Recommended Resources

 I've recently discovered creativemarket.com and it's become one of my favourite places to shop for resources. To keep on top of my game and produce interesting art that's on trend - be it vintage or futuristic or just nice and clean - I use everything from fonts to textures to actions to the odd design element. It can get expensive very quickly but I found Creative Market to be very reasonable, which is why I am recommending  the products I bought there for you to go and buy so you can be as amazing as me... just joking, more amazing, of course, (and I make a little something, too, which helps me keep up the good work). :-) I have bought and tested all the items below, so I know they're great.
Just click on any of the images to be taken to the respective page on Creative Market.

So here's my vintage collection

Actions

Textures

Design Elements

Beautiful fonts

Bangles

I LOVE bangles and have loads of them and wear them often. This is just a small selection of them. I adore the sound the make. Almost like walking wreathed in music :-) Shame I couldn't put that sound in...  (I know I could have recorded the sound... maybe I will. LOL)

All my own photographs plus

• Freebie Actions (Candleburn, Veruca Salt) by Apples & Sisters
• 6 Faves Texture Sets 1 by Shadowhouse
• NF Texture Set by Shadowhouse

MCN: CAW78-JBGLG-TRU6X

Tutorial - Mood Changes

This is an especially useful technique for avatars but will work in photo manipulations and other images, too.

Here is our original - this is a stock image from DA, check it out here:

The easiest way to change a photograph, especially a photograph with high contrast and good resolution is to use an action. There are many free ones available, here are two to show the effect: