Domestika's blog

The largest creative community

All articles
Categories
Popular tags

October 2020

  • 5 Ways to Find New Ideas
    Teacher Design

    5 Ways to Find New Ideas

    Alejandro Flores explains the methods he uses in his design studio to turn his team's ideas into workable concepts Creativity is not an exact science, and that means there is no single way to achieve it. Each person, each designer, will find their favorite method to make ideas flow. They may even want to try several of them, and choose one or the other depending on the type of project you have in hand, the team they work with, the deadlines, or the means at their disposal. Alejandro Flores, founder and creative director of the Mexican design studio Human (@human_), has 5 methods for conceptualizing ideas that his team uses to create groundbreaking designs. Mind mapping This is one of the most well-known methods. Starting from a central idea, you start making ramifications using related concepts that will help new ideas flourish. It is especially useful to discover new avenues that seemed unrelated to the original idea at first.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Materials: Crochet
    Craft

    Materials: Crochet

    Steel & Stitch gives beginners a primer on the different types of crochet hooks and tools One reason why crafting can be intimidating is that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Before you can make your first stitch, it’s important to have selected the correct materials and tools since these elements will greatly impact the process, and result, of your project. The tools you use in crochet can do more than shape the yarn itself. As a repetitive physical motion, crochet can put stress on your wrist or tire your hand if you don’t pick wisely. In the video below, crochet and upcycling expert Emma Friedlander-Collins, also known as Steel & Stitch (@steelandstitch), gives a primer on the pros and cons of different types of crochet hooks, as well as other tools you can use to take your projects to the next level.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Why did all pirates use the same flag?
    Design

    Why did all pirates use the same flag?

    Discover the history of the Jolly Roger flag, the powerful image of the pirate brand Imagine riding the ocean waves in a merchant navy ship when, on the horizon, a boat raises a flag: it's black and bears a white skull and crossbones. Just by seeing it, you know that a pirate ship is approach. The classic pirate flag is called the Jolly Roger. It was used in the 18th century and rapidly became the symbol of choice for pirates across the oceans. Why did that design go viral? The response is simultaneously simple and complicated: the power of branding and design over people. Learn its history in the video below:

    • 4
    • 1
  • What Kind of 3D Projects Can You Create Using Maya?
    Web & App Design

    What Kind of 3D Projects Can You Create Using Maya?

    3D artist Albert Valls Punsich shows us the incredible scope of this powerful software Albert Valls Punsich (@albert_valls_punsich) specializes in creating 3D digital worlds and modeling and VFX scenarios for film and television. Part of the production company Framestore, he has worked on films such as Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

    • 0
    • 0
  • 7 Questions To Answer Before Every Illustration
    Illustration

    7 Questions To Answer Before Every Illustration

    The 7 questions award-winning illustrator and author Jon Berkeley asks before starting any illustration Jon Berkeley has illustrated over 150 magazine covers during his career for publications including The Economist, Newsweek, and Nature, and has worked on numerous commercial projects for the likes of Vodafone, Smirnoff, and Ted Baker. In this article, Jon, who teaches the course Acrylic Techniques for Creative Illustration, shares the 7 questions that three decades of illustrating have taught him are crucial to answer before embarking on a project. 1. Where’s it going to be? The location of your image is one of its most definitive elements. There are ideas that only work vertically or horizontally and considerations change according to a picture’s position. 2. What’s the page layout? For example, if you are creating a piece for the front cover of a magazine, the design is probably going to have to strictly adhere to an established layout. Elements that will affect your concept and its effectiveness include titles, prices, barcodes and dates.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Type Illustration: Transform Your Inspiration
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Type Illustration: Transform Your Inspiration

    How to transform your reference images into graphics for your next type illustration project Type illustration has existed for centuries: woodcut initials are some of the earliest examples, which can be found in medieval books and old bibles. Some are so detailed that they are like small stand-alone works of art. Combining type and illustration is a powerful tool that can captivate our attention and convey a message. It can transform the meaning of a word because not only are you reading it, you are seeing it. “As soon as you start to illustrate a word, you give it some special kind of feeling,” says Birgit Palma (@birgitpalma), a Barcelona-based artist specializing in illustration and lettering. “You can make the word stronger, but you can also destroy the word, depending on the type of illustration you use.” Illustrated type can send subliminal messages that convey an impactful meaning.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Whorl, The App to Awaken Your Creativity
    Design

    Whorl, The App to Awaken Your Creativity

    Discover the app that awakens your creativity by appealing to a basic exercise of the imagination: play. There is one significant difference in the way a child thinks compared to an adult. Children can think up and arrive at solutions a grown up would never imagine. Their creativity is boundless and stems from their ability for playfulness, something most of us adults have long forgotten. The Whorl app–designed with adults in mind, but suitable for children alike–aims to awaken our creativity through play.

