as they goes about their day with their team, and interact with the artists live by chat, as well as a few other surprises a month prior to release. Interactive Q&A sessions between the artists and the followers will be set up on http://www.facebook.com/TenCollectionUSA.  What’s more, Fotolia will offer its followers an exclusive extra 24 hours to download the free PSD!

TEN by Fotolia online shop

Fans can now own a piece of the TEN Collection. Fotolia’s TEN Collection Online Shop will allow users to buy various products with prints of the artists’ work directly: posters, t-shirts, and wall canvas with worldwide shipping.

A multi-platforms website

The TEN by Fotolia Season 2 website (http://us.fotolia.com/ten) was reimagined to enhance user experience and is now available on every hardware platform (PC/MAC, smartphones and digital tablets). Furthermore, the website and browsing experience have been upgraded to immerse users into the heart of the artist’s universe and highlight his/her creation.

A multichannel communication set-up

An offline and online media plan will be launched worldwide on December 20th. To promote this project, Fotolia benefits from the support of partners such as Adobe, Wacom and Behance.

Before the official launch of TEN Season Two on January 10th 2013, a “coming soon” page is available on the us.fotolia.com/ten website to present the concept to web users. They can subscribe directly online to receive availability alerts about each new artwork via the TEN newsletter. They can also access the Making-of videos, presenting the next artist and his/her upcoming work.

Argentina inaugurates Season 2

On December 10th, Fotolia will present the first artist, Gustavo Brigante. His composition will be available in PSD format from Thursday, January 10^th  2013 for free and for 24 hours.

Gustavo Brigante of Argentina kicks of TEN Collection Season Two

Gustavo Brigante is an Argentinean graphic designer and illustrator. He created a website in the 90’s with Javier Cencig, where they share their common passion for experimentation and graphic design. He worked for several clothing brands in 2001, and then broadened his works to other fields, like logo and type design. A self-educated and multidisciplinary artist, Gustavo likes challenge and risk. His references now include major brands such as Johnnie Walker, Hugo Boss and MTV, and he is part of the famous KDU crew. Gustavo Brigante now works in his own studio in Buenos Aires.

Ushering in this second season, Gustavo Brigante offers a composition on the theme of ‘Work’, entitled “Manos a la obra”*. The artist found inspiration in his Latin-American origins to create this work. “Digital art and graphism are a way to innovate and impress, especially when it comes to free compositions. I can therefore let a part of me express itself. I accepted to take part in this project because I self-educated myself. From my point of view, the best way to learn is to practice, and persevere.”

*Let’s get to work

A personal work, with Latin-American influences

“ After I chose the theme I wanted to use, I searched for the ideal visual to make this creation. Using Fotolia, I found it easy to find the photos. I wanted to make an image with very specific qualities (characters, outfits, etc.). In a few clicks, I found the ideal image, both from the style and general aesthetics points of view. As I came near the end, I needed one additional photo for the central portion of my work. I then took advantage of my connection with the TEN team to organize a photo session, in which the cameraman took part as a model. I then imported his photo into Photoshop. To obtain graphic consistency, I managed a few adjustments of colors, shades and exposure without damaging the original image. This allowed me to bring together stock images from Fotolia and the self shot photos. As for the methods and tools I used, I chose Photoshop and 3D, which enabled me to give another dimension to my creation. The last step, but not the least, was to integrate the shadows of its various elements. To learn more, see you on January 10^th,  2013. »

To download the artist’s work in HD, and the TEN Season 2 press kit, click here

About the Fotolia TEN Project

A community and educational initiative, the TEN Project brings the collaborative efforts of Fotolia and two graphic communities, Wisibility and Amkashop together. Every month, for 10 months, Fotolia members can download for free the digital creation in PSD format of one of the 10 best digital artists, made from Fotolia images.

About Fotolia

Over 3.7 million people prefer Fotolia for affordable, royalty-free images, graphics and HD videos. With the introduction of the Infinite Collection, Fotolia became the first worldwide microstock organization to offer both crowd-sourced and professional images on one site. Founded in New York City in 2004, Fotolia spans the globe with websites in 15 languages and offices in 22 countries. With over 20 million files to choose from, find it on Fotolia.com.

