Top 10 Creative Projects of April 2021

We’ve compiled a list of 10 projects that have received a lot of positive attention from the Domestika community over April

It’s that time of the month when we look back at 10 projects that the Domestika community has crowned as their favorites. If you are looking for inspiration, this list shares personal work, final projects for courses, and exciting updates from Domestika teachers: be inspired by creativity in all different forms. While each project is unique, all ten listed have something in common: they have received the most likes from our community.

Over April, watercolor and embroidery stood out as the most popular disciplines. However, the community wasn’t just thinking about threads and colors last month: an e-commerce sustainable packaging project and a digital portrait created in Procreate also feature on the list.

If you want to explore each project, click on the title in red. We'd love to hear which one you liked the most in the comments section at the bottom of the article.

¡Nuevo libro! Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media, by Ana Victoria Calderon (@anavictoriana)

Ana Victoria Calderón, who teaches Domestika courses such as Modern Watercolor Techniques, has published a book titled Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media. The project has been very enthusiastically received by our community.

Presented as a beginner's guide, the book encourages you to experiment with different techniques and paint sparkling galaxies, glowing oceans, and dazzling crystals. The author has shared various images of her process to give you a glimpse of what to expect.

Watercolour bumble bee, by Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes)

Sarah Stokes has the power to transport the viewer into nature. Inspired by her surroundings-the Worcestershire (UK) countryside-, she applied modern watercolor painting methods to illustrate wildlife. The artist captures scenes with her brushes as precise as this painting of a bee.

If you would like to discover Sarah’s tips and techniques, sign up to her course Artistic Watercolor Techniques for Illustrating Birds.

Conjuro de hilo, by Gimena Romero (@gimenaromero)

Domestika teacher Gimena Romero confesses in her post, "I've been so busy attending to you on the forums and preparing a thousand surprises in the studio that I hadn't realized I hadn't uploaded my latest Blackwork project". Since uploading her new design, it has become one of the top voted projects. In this piece, she experiments with Blackwork, a traditional English embroidery technique featuring geometric designs.

The textile artist adds a 21st-century touch to this traditional method. If you like the result and want to try it out, you can sign up for her course, Introduction to Blackwork Embroidery.

Hechizo de primavera, by Gimena Romero (@gimenaromero)

If you are thinking about embarking on a journey with embroidery, the stem stitch method is a great option. You can apply it to create unique pieces like this textile illustration, which Gimena has designed using the skills and experience she shares in her course, Embroidery Technique with the Stem Stitch.

Gimena also still faces challenges when working on projects, even while working on her course: "The wool material is so difficult to work with that, halfway through filming, I had to correct a lot of mistakes". Gimena encourages you to keep going and keep experimenting.

Loose watercolour portrait in black, by Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes)

Sarah Stokes creates charcoal portraits that are powerful and mysterious. In this project, you will get to see her entire process. Inspired by a photograph, the artist recreates shapes, textures, and different types of detail. For her, the eyes are the main feature in her work, and she uses them to prompt an emotional response in the viewer.

If you want to learn to create watercolor portraits, check out Sarah’s course, Artistic Charcoal Portraiture: Creating Atmosphere.

TANSET Cosmetics, by Tatabi Studio (@tatabi)

Packaging with an eco soul: this is Tatabi Studio’s philosophy. This project that the studio has shared with the Domestika community is for their client, TANSET, a brand of cosmetics for tattooed skin sold exclusively online and inspired by the 80s. The design bursts with energy, inspired by the colors that fill the sky at sunset. The packaging and boxes are environmentally friendly.

Tatabi Studio teaches the Domestika course Sustainable Packaging Design for E-commerce, in which creative director Elena Sancho will show you how to create attractive, innovative, and responsible packaging.

Mi Proyecto del curso: Retrato ilustrado con Procreate, by Ainhoa Aramburu Urruzola (@ainhoaranburu70)

Portraits are an exercise in visual poetry. Ainhoa recently shared one of hers with the community, combining elements, textures, and emotion. When you click on the project, you will be able to see the progression of the piece at different stages. Ainhoa adds unique details to make her result more special.

This composition is a result of what the artist learned while taking the course Illustrated Portraits with Procreate, which is taught by Elena Garnu.

Think more, buy less, by Ana Q (@aneq73)

Tote bags, the responsible alternatives to plastic bags, are a must-have item. They also provide a canvas for creatives to explore a range of techniques. Ana Q designed a new collection. She reused fabric from old clothes, mixing different methods with different materials.

From drawing with markers and ink and applying inks with stamps and stencils to hand and machine sewing... Click on her project to discover each bag’s unique design. If you would like to try out some of these techniques yourself, Fábrica de Texturas will guide you in the course, Manual Printing for Photopolymer Stamps.

Course Project: Top-Down: One-Piece Crocheted Garments, by bei_tricks (@bei_tricks)

Simple patterns, seamless garments, and endless possibilities: welcome to the world of top-down, a popular crochet technique. This project was created by one of the students who enrolled on the course, Top-Down: One-Piece Crocheted Garments. Check out Bei Tricks’ one-of-a-kind cardigan!

My project in Creating Garments Using Crochet course, by Elif Kilic (@kelifff)

Come up with an idea for a piece of clothing and then make it a reality. This is what Elif has achieved after completing the course, Creating Garments Using Crochet. Guided by Alicia, better known as Alimaravillas, Elif learned to knit with one needle while creating the texture usually achieved with two.

The student has also applied the colorwork technique, combining different colors. The result is a sweater bursting with personality. Why not give it a go?

Congratulations all! Don’t forget to share your projects with the community here!

English version by @eloiseedgington.

You may also like:

–10 Online Creative Embroidery Courses for Beginners
–Top 5 Free Tutorials to Unblock Your Creativity
–5 Online Courses to Learn Naturalist Illustration from Scratch