hongkiat.com » Inspiration

Showcase of Dieselpunk Artworks

hongkiat — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:02:29 +0000

So by this point most of us are familiar with the steampunk aesthetic. But how many people out there know about dieselpunk? Dieselpunk style is similar to steampunk, but there are distinct differences. While steampunk focuses on Victorian-age sci-fi, dieselpunk is based on the style and technology of the early 20th century, from World War I through World War II. The “punk” suffix on the word indicates its counter-cultural influence in regard to its opposition to historically-accurate and contemporary aesthetics. It’s similar in many ways to the noir styles of the time, though isn’t necessarily as dark.

The term “dieselpunk” was coined in 2001 by game designer Lewis Pollak to describe the style of his role-playing game Children of the Sun, but it has since grown to encompass the style of a number of mediums, including art, music, movies, fiction, and more. There are two basic styles of dieselpunk, one based on the roaring twenties with a mostly positive view of technology and culture, and the other based on World War II with a much darker style and often based on widespread warfare.

Below are more than 50 awesome dieselpunk artworks to give you a taste of what dieselpunk is all about!

Dieselpunk Cars (Image Source: RyanLovelock)

KIEV Dieselpunk Hovercraft (Image Source: Lipatov)

Dieselpunk Hovercraft (Image Source: Lipatov)

Arrival in Utopia (Image Source: Lipatov)

DeiselPunk Gall (Image Source: Kaaskop)

Dieselpunk Robot (Image Source: Chaingunchimp)

Dieselpunk (Image Source: Sedeptra)

Dieselpunk Girl (Image Source: Vadich)

Desert Sands (Image Source: Mykeamend)

Soldier (Image Source: Beaver-Skin)

Gwen in Her Hepmobile Rocket (Image Source: BWS)

The Widowmaker (Image Source: Davincisghost)

090509 – Dispute (Image Source: 600v)

Claudia (Image Source: Lipatov)

Red Baroness (Image Source: LadyDeuce)

Mobilzitadelle “Franz-Josef I” (Image Source: JanBoruta)

The City of Tomorrow (Image Source: BWS)

Rush Hour (Image Source: Malaveldt)

250409 – BB2 3-4 (Image Source: 600v)

290809 – NFZ T1 v2 (Image Source: 600v)

210609 – NFZ A2 (Image Source: 600v)

Ironclas (Image Source: MurderousAtomaton)

Let’s Have Another Cup… (Image Source: BWS)

Aviatrix (Image Source: Conceptbloke)

Calling the Space Patrol (Image Source: BWS)

GateHouse Gazette 10 Cover (Image Source: mykeamend)

Eurocentric Liner (Image Source: Stefanparis)

Diesel City3 (Image Source: Stefanparis)

Retro-Futurism Poster Project (Image Source: Inochi-zero.)

Wheel of Fortune (Image Source: Mykeamend)

Fasten Your Seat Belt (Image Source: Stefanparis)

At Your Usual Dealer (Image Source: Stefanparis)

Twentieth Century (Image Source: Stefanparis)

The Iron Baker (Image Source: Kallini)

Freedom in the Clouds (Image Source: ViaruTarkin)

Pegasus IV (Image Source: Stefanparis)

Panzerarmee “Radetzky” (Image Source: JanBoruta)

Grenadier (Image Source: Vkucukemre)

Space Spy (Image Source: Innovari)

Dieselpunk Airships (Image Source: Tome Wilson)

35 Imaginative “Hands And Fingers” Photo Manipulations

hongkiat — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:01:34 +0000

Hands and fingers are the greatest assets of every human born in this world. With hands and fingers, human created great arts that shine in the human history. They are really great, but can they be artistic as well? It’s hard to answer this kind of questions with a ‘no’, especially in this technological age, when everything can possibly become an art with the might of creativity and the power of the Photoshop.

(Image Source: Coltography)

In this showcase you won’t see any regular hands and fingers, as we brought to you 35 manipulation works with artistic attempts on hands and fingers. So let’s see what artists and designers can do when it comes to brush up their own hands and fingers!

More related:

25 Fingers. Aside from its seamless manipulation, this work is so great that it makes me actually think that having 30 fingers look really cool! Well I have to confess that as a developer, I will like to have a hand like this. (Image Source: Alexandre Guilbeault)

Multi Hands. Another really cool one with awesome manipulation applied. (Image Source: j.walsh)

A Handful. “I would be so much better at piano…” (Image Source: pwnedbyryan)

Again, I Say… For everything you do, there might be an eye watching you. (Image Source: 0 W8ing)

Arms Break, Vases Don’t. Sometimes if you are too careless, your hand will go wrong on you! (Image Source: alltelleringet)

Being M.C. Escher. So which one is the real hand? A nice one! (Image Source: billyboingo)

Candlehand. Looks great, and what’s greater with this photo: it’s completely real! (Image Source: Bradi)

Chase Your Love. Killer metallic effect. (Image Source: SubhadipKoley)

Cyborg Hand. The day you know you’re not your father’s son. (Image Source: Naikoivanenko)

Don’t Preach. Which one is the real hand? Or which one is the photo? (Image Source: haribahagia)

FingBods. “Hey man, what’s weird about me?” (Image Source: Sterzy Hunter)

Finger Killer. It’s a magnum, for sure. (Image Source: thecolourushproject)

Flaming Fingertips. This actually makes you think about it, wonderful piece. (Image Source: PhilipHolm)

Give Me A Hand. Don’t try this at home! (Image Source: Stefano Sala)

Give Me A Hand. It’s like these hands got some personalities! (Image Source: tiagogmc)

Gold Fish In My Hand. Very sleek manipulation with amazing uses of colors! (Image Source: sertanarig)

Handed. How many fingers in total? You will never get it right. (Image Source: Õri Balázs)

Hands. I have to say, the 3rd hand is epic. Amusing and unique one! (Image Source: cute0designer)

Hands. Could be what you’ll see when you did too much Photoshop stuff! (Image Source: justyourtype)

I Love Chocolate!! The expressions are priceless, and I believe it will be troublesome to live with these kinda annoying fingers. (Image Source: Manu Pombrol)

M&M’s Chocolate Candy. Cute or haunting? Different people will have different thought about this piece. (Image Source: erwin mallari)

Mutant Cell Pearl. Yikes! (Image Source: Tavieo Sawyer)

My Kind Of Angel. “As an artist, I soar high to the limitless boundaries of my imagination through art and I enable myself to fly with my bare hands.” (Image Source: Alvin Adriano)

Orchestra. More hands are surely cooler. (Image Source: Manu Pombrol)

Pyro. Great manipulation and lighting, gave me a feel that the photo is expressing something. (Image Source: Tom Miatke)

Save the Earth. Unique manipulation work with great details inside it. (Image Source: Fayaz Mohamed)

Screaming Hand. You can’t have quiet environment with this kind of hand. (Image Source: Lintza)

Self Disassembly. “I have a robotic left arm. It malfunctions once in a while from too much computer work, so I have to take it off and service it. The hardest part is trying to reconnect all these wires with one hand.” (Image Source: Josh Sommers)

Some Skills. I doubt its usability, great concept though! (Image Source: Julio Mello)

Spander. Never thought the evolution of the spider could be that similar with human hands. (Image Source: Coltography)

The Hand That Feeds. The Hand That Feeds! (Image Source: Josh Sommers)

Today I Got My Guitar Fixed. Love the slightly transparent effect on one of the hand, guess which! (Image Source: holly henry)

Working Fingers. I always imagine if I could just lie on bed and type on the keyboard like this. Beautiful hand by the way. (Image Source: saibia)

You Are What You Eat. Amusing idea with classic quote, well done! (Image Source: Dimaci)

You Will Never Be Alone. There’s always a helping hand for you. (Image Source: Olivia Ariferiani)

Reflection

So now you see, hands and fingers could not only make interesting stuff, they could also be interesting by themselves! In fact I was quite doubtful that what would be the manipulation works of hands and fingers look like when I just started to search for them here and there, and I didn’t regret to compile them into a showcase, just like they didn’t fail to inspire and/or amuse me!

Which one would you choose to customize your hand to? Oh! The question should be, which manipulation piece you like in this showcase! Do let us know your favorite(s)!

100 Imaginative “Cities of the Future” Artworks

hongkiat — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:01:42 +0000

What the future might hold has long been a topic of speculation for artists and creative types. Trying to imagine what the world around us might look like in twenty, fifty, hundred years, or even end of the world can provide hours of entertainment. And it’s obvious that those artists and designers who take the time to create concepts of what they think the future might hold for us put a lot of time and consideration into their pieces.

Below are 100 fantastic artworks depicting what the future of the city might be. There’s a lot of diversity in the images, with everything from dark, almost apocalyptic, scenes to bright eco-utopias.

More:

Utopia City (Image credit: JamesHillGallery)

City Of The Future (Image credit: Killerethyl)

City of the Spheres (Image credit: Voyager212)

Future City 1 (Image credit: PeteAmachree)

City of the Future (Image credit: Jacob07777)

Future World 2 (Image credit: RudolfHerczog)

Future Road (Image credit: DaniNaimare)

Future Cityscape Concept WIP 5 (Image credit: Toiletbear)

3D Future City (Image credit: Forcg)

City (Image credit: Yty2000)

Future City Concept (Image credit: Cok3ster)

Capital 30 (Image credit: Revolved)

Cross Fate City Concept (Image credit: Adimono)

Smog (Image credit: Alexiuss)

Future City (Image credit: Pevel)

Speedpaint – Future City (Image credit: Antifan-Real)

Dark City (Image credit: Vaghauk)

Egypt – 2070 (Image credit: Merl1ncz)

City Of The Future 2 (Image credit: Xizeon)

SFM X-mas – Sci-fi City (Image credit: Enterprise-E)

Future City Too (Image credit: RobertDBrown)

Future Cityscape 1 (Image credit: Jarling-art)

Inner City (Image credit: Aksu)

Future City (Image credit: Xboxpsycho)

City of the Future (Image credit: Blackangel559)

Epic (Image credit: Christian Stoll)

Microcity (Image credit: David Fuhrer)

Paradigm Shift – Zone Zero (Image credit: Aiven – Yvan Feusi and Gaetan Weltzer)

Fantasy on City Image in the Future (Image credit: Yaroslav Shkriblyak)

Dark Tales of the Future (Image credit: Rasmus Poulsen)

Advent of Yellowstone (Image credit: Theswordsman77)

Organic City (Image credit: Spivak000)

Gravity City (Image credit: Yonaz)

Concept: Futuristic City (Image credit: I-NetGraFX)

Bold Visions – City Docks (Image credit: Antifan-Real)

Underwater City (Image credit: Nkabuto)

Meduzarts: Subaru Ep3, Concept (Image credit: I-NetGraFX)

Different World – Different Time (Image credit: Caucasian-eagle)

Megastructure (Image credit: Hideyoshi)

Epocholis (Image credit: Jenovah-Art)

Mirai Millennium SF BG (Image credit: Pinakes)

Cityscape (Image credit: Erenarik)

Ultracity (Image credit: Guitfiddle)

Metropolis (Image credit: Hideyoshi)

City Concept 3 (Image credit: Voyager212)

London 2063 (Image credit: Grivetart)

Magic Hour (Image credit: Benef)

Red Dawn (Image credit: Unfor54k3n)

Dome City (Image credit: PixelObsession)

Future Of City (Image credit: Arielitem)

Glide Down to the Future City (Image credit: ROMAgfx)

A New City (Image credit: Dekus)

Mountain City (Image credit: ApneicMonkey)

Ship Highway (Image credit: PixelObsession)

Capital Megacity (Image credit: Julian399)

Skypollution (Image credit: Izaskun)

Future-City Speedy (Image credit: Brehnman)

Plate City (Image credit: Farkwhad)

Dwellings (Image credit: AdoC)

Fallen Concept (Image credit: AdoC)

Vulcanae (Image credit: Gizmodus)

Mirandopolis: Birdcage District (Image credit: Gizmodus)

Rainy Dawn (Image credit: Voyager212)

Sci-Fi City (Image credit: TomEdwardsConcepts)

The Desert Labs (Image credit: Shadowtuga)

Speedpaint_73 (Image credit: Concept-on-mac)

Glass Prison Sci-fi City (Image credit: GutsBerserk)

Techno-Oasis (Image credit: Julian399)

Fast Food City (Image credit: PE-Travers)

Plaza (Image credit: Guitfiddle)

Futuristic City (Image credit: Brehnman)

The City (Image credit: Urielbeaupre)

Babylon (Image credit: Unfor54k3n)

Vertical Urban Scrawl (Image credit: JakeMurray)

Mad City (Image credit: Nelson808)

The Rule of Law (Image credit: Arsdraw)

City Design 1 (Image credit: Datamonkey-ultima)

Future (Image credit: Radoslav Žilinský)

Edge of Precipice (Image credit: Taenaron)

2210 (Image credit: 3yen)

Sun City (Image credit: Adimono)

The Future Harbor (Image credit: Yunhyunjung)

City Towers (Image credit: Aksu)

Sci-fi City (Image credit: Diversebeing)

The Three Sisters (Image credit: Nelson808)

Spear City (Image credit: TheTrashCaretaker)

Ballpoint City Digital Color (Image credit: RKGfXnl)

Canyon City (Image credit: AndreeWallin)

Windy City (Image credit: Hideyoshi)

City Night (Image credit: Molybdenumgp03)

Underwater City (Image credit: Lostsoul121)

The City of Dharchonia (Image credit: TateishiEigo)

Hidden City (Image credit: Molybdenumgp03)

Bridge City (Image credit: Loboto)

Futuristic City (Image credit: Milkmom)

Visari Env 02 (Image credit: Ichitakaseto)

Temple (Image credit: Xenomorph-designs)

City Lights (Image credit: Breaker213)

Silence (Image credit: Nitro-killer)

Utopia (Image credit: Adimono)

30 Famous Tech Gadgets Disassembled

hongkiat — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:01:43 +0000

Ever really wonder what makes up an iPhone, Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab or any other Apple, Microsoft or Sony gadget but can’t really wrap your head around the amount of destruction required to take these pricey tools apart? Then, you are going to love iFixit.

Channeling the inner naughtiness of geeky gadget lovers out there, these guys in iFixit crack open, rip apart, and "teardown" the archipelago that makes up the innards of any device they can get their hands on. Thanks to them, we are able to witness the inner beauty of our beloved gadgets without disassembling our own.

(Image Source: Rapid Repair)

Bear in mind that these are professionals who are turning these devices inside out, so believe me when I say that you should not this at home. Without further ado, feast your eyes on the following 30 infamous tech gadgets that range from smartphones, tablets, game consoles new and old and even the simply delicious iPad 2.

1. Amazon Kindle Fire

Before. (Image Source: iFixit)

After. (Image Source: iFixit)

2. Apple iPhone 4S

Before. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

After. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

3. Apple iPhone 3GS

Before. (Image Source: Apple Store)

After. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

4. Apple iPod Nano (5th Generation)

Before. (Image Source: iFixit)

After. (Image Source: iFixit)

5. Apple Mac Mini

Before. (Image Source: Apple)

After. (Image Source: Schill)

6. Apple iMac 27″

Before. (Image Source: iFixit)

After. (Image Source: iFixit)

7. Apple Macbook Pro

Before. (Image Source: Chipworks)

After. (Image Source: Chipworks)

8. Dell Alienware M11x

Before. (Image Source: Dell)

After. (Image Source: IT168)

9. Apple iPad 2

Before. (Image Source: Apple Store)

After. (Image Source: iSuppli)

10. Samsung Galaxy Tab

Before. (Image Source: Samsung Galaxy Tab)

After. (Image Source: iSuppli)

11. Motorola Xoom

Before. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

After. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

12. RIM Blackberry Playbook

Before. (Image Source: Chipworks)

After. (Image Source: Chipworks)

13. Amazon Kindle

Before. (Image Source: Amazon)

After. (Image Source: hondamarlboromclaren)

14. Barnes and Noble Nook

Before and After. (Image Source: Chipworks)

15. Sony PlayStation 3 Slim

Before. (Image Source: Wikipedia)

After. (Image Source: RapidRepair)

16. Sony PlayStation 3 Fat

Before. (Image Source: iFixit)

After. (Image Source: iFixit)

17. Sony PlayStation Move Motion Controller

Before. (Image Source: TechRepublic)

After. (Image Source: TechRepublic)

18. Microsoft Xbox 360 S

Before. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

After. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

19. Microsoft Xbox Kinect

Before. (Image Source: Kotaku)

After. (Image Source: Kyle McDonald)

20. Nintendo Wii

Before. (Image Source: CNET Reviews)

After. (Image Source: Popular Science)

21. Nintendo 3DS

Before. (Image Source: Nintendo)

After. (Image Source: iSuppli)

22. Sony PSP Go

Before. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

After. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

23. Nokia N9

Before. (Image Source: Nokia)

After. (Image Source: FCC)

24. Samsung Galaxy S II

Before. (Image Source: Samsung Galaxy S II)

After. (Image Source: Samsung Tomorrow)

25. Motorola Droid Bionic

Before. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

After. (Image Source: Tech Republic)

26. HTC ThunderBolt

Before. (Image Source: TechRepublic)

After. (Image Source: TechRepublic)

27. Microsoft Zune HD

Before. (Image Source: Gizmodo)

After. (Image Source: Rapid Repair)

28. Das Computer Keyboard

Before. (Image Source: Das Keyboard)

After. (Image Source: László Monda’s Blog)

29. Nintendo Famicom

Before. (Image Source: iFixit)

After. (Image Source: iFixit)

30. Atari 2600

Before. (Image Source: Wikipedia)

After. (Image Source: kjfloop)

Reflection

It’s really a pleasure to have a personal backstage view of my favorite gadgets, many of which lay beside me as I sleep through my studying years. It’s also really surprising to see what’s beautiful outside can also be so beautiful inside. I hope you enjoyed indulging in your own gadget’s "inner beauty" too.

Which of the gadgets above do you hold? Which is the most beautiful inside out? We hope to hear your opinion on this, so let us know in your comments, thanks!

40 Impressive Robots Built with Lego Bricks

hongkiat — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:01:08 +0000

Lego is the favorite game of all time not only for kids but also for adults, and what’s really makes it one of the best game ever created is its flexibility that unlocks creativity at any degree. In Hongkiat, you witnessed the flexibility though the amazing showcase, 35 Lego Mega Constructions.

(Image Source: Sven Junga)

Today we want to show you nothing about amazing construction, but 40 impressive Lego models which are best to describe the science fiction. What you can expect to see are armed units, mobile suits, vehicle and even spaceships built purely with Lego, including the infamous StarCraft 2′s units and even Optimus Prime and Bumblebee! Have a fun time exploring what a toy can really achieve, in fact it’s an art now!

