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  • Editorial Illustration Tutorial: How to Adapt to Different Layouts
    Creativity Tutorials

    Editorial Illustration Tutorial: How to Adapt to Different Layouts

    Learn how to approach a magazine layout and how to adapt your illustration concept from Emma Hanquist From the pages of magazines to the headers of online articles, editorial illustration is everywhere, using striking imagery to create engaging interpretations of body text. Beyond the creative challenge of creating images that compliment written pieces, editorial illustrators also deal with a unique set of constraints depending on each project, as formatting and page layout can vary greatly even within the same print publication. Knowing how to look at a mockup is crucial to creating impactful editorial and cover illustrations, and requires more than just scaling a drawing down to size. In this tutorial, editorial illustrator Emma Hanquist (@emmahan) explains how to adapt your illustration concepts to different types of page layouts and cover mockups, and warns against common mistakes.

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  • 10 Papercraft Artists You Should Be Following
    TOP 10

    10 Papercraft Artists You Should Be Following

    The Domestika community lists their favorite papercraft artists Paper isn’t just a material on which we can draw or write, we can work with it in lots of different ways to create unique illustrations, collages, and sculptures. This versatile and affordable material can take many different forms of artistic expression. We asked the Domestika community to list the papercraft artists who they find most inspiring. These were the results: Diana Beltrán (@dianabeltranherrera) Colombian industrial designer Diana Beltrán explores experimental techniques with card and paper. She’s inspired by animals and nature, both in her independent projects as well as her collaborations with big brands. She teaches the Domestika course, Advanced Papercraft Techniques: Designing with Paper.

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  • Tips for illustrating your own lettering
    Pro Typography

    Tips for illustrating your own lettering

    Sindy Ethel shows you techniques to illustrate letters by hand Combining lettering and illustration will help you create unique and eye-catching designs. Bringing these disciplines together will also allow you to experiment with different analog and digital techniques to obtain results that will surprise you. Below, designer Sindy Ethel shows you some simple tricks to familiarize yourself with letter shapes and get you started drawing your own:

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  • Cleaning and perfecting skin in Photoshop
    Pro Photography

    Cleaning and perfecting skin in Photoshop

    Alain Perdomo goes through a series of editing methods for fantasy portraits in Photoshop The process of retouching skin in a photo can achieve a professional result if it’s done with care. The following methods to correct details of the face and skin in a portrait will ensure spectacular results in your photos. Alain Perdomo (@alainperdomo) is a digital artist, photographer, and editor, focused mainly in cinema and advertising photography for fashion and beauty. In the following video, he shares his methods to retouch and perfect the skin to accomplish a fantasy effect:

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  • Dos and Don'ts of UX Design
    Design

    Dos and Don'ts of UX Design

    Learn from Ethan Parry what UX is and how to successfully use it to improve your product or service If you do an online search, you’ll probably find a few different definitions of UX, but at its core its mission is simple: designing a product or service that resonates with the user and their needs. While a successful UX design might look simple because it’s so intuitive, there’s a large amount of research, prototyping, and preparation that goes on behind the scenes. In this video, UX designer Ethan Parry (@ethanparry) shares three dos for how to create a powerful UX design, and 3 don’ts which represent common mistakes.

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  • Why You Should Use Dreamweaver
    Design

    Why You Should Use Dreamweaver

    This Adobe application simplifies the design process of a website. Learn why programmers and designers love it If you are interested in web design, you have most likely heard of Dreamweaver, a program created in 1997 by Macromedia but now part of Adobe's Creative Suite. It is one of the most famous website editors on the market and an essential tool for creating a modern and functional looking website. Web Designer and Domestika teacher Arturo Servín (@monkylab) knows it inside out, and here he will explain why it is the tool you should consider if you are thinking about building a website, even if you have no prior coding skills. First things first, Dreamweaver is not the only Adobe web design tool. The company also offers Adobe Muse, a somewhat more limited program in functions but very easy to use. Adobe, however, has stopped supporting Muse. The application can still be used, but it will not be updated. Over time, it will not be able to keep up with changes in the specifications of the different languages ​​that exist to create web pages, so web designers need to familiarize themselves with Dreamweaver as an alternative. For some designers, opening Dreamweaver for the first time can be overwhelming. The tools and interface can be very different from the design programs we are used to. But using it is easier than it seems and dramatically simplifies the task of programming the code of a website.

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  • Photoshop Tutorial: Rendering Hair and Eyes
    Creativity Tutorials

    Photoshop Tutorial: Rendering Hair and Eyes

    Learn from Bearbrickjia how to use rendering techniques for hair and eyes in Photoshop Though there are many elements to consider when creating an illustration, a portrait truly comes to life in its details. By adding personality and depth, these seemingly small aspects can transform a basic illustration into a larger work of art. For many artists, drawing hair is one of the biggest challenges they face. From how it flows to the texture of the wisps, it’s a detail that can be difficult to capture if you’re starting from scratch. Similarly, eyes, the windows to the soul, are a powerful detail in conveying the humanity and internal depth of a character. In this tutorial Karmen Loh, also known as Bearbrickjia (@bearbrickjia), demonstrates how you can use brushes in Photoshop to render eyes and hair, and how to use the liquify tool to refine your final image. Find out more below:

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  • How to Improve Your Creative Portfolio
    Design

    How to Improve Your Creative Portfolio

    Your portfolio should convey your essence and your creative identity. That's why it's so important to know what to include and how to show your work Almost two decades of experience have made Colombian graphic designer Arutza Rico Onzaga (@arutzarico) a specialist in putting together a visual portfolio. Throughout their career, they have built and deconstructed the way they show their work in order to take their professional career to ever higher levels and overcome new challenges. In a recent lecture (which you can see in full at the end of this article), Arutza spoke about the "psychology of the portfolio" and gave some key tips to shape our creative CV based on examples from their own portfolio and their professional and personal projects.

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  • Knitting and Crochet: Keys for Starting Out in Hand Weaving
    Craft

    Knitting and Crochet: Keys for Starting Out in Hand Weaving

    This small guide will help you discover, finally, the difference between knitting and crochet For anyone not familiar with weaving, it can be complicated differentiating between knitting (weaving with two needles) and crochet (weaving with a hook): they share many similarities but there are some key differences. Bárbara Bremer and Carolina Herrera, founders of Binge Knitting (@bingeknitting)–a company specialized in the creation of hand woven collections of contemporary designs–explain how the two crafts are alike and how they differ so you can learn to enjoy them and discover which would be best for your own creations.

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  • Challenge: Make a Digital Illustration Look Handmade in 10 Minutes
    Illustration

    Challenge: Make a Digital Illustration Look Handmade in 10 Minutes

    Alex de Marcos, illustrator and expert in digital painting techniques, faces the Domestika Challenge Alex de Marcos' career is broad and varied: he has worked in everything from editorial illustration to advertising, and regularly collaborates with major international brands such as Nike, Oysho, Movistar, Levi's and Ron Barceló. In this Challenge Domestika, the illustrator puts all his skills and experience to the test: he has just 10 minutes to make a digital illustration look like it was made using traditional methods by hand. Will he succeed? Find out in the following video:

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  • Simple Exercises for Drawing Perspective
    Illustration

    Simple Exercises for Drawing Perspective

    Puño shares three useful exercises that will help beginners to get better at drawing perspective When it comes to drawing, there are some universal rules based on how human beings perceive things and their cultural norms. Whether you choose to respect these rules, break them, or experiment with them, there’s no doubt that they are essential for every illustrator. One of these rules is perspective, a technique in figurative art to show the volume, location, and position of an object or person depicted in a drawing. It allows the viewer to see the subject in three dimensions and understand its shape.

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  • Early Concept Sketches by 5 of the World’s Most Famous Architects
    Design

    Early Concept Sketches by 5 of the World’s Most Famous Architects

    5 of the world’s most famous architects’ sketchbooks and napkin sketches, from Frank Gehry to Zaha Hadid The first time most people see an architect’s work, it’s in glass and steel, brick and mortar, or digitally rendered. There is nothing quite like seeing the hand-drawn rough sketches that capture the raw imagination and inspiration of great minds before the arrival of practical adjustments and new opinions. Different architects will use their sketches differently: to define the details of their designs; situate themselves in the location; identify key elements; and capture their moods and inspirations; and logging cultural and emotional references. These drawings and notes can take many forms too, spanning from specific structural designs and elemental analyses to abstract illustration and more conventional visual art. Here is a collection of the raw concept drawings, from wild sketches that capture the energy and shape of the artist’s thoughts to annotated scribbles that mark the different considerations they had in mind. Renzo Piano Napkin sketches are notorious in the world of architecture, one architecture school even funded scholarships through the sale of those of famous architects. Perhaps one of the most legendary pieces is that of Renzo Piano, the designer of London’s tallest building, the Shard, who apparently came up with the original sketch of the building on the back of a napkin while eating out with the property developer Irvine Sellar. "He saw the beauty of the river and the railways and the way their energy blended and began to sketch in green felt pen on a napkin what he saw as a giant sail or an iceberg," recalls Sellar who keeps the drawing in his offices.

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  • Drawing Tutorial: How to Create a Drawing Using the Chiaroscuro Technique
    Creativity Tutorials

    Drawing Tutorial: How to Create a Drawing Using the Chiaroscuro Technique

    Learn from Marco Mazzoni how to create perfect highlights and shadows on portraits In art, chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and shadow, creating depth and drama. Adding a sense of volume, it not only fleshes out the artwork’s subject but also draws the viewer’s eye to it. Artists well-known for their use of this technique include Goya, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio, and it is still very much in use, not only in paintings but also in cinema and photography. In this tutorial, artist and illustrator Marco Mazzoni (@marcomazzoniart) demonstrates how you can transform a simple drawing of a face using the chiaroscuro technique to add shadows and depth. Using just a pencil and piece of paper, the result can either be an artwork in itself or serve as the base layer for a more detailed and colorful composition.