Special offer:

First 1,000 subscribers get 3 months free (a $147 value)

Plus, if you like what you see, sign-up for a 12 month subscription for $99 instead of $479!

Here’s what you’ve got to do:

- register for a free account

- Enter promo code: GTYKRPPT for 3 months free

- Enter promo code: FOTOLIA99 for 12 month sub for $99

What is PDF Chef? 

It’s a unique Cloud-based app that allows you to simultaneously design and build online & print-ready newsletters, brochures, flyers or any other type of document. Select from Fotolia’s extensive image library and use the PDF Chef built-in image editor to facilitate the editing process. But best of all, the PDF Chef provides unique functionality that automatically checks and sets the correct page bleed, color format, color separation and image sizes for the desired output so you don’t have to.

Visit http://www.thepdfchef.com/ for more info!

*Both offers valid for the first 1,000 subscribers only

Special offer:
First 1,000 subscribers get 3 months free (a $147 value)
Plus, if you like what you see, sign-up for a 12 month subscription for $99 instead of $479!

Here’s what you’ve got to do:
- register for a free account
- Enter promo code: GTYKRPPT for 3 months free
- Enter promo code: FOTOLIA99 for 12 month sub for $99

*Both offers valid for the first 1,000 subscribers only

The PDF Chef has learned how partnering with Fotolia can make a world of difference when delivering vision.

PDF Chef can now seamlessly deliver their end-to-end service by incorporating Fotolia’s extensive and high quality image library – complete with search functionality – through the use of Fotolia’s excellent API.

Fotolia’s affordable image prices and multi currency credit model fit PDF Chef’s e-commerce model like a glove.

How Fotolia Helps PDF Chef Deliver Functionality

PDF Chef users can search and select an image from the Fotolia library, and simply drag and drop the image into their document page.

However, the images won’t display correctly if the aspect ratio of the image to box size is not accurate.  The solution? One-click access to an Image Editor that suggests a suitable aspect ratio crop (as shown below). If visually unsuitable, the user can then drag the suggested crop box to other areas of the image.

Notice the right hand-side of the panel. The editor informs the user of the required image size for the crop, along with its cost in credits. This is a perfect  example of how PDF Chef uses the Fotolia API to provide a planned, unique and useful feature.

If you crop the image even more, as shown below, you will see that the cost displayed by the Editor is dynamically updated. This is useful information if there are budget constraints and some images are more important than others.  The Editor will even alert you if there are no suitable sizes of your image within Fotolia’s database.

When a document is finished, PDF Chef replaces your low res comps with ones of the correct resolution. It does this by automatically buying them from Fotolia, and by applying all necessary crops to ensure they are separated by color and that all bleeds are in effect.

If you have created a hi-res PDF and something for electronic distribution, PDF Chef will automatically re-sample all the images and do the necessary color conversion to ensure the PDF is of the best quality and correct file size.

For more information on Fotolia’s API solutions please visit: http://us.fotolia.com/Services/API/Introduction

For info on The PDF Chef visit: http://www.thepdfchef.com

From September 10 to October 10, digital artists from all over the globe will have an opportunity to challenge the ten original artists behind the images of the TEN Collection project. Finalists will be eligible to win from a selection of great prizes, totaling an astounding $300,000 in value. The grand winning artist will have their entry featured in an international advertising campaign worth approximately $200,000.

All contestants must submit their entries between September 10 and October 10 by visiting Fotolia’s Facebook page http://www.tencollectioncontest.com. Contestants will have to create a PSD file based on the theme of their choice, using at least three of the same Fotolia images used by the challenged artist. Themes include: business, family, travel, food, lifestyle, street art, mobile, money, drinks and abstract. The grand winner will be selected on October 17 by judges from the TEN Collection, Fotolia, Wisibility and Amkashop.

Other prizes up for grabs include:
• a copy of Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 Master Collection software
• a Wacom Intuos5 Touch S tablet
• a 1-year Fotolia subscription (100 downloads / month)
• 1,000 “TUTO credits” for use on tuto.com
• a wide size PVC print order on Amkashop.com

Check back on Sept 10 and enter the contest here!