Terran Marine. First model of this showcase series is the Terran Marine from the StarCraft 2, it’s just too similar to the real one! (Image Source: Sven Junga)

Firebat and Marauder. Here comes the Firebat and its variation, Marauder from the Terran faction of the StarCraft 2, and yes, they are cool and cute at the same time! (Image Source: Alex M.reever)

Terran Viking. More Terran units! The shape and the detail are awesome, too bad it can’t transform into Fighter mode! (Image Source: Sven Junga)

Thor. I think “Epic” is the best word to describe this Lego Thor, again the model is inspired by StarCraft 2. (Image Source: Sven Junga)

Terran Battlecruiser. Probably one of the best Lego Battlecruisers in the Flickr, you can get a closer view here. (Image Source: Jerac)

Zerg Banelings. It’s not just Terran’s units that got into Lego series, but also Zerg’s cute banelings! Amazed with its similarity and quality. (Image Source: Nannan Z.)

Optimus Prime. Highly detailed Lego Optimus Prime, it took the builder just 8 days to build up this amazing work. (Image Source: rediv)

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. “Boom!!! Prime and the Beester just kickin’ it. They stopped by the studio to say Hi.” (Image Source: rediv)

Android. You probably know this, it’s adorable Android from Google! It’s not sci-fi character actually, but it’s just too cute to be excluded from the list! (Image Source: ejbocan)

LHB-020 DeRosa. Epic one. It’s even hard to believe that this thing is a Lego. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

LWB-007 CERVELO. Yet another hardcore design from kwi-chang. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

Gunner. Nothing is cooler than a gigantic guy carrying the huge gun. (Image Source: Izzo’s LegoStyle)

LHB-021 Voeckler. Sleek, sexy and futuristic, it’s Voeckler from kwi-chang. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

Crossed. “Maybe too much cannon.” (Image Source: blas-T)

Walking Death. No head, no body, just a very, very cool cannon. (Image Source: intrond)

HMT-004 Lex-Formica. Should be a construction mech, the industrial design is way too cool. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

HMT-003 Mandibula. Yet another inspiring design by kwi-chang, especially the spike toes on the leg part. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

B3r1N631. Unusual model with unusual color scheme. (Image Source: intrond)

LimeTron. Simple yet pretty fresh model, especially the legs and the lime color scheme. (Image Source: Chiefrocker9000)

LTW-006 GOTHICA. Black color scheme really makes the spider-type mech look very cool, and the legs’ designs are inspiring. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

Scorpion. Hardcore scorpion with terrific color scheme. (Image Source: -Exius-)

W7 Bull-Tick. It bites hard! (Image Source: Titolian)

T16 Rhinoceros-Beetle. Less components but it looks so right, so cute! (Image Source: Titolian)

Series-2 BurroWeavil. “The Series-2 BurroWeavil is the infiltrator of the nano-bug forces. Swarms of these robots are released onto an enemy ship, unbeknownst to the pilots, and can hack almost any computer in under a second.” (Image Source: Titolian)

Soul. Awesome mini Lego model with attention to detail and proportion, and the color scheme just made it a better piece. (Image Source: Cam M.)

AZu1. “The AZ unit 01 (AZu1) is an extremely fast and agile mech. It can easily get to strategic positions where it can maintain heavy cover fire, for its allies, from its high caliber cannon rifle. Although it’s relatively light weight and agility comes at a price of sacrificing heavy armor, making it vulnerable to close combat.” (Image Source: intrond)

Ogré. Heavy mech with badass gun, I like it. (Image Source: intrond)

The Fanciful Five. “Swoosh! Pew, pew! Clomp, clomp, clomp.” – Matt L. (Image Source: Justin Pyne)

TK C.A.M Hardsuit. You don’t need to be big to be cool, and this model just proved it. (Image Source: Color)

TFR Sniper Bot. Another nicely crafted minibot with dark suit and cool standing pose. (Image Source: Color)

Chubby is Best. Agreed. (Image Source: Color)

A Modest Game of Croquet. Yes. (Image Source: Justin Pyne)

Iron Maiden. The 200-stud long gigantic ship crashed in the BrickCon 2010, the detail is just amazing. (Image Source: Nannan Z.)

Harlequin’s Gauntlet. “It took over two years to finish, and I learned a lot about how to (not) build SHIP’s. Since this was my first one, I didn’t realize the importance of building so it can’t be disassembled into sections. As a result, it is about four feet long (approximately 130 studs).” (Image Source: Genghis Don)

Project GeoSword. “An electromagnetic linear motor mass driver system, powered by two fusion reactors. The projectile (or slug) is the size and mass of a small safe. It’s propelled at a fraction of light speed and is designed to squash on impact with the kinetic energy of several ‘Tsar bomba’s’.” (Image Source: Red Spacecat)

Midnight Dragon. “Powered by four massive engines, and armed with four forward blaster cannons and a powerful dorsal turret (usually manned by Mr. Lobster), this is one ship you don’t want to run into. Ever.” (Image Source: 4estFeller)

Garm Gauss Tank. Perfect machine for pure violence. (Image Source: Jerac)

LAB-001 SRAM. Light assault vehicle with stylish exterior design. (Image Source: kwi-chang)

PowerDriller mk II. Very cool driller indeed, I only believe this is a Lego when I saw certain pieces of it. (Image Source: Jerac)

Rail-Cannon. Great attention to detail, probably one of the best rail cannon designs in Lego form. (Image Source: Exius)

Reflection

It was really a fun time exploring different kind of Lego models in Flickr and DeviantArt. What I saw are not only borderless imagination and creativity, but also great patience that eventually make the impossible possible. I was really amazed and touched, hat off to all Lego masters.

Saw a Lego model that’s just cool and awesome? Come’on, don’t keep it, show it to us! Also I will like to know if you’re like me, who got the feeling to pick up the game again after viewing the entire showcase!

Top 10 Greatest 3D Street Arts of 2011

hongkiat — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:01:01 +0000

3D Street Art is created by painting, chalking or drawing a horizontal surface from one perspective. When the completed picture is viewed through a camera from the same position and perspective the picture appears to look three dimensional. It’s an art from that’s been documented since fifteenth century Italian painters used the effect to decorate the villa’s of the wealthy.

Since then 3D Street Art has been used in the last ten years not only to entertain and beguile but has also become popular with brands to advertise their products. As the demand has increased so has the ambition of the artists to create ever more creative and spectacular pieces including designs that incorporate both horizontal and vertical surfaces and in 2011 the pictures became even bigger and bolder.

3D Street Art went big in 2011, big enough to break several World records. As we continue to be astounded and impressed by this incredible anamorphic art I have created a top ten list of the most spectacular, creative and popular pieces of 3D street art created by artists around the world during 2011. I’ve based the selections on creativity, scale and ambition and attention gathered. I look forward to your comments on which are your favorite piece’s of 2011.

More:

Collection of 3D Street Arts (Part I)
Collection of 3D Street Arts (Part II)

#10. Special Delivery

"Special Delivery" was created by Melanie Stimmell for the FringeMK Festival in Milton Keynes, UK in June 2011. Stimmell was the only U.S based artist invited to the festival to show off her incredible "Renaissance Style" art.

#9. Interactive 3D Picture

This "Interactive 3D Picture" was painted by Manfred Stader at a shopping centre in Gdansk, Poland in June 2011 and creates the 3D illusion with both horizontal and vertical pieces combines to add further depth to the trick of the eye.

#8. The Beatles

"The Beatles" were painted by the Planet Street Painting team for the James Carling Pavement Art Festival in Liverpool in October 2011.

#7. Santas Grotto

Veteran 3D street painter, Julian Beever made a surprise late appearance in December of this year with his "Santas Grotto" picture in Camberley, UK. Beever is one of the most famous and well known 3D street art painters and he took 4 days to create this piece in chalk.

#6. Wunderful Life

"Wunderful Life" by Street Advertising Services. The team at SAS created this wall and floor piece which measured 100 square metres in London. Unusually for 3D street art, the picture was completed with aerosol paint and is reputed to be the worlds first photo-realistic 3D graffiti.

#5. Phoenix

Edgar Muller, who is probably the third most popular 3D street artist (Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever are 1st and 2nd) created this amazing picture in Michigan, USA. Titled ‘Phoenix’ by Muller. The picture was created for the City Art Gallery in August 2011 and drew crowds of people over a week who posed for photographs with the artwork.

#4. Lego Terracotta Army

Lego Terracotta Army created by Planet Street Painting for the Sarasota Chalk Festival in November 2011. The piece won best 3D piece of the festival and publicity for the picture was created by a giant Lego man washing up on the beach before the festival began.

#3. Visit Britain

The VisitBritain Tour by Joe Hill. British Artist Joe, toured several countries around the world creating attention with for famous UK landmarks and events with his 3D artwork. This particular piece was shown in Shanghai, China and was created with the art being painted on two walls and the floor.

#2. Reebook Crossfit

Joe Hill also created this stunning piece at the London Docklands for Reebok Crossfit. The piece took a week to create and was 106.5m long and broke the World Guinness record for being the longest anamorphic picture. Unfortunately, the record only stood for a month, because on December the 6th 2011 Chinese artist Qi Xinghua broke the record, again.

#1. Central Shopping Centre

Qi Xinghua broke the record with his piece in Macau, China. The picture was 120m long and was created to celebrate the second anniversary of the Central Shopping Centre in Macau. It is the second time Xinghua has held the record for having the longest anamorphic picture and I look forward to seeing if his record holds in 2012.

50 Adorable Photos of Danbo That Make you go Awww!

hongkiat — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:01:54 +0000

So in this showcase, we are gonna show you 50 lovely cardboard sets. What? Yes, to be exact, 50 photos of different scenes with a lovely combined set of cardboards named Danbo.

(Image Source: antty)

Originally created by Japanese artist Kiyohiko Azuma in his manga “Yotsuba&!“, Danbo was originally intended to be a fake and funny robot which a human wears a combined set of cardboards, and interacts only when other puts coin into the slot located on its body. Amazon Japan spotted the idea, and used it for marketing, and it was a tremendous success.

