Designer Juliet Towner, also known as 7ulio, has done an amazing job in her position as Graphic Designer for Victory Highway Wesleyan Church. Juliet communicates the message of her church through beautifully designed Church Marketing pieces for print, web, on-screen and video. The quality of her work speaks volumes about the deeper passion she has for the message of Christ and its impact on the world. Be Inspired! Check out this great interview. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself, and tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of Design. My name is Juliet Towner and I am the graphic designer for Victory Highway Wesleyan Church in Painted Post, NY. I started working at Victory when I was 15 years old as an administrative assistant. My position evolved over the years, and they brought me on as their full time graphic designer about… read more
Inspiration
The Bible is not primarily a book of science, but it does contain numerous scientific facts. We laugh at some of the scientific data that was available  just a few hundred years ago. If man alone were the author of the Bible, we would expect to find many such errors contained in it. However, if we examine the scientific data of the Bible and find it to be accurate to present-day scientific laws, then we have powerful evidence for divine inspiration given by God to the authors. The scientific data found in the Bible are not only accurate, but were revealed thousands of years before man discovered them for himself. The Bible does not contain any errors typical of the time in which it was written. Would we expect anything less from a book inspired by God? The scriptures are replete with statements suggesting scientific knowledge which predates the corresponding… read more
The Testimony of Emma Nation reflects the pain and depravity that we face outside of Christ and the ultimate plan that the devil has for all humans which is death! But thank God that He has a better plan for us, a plan for life everlasting! Emma wraps up her testimony, with a revelation on how God is continuing to heal the scars in her life. Testimony My life still holds pain, but I have a faithful comforter and healer! I am still a broken woman, desperately in need of His strength, love, forgiveness and rest every single day, but I am a new creation starting fresh as a pure, lovely, redeemed, chosen, loved child of the Most High King. March 13, 2010 was the day that this verse became the true claim of my life. This was also the day that God changed my name from Emily to… read more
Create a Painted Poster: Photoshop Paint filters can be used give a painted look to your images. Here is a quick tutorial on how to accomplish the painted look. The goal of this design was to get a painted effect, that kept some of the realism of the original image still intact. The use of the default filters in Photoshop is usually discouraged among seasoned designers, because the effects are usually obvious, but if time is taken to customize and mix the filters, you can get some interesting effects. Lets dig in! Inspiration Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139.23-24 Resource KP 45 (Ryan Aréstegui) from Stock.xchng Angelic War Font from Dafont Helvetica World from My fonts Final Image [sociallocker] Step 1 Open… read more
In this this tutorial, we will create a cinematic aerial scene in Photoshop. The idea behind this was to create a dramatic scene that looked like it was from a movie. By using free stock photos and some simple techniques and graphic design rules such as perspective, lighting and overlapping, I accomplished the task. I hope you enjoy the tutorial and try it with your own stock imagery. Inspiration: This image was inspired by: 1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Final Image Resource Canyon from Stock.xchng Lake Powell Sunset from Stock.xchng Aircraft6 from Stock.xchng Fighter planes at airshow 4 from Stock.xchng Tornado Jet from Stock.xchng F-15 Strike Eagle from Stock.xchng Eagle fighter Jet at Air Show from Stock.xchng Sun Flare from Wikipedia Commons Step 1 Open the… read more
There are billboards, bumper stickers, park bench ads, bus wrap ads etc., all over America, announcing that Judgement Day will occur on May 21, 2011. Most of these announcements are accompanied by the notice that, ‘The Bible Guarantees It.’ The man behind these bold and frightening proclamations is Harold Camping, leader of an Oakland-based “Christian Ministry” called, Family Radio Worldwide. Mr. Camping recently told the Associated Press that the Bible acts as a calendar, by which the dates of the prophesies can be calculated. Mr. Camping apparently has done the necessary calculations, and he has determined that the Day of Judgement will take place on the 21st of May. Unfortunately, Mr. Camping is not the first to brainwash people into these false teachings, here is a list of so called dates predicting Jesus’ return. “Perhaps the most notorious date-setters have been the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The group has been forced by… read more
Create A Planetary Star Field in Photoshop: In this tutorial we’ll learn how to create a Planetary Star Field using masks and a few star brushes. Photoshop brushes are very powerful, they can simulate real life objects, like trees, birds and in our case, a Planetary Star Field. You can find many free brushes online at places like Brusheezy and Deviant Art. While this is a fairly simple process to achieve, there are a few tips and tricks that can be applied to any project to increase productivity and enhance the realism of your scene. Lets get started! Inspiration This tutorial was inspired by Tyler van der Hoeven’s Image called Star Field. Thanks to Tyler for graciously allowing me to use his high-resolution photo in the process of recreating the image. The image reminded me of Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work… read more
Today’s testimony is brought to you courtesy of Dave Berryman, he is one of the many wonderful people that I have had the privilege of meeting on Flickr. I take much inspiration from him, from both his style of photos and the awesome messages he includes with them. The idea of sharing others testimonies was actually from Dave and I would like to thank him for allowing me to share this with all of you. Testimony I grew up in a Christian home all my life, but when I left home I became addicted to porn. I went to church every Sunday but I could not stop my insatiable appetite for porn. I was on the church board, but I could not let go of porn…it had its hooks in me good! I led small groups but for some reason I didn’t have the ability to stop looking at porn… read more
