A lot happened in June.We released the full-feature version of our bulk-uploader for store owners and the weekly freebies section went live! There were also a ton of fantastic new products coming from the community; here's our top 5 picks for the month.

Colour Constructor

Ever wanted to see what an object of a particular color would look like under a specific light setup? This is exactly what this neat little application by artist/programmer Murry Lancashire allows you to do. You can select different shapes, tint them any color you want, then select ambient & main light colors and intensity and see the final result in real time. You can even export the resulting color swatches. This is a fantastic tool for artists to use a reference, study or brainstorm realistic color palettes.

Tech Tips Series: Essential Lessons 4 & 5

Joe Peterson is an ex Blizzard veteran now working freelance for a number of the major studios out there. He's the guy who designed the StarCraft 2 marine, so you best believe he knows his tech! His latest tutorial on how to better draw & design sci-fi mechanical parts and objects discusses the topics of surface detailing and then goes in deeper (literally) by explaining the importance of what you don't see on the inside of a machine and how it impacts the outside look. The two insightful videos are a follow up to his previous series containing videos 1-3 (which we also highly recommend!).

Portraits in the Wild: Painting People on Location

Painting portraits from life takes on a new intensity when your subjects are in their natural environment and when they're talking and moving. In this unique video workshop, James Gurney brings you along as he sets out to paint people in four dynamic situations: fairgoers in a lunch line, a historical re-enactor in an outdoor museum, a farmer in a barn, and a gathering of Sacred Harp singers.

Gurney uses colored pencils, watercolor, gouache, casein, and oil. Each image develops from the first sketch to the final painting, with closeups of palette and brushstrokes juxtaposed with shots of the moving model. You'll hear and see the subjects talking and singing, alternating with Gurney's practical and reassuring voice-over explaining the thinking behind the technique.

King Wash Laundromat (UE4)

This incredibly detailed 3D scene by senior environment artist Clinton Crumpler is one of those rare cases where images can't do it justice. The laundromat interior and exterior were built to scale using tons of references, contains over 100 props all built in realistic AAA quality visuals, style, and budget and the result is eerily breathtaking. The scene is built for Unreal Engine 4 but each individual assets can be used in any game engine with some adjustments. The creepy lighting, dirty floors, grungy textures and subtle effects all combine to create something quite special.

Samurai - Character Concept Tutorial in ZBrush

Keos Masons, the freelancing duo composed of digital sculpting rockstars Marc-O Plouffe and Cédric Séaut bring us a 12 hour long video tutorial on ZBrush concepting and sculpting. It's not every day we get to see how the masters do their magic and with ZBrush now at the top of the digital sculpting industry, this should be relevant to a LOT of artists out there. The tutorial takes the viewers through the duo's entire process, starting from a simple ZSphere, working out the design and all the way to a complete, incredibly detailed Sci-Fi samurai. This is ZBrush gold in its purest form!