BlogmyQuery – BMQ

We always try our best to challenge your artistic abilities and produce some interesting, beautiful and creative artwork. And as designers we usually turn to different sources of inspiration. As a matter of fact, we’ve discovered the best one — desktop wallpapers that are a little more distinctive than the usual crowd. This creativity mission has been going on for almost two years now, and we are very thankful to all designers who have contributed and are still diligently contributing each month.

We continue to nourish you with a monthly spoon of inspiration for the next 12 months. This post features 35 free desktop wallpapers created by artists across the globe for March 2011. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free. It’s time to freshen up your wallpaper!

Please note that:

• All images can be clicked on and lead to the preview of the wallpaper,
• You can feature your work in our magazine by taking part in our Desktop Wallpaper Calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?
• You might be interested in the Smashing Magazine March 2011 Windows 7 Theme as well.

Rock’n'roll Hall Of Fame

"A tribute to some of the legends inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." Designed by Gokul Nair from India.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1200

Troy

Designed by Zayeem Khan from India.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Spring Is Coming

"A cute idea of a factory producing leaves in preparation for Spring." Designed by Jusna Begum from UK.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Evil Plants

"This wallpaper is made for celebrate 2011 spring." Designed by Sticky Stuff from France.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Daydream

"A daydream is a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake." Designed by Bruna Suligoj from Croatia.

• preview
• with calendar: 480×320, 960×800, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 480×320, 960×800, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Forbidden City

"Illustration from on an original photograph of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China." Designed by Nic Dipalma from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Good Time Cyclones

"Las Vegas, Nevada." Designed by Brad Cerasani from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Creative Bubbles

"Creative Bubbles." Designed by Avish Khan from Pakistan.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1600×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1600×1200

There And Back Again

Designed by Becky Rother from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

March Hare

"Air in March is full of spring and it makes us see amazing things." Designed by Olivia Osik from Estonia.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×1024, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×1024, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Spring Is Here

"Let’s put away the winter coats and start enjoying the beautiful outdoors!" Designed by Corporate 3 Design from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 480×320, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1200, 2561×1440
• without calendar: 480×320, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1200, 2561×1440

Ah, Russia – The Famous Trio

Designed by Tihomir Budic from BiH-Republika Srpska.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 2560×1600
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×960, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 2560×1600

Galanthus Nivalis

"March is the first month of spring that we all looking forward to." Designed by Cheloveche.ru from Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Chinese Impression

"Chinese opera always leave a deep impression on people. It always bring us the enjoyment of beauty." Designed by Lijingwen from China.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Close To Paradise

"Mesa, Arizona." Designed by Brad Cerasani from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

There’s Always Hope

"When the dust settles and the rumbling ceases, we are able to see clearly once more. Faith in a new start pushes us forward despite our losses. Hope for a new horizon is a warming reality in which we can find assurance. We will discover love in unexpected places, and with a little luck we make it to the dawn of a new day." Designed by Elevendy from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Pi Day

Designed by Felix Grossar from Austria.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Playing Indoors

"Momma always said not to play indoors. Nothing a little glue and a vacuum cleaner can’t fix." Designed by Mad Sprocket from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Anantara

"Path to the beach at dusk, Phuket Thailand." Designed by Aaron Christe from Thailand.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

All Is Full Of Love

"All is full of love is a project about the lifes of 200 calendars. For the past five years, Denitsa Boyadzieva has been lovingly creating her clay and paper “walldolls” and featuring them on her blog. Each with its own character and story. ." Designed by Graphic Design Studio Punkt from Bulgaria.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

The White Stripes

"This wallpaper is a little tribute to one of the best bandof the last decade: The White Stripes. After I’ve heard thenews of their decision to make no longer music together,my theme for the march wallpaper was born. I’ve been inspiredby the “Seven Nation Army” video. Hope you like it!" Designed by Marco Palma from Italy/Germany.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1440×900, 1600×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1366×768, 1440×900, 1600×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Usher In The Year Of The Rabbit

"In the land of the shadows the “hare-ry” hand is king. Guised as the bringer of easter, mischief only awaits. So hide your eggs of chocolates and such from the hand dressed as a hare, whence come next year you’d have nothing to bare." Designed by Siewhui from Singapore.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Sweet March

"Digital collage, based on past and coming spring. The idea is to make it eternal or at least make it eternal in our computers! Hope you like it." Designed by Soledad Martelletti from Argentina.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050
• without calendar: 320×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050

Listen To March

"Just listen to March, the beautiful spring month~." Designed by Kayro C from China.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Mimesis Art Prints

"Crossed Wires photographed by Lia Laroye. Calendar designed by Denis Leblanc." Designed by Mimesis Art Prints from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Breath Of Spring

"We waited the spring for a long time . And now we can take a deep breath and enjoy the flavor of the coming spring. It’s time to wake up!" Designed by Oxana Kostromina from Poland/Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Creative Juice

"Let your creative juices flow!" Designed by Junior Rumbelow from England.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

March Flying

"March is the time when you can spread your wings and welcome the first rays of sun." Designed by Jaro Mlkvy from Slovakia.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Lion & Lamb

"March; In like a lion, out like a lamb." Designed by Brian Hauck from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050

Formula 1

"We love Formula 1 at Fluid Creativity, in fact, we’re so excited that we’ve kicked off the F1 season by designing this desktop calendar for March 2011 for all of the Smashing Mag fans to download. ." Designed by Fluid Creativity from England.

• preview
• with calendar: 480×320, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 960×640, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1024×600, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 480×320, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 960×640, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1024×600, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Spring

"Spring is almost here!" Designed by Agnes Swart from The Netherlands.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Spring Is Coming

"The weather is getting a little warmer, some birds fly, spring is not here yet, but it’s coming soon." Designed by Fabrizio Giammatteo from Italy.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Three

"Winter has left the city. Maybe?!" Designed by Lotum from Germany.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 640×960, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 640×960, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Save The Date

"Tunisia and Egypt revolution… The beauty of freedom in two colors Red and Black." Designed by Sahra Tamo from Syria.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Join in next month!

Please note that we respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience throughout their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us, but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.

A big thank you to all designers for their participation. Join in next month!

What’s your favorite?

What’s your favorite theme or wallpaper for this month? Please let us know in the comment section below.

(ik) (vf)

© Smashing Editorial for Smashing Magazine, 2011. | Permalink | Post a comment | Smashing Shop | Smashing Network | About Us
Post tags: Wallpapers

So after we’ve featured some texture packs to spice up your designs, we’d like to show you what’s actually possible with these various, attractive textures. They do not only add depth and dimension into your Web designs but also embody your creative approach towards website designing. Although textures can be subtle and are most often overlooked, they can play a vital role in the effectiveness of your Web design.

In today’s post, we present to you some very impressive texture-based websites for your inspiration. We hope that this post will inspire you to add some texture into your designs as well!

Beautiful Texture in Web Design

Carlos – Partez Sur La Piste
The darker textured background of this Web design ultimately fades into a solid background at the middle of the page. The side bar also uses a slight texture in some areas. The website has a rather strange but very creative Web design. Check it out:

Team Fannypack
A newspaper-styled website design that uses some cool typography and graphics. The design also uses a creased paper texture to give it the feel of a real newspaper you would buy from the kiosk around the corner:

Five Cent Stand
A simple and minimal website design that principally leans on its typography and cool graphics. The design uses an appealing delicate paper texture which brings out the typography and adds a lot of visual interest to the design:

Helmy Bern
Bern’s Web design uses a very heavy and dark colored background theme with deep texture which helps the typography of the distorted header to be prominent:

Third Culture Studios
This Web design makes use of the grungy brown/cream texture in the background which brings out the clean and bright typography and content area to life:

Agency Ball
Agency Ball Summer 2010 uses a much simpler style design which utilizes the simple paper texture with bold typography to pull together a lovely and attractive theme:

Tangled Decals
This is probably the only one Web design which exceptionally uses the texture with the minimal use of typography. However, it does look great and bringw this design to life:

Josh Sullivan
A nature inspired textured based website that uses some great header and an excellent background image. A gentle grime texture is employed into the background to harmonize other features of the design:

Dog House Cards
A smooth and contemporary design that uses a wooden texture in the background. This neat and clear approach makes the items and brilliant images somehow come out of your screen:

Corvus Art
A colorful website design having a subtle texture background which merges with the heavy header at the top of the design. The typography really stands out in this design bringing out the main content area on top of the page:

Snopp
Another simple and minimalist website design that uses very subtle and delicate textures in the background as well in the sidebar, giving this Web design an extra oomph!

Hugs for Monsters
This Web design makes use of graphics in the background and is based with very delicate textures. The design is textured with a shadowy grey color along with a rubbery feel:

Kim – The Movie
The header of this Web design uses yellow and black with the textured effect in the background. In particular on the sides where the colors are darker, the same textured is being used in the navigation menu as well:

Cooper Graphic Design
Cooper Graphics Design is another example of a simple yet beautiful website design having a great header image with a visually alluring logo design and some cool geometric shapes signifying the diversity and innovation in the design field. A very soft background texture is used to harmonize these features which work great:

Jumbalaya
The website of Jumbalaya has a grungy feel with a dark textured background and bold typography that makes this design stand out from the rest:

All For Design
Here is some pure inspiration for designers who want to use every popular subtle noise texture available for their website’s background. This helps bring the content of the website to life. Here, another texture is used simultaneously to create more depth and visual interest by making some fields of the clean textured background lighter in some areas, and darker in others:

Rocket Club
Rocket Club is another website design that makes use of a very neat and clean content area with a beautifully textured background. The background includes a slight shade of bluish purple color to give the design more clarity:

Word Refuge
Word Refuge does something very creative and unique. This website is very simple and is based on a minimalist design concept when compared with others; it only makes use of the clean background and clean typography element that matches with their niche they are into. The header of the site complements the nice texture graphics that give it a little bit of extra liveliness:

Get Review App
A simple and soothing paper background texture is used in this design with some sleek navigation and buttons at the top:

Vector Stories
This website uses a good deal of truly fresh and interactive elements, including the central clickable ‘Let’s get started’ button. It has several textures in different places such as in the main background, the content background, and each little element within the sites content:

Ecoki
This website design includes a few different textures along with an interesting navigation menu. The texture and the unraveled impression make it the central point of the design:

Kaleidoscope App
The Kaleidoscope website uses the texture and pattern combination to succeed this immense dark-themed website. The combination of dark background and splendid use of contrast makes this website easy as well as pleasant to view:

Reklama Audio
This website uses the vintage style design focusing on a totally different decade of website design. The theme used in this design uses a similar style of texture in the background that makes all the elements fit very well:

Miles Dowsett
You may have probably seen this type of website design before; it is popular for its spectacular use of colors and floral elements which give the Web design an unusual yet pleasant appeal:

Francesco Molezzi
This website design employs a repeating delicate paper texture which adds lovely depth to the overall design and also brings those awesome images to the surface:

Kritzelmusic
This is another excellent example of simple and minimal Web design which uses some clear typography and columns which develop a very unique visual interest in the design. The margining of a heavy texture in the header into a very subtle texture in the main background makes the overall design even more better and visually appealing. The use of strong font colors against the grey scale background gives the design some more depth:

Bright Creative
The official website of Bright Creative is designed with true creativity. The web design makes use of the superb CSS effects which creates a very interactive effect pulling the overall look of the design off with some beautiful texture used in the background:

Golifechurch
Many designers use the dark background for their website but this website gives the dark background a unique variety with the use of textured look. Note the use of pictures and graphics against the dark background:

Justincosgrove
Here, the background image consists of varying shades of black and grey overlapping each other with a subtly highlighted area of the logo. These effects give the Web design a very different feel than it would have with a solid single-colored background:

Creative Connection
Another simple, sleek and modern Web design that uses the nice subtle texture background which makes the clean object and typography stand out:

Kylemkramer
This design uses the ever popular subtle texture in the background which brings the content of the website to life. The use of large and bold typography makes the heading more appealing:

Night Owl Interactive
Another great example which demonstrates that a Web design can actually communicate your business and your message to your potential customers. Here, a very dark background with heavy textures is used and embodies the night time when owls are active:

Sprout Fund
The content area of this site has a very slight but subtle texture which cannot be noticed at a first glance next to its powerful and alluring header. At the top of the site is a torn edge which is embroidering the whole texture effect giving it very startling look:

Pop the Box
This site successfully manages to pull off the textured based website design, sleek design and minimalism design all in one go. The design uses the very clear and sweet typography with a sleek top menu:

Dropr
The website would look perfectly fine without the use of any texture but it looks great with this very subtle texture which makes this Web design stand out from the rest. The use of the texture in this design brings out the typography at the top:

Wall Swaps
Wall Swaps features a very creative but less colorful background with a heavy textured approach. The background texture looks like a cork board. The use of cardboard texture and everyday elements in the design gives this design a very friendly and fun environment:

Enliven
Enliven uses a dark textured background with clean and bold typography and very prominent images which completes the overall look and feel of the design. The side bar also has a subtle texture:

Weblounge
The dark textured background of Weblounge disappears gradually with the clear central image. The subtly textured header really sets the design apart from the similar darker background websites:

Istok Pavlovic
Istok Pavlovic uses a very delicate and slightly noisy light blue color texture in the background. This adds a unique visual interest in the design and helps the content area and typography to get more attention:

Aamuki
Blogamuki goes far beyond the creativity with its unique grunge look which uses the eye-catching swirls and dark texture to produce an interesting and appealing style:

Eggraphy
Eggraphy uses a dark background with a unique creative approach. The central area is highly textured while the rest of the design and background has a scruffy style. Check it out:

Cogitatur
This is a heavier textured website in this showcase which uses heavy texture throughout the entire design. This Web design is very subtle and makes the website unbelievably easy to remember. Heavy texture in the header brings out the best of this design. The texture which is used beneath the header makes it look as if it is created using paper:

Ryanscherf
It is hard to pull off dark designs with embedded strong heavy textures but this website proves that a darker background can also be used very gracefully along with heavy textures:

(ik)

In Validating HTML5 with validator.nu and the HTML5Validator Extension for Firefox I talked about my solution for validating HTML5 in the browser – without having to do it manually, and without running into problems with pages that are on a local domain or behind a firewall or login. I also mentioned a couple of issues with the extension that I was aware of.

Last week I got an email from Valentin Agachi who offered to help out. Thanks to him, fixes for the issues I mentioned along with several new features and options are now incorporated into the HTML5 Validator extension. Massive thanks to Valentin for the help!

Read full post

Posted in Browsers, HTML 5, Productivity.