Although Christian designers can derive inspiration from almost everything, the Bible is our greatest source of inspiration. The Bible is filled with life changing words that can also be translated into beautiful eye-catching wallpapers. The wallpapers allow us to experience the Word of God in a whole new light. We collected some beautiful wallpapers below, remember to share them with someone today. [sam id=3 codes=’false’] [sam id=3 codes=’false’] [sam id=3 codes=’false’]
 Flickr Group Showcase: Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to another showcase of some of the most amazing images from our Flickr Group! We are looking forward to another exciting year sharing images with you that glorify our Father in heaven. We encourage participation from anyone that wants to share and give inspiration and insight to others. The images below are packed with inspiration, Check them out and enjoy! [sociallocker] Artist remain the original copyright holder of all their materials. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth by Flickr is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise. Please contact the owner if you wish to use any of… read more
Dan Stevers is a multimedia designer with an effective communication skill and a set of strong beliefs about his place in the world of design and the spreading of the Gospel of Christ. I first came across his work, while searching for inspirational videos on Vimeo and have continued to to be amazed at the quality of his productions. Whatever style Dan uses in his videos, you can bet it will always come out pleasant to the eyes and pulls at the heart strings of your soul. So lets get into another great interview with this talented artist. 1. Welcome to INSPIKS! Please introduce yourself, tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of Multimedia. Thanks! My name is Dan Stevers and I’m a church media producer living in San Diego, CA. I got into multimedia at a very young age, making stop-motion movies in… read more
Flickr Group Showcase: I am pleased to bring you another showcase of some of the most amazing images from our Flickr Group! Thanks to all the talented artist and photographers that shared their beautiful images in the group this year. We continue to find varied ways of promoting and featuring Christian artist here at INSPIKS. We encourage participation from anyone that wants to share and give inspiration and insight to others. The images below are packed with inspiration, Check em out!  Image Thumbnail: The Persecuted by Forgiven! [sociallocker] Artist remain the original copyright holder of all their materials. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set… read more
HDR Image from One Photo in Photoshop: Last month we learned how to create a High Dynamic Range Image (HDR) from three different exposures ranging from light to dark, this tutorial will bring us through the steps in creating the HDR look from a single image in Photoshop, it takes just a few minutes to complete. Lets get started! [sociallocker] Resource: Homeless Portraiture by Stock.xchng Final Image Step 1 You should start out with a high quality photo that has good lighting and obvious highlights. I choose the following photo because it has a lot of details I wanted to bring out in the face. Step 2 Open the Homeless Portraiture by Stock.sxchng. Make sure the levels and colors are fixed on the original before you start. Duplicate the Layer, then go Filter > Other > High Pass. Set the Radius to 4.0 and then set the Blending Mode… read more
Jake Dillard is a young designer from Oklahoma, he has been designing since he was twelve years old, he loves to play basketball, skate and hang out with his friends. Jake also has a love for photography and In our interview, he discusses his process and experiments. So lets get into another great interview! 1. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Please tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of Design and Photography? I’m from Muskogee, Oklahoma and I started playing around with Photoshop when I was 12. Pretty much, I just bought my first computer and started playing online games, then gradually worked my way into Photoshop. In January 2010, I bought my camera, so I have been taking pictures since then. 2. How were you led to become a Christian and how does your faith in Jesus Christ impact the way… read more
Chris Scholten is an extremely talented Multimedia Designer residing in the Netherlands. His style reflects his passion for art and his faith in Christ. In our interview, Chris talks a little about how his love for art led him into the world of design, he also talks about his alter ego Crisco Spectrum. So lets get into another great interview with a talented artist.. 1. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of multimedia design? Hi, I am Chris a multimedia designer from the Netherlands. I started drawing as a child and had the odd idea to be drawing for commercials when I grew up. I always knew that I wanted work in a creative field of business. As I grew older the internet got my attention and I started to focus on that more than… read more
Xara 3D Type in a Wallpaper Project: Photo manipulation is always fun, it opens the spectrum of what we can create in Photoshop and allow our imagination to run wild! Today we will be re-creating a wallpaper called “Life”. In this wallpaper, I used some simple techniques to pull all my elements together, like 3D typography from Xara3D, and a few images. The inspiration for this image came from a reflection on how we can see the majesty of God in creation. Every living thing has a purpose in the circle of life, and we can’t help, but give God the glory and honor! Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created. Revelation 4:11 Final Image Skill Level Intermediate Resources Xara3DMushroom Image From Stock.xchngRobin Image From From… read more