Since then, photographers everywhere were inspired to make something really fun and even artistic with the Danbo, and this post serves to be a collection of awesome Danbo photos for you to enjoy and even experience some of the most beautiful moments of mini Danbo’s life!

Spend a moment with this post if you didn’t smile for some days, it’ll be interesting – we promise :-)

A Sunny Day. Have this beautiful photograph brighten your day, after all Danbo is just about bringing smile to everybody! (Image Source: Crusade)

Battle Breakdance. Toys having breakdance party when you’re not around them. (Image Source: antty)

Be Careful. “Don’t worry, I will catch you if you fall.” (Image Source: antty)

Can I Live With You. Try to make a touching story from this photograph! (Image Source: M. Al-Dhafeeri “Pirate”)

Crucified Danbo. “Bid D wanted to teach the boys about religion so he lets them watch the life of Brian. After it had finished they crucified him on the top of a hill and poked him with sticks….little buggers.” (Image Source: Jdub-uk)

Danbo and Blue Android. Revelation about partnership between Android and Amazon? Seems like it became a truth, as Amazon’s Kindle Fire is powered by Android. (Image Source: OhSoBoHo)

Danbos as Mary and Jesus. “On day nineteen, the 4th advent, the Danbos decided to reenact the birth of the Jesus Child. That’s what they needed the donkey for. And as you can see, he wasn’t afraid. No, he really liked what he saw there.” (Image Source: excomedia)

Danbo’s Bath Time. “Well thank goodness the duckie is placed strategically so Danbo won’t be embarrassed!” – K D T (Image Source: Vanessa Do)

Hot Bath. The bubbles and the Danbo with towel are awesome! (Image Source: OhSoBoHo)

Danbo Busking. Little Danbo was trying hard to earn himself some extra bucks with his musical talent. (Image Source: Jdub-uk)

Danbo’s Family Trip. “Don’t get naughty, look at the camera first!” (Image Source: bientôt la camisole)

Danbo Graffiti. “Big D is teaching his boys some of the things he learned in prison, today’s lesson is the graffiti, the boys were thrilled and couldn’t wait to get out there and start tagging walls.” (Image Source: Jdub-uk)

Danbos Jungle. I must say the processing is just awesome! The Danbo looks innocent as well. (Image Source: mrmuhh)

Danbo Mousetrap. “Is it some sort of planking?” (Image Source: Jdub-uk)

Danbo the Artist. “Danbo the artist working away in his studio on his first masterpiece!” (Image Source: OhSoBoHo)

Directing the Family Portrait. Now I just know Danbo actually has a family like human! (Image Source: Morphicx)

Driving Around. “Sup dude? Check out my new ride.” (Image Source: Oliver Totzke)

Eye Check. “Today Mini has to make an eye check. He didn’t want to tell why, but he said it would be very important. So Danbo hung up that chart and Mini read the letters. He could read the tiniest of them. So he seems to have really good eyes. :)” (Image Source: excomedia)

Fail Truck. “The truck won’t move no matter how much I push.” (Image Source: antty)

First Blood. “Body of cardboard, heart of steel!” (Image Source: Monica & Cebolinha)

Fish and Beer. “During this recession time, the only stuff you can really afford is Fish and Beer :) mmmm…sashimi…” (Image Source: Lil_miz_Cheeky)

Flying Kite. Today Danbo tried the kite, and it seems that he can play it really well. (Image Source: Crusade)

Going To The Beach. “Don’t go into the water, and beware of the giant crab!” (Image Source: MurderWithMirrors)

Helping Hand. Processing is just beautiful, and the entire photo looks emotional. (Image Source: hanks studio)

How to Catch a Fish. Even got an explanation sheet there! (Image Source: M. Al-Dhafeeri “Pirate”)

I Crown You. “Danbo don’t cover my eyes I can’t see anything…” (Image Source: Rajendran Rajesh)

In the Evening. Nothing is better than enjoying the wind in the evening. (Image Source: Oliver Totzke)

It’s Mushroom. “Looks like it’s really autumn now!” (Image Source: Morphicx)

Life Must Be Lived As Play. Very realistic environment! (Image Source: OhSoBoHo)

Lil Danbo Got Scared. I sincerely hope I can meet one in the street. (Image Source: Rajendran Rajesh)

Little Artist. “Danbo doesn’t give a damn about what you think, she shoots whatever she wants with her DSLR.” (Image Source: antty)

Me vs Danbo. There will be only 1 real man staying alive after this. (Image Source: Stewie Santos)

Mini Stultifies Danbo. In the end, lil’ Danbo apologized and removed the sticker. :) (Image Source: excomedia)

Mythbusters. “You gotta make sure this will not fall into the river, alright?” (Image Source: excomedia)

No Fishing. The rule is created for human, not Danbo. (Image Source: Jdub-uk)

Oh, a Snail! “Look, what we have found outdoor today… A snail! The snail was sooooo slow… I would like to ride on it, but I was too shy. I hope we meet again one day, then maybe I have more courage :)” (Image Source: Oliver Totzke)

Playing Foosball. Who will win this game, in your opinion? (Image Source: excomedia)

Put Here. Danbo enjoys not only gaming but also work. (Image Source: Sabrina C. Photography)

Rainy Days. “Don’t get cold, use this.” (Image Source: antty)

Riding a Bike. The bicycle is a little too small for Danbo, but it seems that he likes it. (Image Source: RiaPereira)

Stroll. A lovely Danbo family, and some nice bokeh here. (Image Source: antty)

Sun Bathing. “Guess who I am! No cheating please!” (Image Source: antty)

Sweet! It’s not me, I didn’t give it a bite! (Image Source: Flocke)

The Hitchhiker. Mind to give me a free ride? Please? (Image Source: ronald23cgn)

The Hope. There’s also hope in Danbo’s heart. (Image Source: RiaPereira)

The Suspect. Guilty for being too cute! (Image Source: Reda Aouad)

Tooth Pick Warriors. Today we gonna decide who deserves the title of Toothpick Knight! (Image Source: Pat Landor)

Wanna Mess with Us? We thought you learned the lesson from those piggies. (Image Source: Aditya X)

Something was Wrong. She looks sexy, by the way. (Image Source: Sprogz)

Time to Sleep. After a long session of photography, it’s time to have a nice rest, thanks for everyone’s viewing! (Image Source: Alexandra Schwarz Photografie)

Reflection

I believe in fact we are experiencing what the Danbo is “experiencing” in the photographs, but only the photo looks more artistic. Despite its cuteness, what Danbo showed to me is we should appreciate every moment of our life, for all of them are beautiful and precious.

50 photographs are never enough to show how cute is Danbo, so if you got one please share with us! Waiting for your kind comment then!

New Year Celebration: 15 Breathtaking Firework Photos

hongkiat — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:56:30 +0000

First comes Christmas, next comes the New Year. Time flies and now we’re just a few more days to welcoming 2012. The Mayan prophecy may have predicted that the end of the world would occur soon, but that doesn’t stop us from taking this chance to celebrate the time of renewal.

(Photo by: Blacksky200)

New resolutions await for us to pursue despite what people often say about not fulfilling them. It is a time of hope for better days in the next 365 days.

What better ways to than to start a new year than to start with a bang? I meant it both literally and metaphorically. Watch out for stunning fireworks in your city or town and get blown away with the sight and sound! While you count down to a new beginning, take a look at some awesome fireworks from previous New Year’s Day in various places around the world.

Full list after jump.

Costa Rica

Beautiful fireworks igniting the very second clock strikes 12:00:01 in Central Valley (Valle Central) of Costa Rica. (Photo by: Otas32)

Dubai, U.A.E

Sparkly fireworks by the classy architecture of Burj Al Arab, the 27th tallest building in the world. It is also the tallest hotel in the world at the time of completion, but the fourth tallest as of today. (Photo by: Ercallimage Flowery)

Taipei, Taiwan

At the strike of midnight, fireworks shot out from Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010. (Photo by: CNN)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fireworks against the magnificent backdrop of Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur, featuring the Petronas Twin Towers. (Photo by: Saeed Khan/CNN)

Singapore

Lighting up the skies and the river with not just city lights, but also the lively fireworks for the new year. (Photo by: Souvik_Prometure)

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland’s trademark Sky Tower bursting into sparks at the top. Kind of reminds you of a sparkler, doesn’t it? (Photo by: Christopher Chan)

Helsinki, Finland

The sky full of colorful, shiny threads of light. (Photo by: Taivasalla)

London, England

London Eye literally exploded into fireworks. (Photo by: Blacksky200)

Portugal

The golden city lighting along the streets of Portugal just kind of add on to the fireworks effect. (Photo by: Tiagoto)

Moscow, Russia

Red fireworks in Moscow’s Red Square on 1st of January, 2011. Seems appropriate for a country with a past associated with communism. (Photo by: Orion Art)

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Fireworks at Caraguatuba near Sao Paulo City of Brazil on January 1, 2009. (Photo by: Fabio Donteo)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Two million observers by the beach checking out the majestic fireworks by the sea.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Typical of Las Vegas: The dazzling and ground-shaking fireworks meant to stimulate all your senses. (Photo by: Wandermelon)

Paris, France

Fireworks behind the steely structure of Eiffel Tower seem like blowtorch sparks. (Photo by: Photosfan)

Beirut, Lebanon

The capital city of Lebanon lightened up with fireworks on New Year’s day.

20 Beautiful Children’s Book Cover Illustrations

hongkiat — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:01:34 +0000

We all have a special place in our hearts for children’s books. When we were young, they stirred our imagination and calmed us before we slept. Most of us can still remember many of the books from our childhood, and, if you’re like me, the front cover of most of them as well.

