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We explore the history and characteristics of this traditional English embroidery technique With embroidery being one of the most ancient arts in history, it’s not really surprising that every culture, country, and even region, has developed their own types and techniques. Blackwork is a traditional English embroidery technique which has been very popular. Originating around about the 15th century, here we explore its history and learn more about how it is used.
From the founding fathers in the 18th century to Star Wars and Rick & Morty, understand how this tribe of brilliant and unusual people have reached the pinnacle of pop culture Nerd, geek, otaku, dork, poindexter. None of these terms existed a hundred years ago. However, individuals who share these characteristics–high IQ, bad social skills, acute obsessions with particular topics, an affinity for math or science–have lived among us since long before their creation. The biographer and writer Tom Schachtman, in Gentlemen Scientists and Revolutionaries: The Founding Fathers in the Age of Enlightenment, gathers data that illustrate how some of the so-called 'founding fathers' in the United States in the 18th century, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were geeks of the technological world, polymaths obsessed with research and inventions who had little time for things like family or "normal" friends. Today, nerds come in all shapes and sizes, from the classic computer geek to the anime obsessed otaku, and the school nerd boffin. While they were ridiculed when they were younger, many are now leaders of industry, superstars, and billionaires associated with entrepreneurship, discipline, and professional success. This Geek Pride Day, a celebration that began in Spain and has now spread across the world, we look at ten key moments in geek culture, from its prehistory in the 18th century to today. 1. The Founding Fathers
Enjoy this stunning collection of Jupiter photographs created by NASA and amateur astronomers The Juno space probe reached Jupiter in 2016 after a five-year journey from Earth. Since then, NASA has gathered a vast collection of data that is helping us understand the fascinating nature of the planet and giving the artistic and scientific communities new opportunities to work together.
Follow Quique Ollervides’s advice to ensure your logos make the best impression
Illustrator and teacher Puño teaches us how to create animals based on basic shapes To encourage the creativity of the little ones at home, there’s nothing better than practicing a fun illustration exercise with them. It’s almost like a game. By keeping a few rules in mind we can help children imagine anything and everything they want with the help of a pencil or marker. In the following tutorial, Puño (@puno) shows us how easy it is to create a lot of different animals and characters starting with geometric shapes as basic as a square, circle or triangle. Discover more below:
Alex Hillkurtz shares how to create a composition with depth using architectural illustration Composition is the foundation of all illustration, especially architectural sketches. That's why we should pay attention to how we place our elements in space before drawing them. In this tutorial, storyboard artist Alex Hillkurtz (@alexhillkurtzart) explains how to use two techniques give compositions dynamism and lift sketches to another level. Get your pencil and paper, and let's go!
Learn how to make a guide for the basic proportions of a face with Carlos Rodríguez Casado Making a portrait is no easy task. A person's face can determine their age, background, and personality so we need to pay special attention when drawing them. All good work needs a solid foundation, that's why it's vital to learn these techniques to draw a balanced face. Editorial illustrator Carlos Rodríguez Casado (@carlosrodriguezcasado) explains how to make a basic guide for composing a face in this tutorial. With these tips, we'll learn a series of traits and proportions common to almost all faces that will help us in our illustrations. You can watch the tutorial below:
Learn about this thousand-year-old crochet technique that allows you to create state-of-the-art fabric patterns Tapestry is one of the oldest forms of textile weaving. It has been used to create almost everything from tunics to purses, table clothes to upholstery, and even some of the world’s greatest pieces of textile art. In general, tapestry refers to a weaving structure that uses discontinuous weft to create an image on the fabric and is always done by hand. It’s a crochet technique that allows you to weave drawings, geometric or not, based on a pattern that follows a grid of different colors, similar to what we would do if we were to draw an image pixel by pixel.
