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Discover Manu Torres’ straightforward process for creating your own color palette from photographs in Adobe Photoshop Manu Torres (@manutorres) teaches photography and digital postproduction at IMEFE in Madrid, specializing in photojournalism, lab processing, and lighting. He started off working in media, however, over time, he has developed a passion for social photography and commercial production.
Discover the graphic world of the Mexican illustrator and designer Siamés Escalante (@siamesescalante) is from Merida, Mexico. Her illustration style is characterized by innocence and melancholy, with each piece telling a fantastical tale. Siamés recalls developing a love for illustration when she was a child; she was introverted and spent a lot of her time entertaining herself with coloring books and children’s books.
Marcos Chin, an illustrator specializing in digital techniques, uses drawing software Procreate as he faces the Toon Me Challenge In recent months, the creative community has taken part in a new social media challenge that’s been dubbed “Toon Me.” It consists of an artist using a photo of their own face, and then illustrating over part of it to create an image that reflects their creative style and blends photography with drawing. Marcos Chin (@marcoschinart) is an illustrator whose work has appeared in books, magazines, album covers, advertisements, and fashion catalogs, and his clients include Google, Starbucks, and The New Yorker. Because the Toon Me challenge fuses imagination and humor, and Chin is an expert in both, when we challenged him to ‘toon himself he couldn’t resist. Check out the results below.
Illustrator Emma Hanquist shares magazine illustration templates for you to experiment with
Find out what chalk lettering is and why this vintage style is blowing up once again While it might bring up memories of bad math classes or, for members of Generation Z, movies about bad math classes, chalk lettering is a world away from stuffy classrooms and equations. The intricate discipline has experienced a renaissance in recent years as brands and businesses look to the visual appeal it offers to present their work. Chalk lettering is a discipline of the people. It’s cheap, accessible, and we’ve all done it: everyone remembers scrawling something in chalk as a kid, onto a pavement or in a classroom, getting chalk dust under their nails as they blend their masterpiece or erase a mistake.
Learn different ways you can digitally import your sketch with Joel Santana It probably sounds obvious, but it bears repeating: how you handle the first steps of any creative project will make a huge difference, not just in the outcome but also in terms of how easy or difficult your process is. From preparing your canvas (either digital or physical) to putting together a mood board that will serve as your guide once you begin to paint, these steps are crucial and, thankfully, they don’t have to be complicated. In this tutorial, character designer Joel Santana (@themaddhattr) explains the best ways to import your sketches into Adobe Photoshop so that you can begin working on them.
Learn techniques from different disciplines that will connect with your creative potential Creativity is the result of many variables that not only have to do with specific tools or techniques, but with sensitivity, physical preparation and a sharp eye capable of turning your inspiration into real projects. It does not matter your age, training, or if you are a professional or an amateur creative. If you are looking to get closer to your most sensitive side, overcome a creative block or develop skills that you know live inside you, these tutorials are for you. Illustration Tutorial: How to Tackle the Blank Page Illustrator Adolfo Serra (@adolfoserra) insists that you should never obsess over what the final image will look like and, instead, keep trying until you achieve something that feels fresh. Here he shares three ways to unleash your creativity when you’re experiencing a creative block, let your pencil and mind soar free, and create something special.
