in this tutorial i'll teach how to make layout or collage, since in my opinion every collage can be lay as well. to do it, you must have photoshop installed, since i don't have idea how to make graphics in other programmes ;)
tutorial is based on my version of wanderlust, featuring kyle maclachlan. oh, and remember not to use this elsewhere.

1. so, because i'm not a good teacher, i want you to download this file - wanderlust (4,5 mb). it's psd with almost everything done. you'll find there textures, pictures, what will show you more clearily how i cut things and put them together.
2. when you got the file. you'll notice that there are no text brushes. it's because i couldn't find them, but since it's easy to add them, i left it to you. of course it can be other things - remember that the most important thing in this kind of art is _creativity_.
3. when you'll add the text, the rest is piece of cake - marge the image, sharp it a bit and change colours if you like.

ok, now you propably thinking - how can this be a tutorial, since i'm giving you almost done work. i just wanted you to show in this way, layer by layer, how i'm creating stuff, and i know that nothing would explain it better than seeing it.
and now, some tips:

1. when you're finished and graphic doesn't look as you expected, try to resize it and make it smaller. almost in all cases, smaller=better.
2. when you're not too sure about the colors, try to do graphic in black and white. usually it helps. also you can leave one color by creating new layer, filling it with pink/yellow/blue/green/purple, and changing blend mode to 'hue'.
3. cut, cut and one more time cut. cut everything that in your eyes would look nice. so you have to visit sites like sxc.hu. also for some great textures and stocks visit:
flickr.com/groups/as_she_was/
flickr.com/groups/vintagemags/
flickr.com/groups/vintagepatterns/
plan59.com
remember that it not necessarily must be cut perfectly. for some psds, visit: majestic-skies.net/psdelightful
4. try to mix things even if you think they not match. just try to be original and get fun with things you have. but when you ran out of ideas, remember that splatters, bottles, flowers and bubbles with text are looking good in almost every graphic.
5. ok, i'm not an expert in this, but try to have fun with text. use random fonts, but especially those handwritten and grungy (fonts like: 1942 report, alpha mack, anglo text, depraved, just a dream hollow, learning curve, miss, nasty, phorssa, tropicana, windsong, immoral, laundromat 1967). to get some, visit dafont.com. also don't forget about fonts like arial, arial black and georgia, but remember to change letter spacing, while using them.
6. now it's almost a necessity using textures like old paper for your background. for getting some nice, please visit ex-posed.com or gender.livejournal.com. on background you can also use patterns or leave it black or white. other sites: hybrid-genesis.net, puzzle.digital-distortia.com
7. use brushes, especially splatters and splashes. used in common way, try to change blend mode or opacity. you can also use those brushes as your eraser tool, for removing unnesser parts - it will also make your graphic look more artistic.
8. remember to sharp your image in the end, but not too much.
9. visit as much as pissible sites like deviantart.com (for brushes, textures, stocks, psds) and random livejournal.com communities (for tutorials, brushes, textures).

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