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  • Tips for Creating a Botanical Nook in Your Home
    Design

    Tips for Creating a Botanical Nook in Your Home

    Discover how to create incredible DIY botanical spaces and make the most of them Interior design is not only about color, shapes, accessories, and spaces, plants can play a leading role: having green spaces in our daily lives is of the utmost importance. Meena and Ceci from Compañía Botánica (@ciabotanica)–a brand dedicated to the design of gardens, balconies, and green walls–are experts in combining plants and design. Together they create botanical pieces such as living paintings of cactus and succulents, which can be adapted to any environment. Here, they sharesome tips for incorporating plants into the design and decoration of spaces. Why is it important to have natural spaces inside the house? Creating living pictures and spaces is a way of having nature present in our homes or offices. They have a great impact, dazzle with their colors and shapes, and attract a lot of attention. That's why, if you don't have enough space in your house for big flowerpots, you can use bright pictures on the walls and small flowerpots that complement the small spaces: having plants on vertical surfaces can really catch the eye.

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  • Textile Toy Tutorial: How to Make A Basic Pattern Step By Step
    Creativity Tutorials

    Textile Toy Tutorial: How to Make A Basic Pattern Step By Step

    Learn to draw a freehand pattern for textile toys with Piti Piti Textile toys, by definition, call for a freer design and shapes that give a handmade feel. For this reason, the best technique for creating their patterns is freehand. In this tutorial, Omar Gad (@pititi), founder of the Piti Piti workshop in Mexico City, teaches us the simple steps to make patterns with few materials and a little creativity. Discover more in the video:

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  • Botanical Illustration Tutorial: How To Draw A Tree
    Creativity Tutorials

    Botanical Illustration Tutorial: How To Draw A Tree

    Learn step by step how to draw a tree from references and combine different techniques and processes with Paulina Maciel Botanical illustration, whether realistic or fantastical, is one of the most beautiful styles a creative can practice, thanks to the abundance of colors, the ability to enhance our powers of observation, and the multiplicity of applications, from editorial design to story illustration, packaging design and other graphic needs. In this tutorial, Paulina Maciel (@pau_maciel), the designer and illustrator behind Canela Estudio, explains how to draw and paint a tree from scratch, with a very simple method, using materials available to everyone. Discover it in the video below:

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  • Movies Reimagined as Vintage Books
    Design

    Movies Reimagined as Vintage Books

    Designer Matt Stevens works on a personal project about love of cinema and reading Matt Stevens is an American designer and illustrator who is primarily engaged in brand identity and editorial publishing. Matt prefers to move away from very formal processes and work with intuitive approaches. One of his personal projects is titled Good Movies as Old Books. In this series, with the simple criteria of choosing movies that he is passionate about, Matt redesigns movie posters as if they were vintage books.

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  • 10 Music Playlists to Spark Your Creativity
    TOP 10

    10 Music Playlists to Spark Your Creativity

    These playlists, curated by Domestika teachers, will inspire you Music and creativity are inseparable for many; some artists even say hitting that Play button is the first thing they do when they get to their studio or sit at the computer to work. With that in mind, we asked some of the creative professionals who teach courses at Domestika to share the music that inspires them most at work. Painting with music by Alex Hillkurtz If you had to choose a song that makes the paint flow and brushes dance, what would it be? For Alex Hillkurtz (@alexhillkurtzart), who teaches Architectural Sketching with Watercolor and Ink at Domestika, it is impossible to choose just one, so he has compiled the most inspiring titles in this playlist.

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  • 3 Drawing Challenges That Will Unlock Your Creativity
    Illustration

    3 Drawing Challenges That Will Unlock Your Creativity

    Adolfo Serra shares exercises that will encourage you to imagine, play, and experiment, and unlock your creativity Chance, mistakes, games, limits, and freedom: all can serve to help you unleash your imagination, create a language, and find your voice. In this video, illustrator Adolfo Serra (@adolfoserra) shares three drawing challenges that will push you to experiment with manual techniques and unlock your creativity. Gather up all the art materials you have at home; it’s time to put your creativity to the test.

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  • Free Download: Color Tips for Drawing with Pencils
    Downloads

    Free Download: Color Tips for Drawing with Pencils

    Learn tricks to improve your coloring process with Marco Mazzoni Marco Mazzoni (@marcomazzoniart) is and artist and illustrator. Experimenting with the boundaries of fine art using pencils has been a passion of Marco’s since he was a student. He tells a compelling story through his pencil portraits, drawing inspiration from Sardinian mysticism and the plants that he began sketching as a boy.

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  • Photography Tutorial: How to Create Droplets With Glycerin
    Photography

    Photography Tutorial: How to Create Droplets With Glycerin

    Learn how to create droplets with glycerin and place them in your sets when shooting macro photography with Sergi Gomez When we use macro photography to take pictures, it is useful to have an element in the foreground that allows us to create a blur effect. If we are working in the studio, sometimes it is necessary to artificially manufacture that first element to achieve more complex compositions and explore different visual options with our camera. Sergi Gómez García (@sergi2g), photographer and retoucher, teaches us in this tutorial how to create round drops with glycerin to place them in our studio photo sessions to achieve different and interesting effects in our compositions All you will need is water, glycerin and a syringe with a very fine needle. You can watch the video here:

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