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Hey gang,

Deke's Techniques: The Challenge has officially entered its final phase, in which I invite you to create a video on anything you want. I call it Anything Goes.

I like this graphic that I created because it leaves so much to the imagination. What could that word with the asterisks (*) be? I think it means "shuck-e-darns" but, alas, I'm not a good speller. Read more » 

 Hey gang!

Just a quick note to let one and all know that today marks the transition from one contest to another.

Starting today, dekeOnline begins to accept submissions for Deke's Techniques: The Illustrator Challenge. For official rules and regs, check out deke.com/challenge.

Tonight at 11:59pm California time, the first contest, Deke's Techniques: The Photoshop Challenge, shuts down and we will cease to accept further submissions. Read more » 

Last Friday marked the debut of the latest entry in my ongoing compendium on the topics of digital imaging and pixel-based artistry, Photoshop CS6 One-on-One: Intermediate. Weighing in at 9 hours and 25 minutes, it represents everything I have to say (for the time being, anyway) on the topics of Content-Aware, sharpening, text, shapes, layer effects, styles, Liquify, black-and-white, and output.

Oh, and I also discuss how to use the Levels command. The attached movie serves as the introduction. I'm really proud of it. Have you ever seen a guy interact with a histogram like that? It's like Minority Report. Except that my gut and man boobs are bigger than Tom Cruise's. Kudos to Will Frazier, Andrew Brown, and the whole graphics and live-action teams at lynda.com. Love you guys!

To view the entire course, mosey on over to lynda.com. Specifically, you'll want to go to Photoshop CS6 One-on-One: Intermediate, which contains the usual 10% free movies, not to mention the 100% available to beloved members of the Online Training Library. Read more » 

Diqueno Techniqueams ipso Facto et Cetera ad Infinitum.

Which, as everyone knows, is Latin for "Let The Challenge Begin."

Today I launch three sequential mid-Summer contests. They will last two weeks apiece, or six weeks in all. These contests, which I call Deke's Techniques: The Challenge, will end with a total of ten winners---surrounded by the bloodied remains of their adversaries---divided into two camps: seven finalists and three Grand Prize winners. Together, they will divide more than $25,000 in plunder!

You may have questions: How does the contest work? (I'll tell you.) Will there be knife play? (No.) Will you be required to dress as a gladiator? (No.) Will you need to kill your opponent? (No.)

Will you need to make a harmless training video? (Yes.) Will that video need to mention, even in whispered asides, three episodes of Deke's Techniques? (Yes.) Will that movie need to be, at most, 10 minutes long? (Yes.) Will you need to feed the entrails of your video to those of your enslaved rivals whom you defeat on the battlefield. (I'm don't entirely get that question, but I'm pretty sure the answer is no.)

It really is this simple: Make a training video that demonstrates an awesome technique. Mention three of mine. Make sure your movie is no longer than 10 minutes. Submit it to YouTube. And then to this site. And if you win, you'll win big.

Click on this link to learn all about it. And then go to lynda.com/dt to learn how to make a training video. Read more »