With these 5 tutorials, you will improve the quality of your projects in Adobe Photoshop Enhance your experience with this image editing software, learning how to make the most of each of its tools and functions. For that, we share five practical tutorials that will help you master Adobe Photoshop much more efficiently and quickly. Tutorial: 6 Great Brushes for Digital Painting Using Adobe Photoshop for digital illustration is one of the most common applications of this software, which allows artists, creatives and designers of all levels to build characters, scenarios and objects out of their imagination. The use of custom brushes can also give extra character to our drawings and illustrations. In the following video tutorial, character designer Joel Santana (@themaddhattr) shares his favorite Adobe Photoshop brushes for digital painting. Santana uses them for creative tasks ranging from sketching to color application, and they give a good example of the wide variety of textures offered by Photoshop custom brushes. Find out below:
Dara Scully shares her process and technique to overcome creative block and plan photography sessions
Discover the keys to success when managing a project (and the path to failure) Project managers are professionals who combine a series of skills and knowledge that make sure an objective becomes a reality, from start to finish. In personal or professional projects of any discipline, their work is essential, as they are in charge of keeping each gear in motion and pushing towards the goal. They work with clients, creatives, strategists, brand representatives, and any other actor related to each project. Their activities range from establishing work flows and timescales, to solving failures, and inspiring entire work teams. Therefore, the profile of a project manager moves like a pendulum from precise and accurate work to improvisation and adaptation to any situation or change. Here is a helpful list of dos and don'ts that will show you how to succeed or fail when managing a project:
Learn the difference between these two types of animation, and the skills and software needed to master them
Discover the different types of layers in After Effects, and their properties, with Zenzuke One of the main features when it comes to organizing your work in Adobe After Effects - a leading software in visual effects and motion graphics - is the various types of layers that are available. By using them, you can easily edit different parts of a project (such as text, images, or graphics) without interfering with any other elements. In this tutorial, Carlos "Zenzuke" Albarrán (@zenzuke), a founding partner of Maaambo design studio who has more than a decade of experience in motion graphics and 2D and 3D animation, reviews the various types of layers in After Effects and their different functions. This is a great opportunity to learn the basics of After Effects before you dive into a project. Find out more in the video below:
The illustrator Álex de Marcos opens the doors of his house/studio to tell us how he has lived the last few months What happens when your house becomes your painting studio? That is exactly what has happened to illustrator Álex de Marcos (@alex_de_marcos), who, in analog or digital format, has worked for clients all over the world cultivating his particular style of oil painting. During the last few months, Álex has had to combine work and home, but thanks to his motivating routine and the constant pursuit of his artistic goals, he has managed to keep productivity up. In the following Domestika Diaries, the illustrator opens the doors of his house to tell us about his routine, his career... and introduce us to his pet.
Discover the basic steps for dyeing natural fibers and the process for handling dyes with Pluumbago Water, heat, dye, and the fibers to be dyed. Although it doesn't require much, the dyeing process has its secrets, especially if you want to obtain different tones and textures, or coppery and opaque colors and use other effects that will make your work stand out. In this tutorial, Mexican textile artist Ixchel Yué (@pluumbago), founder of the Pluumbago brand, shares her basic tips on the hydration of the strips, temperature, and heating time, as well as the materials needed for the ideal dyeing of cotton fibers. Necessary materials Before you start, keep in mind that you'll need to gather: A sketch of the work you will do with the dyed strips, in which you establish the amount of fiber each color will receiveWater and a bowl to pre-hydrate the stripsA potDyes of the desired shadesTongs to manipulate the fiber and remove it when it is hotA rag to clean the work areaAn apronSalt or dye fixative
Discover original resources to practice your anatomical drawing Gabriel Suchowolski (@microbians) asked the Domestika community to share some of their favorite resources to practice drawing poses. Below you will find a collection of sites that were shared to help people practice anatomical drawing, develop characters, and discover new ways to approach their art. Pose Space This site allows you to search for all kinds of poses by professional artistic models. Its search engine filters photos by position, genre, lighting, nude photos, and more. There are images to view, download and buy. If you want to save poses, you will need to create an account.
Upcycling champions Emma Friedlander-Collins and Ximena Corcuera guide us to environmental awareness in a creative way
Learn to add new dimensions to your illustrations with Naranjalidad using Augmented Reality Would you like your illustrations to jump off the page and take on new dimensions? Spark AR doesn’t only allow you to create filters that warp human faces, it is also a tool that you can use to transform your illustrations using augmented reality. In this tutorial, Beatriz 'Naranjalidad' Ramo (@naranjalidad) explains step by step how to transform your illustrations with Spark AR and leave the two-dimensional world behind. Separate your illustration into different layers and save each one separately onto your computer. Now you can create your own filter!
Felixantos shares over 70 brushes for illustration and concept art Víctor Félix Díaz (@felixantos) is a Peruvian concept artist and illustrator. He specializes in the creation of characters and settings, as well as portraits and caricatures. He has worked in advertising, animation and video game projects. His concept art style consists of turning everyday characters into the protagonists of stories with attractive narratives.