This month we have another great roundup of exceptional images from our INSPIKS Flickr Group. Thanks to all the talented artist and photographers that continue to share these beautiful images and give glory to God with their talents. We encourage participation from everyone, please feel free to post your images and continue to give inspiration and insight to others. Image Thumbnail: i could sing of your love forever by alvin lamucho  [sociallocker] Artist remain the original copyright holder of all their materials. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth by Flickr is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise. Please contact the owner if you wish to use any of their images. [/sociallocker]
I am excited to introduce you to Jad Limcaco. Jad is a Long Beach web designer, he also does graphic design, logos and print design. Jad has served as guest blogger here on INSPIKS and have been featured on websites such as Smashing Magazine and Mashable. He is owner of the popular blog, Design Informer and runs a freelance web and graphic design business called Jad Graphics, he also owns Heart Directed a gallery of art directed blog posts from top designers. Jad enjoys blogging and designing, and sharing his experiences with others. Let’s get into the interview!! 1. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of graphic and web design? Hello everyone, my name is Jad Limcaco and I am a web and graphic designer from Long Beach, CA. I actually got started in… read more
This month we have a great roundup of some really exceptional images from our INSPIKS Flickr Group. Thanks to all the talented artist and photographers that continue to share these beautiful images and give glory to God with their talents. We encourage participation from everyone, please feel free to post your images and continue to give inspiration and insight to others. Also don’t forget to check out our exciting interviews with some of the members in the group. God Bless and enjoy! Image Thumbnail: INGNITE by David Choate [sociallocker] Artist remain the original copyright holder of all their materials. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth by Flickr is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise. Please contact the… read more
Simi Shonowo is a talented and passionate photographer from Texas, to view her photos is like taking a peek into her soul. Whatever style Simi uses in her photos, you can bet it will always come out pleasant to the eyes and stimulating to the mind. Simi is also passionate about her faith in Christ, her photos either make you think about God’s beautiful creation and transforming grace or simply makes you chuckle at her refreshing humor. Lets get into this exciting interview. 1. Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Please tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of Photography? I am Simi Shonowo, artist and scientist. I say artist, because a lot of the things that I do,  has the feel of creating art to it. Also scientist, because I like to know how to make things work, so that I can use… read more
One of the hardest thing for designers is to find that single image that fits our design idea. Sometimes we spend more time looking for photos than we spend on the actual design, but when we find that one gem of an image it makes a world of difference. That’s why I put this list of the best websites to find stock photos together. The list contains websites that range from free stock photos to free graphic resources. I also included some paid subscription sites, like ShutterStock and Dreamstime and some websites I often use to get free textures and graphic resources. Enjoy! [sociallocker] Free Stock Photos EveryStockPhoto Search engine for free stock photos and clip art for the stock photography community including images of creative commons and public domain and other free licenses. Flickr Creative Commons All the content on this page is protected by a Attribution License…. read more
Cameron Smith is a talented Graphic Designer and Photographer from Peoria, Arizona. I came across his work when I joined one of the most influential groups for Christian Designers on Flickr, the Church Marketing Lab. In today’s interview, we talk a little about Cameron’s design background and his reflection on how churches can use design and marketing successfully. Enjoy! 1.Welcome to INSPIKS, please introduce yourself. Please tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field of Graphic Design? I am Cameron Smith, Visual Ninja and Creative Catalyst. I used to consider myself just a Graphic Designer – but as my work, responsibilities and surroundings have evolved…. I had to come up with something new. I was born and raised in Southern California and recently transplanted my family to Arizona. I’m a self-taught designer, as I suspect many of your readers may be, and I’ve been working… read more
It’s always a blessing for me to put this INSPIKS Flickr Group Showcase together and this time around is no exception. This month we have a beautiful roundup of some amazing images from our Flickr Group. Some of the images will make you laugh, say amen! or simply, make you cry. Thanks to all the talented artist and photographers that continue to share these beautiful images and give glory to God with their talents. We encourage participation from everyone, please feel free to post your images and continue to give inspiration and insight to others. As you view these photos our prayer is that you will be blessed and your heart will be opened to a deeper and closer relationship with God. [sociallocker]  Image Thumbnail: Redeemer by kristen-w Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. Psalm 18:49 … read more
In this tutorial we will learn how to design a magazine cover in Photoshop. I usually design covers using Photoshop and InDesign, but for this tutorial we will be using Photoshop for everything. When you set out to design your own magazine cover you’ll need to pay close attention to details and carefully lay out the artistic aspect of it, working towards a well planned and complete artistic concept. Taking the time to formulate a strong concept is extremely important to the success of the magazine. I will take you through the process of creating a cover and reveal techniques that designers use to make their covers stand out. Final Image Resources Model Face Handsome – PhotoXpress Stock illustration: Planet – Stock.Xchng Free Vector Barcode Graphics – Airopia Brush Border Pack -27 – Media Melitia Step 1 Create a new document in Photoshop, 8.5×11 inches, 300dpi (for… read more