How to take professional portraits of amateur models Catalina Bartolomé (@catalina_bartolome) is an Argentinian photographer who has been taking portraits for more than 12 years. She has collaborated with the likes of La Nación, OHLALÁ, Clarín, Radar, Inrockuptibles, Rolling Stone, and Las 12. In 2016, she founded her own company, Retratos Profesionales, specializing in portrait photography for amateur models. Over the course of her career, Bartolomé has mastered the secret to great direction, having worked with a diverse mix of models and clients who have each had their own unique reason for seeking out a professional portrait. Today she is sharing 7 key tips that will help you work with amateurs and get the best results.
Discover the benefits of using a style guide when designing and developing apps Christian Vizcarra (@christvizcarra) is a Senior UI/UX Product Designer and Digital Strategist whose work also includes elements of marketing, social media, 3D, and video. On a daily basis, he creates digital products, as well as designing websites, apps, and different interfaces for companies around the world. Here Vizcarra explains the purpose of a style guide and why it is a key tool when designing and developing apps.
Learn some tips for researching and collecting images for your digital art projects
Bruno Sellés, creative director of the Vasava design studio, tells us about his constant experimentation Becoming a reference design studio in the world of creativity is not an easy task, but Vasava has done just that. Since it was founded in 1997, it has become one of the most interesting hotbeds of creativity and talent on the Spanish-speaking scene, due to their attention to detail and obsession with treating each project as if it were their first. And they don't keep their talent to themselves: for some years now, they have been organizing creative talks and conferences in which they share their vision of creativity with the rest of the world, always connected to their constant research and multidisciplinary work. Bruno Sellés, creative director of Vasava, talks about his experimentation and some of his most important projects, such as his collaboration with F. C. Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid. Discover more below:
Learn the history of fanzines and the main features of this type of self-publication
Looom allows us to create animated loops on our iPad in a simple and intuitive way
Get to know the artistic movement also known as pop surrealism that was once considered bad taste Anyone who's a fan of classic punk or underground comics, read the Mad magazine, seen a horror B-movie, or enjoyed the work of Gary Baseman, will have come into contact with lowbrow illustration: an artistic movement that looks at old graphics and uses comics, cartoons, counterculture and the grotesque as a reference. One of its main exponents today is Ink Bad Company (@inkbadcompany), the studio and alter ego of Juan Carlos Guerrero, a young Spanish illustrator obsessed with, paper and the halftone pattern. In his course Lowbrow Illustration: Go Back to the Past in Style, he reveals the keys to understanding this type of style. But what exactly is lowbrow illustration? These are the key elements:
The Brazilian creative wins global recognition for her second feature film, 'Meu nome é Bagdá' (My name is Baghdad), a compelling manifesto on female power At 40, Caru Alves de Souza (@caruperu) is more than a veteran of cinema. Daughter of two important Brazilian filmmakers, Tatá Amaral and Francisco César Filho, this scriptwriter, director, and producer has a deep and historic relationship with the seventh art. "My parents are cinephiles, I grew up in cinemas. I remember being there, very small, running, and playing between the seats while they watched films. And the audiences were so patient," laughs de Souza "It's incredible they didn't throw us out!" Later, her games moved onto the film sets where Tatá and Francisco produced films together throughout the 1980s. It was only natural that, although she studied History, Caru went into film. Since 2007, she has written and directed a number of new projects, from shorts and features to TV productions. Her most recent work, the feature "Meu nome é Bagdá" (My name is Baghdad) – a powerful and moving tale of a girl skater in a hostile and macho environment on the outskirts of São Paulo – has earned her critical acclaim and the top prize for best film in the Generation 14plus category of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.
