Advanced Photoshop, in association with iStockphoto.com, is offering four digital artists the chance to see their work on the cover of the magazine, as well as win some great prizes.

iStockphoto.com has supplied ten fantastic images, which can be downloaded from www.istockphoto.com/createacover. You’ll need to log in to an iStockphoto.com account to get the images, but don’t worry if you don’t have one as registration is free and easy.

Artists must use at least one of these images and Photoshop to design a piece of artwork worthy of being on the cover of issue 65 of Advanced Photoshop (December/January).

There will be four winners, with four collectable covers available, who will each receive £500 cash and £500 of iStockphoto.com credits.

Full details can be found at www.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/competitions_istockphoto.php and the closing date for entries is 23 November 2009.

We’ve had the pleasure of chatting to one of Photoshop’s most crucial boffins this month, in the form of Co-Photoshop Architect, Russell Williams. This rather impressive title means that Russell plays a pivotal role in what features and functions appear in each new version of Photoshop.
Be sure to check out the free podcast that goes live on this site next week to find out all about his job and whether he’ll spill the beans on what will be in Photoshop CS5… Our staff writer, Simon Skellon does his very best to get all the gossip!

Don’t forget to listen to the latest podcast interview available now! We caught up with the lovely Scott Kelby to find out more about his hectic Photoshop lifestyle and reveal more about the man behind the biggest Photoshop organisation in the world.
Check it out for free here: http://www.photoshopdaily.co.uk/news/podcast-interview-with-scott-kelby/

There is heaps of Photoshop talent on the gallerys here and Photoshop Creative readers are often asking us how to recreate many of the pieces of artwork featured online. So, with this in mind, we are opening the doors of Photoshop Creative to any aspiring tutorial writers out there.
Get in touch if you want your tutorial idea to be considered for the magazine. You will need to be able to clearly, and most importantly, concisely explain how to create one of your images and provide a screen grab for each step. If this sounds appealing, then drop us an email at PCR@imagine-publishing.co.uk, giving us your tutorial idea and artwork example. You could soon be getting your work and name in print!

By now you’ve hopefully checked out Photoshop Daily - the resource site for people who love all things Photoshop. It’s a place where you can downl;oad stock images, tutorials, video tutorials, textures and desktops as well as catch up on the latest industry news and reviews.
But no doubt we can make it even better, so I would love to hear from anyone who has any ideas on how their own ultimate Photoshop website would be like. Email us at pcr@imagine-publishing.co.uk or leave a comment. Perhaps your bright ideas may appearing online soon : )

If you’re stuck for gift ideas then check out The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop DVD  - the perfect present for any aspiring Photoshopper. This is a great resource for those new to the software, providing over 90 minutes of video tutorials. The DVD will help you familiarise yourself with the Photoshop tools and get to grips with the interface too. It’s a fantastic way to learn and will set you in good stead to become a skilled Photoshop user - all for just £19.99.Check out these links to find out more:  http://www.imagineshop.co.uk/item_show.php?itemID=1043&action=emags  and http://www.creativelearning.tv/     

It’s that time again, and we’re on deadline for issue 43. Admittedly we know this issue isn’t going to be half as stressful as the next though. Usually we have four weeks to put the magazine out, but we’re facing a very tight three-week deadline next issue - not fun! It’s always this time of year that the deadlines get frantic, squeezing in 13 issues into the year. It’s always worth it in the end though, making Christmas seem all the more exciting when all the hard work is done.Our staff writer Simon who recently joined the team is being thrown in at the deep end with his first taster of crazy deadlines - his fingers have never typed so fast! Art Editor, Dani is designing pages so fast I think she’s going to wear a hole in her mouse mat and as for me - well I’m working my way through about ten ‘to-do’ lists, which seem to be growing, rather than shrinking by the day! I’m guessing there are many of you out there who are running round like us trying to tie up the loose ends before the Christmas celebrations begin - so good luck in finishing all your work! I’m pleased to see that this isn’t stopping many of you uploading new images to the gallery by the day (when do you guys actually sleep!) and letting off some steam with a bit of Photoshop therapy.

So who’s had a gander at the new features yet? CS4 is an awesome addition to the Adobe family, with some brilliant new features that seriously make it shine.We’ve had a chance to take a look and we can say we were pleasantly surprised at the advancement it makes from CS3, let alone CS2. The performance is a whole lot more fluid thanks to amazing ‘hold and zoom’ tools which glide you in and out of your image. Plus the fantastic rotational options available on-screen for ultimate ease of use. Masking has had an amazing revamp, with its own dedicated panel on-screen, as has the adjustment layer facility too. The extended version offers some amazing 3D advancements too. Instead of me wittering on, I seriously suggest you check out the features at www.adobe.com  and see for yourself. It wont be long until it’s at the top of your wish list and you’re searching under the sofa for any spare cash you can find…Im telling you it will be worth it!  

Well Photoshop World is over for another six months and I must say it’s a little depressing to be home after all those bright lights of Vegas : ( !It was a fantastic event, well worth a visit if you’re ever in the States. It was so well organised that despite the huge amount of seminars, everyone seemed to make it to all their choices. For me, the highlight was meeting the Chief of Operations of the Kelby Media Group, David Moser. The Kelby Media Group are the big Photoshop players out in the US and also run the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. David had plenty of time to chat ’shop and it was great to hear his thoughts on the show.Now, unfortunately it’s back to reality! We landed this morning and Im desperately trying to stay awake a couple more hours so I can get a good night’s sleep ready for work tomorrow. I’ve been awake 26 hours and counting….and Im starting to feel a little delirious to say the least.Looking forward to Photoshop World Boston in March already! Night night : )

Hope you all had a great weekend and not suffering from Monday morning blues!Just a quick reminder that issue 37 goes on sale this week (3rd July) and it’s fabulously jam-packed as ever!7.jpgThis issue we show you how to recreate the beautiful work of American painter Edward Hopper. His gorgeous sunny scenes are sure to give you that summer feeling. Let’s hope it lasts!