This is the difficulty of designing a book cover: the illustration needs to be a preview of the story and also appealing enough to entice readers to open the book. The style of the illustration, the colors, the font, all have to be carefully chosen and laid out. Illustrators of children’s books also have to keep in mind what designs will appeal to a young audience.

The following collection of up-and-coming children’s books showcases some of the best and newest book illustrations available. All are brilliantly designed with the audience and story in mind. Some are quite colorful, others are cute, a few are elegant, but all are awesome regardless of the style.

So take a peek on what children could like, get inspired, and maybe visit the websites to see more about these new releases of children’s books.

Breadcrumbs

This beautiful illustration is perfectly intriguing with a girl alone trudging through the snowy woods with wolves in the distance. The glowing snowflakes add a magical air to the illustration.

Written by Anne Ursu. Illustrated by Erin McGuire.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

The illustration style and the image itself appropriately match the title of this book, and gives insight as to just how clever the retelling of popular fairy tales may be.

Written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins.

Fairly Fairy Tales

The characters in this illustration are adorable enough that some may buy this book simply to see more cute illustrations inside. The disco ball and love-triangle between Goldilocks, Baby Bear, and Little Red Riding Hood really make one wonder about the hilarities the book contains.

Written by Esmé Raji Codell. Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri.

The Secret Live of Princesses

Dautremer ingeniously illustrated an outward appearance of boredom and civility (the look on the character’s face is brilliant and the butterflies are quite charming) combined with hidden secrets of passion (her hair is in the shape of a cage with one door hanging open and the monochromatic color scheme is passionate shades of red).

Written by Philippe lechermeier. Illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer.

Chicken Cheeks

This book clearly demonstrates the pun on the title, giving us a hint that this book is sure to be full of humor.

Written by Michael Ian Black. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

A Million Miles from Boston

Who doesn’t love a good book about a kid and her dog? This beautiful illustration also hints at a bit of adventure amongst the serenity.

Written and illustrated by Karen Day.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

This book with bold, primary colors is clearly meant for young audience. The youthful illustration of a cat in white boots and the wobbly font adds to this style very well.

Written by Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean.

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas

Not only is this illustration beautiful, but it is clever as well. Did you notice the numbers on the bags of seeds?

Written by Cheryl Bardoe. Illustrated by Jas. A. Smith.

Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps

The colors are light and uplifting and the illustration itself is very happy on this book cover, which gives us a strong hint that this book will be quite fun for young children to read.

Written by Louise Borden. Illustrated by Emma Dodd.

Sidekicks

What a clever illustration! The dog in the center of this action shot makes us wonder if he is main hero or just another sidekick. Yet, the title itself is “Sidekicks” so is the story about four sidekicks or a hero and three sidekicks? Anyway it looks epic!

Written and illustrated by Dan Santat.

Bad Island

This abstract illustration uses dark colors, excellent shading, and just the right amount of the spoiler with the island in a shape of a head with eyes.

Written and illustrated by Doug Tennapel.

Three Hens and a Peacock

The looks on the faces of these chickens alone is enough to let us know that this story has to be humorous. The vivid colors are perfectly eye-catching and the details of the feathers are beautiful.

Written by Lester Laminack. Illustrated by Henry Cole.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The classic style of illustration, complete with an oval-shaped image and Medieval font and banner, fits perfectly with the fairyland part of the title. The dragon in chains and girl holding a key behind her back gives us a good preview of the “in a ship of her own making” part of the title.

Written by Catherynne M. Valente. Illustrated by Ana Juan.

Mal and Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!

This illustration of a “best of” comic strip collection stays in line with the style of this comic strip. The action-packed graphics as well as the stunning faces of the characters are very eye-catching.

Written and illustrated by Stephen McCranie.

Super Amoeba

The color scheme of this comic book cover perfectly matches the theme of this comic strip. The dripping graphic around the “No. 1″ and the font with an amoeba for the “i” letter are extra brilliant touches.

Written and illustrated by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm.

Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster

The cool blue color scheme and friendly face of the bat show just how little of a monster this bat will turn out to be.

Written and illustrated by Ursula Vernon.

Big Red Lollipop

An image of a shiny red lollipop nearly the size of a girl’s face is enough to make almost any kid want to open this book. The youthful font and cute girl add to the appeal of this book cover as well.

Written by Rukhsana Khan. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

Don’t Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You

“…Because a toad will give you warts” is the implication of this illustration. The font is fantastic on this book cover: the main words in red attract the eye and the narrowing of the text lines creates a downward flow, right to the image.

Written by Catherine Rondina. Illustrated by Kevin Sylvester.

The Trouble with Chickens: A J.J. Tully Mystery

Who knew that baby chicks could stare down a dog so cleverly? The looks on the faces of the dog and the chicks are so amazingly descriptive of their emotions that one could not help but pick up this book.

Written by Doreen Cronin. Illustrated by Kevin Cornell.

Tugg and Teeny: Book One

This illustration makes the characters of the book adorably endearing before readers can read a single word. The font is very cute as well.

Written by J. Patrick Lewis. Illustrated by Christopher Denise.

A Look Into: Evolution Of Greeting Card Designs

hongkiat — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:05:45 +0000

(Guest contribution by: Rahul Mistry)

Greeting cards have been around for hundreds of years dating back to ancient China and Egypt. It’s how human express their sense of thankfulness and appreciation, even until this era of technology when people are still sending the greeting cards, just with more options like sending what’s so called “electronic cards”. Yes, sending greeting cards is one of the cultures that survived through the last century.

The following article looks at how card designs have changed over the decades starting from the 1900s to the current day. You can observe how the greeting card designs change with the major events of our world, and essentially getting that how politics, fashions, war and other elements influence the card designs.

Besides, here are posts about different cards for you to enjoy!

1910

Picture postcards were originally created in Austria in early 1869 but became a national favorite in America thirty years later. In a decade deprived of TV and radios, picture postcards provided a cheap glimpse of the outside world.

Many of the postcards were also being designed in Germany using innovative lithographic production techniques which meant that a lot of the designs like the one below had a Germanic influence. The below postcard design illustrates the famous German Kan automobile manufactured in the early 20th century.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

Also, note the blue-eyed and blonde-haired girl with a very East European look.

(Image Source: Wisconsin Historical Images)

1920s

By the 1920s, America had become the wealthiest nation on the planet. America based its strength and power on its immensely successful economy, which saw the mass production of radios (around 10 million units being sold in 1929), fridges, hoovers and telephones.

Below is an example of a popular greeting card depicting a young fashionable lady wearing the latest styles of the times and advertising makeup products, cigarettes and coffee, a clear sign of the riches enjoyed from the blossoming American economy.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

Gone are the Germanic, European influenced card designs, and in their place is a strong American identity. The cards had also evolved from postcards to greeting cards, meaning people could send and receive beautiful cards for every occasion.

(Image Source: Artflakes)

1930

Sadly, by 1929 the “Wall Street Crash” occurred and its impact was felt globally. The 1930s was a decade when America suffered great struggle and poverty, with the American dream turning into a nightmare.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

For card designs, the Hall Brothers was experimenting with innovative printing techniques and finishes, bringing the designs to life. The above example shows the “die-cut” technique where the wheels of the car turn 360 degrees, which at the time was a huge (excuse the pun), turning point in greeting card designs.

1940

America was at war and with it grew a sense of American patriotism. Norman Rockwell was the most famous American illustrator at the time and designed a lot of the most popular greeting cards. It was the first time ever that greeting card designs had evolved to become a very realistic and naturalistic portrait of American life.

(Image Source: Ahoy)

Below is a Norman Rockwell design depicting a realistic looking American Soldier feeding and nursing a child back to health. The politics of the war reflected heavily in the design of the cards and a real sense of American values and beliefs were being portrayed to the American public.

(Image Source: Normal Rockwell Museum)

1950

The end of World War II saw many young soldiers return back to America to begin their new lives, start new jobs and raise new families. With the American industry reborn, the baby boom era had begun.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

The Rockwell’s greeting card above was a fitting image for America’s globalization and growth. The painting depicts a realistic looking Kansas farmer looking out across the Pacific Ocean towards the rest of the world. In the background are skyscrapers, trains, planes and livestock. These greeting cards were, in many ways, a portrait of a new super power and American and western culture.

1960

The 60s was a decade of fashion and free love. Greeting cards were also embarking on a creative revolution by using genuine photographs of people on all their front covers. The card below depicts three attractive, hip-looking girls, wearing the latest fashions.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

(Image Source: Artflakes)

1970

Flower power had hit the world and again greeting cards moved with the time, reflecting the fashions and mood through popular card designs. This popular 1973 greeting card design is a laminated illustration showing a cartoon of a hippy in flares. The colors used in the card are vintage, reflecting the fashion of the decade.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

(Image Source: Pineapple Ice Bucket)

1980

This period was a revolutionary time for traditional card manufacturers. Responding to changes in consumer behavior and patterns, companies such as American Greetings cards and Hallmark cards diversified their range to meet the needs of different ethnic groups.

In 1987 Hallmark launched its “Mahogany range” focusing on the single African American mothers with a 16 word promotional line. The response for the Mahogany range was hugely popular and soon became a permanent year-round card line. The Image below shows one of the cards used for African American consumers with an image of a mother with a blend of realism using pastels and crayons.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

1990

During the 1990s, evolved market segmentation further prompting the American Greetings cards company to offer a new line of Spanish-language greeting cards aimed at the growing Hispanic population in the United States. These were known as the “Momentos de Inspiracion” and “Spanish Soft Touch lines”.