    • 0
    • 0
  • 10 Apps for Restless Illustrators
    Illustration

    10 Apps for Restless Illustrators

    Inspiration comes in all sorts of places, so best be prepared for it. Here are 10 apps for illustrating on the go A sketchbook and a drawing tool have always been indispensable to artists, needing to be within their reach whenever the opportunity arises. New technologies have relegated paper to second place, favoring smartphones and tablets. Numerous apps are available to allow us to create illustrations with excellent results. Here is a small selection we believe you need to know. Procreate One of the best-known apps around, Procreate's technical and aesthetic features–along with its creative excellence–have earned it an Apple Design Award. It is a comprehensive app that allows us to create digital illustrations to a very high resolution.

    • 0
    • 0
  • Free Download: Printable Punch Needle Template
    Teacher Craft

    Free Download: Printable Punch Needle Template

    Discover the possibilities of the punch needle with this embroidery template by Laura Ameba Known as a punch needle or a magic needle, this little embroidery gadget allows you to create authentic works of art with thread by adding volume and texture to your textile creations. Chilean textile artist Laura Ameba (@lauraameba) has spent years exploring its possibilities and has trained in Spain and Japan, where she was inspired not only to perfect her technique but also to explore ideas and ways of expressing herself. This punch needle embroidery template that she has shared with Domestika will help you practice your skills as a punch needle embroiderer and encourage you to show the world your techniques.

    • 3
    • 1
  • 5 Free Apps for Video Game Creators (Who Can’t Program)
    3D & Animation

    5 Free Apps for Video Game Creators (Who Can’t Program)

    Is it possible to create a video game without previous knowledge of programming? Video games are not limited to one discipline: they need illustration, narrative, design, 3D modeling, and, of course, programming. If you want to create your own interactive game, you may well find it a complex and daunting task. There are often two main obstacles: the price of certain development programs and a lack of programming knowledge. Fortunately, there are a number of free programs that can help you enter this world with, believe it or not, no prior knowledge of programming. We present you the following list of 5 video game design apps of different complexity so that you can find the one that best suits your level and needs. 1. Quest A good story is the basis of many video games, so perhaps you should start with the basics. If you are a fan of complex and flexible narratives but have never had to design an interactive story, Quest will allow you to develop text-based games in the style of the legendary Zork (1977). You won't need any programming, design, or illustration skills for this kind of "Choose Your Own Adventure” game and you will exercise your brain to start thinking like a narrative designer.

    • 4
    • 1
  • What Is Social Selling?
    Marketing

    What Is Social Selling?

    Get to know the strategy that helps you improve your brand value, your content, and your sales through social media Online sales are becoming increasingly more important. The digital age has revolutionized practices, ideas, and marketability, offering opportunities to grow and adopt new strategies, while causing old ways to become obsolete. One of the new options is social selling, a new way of making the most of social media–such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram–and connecting with the market, branding, and identifying potential customers among users. Núria Mañé (@nuriacomunica) is passionate about digital communication, creativity, and technology. She has almost twenty years of experience working closely with companies and entrepreneurs and in this post she shares what she knows about social selling with Domestika: What is social selling? With the term “social selling”, we describe the use we make of social media to meet, connect, understand, and investigate sales prospects. It is a digital and very current way to develop meaningful relationships with potential clients. It's a sales strategy that offers us data about potential customers, including their areas of interest. Where do we find it? If you have a business page on Facebook or Instagram, a LinkedIn profile, or a professional account on Twitter, you are already involved in basic social selling. You may not have used this term before to describe your online activity, but if you present yourself within a digital environment, you are, in essence, already social selling.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Challenge: Turn a Blob Into a Character and Unlock Your Creativity
    Illustration

