Top 10 Creative Domestika Projects of June 2021

Get inspired by Angelina Jolie’s portrait and a concrete kitchen table, two of the most liked projects this month

Some of the best-loved subjects by watercolor artists are birds. The Domestika community also shares this preference and last month two of the most appreciated projects were watercolors with birds as protagonists. Other techniques stood out among the community, such as a concrete table and sentimental embroidery.

Don’t forget to publish your end-of-course project or any other work you have completed in the Domestika community area. Sharing creativity is great for everyone. Furthermore, any member of the community can put a like or comment on your project. If it is one of the projects to have received more likes during the month, it will feature in the 10 best projects blog post like the one you are reading.

If you want to learn more about each project, click on the red title. A big thank you to everyone who shared their creative work!

Patinegro, by Adolfo Serra (@adolfoserra)

To illustrate a new organic white wine label, Adolfo observed and drew an exceptional bird: the Kentish plover (patinegro). Small and swift, this bird favors the dunes of the coast of Cadiz. While Adolfo was painting it in watercolor, its delicate sound reminded him of high pitch singing. The name of the wine also aims to promote environmental awareness, as this bird is an endangered species.

The illustrator, who believes that labels also impact the sensorial experience of enjoying wine, teaches various Domestika courses. He teaches children’s illustration, techniques to unblock your creativity, and the course Acrylic Illustration: Create a Magical Universe.

Watercolor kingfisher, by Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes)

This British artist is a confirmed favorite among the community and keeps appearing among the best projects of the month. This time she has stepped on the podium with one of her naturalistic compositions of a bird. The attractive colors and the look of her painting give the bird a charismatic personality. Sarah Stokes is a self-taught artist who turns her passion for art and nature into unique watercolor compositions. Her work can be found in places such as the Whitewall Galleries and Clarendon Fine Art in the UK and other parts of the world.

In her course, Artistic Watercolor Techniques for Illustrating Birds, she will teach you modern watercolor painting techniques for illustrating wildlife.

Angelina, jung und wild, by Tina Ritter (@mimbelbi)

In her Domestika community profile, Tina wrote that she began to draw in the summer of 2020 after a 10-year break. She wanted to learn something new, and she decided to take on watercolor. A few months later, she shared this portrait of Angelina Jolie. An attractive and vibrant illustration, capturing the essence of the actress.

This piece demonstrates how, in painting, composition and structure are as important as the spiritual component. The techniques she applied are those she has learned in courses from Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes), and Sol Barrios (@solbarrios) and in Ana Santos's course Experimental Watercolor Techniques for Beginners.

Creative process for the illustrated album 'SIRÈNES DE LÉGENDE', by Laura Pérez (@lauraperezgr)

Sirénes de Legènde is an illustrated album created by Laura for French publisher La Martinière Jeunesse, which was published in France in September 2020. Written by Rémi Giordano and Olivia Godat, it is an anthology of 10 mermaid legends from around the world. The resulting beauty will capture you from beginning to end, and you'll find the creative process extremely interesting and engaging.

To learn to draw in her style, you can sign up to her course Traditional Drawing Techniques with Procreate. You will learn to create beautifully expressive illustrations on your iPad with a traditional finish.

Di dove sei Project -> CAP I Great-grandmother María, by Señorita Lylo (@srtalylo)

“In every chapter, I pay homage to the women in my family,” Señorita Lylo writes.. In this highly personal piece, she embroiders on garments they themselves have worn before. They are clothes full of memories, including the address in which they were born and lived. “Di dove sei Project” is a handkerchief belonging to her great-grandmother Maria, who was born in Sicily. If you go to the project page, you will get to know the full story of this woman who crossed the ocean in search of a better future.

Stitch after stitch, she keeps the roots and the memories of her family alive. In her course, Basic Embroidery Techniques: Stitches, Compositions, and Color Ranges, Loly Ghirardi (Señorita Lylo) teaches you to combine graphic design, illustration, and embroidery.

Casa atmósfera / dinamita, by EN CONCRETO (@en_concreto)

If there's something you can't get your eyes off in this picture, it is the table. Executed using concrete, it adds personality to the kitchen. Its creators, Carolina and Eduardo—associates and founders of Mexican studio En concreto—are experts in working with this material and creating artisanal pieces. They exalt the elegance of the material and use it to create functional and attractive pieces. They aim to create timeless pieces that add an original and cool touch to any environment.

El concreto has been gaining more and more success in the world of design and home decor. You can explore the basic techniques and the different uses of this material to create objects and furniture in their course Concrete Furniture Creation for Beginners.

Watercolor eye study, by Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes)

Painting an eye in watercolor will have you completely hooked by this technique. The example by Sarah Stokes is proof. More than an eye, it is a gaze capable of holding the viewer's attention and awaken feelings. You can also use charcoal to create unusual compositions, starting from a simple photograph, a charcoal stick, and everyday items such as cotton buds and nail varnish remover.

Try this out in her course, Artistic Charcoal Portraiture: Creating Atmosphere, in which you can learn techniques and tricks to draw portraits full of energy and emotion.

Moleskine: The Power of Colors, by Carlo Stanga (@carlo_stanga)

You most definitely have heard of these notebooks, and you may even have owned one. Moleskines are the protagonists of this animation project created by Carlo for this brand. It is a new advertising campaign showing the various available colors for the notebooks. You will find the sketch, the first pencil marks, the coloring stage in Photoshop, and the animated piece in the project. The author advises: “It is essential for animators to work with many layers, as in the case of the notebooks, to be more efficient.”

If you want to learn with Carlo, sign up for this course, Architectural Illustration: Capture a City’s Personality. You will discover your own visual language whilst depicting an urban scene that has meaning to you.

My course project: Introduction to Knitting with Circular Needles, by Carmen García de Mora (@carmengarciademora)

Some garments are more manageable than others when learning to knit. For example, the butterfly sweater is a simple and versatile piece ideal for playing with textures. Also, as Carmen explains, it can be knitted in wool in winter and cotton in summer. You can adapt the design to make it into a short-sleeved top or a sweater vest. With so many choices, you only have to get those needles and get on with the job.

You can follow Carmen's steps in her course Introduction to Knitting with Circular Needles and learn how to create a top-down, seamless garment from scratch.

Cinema kittens, by Mar Villar (@mar_villar)

How many personalities can a cat have? As many as you can think of. In this series of illustrations, you're invited to take a cinematic tour in which cats are the protagonists of some of the best classic movies. Grease, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Lost in Translation, or the Addam's Family. Can you guess the movie without reading the title but simply by looking at the cat?

Mar is an illustrator and works mainly in children's and textbooks. Her clients include Santillana, SM, Macmillan Education, Edelvives, Grupo Planeta o Anaya. Working from Valencia, she admits she never says no to a project.

Congratulations to all of them! Don't forget that you can also share your projects here.
Do you want to look for more inspiring work? You can find more personal work, end-of-course projects, and new material from teachers on the Domestika community pages.

English version by @acesarato

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- How to Publish Your Projects on Domestika
- 10 Free Online Watercolor Classes For improving Your Technique
- 10 Online Creative Embroidery Courses for Beginners