(Image Source: Hallmark, Hallmark)

Cards above are simple designs which move away from North American culture. These cards were designed to represent the Spanish culture. One of the above images is a Father’s day card with a rich blend of colors symbolizing Hispanic culture.

2000

At the beginning of the 21st Century, technologies such as the camera and the Internet revolutionized greeting cards. Consumers became more environmentally aware and this influenced the way in which many cards were being produced and designed.

The e-card, having been successfully fueled by the arrival of the Internet, enabled cards to be truly personalized in ways that we could have only dreamt of 20 years ago. The computer allows an individual to create & deliver truly personalized cards through the click of a button without ever leaving the house.

In 2008 greeting cards changed once again, this time taking a digital form where smartphone users could send and receive greeting “cards,” through innovative mobile applications. Unlike any previous greeting cards, the new format is digital where birthday cards could be sent online, printed and received by the recipients the next working day.

(Image Source: Hallmark)

The designs were colorful and funny, with the images ranging from actual photographs taken on a camera to caricatures to animated movie characters from the Disney Universe or Marvel Comics. The cards also allow users to edit the messages on its certain part.

2010 – Present

By 2010 greeting cards had fully joined the digital revolution. Greeting card designs had evolved and taken on new forms allowing users to customize every aspect of the card from the text, images, photos, fonts, and some of them even allow you to record your own personal voice messages!

Facebook Timeline Cover: 40 (Really) Creative Examples

hongkiat — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:01:15 +0000

Just if you didn’t know, Facebook Timeline is the latest feature that was introduced in the recent Facebook Conference, F8. It’s generally a complete overhaul of the profile page with the new ability to view your status updates in a list sorted by time, hence the name.

With this new feature comes a new way of introducing yourself though graphic other than profile photo, and we call it Timeline Cover. And yes, what you can expect is thousands of facebookers try to be creative with their new timeline cover, spawning the hype all over the web.

In this showcase we’re gonna show you 40 awesome and creative timeline covers which either inspire you, amaze you or just make you burst out into laughter.

Also, at the end of the article, we are going to throw in a Facebook time PSD template to guide you creating one accurately. Have fun with them and enjoy being creative with yours!

Facebook related articles:

Kay Int Veen. Nice use of Polaroid-style photo to introduce the profile owner! The new Facebook Timeline is actually a virtual board for you to show off your creativity, so toy around with it and show to others how creative you are!

Aly Moffatt. Creative photo with creative usage. You won’t know what’s happening by just looking at her photo in status page, but you will get shocked once you see her profile/timeline page!

Andrew Grojean. Yes, this is a timeline cover, see carefully. What a neat and amusing trick!

Nirajan Bom Malla. One of the timeline cover’s tricks that went viral is to use the screenshot of other social media site as the cover. Google+ in Facebook, will this be possible in future?

Antonio Fadda. Brilliant combination of the profile photo and the timeline cover, and yes, it’s creative.

Delphin Hauchard. Nicely adjusted profile photo and the timeline cover, what a great way to show the best moment of life.

Dustin Thaxton. Willing to show not just the single best moment of life? With timeline cover and some Photoshop works you can get more great moments of life glued onto the cover!

Eduardo Calvo. I just like this one. It’s creative, amusing and warmful at the same time.

Emanuele Bartolomucci. Very sleek way of introducing the timeline feature and the profile owner.

Enk Shahbaz Mehdi. People might start selling the timeline cover’s space as ads, will it be possible?

Oliver Alexander. And the Internet does not disappoint you, Enk Shahbaz Mehdi, but I think this was intended to be a good joke. Anyway, poke if interested!

Eyal Shahar. Fake 3D is one of the best tricks to show off your design skills, inspiring work!

Fabio Maravilla. Such a neat and detailed trick! Look at the smallest piece in the profile photo, cute!

Florim I. Qerimi. I thought it was some sort of hypnotism at the first time I’m looking it.

Gianmarco Carrieri. What a simple and sweet integration of profile photo and timeline cover.

Giuseppe Draicchio. You will never know he is doing the contact with the extraterrestrial creature by just looking at his profile photo!

Manoj Varghese Mathew. Feeling less creative? Just draw what you can think of, and it will become a creative cover!

Menteş Nihat Baran. I’m always curious about the difference between touching the alien’s finger and touching the God’s finger.

Helbert Campos. Nice blending between the real life photo and cartoonic graphic, you can even see the page owner’s shadow rendered in the profile photo!

Jeremy Bronson. It’s a big head! But wait, whose head is it? Nice one indeed.

Jerome Vadon. A beautiful way to introduce yourself with a sleek background and some sexy fonts.

Jessica Barnard. Vintage means viral, don’t you know it?

Johnny Gigantic. Probably a masterpiece, except that you won’t get much meaning by just looking at his profile photo.

Jörgen Bröms. With such a serious looking profile photo, you won’t expect his timeline cover to be so amusing.

Robert Falkén. A simple message cloud will tell that you are creative.

Lanfranco Nantele. Another nice attempt with message cloud, but in a more artistic way.

Leo Lee. What will happen if I touch on the profile photo?

Louise Lundberg. The reaction of the photo is just awesome.

Maarten Walraven. You wouldn’t know a shark is approaching him if you didn’t see his timeline cover!

Nagaraj Vijayarangan. And this guy is not as lucky as the one showcased above.

Maurizio Mazzanti. He’s trying to understand what’s happening with his new timeline cover.

Mohammad L. Azzam. Stay hungry, stay foolish, stay creative.

Murat Çizer. I like this one, to be honest.

Niels Langeveld. Perfect integration between the timeline cover and profile photo, it’s royal!

Oliver Elsner. If you want to show your creativity while remaining the professional look, go for this style.

Ori Hasson. You know, classic game never stop to impress people.

Richard Kårström. If my eyes are still functioning well, I can see a guy coming from it.

Rudolfo Nobre. There’s certainly some physic between the timeline cover and the profile photo.

Scott Lamb. It feels good for sure.

Tom Lambie. I’m sure I am a geek as I understand this joke.

Bonus: Do It Yourself!

So you have enjoyed the entire showcase, and would like to get really creative on your timeline cover? You can actually do it now! For certain reasons Facebook haven’t release the feature officially yet, but you can activate the feature by walking though some very easy steps.

We want you to focus just on the cover’s design, so we’ve created a Photoshop template exclusively for you to do the instant design and preview. Download it to make your editing process absolutely easier!

20+ Ideal Gifts for Photographers

hongkiat — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:04:00 +0000

In this generation, we prefer to tell our stories through the lens of a camera than through the complexities of the written word. It’s either that or we just forgot how to spell words properly. Then again, nothing explains the serenity of a blue sky or the grace of a galloping horse quite like having that moment locked in time – be it by a DSLR or a point and shoot.

That kind of explains why almost everyone knows a photographer, or is one nowadays. Much like the art of photography, the art of giving also needs sources of inspiration. Forget the thousand-dollar lenses or the hundred-dollar filters; try your luck with the following gift ideas for the avid photographer. And even if the receiver isn’t a fan of photography now, you could very well turn him or her into one, with these awesome gifts.

Lens Bracelets

We have the bracelets for causes, friendship and love, so it was only a matter of time before lens bracelets came into the action. The ideal gift for photographers who are into each other as much as they are into taking photographs, the lens bracelet is also the perfect accessory that goes fashionably well with the rest of the gadgets.

(Price: $10.00)

WhiBal White Balance Card

Whether you’re a RAW photographer or a JPEG photographer, once you’ve tired a WhiBalTM G7 Pocket card, you can never go black – I mean, back. A great reference card for colour neutrality, this light gray card ‘tells’ your camera what white should really look like – that is when it is absent of any other colour. With a WhiBal, you don’t have to deal with mal-adjusted colour tinges in your photographs no more.

(Price: $19.95)

Related: White Balance cap

Camera USB Drive

If you’re going to be snapping photos with your DSLR, you might as well transport them from one device to another in… a DSLR as well. A miniature-sized DSLR that carries 4Gb of your best work spells pure genius in my book!

(Price: $34.99)

Related: USB Film Roll

HighKey Camera Straps

Not only do we want our work to stand out, let’s face it, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to let just some of the limelight fall on the person behind the lenses. Customize and showcase your – or your friend’s – personal style with HighKey camera straps.

(Price: $20.00 – $45.00)

Fisheye, Macro, Wide Angle and Telephoto Phone Lenses

Do you have an adventurous friend who cannot live without his or her camera phone? Why not get them phone lenses for that SLR quality and higher picture-snapping flexibility? Who says only camera owners can have all the fun?

(Price: $20.00 – $49.00)

Related: Telephoto iPhone Lens

Canon Camera Lens Mugs

Remember how your dad/mom/teacher looked when you gave them their "The world’s greatest _____________" mug? Well this is to make up for the lack of a "World’s Greatest Photographer" mug. P.S. I prefer this alternative too.

(Price: $24.00 – $30.00)

Related: Nikon Camera Lens Mugs

Bokeh Kit

This Bokeh kit can turn out to be a great source of fun – or frustration – to the receiver. While the verdict is still out on what makes for a good Bokeh, thank, or prank, your friend with this 21-cut-outs kit for the Bokeh enthusiast.

(Price: $19.95)

Gorilla Pod

Looking like a cross between a three-legged squid and that molecule model in your seventh grade science class, the gorilla pod is actually a great addition to the outdoor photographer’s bag of tricks. Let it cling, grab or grapple onto anything you can wrap its bendy legs around and one can break barriers by producing mind-boggling angle shots. Trust me, everyone will love this!

(Price: €19.95 – €109.95)

Related: Monopods, Monsterpod

Chalkboard Bubble Speech

Missing conversations bogging your creativity down? The chalkboard bubble speech can be the answer to all your problems, and then some. Disclaimer: We’re not liable for lowered levels of productivity of our readers.

