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It’s summer here, and while the warm weather can be enjoyable, at times it becomes a bit unbearable. That’s OK though, cause it gives us plenty of time to find some incredible tutorials and other links from around the web!

Our Tutorial Picks

Each month, we try to pick tutorials that are outstanding in quality and usefulness. We tend to pick tutorials that encompass design, although we let a few others slip in if they are really great! If you found any that we may have missed, feel free to share them in the comments!

Create a Designer Font in Illustrator

Isaac’s got a great method for enhancing your type using Illustrator. Definitely worth a look, as well as his brand new endeavor over at Makeeda!

Trendy Geometric Lines in Illustrator

You may have seen our Retro Rainbow Curves Photoshop Tutorial recently published at Tutorial9, but Blog Spoon Graphics has a much easier way to replicate the effect using Illustrator!

Super Cool Frilly Bits Typography

Fabio runs through a powerful technique for adding that final creative touch to your typography, and man, it looks great.

The Making of Mystic

Nik Ainley of Shinybinary knows a thing or two about Photoshop, as he demonstrated over at PSDTUTS recently. Watch and learn as he walks through the creation of a digital materpiece.

Simple, Organic Shapes in Adobe Illustrator

Veerle answers a reader request for creating some awesome organic shapes using Adobe Illustrator. It’s so simple, yet so stunning and beautiful all at once.

Sleek Phone Advertisement Photoshop Tutorial

Isaac has written an awesome tutorial in the past here at Tutorial9 for creating an awesome product ad in Photoshop, and we found the techniques shown in this tutorial to be just as intriguing!

Tilt-Shift Photography Photoshop Tutorial

Tilt-Shift Photography can result in some very interesting effects, but may not be something everyone has the equipment to accomplish on their own. With this simple Photoshop Tutorial, you can start creating your very own Tilt-Shift style photographs!

Create a Watercolor Vector Flower in Illustrator

Use Illustrator to design your very own watercolor vector flower illustration. This informative tutorial will guide you through the entire process of turning an ordinary photograph into a vector illustration.

Wood Inlay Text Tutorial

Learn how to create a Wood Inlay effect using wood textures over at PSHero! A great effect for text and shapes alike.

How to Write and Effective Thank You Note for Any Occasion

Put down the pen tool, and pick up a real pen! You know there’s at least one person you owe a thank you too, and this article has some wonderful tips for getting your thanks sent out!

Inspirational & Useful Picks

Being a designer can be tough. Half of the battle when creating something is simply finding a good source of inspiration. These links are intended to help get yourself motivated, help you along the way, and get the creative process rolling!

2to2

2to2 is an online portfolio featuring both commercial and art works from two designers from Poland. Some really great eye candy to see there!

Colour Tools, Palettes, Schemes, and Theory

Here’s a great collection of sites that specialize in just about everything colour related. You’re bound to find at least one of them a useful resource for your design work!

Origin and History of a Word: Design

Here’s an interesting read for you. Discover the origins of the word Design, and what makes a designer different from an ordinary artist.

300+ Vintage Style Textures and Photoshop Brushes

Remember our recent post of 99 free textures? Well Design Reviver just published an awesome collection of over 300 vintage style textures and Photoshop Brushes.

Grafikas – Non Commercial Works of Drew Europeo

Drew Europeo is an Artist. Drew Europeo makes beautiful Illustrations. We love beautiful things, thus, we happen to be very fond of Drew Europeo. Oh, and that’s basically the coolest last name. Ever. It’s just fun to say. Europeo.

Hatch: The Design Public Blog

Hatch is a Blog over at the Design Public, featuring excellence in new design, architecture, culture, and more! Worth adding to your feed reader if you’re into design!

Sugarryhme.com

The personal creative portfolio of Karol Kolodzinski and all of his breathtaking graphic design and illustrations. His last name might not be as fun to say as Europeo, but his work is truly astounding. Ok… I just wanted to say Europeo one last time.

UI-Patterns

Need a help designing your user interface? UI-Patterns probably has you covered with their extensive resources for improving your UI.

Valp.now

Valp is Maciej Hajnrich. Graphic designer and illustrator. This is his online showcase of his brilliant works.

Free Web Development Icons

Icojoy has put together a large number of free, downloadable Icons that you’re welcome to use in your website development.

Free Acrylic Photoshop Brushes

These are by far some of the best free acrylic Photoshop brushes I’ve ever come across. Grab’em, and be sure to give thanks to Jeff Gardner for making them available!

Design Critiquing

“I often notice that people are giving critique to the designer rather than the design itself…” and more words of wisdom from Veerle.

Helvetica Calendar

I want one of these, now. Check out this incredible Helvetica Calendar designed by Greig Anderson.

LOGAN.tv & Metal Gear Solid 4 Intro Videos

Gamer? Maybe you’ve heard of Metal Gear Solid 4? Well, the fact that you’re here tells us that you may be interested in meeting the folks responsible for some of the beautiful introductory videos for the new game.

Words and Thoughts in RGB

A Mini-Documentary about Color by Eduardo Morais, winner of several awards, and the only video we’re featuring in this months roundup at Tutorial9.

Typography Scarf

Not sure if this scarf will do a good job of keeping you cozy in the cold, but it’s at least the coolest looking scarf we’ve ever laid eyes on.

Vinicius Costa

A motion designer from Brazil who has worked with clients such as MTV and Nickelodeon. This is his reel of impressive works in 2008.

Find any great tutorials or links that we may have missed? Be sure to share them in the discussion below!