Illustrator Natália Dias faces the challenge of drawing Frozen character Elsa in just 1 minute
Take a nostalgic leap with Luli Kibudi's designs Luli Kibudi (@bylulikibudi) is a graphic designer originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. Her work experience includes work in marketing and advertising, branding and editorial design. In her Once Appon a Time series (derived from a pun on the term app), Luli produced a visual essay exploring the modern functions of apps compared to objects we used to use in the past. The result is an attractive retro-modern graphic combination. Learn about her project below:
Learn to use basic expressions to create a counter that’s easy to edit and animate When creating graphics in Adobe After Effects, often we need to include counters–numeric figures that either increase or decrease. Merely showing a percentage isn’t the same as animating it so that we see it go from zero to another number–this makes it much more attractive and eye-catching. Yimbo–an animator and motion grapher–is an expert when it comes to working in After Effects, especially when using expressions. Expressions are mathematical formulas that can be interpreted by the program and that make our work a lot easier. Below, Yimbo explains step by step how to create a counter using expressions in After Effects. Oh, and if you want to go ahead and use the expression that he uses, here it is. All you have to do is copy it: n=effect(“Slider Control”)(“Slider”); Math.floor(n) + “%”
Discover how beautiful Earth looks from above Aerial photography allows you to observe natural and human-made patterns on the Earth's surface. They are made from aircraft, rockets, satellites, and recently, with drone-mounted cameras. In addition to obtaining interesting information about the topology, hydrology, and other important terrain data (which has applications in urban planning, agriculture, and much more), aerial photography has an undeniable artistic component. Meet 5 aerial photography accounts on Instagram that will surprise and inspire you. Bernhard Lang This German photographer with experience in the fashion and advertising world started working with aerial photography in 2010. His Aerial Views project has received numerous awards since then. He captures photos from the windows of helicopters and other small aircraft. He is interested in both the patterns and structures that can be seen from above and the impact of human activity on nature.
Discover this crucial step in manufacturing sculptures, ceramics, and much more Whether we’re using artisanal or industrial processes, two essential items that we need to reproduce an object are 1) a liquid material that will go hard when heat is applied and 2) a mold. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about large-scale industries such as automobile manufacturing or small workshops producing artisan products: molds are essential for reproducing objects. But… how are molds made? What is mold-making? Mold-making is creating a mold that will later be used to duplicate a particular object or artwork. It can be made from different materials, including metal, plastic, clay, and plaster.
Tips to help you overcome the challenges of an interior photography project, lose your fear, and accept any job with Tuca Reinés
Learn about the work of the artist who made it in Hollywood and then designed the SpaceX astronaut suit José Fernández is a Mexican-American designer who began working in Hollywood in the 1980s. His first costume design was for the movie Gremlins and, since then, he has been involved in the design of concepts, costumes, and accessories for major film studios and musicians. According to Fernández, when he was first invited to design the suit for SpaceX, he thought it was for a movie. He did not know that he was about to take his work from the big screen to space. Get to know some of the work this artist as well as his creative shop, Ironhead Studio, have done in recent years: Collaboration with Daft Punk In the 2010s, for Daft Punk's return to the stage as well as the band's involvement in the movie Tron Legacy, José's studio took over the design of the helmets for the famous French duo.
Turn your sketchbook into a paper lab for character design Whoever thinks that ideas are born ready to be shared is dead wrong. Every spark of creativity must be polished again and again, built little by little, and improved until it reaches its final version, especially when it comes to projects involving the conversion from analog to digital. Caio Martins (@caiorfmartins) is a visual artist specializing in character design and storyboarding who has worked for studios like DreamWorks, Netflix, and Disney Jr. Today he is sharing some tips for working with your creativity on a sketchbook using a simple guide:
Get to know five artists who use the sketchbook as an expressive tool
Multimedia artist Solimán López explains the basis of the technology that allows us to merge real and virtual worlds From its origins in the Sensorama project to its popularization by the global phenomenon Pokémon Go, augmented reality has long been a part of our lives. But what exactly is it? How can we define it? Solimán López (@solimanlopez), multimedia artist and founder of Harddiskmuseum, explains what augmented reality is and how it works in the following video:
Get to know the pieces that some artists have made for #BLM After the Black Lives Matter social movement was revived in recent weeks, the international art community added their voices to the cause. We gather below some samples of these pieces of art, in which we find techniques of embroidery, painting, drawing, lettering, photography and illustration.
Learn how to approach each of these brand design challenges