FREE image download at istockphoto

For all the designers out there, now you can download image, vector illustration and video for FREE at istockphoto. All you have to do is join as a member (free also). After you log-in, find the "Free Image of the Week" section and click on "More". From there you can see the link "Free Image of the Week", "Free Video of the Month" and "Free Vector of the Month".

Please click on my referral link to sign-up istockphoto.
Sign-up istockphoto

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FREE stock images for download

Masters of Adobe Illustrator 01

Yukio Miyamoto

Yukio Miyamoto has been using and abusing Adobe Illustrator since the biginning of time (well, since the late '80s at least.). Professional Artist Yukio Miyamoto's artwork is showcased and sample throughout the book.Yukio's artwork has appeared in a number of books, from design books. Yukio has trained thousands of people in all areas of graphics for the Mac and win.
Yukio has published an Adobe Illustrator how-to book "The Adobe Illustrator Super Guide Series" "The Adobe Photoshop Super Guide Series" and "Illustrator PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP" but sadly, it is only available in Japanese at this time. (text taken from venus.oracchi.com)

click on picture for larger preview

You may find the last artwork "crystals glass" in you application folder.
[Adobe Illustrator 10,CS,CS2 Folder /Sample Files/Sample Art/crystal.ai]

Can't found it? You can click on link to download here.
Crystals glass vector

Please click on link to visit Yukio Miyamoto's website and check-out his amazing works.
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~yukio-m/intro/index.html

HyperXgirl character design contest

For those who like character design, here's a good chance to show the world how good you are and win some attractive prizes. Kingston is having a HyperXgirl character design contest.

Contest Period
March 17, 2008 – April 30, 2008 23:59 Taipei local time (GMT+8:00).
Names of winner will be announced on Kingston website on June 5, 2008

Eligibility
Entry is open to residents of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand , Vietnam and other countries in Asia.

How To Enter
All contestants must enter their personal information and upload the artwork via this website .
Contestants may be an individual or a group.

File format
JPEG format of no less than 90% of quality, 800x600 Pixels, 72 dpi resolutions, file size does not exceed 1 MB, and same artwork up to 3 different angles.

Online Voting
Voting period:May 5, 2008 – May 20, 2008

Prizes
Amateur Group
One (1) Grand Prize -an award certificate, cash prize of USD $1,000,
Kingston products valued at USD $200.
One (1) Second Place - an award certificate, cash prize of USD $700,
Kingston products valued at USD $150.
One (1) Third Place -an award certificate, cash prize of USD $500,
Kingston products valued at USD $100.
Twenty (20) Excellence Award - an award certificate,
Kingston products valued at USD $100.


Professional Group
One (1) Grand Prize - an award certificate, cash prize of USD $5,000,
Kingston products valued at USD $300.
One (1) Second Place - an award certificate, cash prize of USD $3,500, Kingston products valued at USD $200.
One (1) Third Place -an award certificate, cash prize of USD $2,000,
Kingston products valued at USD$100.
Three (3) Excellence Award -an award certificate, cash prize of USD $1,000, Kingston products valued at USD$100.

Click on link to visit the Official Website for more details.
Kingston HyperXgirl contest Official website

Who wants to buy my print?

I registered and uploaded 14 images to imgakind.com. Anyone wants to buy my print? Here's some sample of how my print will look like when it was hang on the wall.

click on picture for larger preview

Click on link to visit my imagekind.com gallery.
http://vuifah.imagekind.com

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Sell your print

Sell your print

What else you can do to make extra money with your images? Submit to imagekind.com and sell a printed copy.

click on picture for larger preview

How to make money
Markup from the base printing prices.
Earn 15% commission on any mats, frames or glazing sold with any of your prints.

How to get paid
When you reach $50.00 in earnings, you will be sent a payment.

Payment Methods
By check or by PayPal.

How much does it cost to join
FREE for 1 gallery (24 images), 200mb monthly Bandwidth, 200mb storage.

What are the basics of selling my artwork on Imagekind?
Opening an Imagekind Gallery to share and sell your artwork is as easy as counting to ten.

1. Go to our site at www.Imagekind.com – the best gallery, print-on-demand, and frame shop on the web!
2. Open a free Member Account which includes one free gallery, or you can upgrade to a Pro account which includes unlimited galleries. Add your own Bio to promote your existing website, gallery, and/or business.
3. Upload your high resolution images to your Imagekind gallery by going to the Media and Gallery Management tab in your account. We accept JPG, TIFF, PNG and BMP formats.
4. Add descriptions and set a percentage markup price on your prints. This is how you can earn money on your own art – you earn the markup on items sold!
5. Configure some suggested mat and frame combinations for the images in your gallery. The better your images look the more likely they are to be sold. And remember, you earn 15% commission on any mats, frames or glazing sold with any of your prints.
6. 6. Want to be seen on the site? Select a Public setting. Public means that your gallery can be viewed on the Imagekind website by any visitor browsing or searching the site.
7. Open for business by promoting your unique Imagekind URL which directs people to your Imagekind gallery. You unique URL is http://yourscreenname.imagekind.com
8. Friends, family, patrons, fans, designers, and shoppers print, custom frame and buy your art.
9. We print, mat, frame, and ship on demand to your buyers around the world.
10. You get paid every month as long as you have accumulated at least $50 in earnings. (text taken from imagekind.com)

For more details on pricing, please click on link
Base prices for prints

For more details on resolution (dpi), please click on link
Printing Basics

How i submit Vector illustration

I start to submit vector illustration after many months. Here's a recap of me submitting vector illustration to all the 5 RF stock site.

Preparations

1. After finish checking and conform no more open path/open shape (read related post), converted ALL stroke path to outline, save it to EPS (ai8 version).
2. Save one more svg format for fotolia.
3. Export the same file (as big as you can, for Dreamstime) to a JPEG format for preview purpose.
4. From this JPEG file, save it into 3 sizes; 400x500(for Shutterstock), 1600x1600(for 123RF) and 1900x2800(for istockphoto).

Submit to Shutterstock

1. Upload 2 files for each vector illustration, 1 EPS file and 1 JPEG file (400x500).
2. Both the file MUST be SAME name, except for the extension. (eg. giraffe.eps and giraffe.jpg)

Submit to 123RF.com

1. After log-in, click on "Upload" link on top.
2. Choose upload "Illustrations (EPS). Each file must not exceed 5MB.
3. Attach a RGB JPEG preview of your image at 1600 x 1600 pixels or larger.

Submit to Dreamstime.com

1. Submit the original size JPEG format file first.
2. As soon as they are accepted or right from the first submission you can also upload an additional format (ai or eps format)

Submit to fotolia

1. Upload the svg format but make sure not larger than 1.2MB.

Submit to istockphoto

1. Upload the EPS file and the JPEG preview(1900x2800), your preview can be larger if you wish.
2. Upload one more EXTRA file, you skatch (lo-res JPEG will do) at step-4, to prove you are the original creator.

Related post:
Open Shapes in Illustrator