(Price: $29.00)

3-in-1 iPad Camera Connector Kit

Can’t upload your latest snaps to the Net fast enough? Upload them via your iPad with this camera connector. This should hold the fort until they make Wi-Fi enabled cameras. What am I talking about? They have!

(Price: $29.90)

Pop-Up Flash Bounce

Don’t we all wish that we could spend less time fixing our photographs and more time taking them? Get this hood that directs the flash upwards for a wider spread of natural light and say goodbye to red eyes, annoying shadows and background-less snapshots.

(Price: $30.00)

Underwater Digi-Cam

It’s waterproof, it’s affordable and it works underwater! What’s not to like?

(Price: $35.00)

Vintage Camera Bookends

So you’ve gotten her her fifteenth photography book for her birthday. I’m sure she’ll appreciate these bookends well decorated with vintage cameras on both ends as a great book-stopping addition to her growing book collection.

(Price: $64.99)

Lowepro Fastpack 250

With all those gadgets, gears, tools and kits to lug around, one can definitely appreciate a handy backpack that has all the right-sized compartments at all the right areas. It also has a designated space for a 15.4" notebook, perfect for one who shoots on the move.

(Price: $76.38 – $99.95)

Eye-Fi Card

When was the last time your photographer friend got frustrated over a full memory card even before the start of the event he wanted to cover? With this card, his photographs can be uploaded automatically, via Wi-Fi, to a safe storage space (his laptop, Android device, iPad or even his photo-sharing account online) to immediately free up valuable space. Equipped with a Geotagging feature, this memory card is the best companion for photogs who are always on the run.

(Price: $49-99 – $99.99)

Related: Eye-fi for iPad

Kodak Easyshare Digital Frame

The last roll of Kodachrome was developed at the end of December 2010 and with it died the photo-album sharing obsession of grandmothers everywhere. Sure, you can still print photos from the digital camera but it’s just not the same, is it?

Salvage your obsession of sharing photographs with unsuspecting friends with the Easyshare Digital Frame. Just slot in your memory card and initiate the slideshow for a complete cinematic (albeit a mini one) experience that will add colour to your days from the top of your work desk. It makes for a sleek gift for people in the office too.

(Price: $109.95)

Aquapac SLR Camera Case

If the underwater digi-cam is not enough for a photographer who just would not let you pry his SLR from his fingers, you can always get him a camera case that would keep his equipment dry, even if he has to get himself wet in the process. Aahh, the lengths photographers would go through just to get that perfect shot.

(Price: $140.00)

360 Spinner Pano Camera

The title says it all: it’s a camera that gives you panoramas by spinning 360 degrees while taking seamless surround-view photographs. It’s the perfect gift for someone who likes experimenting with new photo-taking techniques – especially one that gets the photographer in the picture as well!

(Price: $145.00)

Canon SLR Adaptor & Diana Lenses Bundle

Lomographers who own the Canon EOS would definitely love this bundle of joy. With a quick flick of the SLR Adaptor, you can plug in your Diana+ fisheye lenses, super-wide lenses, wide-angle and close-up lenses, or telephoto lenses to get hours of wacky fun.

(Price: $151.74)

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

Adobe never fails to impress when it comes to corrective photography and Lightroom 3 is not going to be the first to break that record. The software contains a wide range of editing tools such as for noise reduction, contrast, colour tune, lens correction among others; video file support; organized and elegant web galleries that are integrated with online photo-sharing sites – ideal for the photographer who aims for perfection and nothing less.

(Price: $299.00)

Related: Apple Aperture

Polaroid PoGo

The spirit of the Polaroid is strong in this one. Like how its ancestor rolled, the user snaps his photo and prints it out on the same device with the Polaroid PoGo. Crop, add a border or edit the snaps whichever way you want on the camera’s 3" LCD screen using the built-in editing tools before printing them out. Another surprise this little gadget has is that it does not print its photos with any ink. Instead, the device heats up dye crystals embedded in the Zero Ink or ZINK paper that is specially produced for the PoGo.

(Price: $240.99)

Related: Fujifilm Instax Mini, Polaroid album

Flickr Pro Account

An account that no photographer should go without, Flickr is the perfect social networking site for lovers of photography. The Pro account provides unlimited storage space and best of all, no ads!

(Price: $24.95)

Related: SmugMug, 500px

Mini Model Camera

Only one-sixth of the actual SLR model itself, these mini model cameras are exact replicas of their larger-sized cousins and we’re not just talking about the body here. It comes with three interchangeable lenses, and all the buttons and dials at all the right place. If you have a friend who already has every camera model in the market, this will definitely prove to be an awesome addition to their collection.s

(Price: $28.00)

More Gift Ideas

Shopping mode on? Here are more ideas for gifts and present for you:

(sy)

Latte Art: 40 Very Delicious Examples

hongkiat — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:03:58 +0000

Since 1980s, the art form created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso, or so called latte art, has been widely welcomed within the modern society, which thirsts for elegance and beauty. With the strong need of the society, the Baristas, coffeehouse bartenders, have sought for creativity and evolution for the latte art since then, resulting in plethora of patterns and even variants in the industry.

(Image Source: R. E.)

Why latte art? It’s just not only about showing the artistic talent of the baristas, but making the latte more visually appealing, sexy, and apparently more delicious. And for this post, we’re gonna deliver you 40 very delicious examples of the latte art. No words, no description, just the art. Enjoy them and if you’re like me, you might feel the aroma floated from these charming examples!

3 Oz Hot Chocolate. (Image Source: ericagisme)

A Cup For Winter Morning. (Image Source: PoYang)

A Cup Of Fire-Breathing Dragon. (Image Source: jrobblee)

Andrew’s Cap. (Image Source: dogmilque)

Art Of Hotchoc. (Image Source: jibbilittle)

Bakery Bar Hot Cocoa. (Image Source: pdxhipsterdoofus)

Bang Fo’ Yo’ Buck! (Image Source: nicely85)

Cafe Mocha. (Image Source: LuisMacalinao)

Cappuccino And A Cookie. (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Cappuccino At Intelligentsia Coffee. (Image Source: R. E.)

Cappuccino & Post. (Image Source: Raphael Borja)

Cute Bear. (Image Source: okayama)

Epicenter Friday: Cappuccino. (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Espresso Macchiato. (Image Source: Arancia Project)

Etching. (Image Source: Lameen)

Flat White. (Image Source: Lameen)

Floral Display. (Image Source: JTeale)

Four Barrel Mon: Cappuccino. (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Latte Art At Cafe. (Image Source: tom.glanz)

Latte Art Butterfly. (Image Source: meirzafri)

Latte Art: Kiki. (Image Source: dola_dola)

Latte And Plants. (Image Source: Anders Madsen)

Latte Bear. (Image Source: Nekousa)

Latte Flower. (Image Source: thevoyager)

Latte In The Dark. (Image Source: Junojuno2010)

Love Latte. (Image Source: PoYang)

Lovely Pour. (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Meow. (Image Source: Nekousa)

Moka Tulip. (Image Source: LATTEGARCIA)

On The Grass. (Image Source: PoYang)

Pity Bear. (Image Source: MiKA FOTO)

Ripe Cake And Cappuccino. (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Rosetta. (Image Source: pieeetr)

Simple. (Image Source: Kuba Bożanowski)

Smiling Sun. (Image Source: okayama)

Sunshine Latte! (Image Source: Premshree Pillai)

Tierra Mia Coffee: Latte. (Image Source: R. E.)

Today’s Latte. (Image Source: shomagi)

Warm Latte. (Image Source: Michelia Kramer)

Wood Latte Art. (Image Source: baristang)

Reflection

I’m personally a big fan of latte, and I’m really impressed with the art capability achieved by mainly steamed milk and espresso. As I’ve described before, it makes the latte looks more delicious, and somehow I feel really good emotionally by just looking at these warmfully crafted latte art.

What do you think, or feel about the latte art? Are they essential enough to make the latte tastes better, or you are the minimalist who prefers just pure latte without drawing on it? Let us know your thought in your comment, and don’t forget to share us your delicious latte art found in anywhere!

Film Noir: 30 Dark And Cold Digital Artworks

hongkiat — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:01:48 +0000

Film noir is one of the most easily recognizable types of films which is widely known for their black and white visuals, their use of shadows and silhouettes, the hard-boiled characters, the anti-heroes and their deceiving leading ladies.

(Image Source: AdoC)

Spiced with the usual array of violence, guns, booze and a lot of cigarettes, film noir is also one of the most stylish forms of cinema in the world. Sadly, Noirs aren’t made that often anymore, although several neo-noir films have been released over the past few decades.

We know how awesome it is, therefore we are willing to share to you a collection of 30 very cool digital artworks inspired from film noir. Enjoy the cold darkness that silences everything else in the world.