    Challenge: Turn a Blob Into a Character and Unlock Your Creativity

    Creative director and toy designer Nathan Jurevicius faces the Domestika Challenge Nathan Jurevicius' art is as varied and original as his own career: illustrator, conceptual artist, author, and toy designer, the multifaceted creator has contributed to numerous publications, advertising campaigns and exhibitions around the world. His clients include Nickelodeon, MTV and Ikea. His personal project Scarygirl can be found in comics, toys, video games, and a film is currently in production. In this Domestika Challenge, Nathan shares an exercise to unlock our creativity by combining watercolor spots and drawing as he faces his own Challenge in front of the cameras. Can he transform colored spots into characters and worlds with their own identity? Find out in the following video:

    • 2
    • 0
  • Domestika Projects: Junction - Graphic Novel
    Teacher Illustration

    Domestika Projects: Junction - Graphic Novel

    Nathan Jurevicius talks about the creative process behind one of his latest projects: Junction My name is Nathan Jurevicius and I'm a multidisciplinary artist working in the field of illustration, fine art, animation, games and publishing. It can be hard to limit what I do to one thing but currently I'm focusing on concept art for tv and film. I began my early career as an editorial illustrator for a number of magazines around the world and then shifted direction to interactive storytelling during the early 2000's. It was around this time I was approached by a company based in Hong Kong to develop toys. The first series that came out was based on my Scarygirl designs and from here I started creating comics and games around the brand.

    • 0
    • 0
  • 6 Books to Inspire Graphic Designers
    Teacher Design

    6 Books to Inspire Graphic Designers

    These graphic design books will inspire you and help you learn about the history of this discipline Daniel Barba López, graphic designer and director of Monotypo Studio (@monotypo_studio)–a studio dedicated to offering graphic and communication solutions to brands, in everything from small adjustments to a logo to fresh reworks of company stationery, packaging, and other avenues for providing vision and personality–shares his favorite graphic design books. History of Graphic Design, by Philip B. Meggs Learning the history of graphic design is an excellent way to grow as a designer. This book, written by Philip B. Meggs, offers an inexhaustible source of knowledge and inspiration, as it shows us the most relevant paradigms of graphic design from its origins to the present.

    • 7
    • 0
  • What Is an Art Director in a Design Studio?
    Design

    What Is an Art Director in a Design Studio?

    Understand the role of an art director and what part they play within a creative team Art directors have a significant role in the design industry. Linus Lohoff (@linus_lohoff), a freelance art director for clients like Adobe, Nike, and Comme des Garçons, helps us explore this role and tells us how an art director translates ideas into visual communication tools. In his Domestika course, he reveals a few secrets he gained from his career, working in different environments and industries.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Storyboarder: Free Digital Storyboarding Software
    Web & App Design

    Storyboarder: Free Digital Storyboarding Software

    This tool allows anyone to create a digital storyboard in just a few seconds, as if it were on paper The maxim that "less is more" becomes especially relevant when speaking about apps. Even more so when we discover that simplifying how they work doesn’t reduce their functionality. Storyboarder, a free and open source software for sketching stories digitally, complies perfectly with this premise, getting rid of unnecessary tools and embracing extreme simplicity to make creating a digital storyboard practically the same as doing it on paper.

    • 3
    • 1
  • 7 Architectural Works from Around the World that Represent the 21st Century
    Design

    7 Architectural Works from Around the World that Represent the 21st Century

    Domestika teachers choose the projects that, in their opinion, best define the avant-garde and the spirit of the last two decades Like any other manifestation of human ingenuity, architecture is an art in constant transformation, intrinsically related to the historical moment in which it develops. To commemorate World Architecture Day and the Architect's Day–a day invented by the International Union of Architects (UIA) that always falls on the first Monday of October–we present seven projects that symbolize the avant-garde and the spirit of our time in the vision of different teachers of Domestika courses linked to the discipline. This is not a ranking or a definitive list, but rather a set expert opinions, based on the distinctive and innovative features they believe are reflected in these creations. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan

    • 3
    • 0
  • What Is Urban Sketching?
    Illustration

    What Is Urban Sketching?