A Taste of Noir Blue. (Image Source: Rickbw1)

Detective Patfield. (Image Source: 2dforever)

The Maltese Owl. (Image Source: anotherwanderer)

Noir. (Image Source: AdoC)

Dames and Dandies – Monochrome. (Image Source: Cody-Church)

The Waiting Game. (Image Source: Thykka)

City View. (Image Source: DarioCoelho)

Gangster in the Rain. (Image Source: Danwhitedesigns)

Dark City. (Image Source: kotagiri)

Walking Alone. (Image Source: Pspynett)

Film Noir. (Image Source: kyvie)

Noir City. (Image Source: Harri Tusa)

Noir Cityscape. (Image Source: Don Cameron)

Film Noir Bathroom. (Image Source: Chase Bickel)

Film Noir Look. (Image Source: Uday Kadkade)

Photographic Film Noir. (Image Source: Lucas Deve)

Cold Blooded. (Image Source: HOON)

Detective. (Image Source: Sereneworx)

Investigation. (Image Source: overdrivezero)

Gamble. (Image Source: DualProdigy)

The Singer. (Image Source: DualProdigy)

The Driver. (Image Source: DualProdigy)

Smoker. (Image Source: Paper-pulp)

The Passenger. (Image Source: W-Orks)

Film Noir Detective. (Image Source: igrayne01)

Kiss of Noir. (Image Source: d9studios)

Tokyo in Noir. (Image Source: Fr4gster)

Breathe Again. (Image Source: Rozzers)

NOIROMANCER BW EXP. (Image Source: Rickbw1)

Noir Christmas. (Image Source: Rickbw1)

Planking Photography: 45 Most Creative Examples of Face-Down Photos

hongkiat — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:01:04 +0000

So, did you have a planking today? It’s very simple, you just lie your face down with a straightened body, that’s all. Sounds easy, but this so-called “lying down game” has became the most famous Internet meme since months before, with thousands of photos of different lying poses spawning within the famous sites such as Facebook and Flickr.

(Image Source: Erich Leeth)

But you know, humans get bored quickly when they’re seeing and doing the same thing over and over again. They will seek for something more creative, more fun and of course, crazier. Then they started planking on the tank, planking in the Star War suit, planking before the cows, and even captured the photo of polar bear in “planking” state.

So while you might be imagining the scene that human planks before the cows, we had collected 43 unusual photos with unusual planking poses in unusual situation. So what’s next? Take your coffee and enjoy these extraordinary yet amusing planking photos! And more surprise, we will be featuring Horsemaning, the next level of Internet meme!

Absolute Balance. Planking on the ground is easy, but never on this kind of chair, talking about perfect balance! (Image Source: Simen Løvgren)

Ancient Planking. Now who knew planking started from Xi-an’s Terracotta Army? In fact I’m more curious about who did this. (Image Source: uninvolved observer)

At Glencree. You saw something floating… with a little girl planking on it. The reflection is brilliant by the way. (Image Source: Ben_N_Murphy)

Car Plank. Don’t plank on the car, plank inside it! Hilarious and creative shot indeed. (Image Source: cameijers)

Crack Planking. “Obviously the safest way to travel across cracks. I really don’t think hikers have discovered this technique yet, so hikers around the world, please share and enjoy this technique.” (Image Source: skarpi)

Danbo’s Take Up Planking!! Danbos are taking up the lying down game and they seem very enjoying. (Image Source: Andy-Millard)

Entrance Plank. Banana from the peanut butter jelly time enjoying the planking meme. (Image Source: Toasty_rules)

Facedown In Bokeyland. A perfect example showing you that how classic facedown can also be great. (Image Source: Studio d’Xavier)

Facedown Tuesday. “I’m also glad I didn’t get run over by a train. It was SO cold and windy today. I braved the elements for this special occasion though.” (Image Source: Erich Leeth)

Facedown Tuesday XXI. “I just hopped on top of my car in the parking lot after work.” (Image Source: Erich Leeth)

Get Wet Plank. There’s fountain like this everywhere, but how many people really tried the planking on top of it? It’s about thinking out of the box. (Image Source: cameijers)

Gunpla(nking). Mobile suits following up the planking meme too, I never thought to pose my toys like this, but it’s worth a try for some hilarious moment. (Image Source: toon_ee)

High Difficulty Planking. You know it, don’t try this anywhere! Bravo anyway! (Image Source: sealion15)

Iron Man Is Planking. “Iron Man was looking around on the Web last night and discovered the fad of planking.” (Image Source: cyclochip)

Little Girl Planking. Probably one of the cutest planking in human history! (Image Source: jhinnr)

Moving Plank! A very fun planking that cannot complete without the supports of playful people, you got the focus dude! (Image Source: Kraus Phade)

Parking Plank. They park very well, wait, should they even exist on there with that pose? (Image Source: Semmick Photo)

Ping Pong Face-Down. “Today’s ping pong tournament had additional challenges.” (Image Source: ApplesInMyBra)

Plank The Army. What a great challenge to the army, too bad we cannot see what happened next! (Image Source: Simen Løvgren)

Plank The Great. Does the famous people even think that human in 21st century will invent something called planking? (Image Source: luciwest)

Plank The Lake. It seems like he’s doing the planking, and suddenly someone pushes him into the lake, cool one anyway! (Image Source: Arnór Orri)

Plank The Monster. I think the monster is more hilarious, but the combination makes the entire photo even more amusing! (Image Source: tgsaw)

Plank The Tank. So let them witness the true might of the planking. (Image Source: Basrah K9)

Planker And Cows. Animals always have a hard time on understanding intelligent humans. (Image Source: peter danger atkinson)

Plankers And Cops. Street planking is best when cops are involving it, whether they plank or not. (Image Source: HectorTheGreat1)

Planking. “There’s a time and a place for everything.” (Image Source: im.mick)

Planking Bear. “Even the polar bears are totally hooked on planking these days.” (Image Source: patries71)

Planking Champêtre. What holiday game will you like to have? Perhaps some happy planking on the grasses. (Image Source: Daily (de fuite:))

Planking In Garage. “So Scott thought he would try it on his car. Guys this isn’t easy if you don’t believe me try it.” (Image Source: Indianapolis Sports Photography)

Planking On A Frozen Lake. “Entering the Planking Craze that’s going on the internet now, I’m doing it in a frozen lake. From the top of Cypress Mt in Vancouver, BC.” (Image Source: superpco)

Planking On JR Cage. It’s alright for animals to not understand about this, even we humans don’t quite understand it either. (Image Source: kejuliso)

Planking The Bean. “World-record planking? It might be… they’re talking to the Guinness people…” (Image Source: Flipped Out)

Planking The Tanker. I really wonder where they got these kinds of gears. (Image Source: Basrah K9)

Planking With Rachael. Now what? Need For Speed Hot Planking? (Image Source: PatHayes)

Run Me Over. “There I was just lying on the ground (face down) when Scott decided to run me over in his jeep…” (Image Source: Martin Mucky Dunne)

Ryan Plank! There are more uses of basketball board rather than throwing basketball to it. (Image Source: The Dude Junior)

Spider Plank. In our childhood time, who knows the spider web can one day be played with a game called planking? (Image Source: cameijers)

Spiral Dominos. “I have long been an admirer of the creative and provocative work of Robert Smithson. This is my small homage to his amazing earthwork spiral jetty, although it goes nowhere near his genius or creativity.” (Image Source: Cat Johnson)

Star Wars Planking. “These aren’t the (regular) planks you’re looking for…” (Image Source: SteveHobley)

The Lying Down Game. Is this some kind of modern Da Vinci’s art? Probably one of the most artistic planking photos I’ve ever seen, brilliant! (Image Source: Genghis 72)

The Wing Man Plank. We know that we cannot walk on the aeroplane, how about planking on it? (Image Source: Basrah K9)

Transparent Screen IV. “This is the actual picture out of the camera. I didn’t add the desktop in post. What fun would that be!? You can actually see the reflection of the wall along the left third of the screen and my camera in the middle as well!” (Image Source: Erich Leeth)

Water-line Plank. The secret of the funny planking is the planker has to be serious, isn’t it? (Image Source: hyperdadamix)

Where Are My Socks?! “Shooting this one was kind of hard though, cause people kept coming in & out and Japan is not one of those countries where seeing a guy with his head stuck in a dryer is considered to be routine…” (Image Source: Nicola Bernardi)

Wilcox Pass Plank. Planking at 3000 meter, seems like a good way to enjoy the heavenly mountain scene. (Image Source: Photo-Con)

How’s About Horsemaning?

Horsemaning, also called as “fake beheading” is currently expected as the new Internet meme that will take over the planking. However, there were some posts burst out from both Gawker and Dembot pointed out that the meme was genuinely created (or, “faked”) by BuzzFeed. While the site didn’t officially state it’s some kind of joke or what, they didn’t deny it either.

So now the Horsemaning was coined as “Forced Meme” or “Fake Meme”, but is it really important that the meme is deliberately created or not? We’re not sure about the answer, but Internet people are already taking up the trend, and below are some neat Horsemaning photos for you to enjoy!

Enjoying Magazine. Magazine is still enjoyable even viewing it with the head unplugged, did you try that before? (Image Source: MTV Buzzworthy Blog)

Floating Head. You don’t necessarily need to turn your body even if you want to enjoy the view of your back. (Image Source: lavenderbouquet)

Horsemaning 2.0. The future of horsemaning is out, fuelled by the connective infrastructure of Google+! (Image Source: Newsweek)

Moustache Man Horsemaning. Having a relaxing moment on the chair… with my slightly heavy head unplugged. (Image Source: BuzzFeed)

Playing Video Game. As long as the gameplay is enjoyable, it doesn’t matter where your head is placed. (Image Source: Horsemaners Anonymous)

Post No Bills. It’s nothing wrong, don’t you think? (Image Source: BuzzFeed)

No Head. Err, sir, can I tell you that your head is misplaced? (Image Source: shojke)

Sexy Guy. Am I the only one who thinks the combination is quite wrong? (Image Source: BuzzFeed)

Reflection

While the meme has been quite well-received, there are also people criticizing the act is so nonsense, and it’s only for boring people who don’t know how to spend their time. Well, the photos above pretty much proved that even the professional photographers also involved in the meme, so it’s probably not totally about boredom, but some kind of creativity that sparks some hilarious and happy moment.

Anyway, why not relax and have fun with them! :) Think you spotted a creative planking photo that will beats some pieces above? Share it to us! We just don’t mind to have more fun, especially with our readers!