    Lapin, urban sketcher, explains what this discipline that arises from everyday life consists of What is your main source of inspiration? For urban sketches, inspiration is everywhere and in all situations of everyday life. This is the case of Lapin (@lapinbarcelona), an expert in telling stories with his drawings based on observation, which has led him to work with clients such as Air France, Le Parisien Magazine, Peugeot, Porsche, and many more. If you like to observe everything around you and want to discover a new style to express yourself graphically, as well as to explore architectural illustration, learn more about urban sketching below.

    • 2
    • 1
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat: A Virtual Tour
    Art

    Jean-Michel Basquiat: A Virtual Tour

    You can now explore the Brant Foundation’s 2019 Basquiat exhibition online Connect to the internet and be transported to New York City. The Brant Foundation has created an immersive virtual tour of the inaugural exhibition of their East Village space. The exhibition, titled Jean-Michel Basquiat, comprises four floors filled with 70 works–created from 1980 to 1987–by the radical underground graffiti artist who went on to become a global sensation. Born in 1960 to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother, Jean-Michel Basquiat grew up in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Basquiat frequented the city’s museums and galleries and was encouraged by his mother to create his own works. When Basquiat was hit by a car aged eight, his mother brought a copy of Gray's Anatomy to the hospital. From that moment on, her son developed a fascination with anatomy, inspiring the bodily imagery–in particular skulls, sinew, and guts–that would feature heavily in his work.

    • 4
    • 0
  • How to Get a Job that Works for You in the New Normal
    Marketing

    How to Get a Job that Works for You in the New Normal

    We spoke to the work-from-home maestro, Foncho Ramírez-Corzo, about how to make the new normal work for you Working from home was already growing in popularity before the global pandemic hit, confinement merely sped up its trajectory, according to the incessantly smiley Foncho Ramírez-Corzo (@cholutions). The consultant and entrepreneur, who teaches the Domestika course, Home Office: Working from Home Successfully, shared some tips, tricks, and philosophies that will help you or your business stand out in the market and help anyone make the new normal work for them. Whether you’re out of a job or adapting your current one to new circumstances, his perspective will make your situation feel a lot more hopeful.

    • 2
    • 0
  • What is Needle Felting?
    Craft

    What is Needle Felting?

    Caro Indy answers some of the fundamental questions about the incredible world of needle felting These little furry characters have been created using only a needle and a ball of wool. The technique used to create them is called needle felting, and we talked to artist Carolina Alles–better known as Caro Indy (@caroindy)–, an expert on the subject, to find out more about what exactly needle felting is, what materials are needed to start, and what use they can have. Carolina has created countless characters out of wool fleece, many of which have starred in her various animation projects. They have answered our questions on needle felting for anyone who’s trying to get into the craft.

    • 1
    • 0
  • Kidpofy: An App to Preserve Children's Handwriting
    Web & App Design

    Kidpofy: An App to Preserve Children's Handwriting

    This site allows us to preserve children's handwriting and use it and any imaginable format Who hasn't ever seen a notebook or drawing from their childhood and been surprised to see the difference between their handwriting then, through their adolescence, to now? Its offers a special window to the past that we risk losing if we only preserve it physically. Kidpofy is a calligraphy digitization project that takes advantage of technology to preserve the handwriting of our children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. We can then use it in postcards, letters, decorative objects, or anything else we can think of. The process is very simple: on the project's website (with optimized access for cell phones or tablets), children can write the entire alphabet following some practical guides. The letters are then stored in the project's database.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Illustration Tutorial: Exercises to Learn How to Draw Animals
    Teacher Illustration

    Illustration Tutorial: Exercises to Learn How to Draw Animals

    Learn the technique to draw animals with basic shapes from scratch with Puño, illustrator and teacher The good thing about drawing is that it gives us infinite possibilities: we can follow all the rules, or break them to let ourselves be carried away by our intuition and imagination. Regardless of whether we have a better or worse style, the important thing about drawing is that it allows us to express ourselves to have a lot of fun. In the following video tutorial, the illustrator and teacher Puño (@ puño) invites us to put aside embarrassment to learn how to create animals with simple geometric shapes, just with a marker and a sheet of paper or cardboard. Based on his advice, we can begin to realize that drawing is available to anyone. Discover it below

    • 12
    • 0
  • Domestika Diary: Alfonso de Anda
    Illustration

    Domestika Diary: Alfonso de Anda

    Mexican illustrator Alfonso de Anda tells us about his creative routine and sources of inspiration during confinement Confinement can undermine the inspiration of even the most creative people. Alfonso de Anda (@deandaalfonso), a multifaceted Mexican illustrator who has working on projects in areas as varied as editorial illustration, animation, advertising, mural design, fashion design and gallery exhibits, has not been immune to this effect. However, he has found ways to stay creative and productive. In this Domestika Diary, the illustrator opens the doors of his home, his routine, and his studio to share his daily life with us and the strategies with which he has fought the feared creative block during the pandemic. Discover it below:

    • 0
    • 0
  • 5 Essential Courses for Learning Programming from Scratch
    Teacher Design

    5 Essential Courses for Learning Programming from Scratch

    Dive into the world of programming and discover these courses taught by top professionals Today, having an online presence is essential for almost any profession. For this reason, those working in programming have endless clients knocking at their doors, looking to make their digital dreams a reality. These courses serve to help you learn to code without any previous knowledge. WordPress Theme Development, a course by Ignacio Cruz Moreno WordPress is a platform offering numerous templates that can be adapted to any and every one of the user’s needs. However, sometimes things don’t always turn out exactly as you might have hoped. To ensure that you don’t encounter any design or functionality problems, Ignacio Cruz will teach you to develop your own WordPress theme to use -for your own projects or share it with other users.

    • 2
    • 0
  • 5 Loop Animation Styles That Will Inspire You
    3D & Animation

    5 Loop Animation Styles That Will Inspire You

    Animator Pablo Cuello shares the work of 5 incredible creatives When you think about animation, you might imagine feature films from the big film studios. However, you don't need to create such complex or lengthy animations to inspire a deep emotional response in your viewers. Pablo Cuello (@pablocuello) is an Argentine graphic designer and animator who works with After Effects to create short and straightforward pieces that overflow with appeal:

    • 1
    • 0
  • What Is Copywriting and How Can I Become a Copywriter?
    Teacher Marketing

    What Is Copywriting and How Can I Become a Copywriter?

    Discover what makes a good copywriter and what is their main role in an advertising agency The copywriter shoulders a great deal of the creative responsibility behind an ad. Some of the best advertising campaigns in history have originated from the mind of a copywriter. Yet, for many people, it is still unclear what their role is within an advertising agency. It is also sometimes hard for them to explain it to anyone outside of the industry. We’ll explain who is a copywriter and their role in an advertising agency in this day and age.

    • 1
    • 0
  • Basic DJ Equipment for Beginners
    Music & Audio

    Basic DJ Equipment for Beginners

    Discover the setup recommended by Chuck Pereda for mixing electronic music Always wanted your own DJ setup? Before you start preparing your set and get ready to make your DJ debut, you will need some basic equipment (in addition to a love of music.) Chuck Pereda (@chuck_pereda), a DJ and radio presenter with more than two decades’ of experience, shares a basic list of essential equipment for beginner DJs. Chuck wants to point out that you will be able to acquire the following material second-hand. These are just recommendations, get together what you can, and turn up the volume.

    • 1
    • 0
  • 5 Essential Books to Learn Composition and Balance
    Photography

    5 Essential Books to Learn Composition and Balance

    Improve your photo composition skills with a handful of recommended publications Creating an image is not merely putting different elements together. Composition and balance are essential to ensure our photo elements are well placed, effectively structured, and guide the viewer's gaze to the center of our image. Lídia Vives (@lidiavivesphoto) is a photographer specialized in artistic photography and known for her pictorial self-portraits that always hide secrets. Lídia's work has been exhibited in galleries in Spain and Australia and is inspired by the Renaissance's great Italian masters.

    • 7
    • 0
  • Brainstorming for Developing Audio Visual Script Writing Projects
    Writing

    Brainstorming for Developing Audio Visual Script Writing Projects

    Use a practical exercise to play with ideas and create memorable stories What do all books, movies, TV series, and comics you enjoy have in common? Possibly the fact they are all based on an unforgettable tale, no matter how complex or straightforward the story will be developed visually. Alejandra Moffat (@alemoffat) has written scripts for features, animation, and documentary films featured in festivals such as the Berlinale or the Havana Film Festival. Here, she will share a simple brainstorming method to get your ideas into an audiovisual project.

    • 3
    • 0