Did you know you could paint with plasticine? Illustrator Jacinta Besa tells us more about this versatile modeling and painting material We all know and have even tried painting with watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, and even spray cans. But, did you know you could paint with plasticine? Jacinta Besa (@jacintabesa) is a visual artist and painting expert. Over the course of ten years, Jacinta has developed her own style, using plasticine to make 2D pieces, using it as a means of adding color to her illustrations with a realistic touch, and also submerging objects inside it. Her fascination with nature is palpable in all her work. Her fascination with it, along with the role of the modern woman, her evolution, and revolution are all key elements. But it is plasticine that brings her work together: a versatile material that gives her pieces volume and texture. Let her explain further in the video below:
Great stories that went from paper to the big screen
Get lost in the dreamy world of independent illustrator, Bearbrickjia Karmen Loh, also known as Bearbrickjia (@bearbrickjia), is an independent illustrator and character concept artist from Malaysia. Loh uses her dreamy illustration style to explore fantasy worlds and femininity; her work channels tranquility and ethereal beauty. You will often find her portraits decorated with details from outer space, the ocean, and flora. She draws inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, James Jean, and Aykut Aydogdu. As a character concept artist, Loh has worked on video games such as Street Fighter V and Steel Circus, and collaborated with clients such as XP-Pen and the electronic music YouTube channel, “MrSuicideSheep”. Here we take a look at a selection of works that show off Loh’s dreamy aesthetic and unique versatility. Color portraits – personal work Loh’s personal work is an exploration of femininity and tranquility, both in male and female subjects. Her portraits capture mystical youth culture in a dreamy color palette, playing with fashion and fantasy. Her personal work often features elements of nature, outer space, and the ocean.
James Lewis, lettering artist capable of reproducing any logo you can imagine, takes on a Domestika Challenge James Lewis (@jamesllewis) is popular on social media platforms Instagram and TikTok for his brilliant deconstruction of some of the most popular logos in existence: the huge reach of his videos have got him work with Amazon, Samsung, Montblanc, and Rolls-Royce. He now gives conferences and classes on lettering around the world. Lewis is an expert in creating some of the most well-known logos in the world in brush lettering, but will he be able to recreate the sporting brand Champion's logo in just 10 minutes? Find out in the video below:
Experiment with these brushes in your digital illustration projects Román García Mora (@RomanGM) is a biologist, illustrator, and 3D modeler. His work consists of creating images of things we can’t see because they are from the past, in our imagination, or impossible for the human eye to detect. He mixes traditional techniques with 3D modeling and creative retouching.
Learn about one of the most famous design companies in the world
We chatted with Franco Giandana, an expert in copyrights and intellectual property
Learn five essential tips to create a professional profile on LinkedIn
Sagi Haviv shares the secrets behind the graphic identity redesigns of three international brands Designers are not artists. An artist has a problem and finds a way to solve it; designers, on the other hand, dedicate their work to solving someone else's problems. While the former can work for days locked up without having contact with anyone, the latter must continuously strengthen their relationship with others: they must connect, interact, and go out into the real world.
These websites have you covered for all your graphic, editorial, web, and identity design needs There is nothing more exciting for a graphic designer than starting a project from scratch and creating all its visual elements. Sometimes, however, you need tools to kickstart your creative process. Here is a list of free resources that will inspire you and help you during the research phase. We have also shared tools for downloading free vectors and images that will save you time when creating presentations for a client. Maps Stamen If you are ever have to create layouts that include maps, this site will help you. It contains maps from all around the world and allows you to download them with different styles. For example, you can obtain high contrast maps in black and white, or with watercolor effects. You can show the elevation and vegetation of any given area... there's even a map of Mars! It uses the OpenStreetMap open license, so keep in mind that using the tool is free, but requires attribution.
Learn easy ways to upcycle and remake your wardrobe with Steel and Stitch Repurposing and revitalizing items in our wardrobe can save money, help the environment, and produce one-of-a-kind pieces. Crochet designer and author Emma Friedlander-Collins, also known as Steel and Stitch (@steelandstitch), specializes in upcycling and remaking objects. Here, she shares a few simple ways we can extend the life of our wardrobe by using simple techniques to create pieces that are original and full of personality.
We look at the colorful and trippy cover art of influential rock albums from the decade of social and cultural revolution
Discover the 5 ways a sketchbook can boost your creative potential Behind every masterpiece, there is always a sketch. The history of creativity is full of references that prove that sketchbooks are an indispensable tool across artistic disciplines. Capture your inspiration The sketchbook is the tool that every creative needs to give ideas a physical form. It doesn’t matter if these ideas come from a specific project you are working on, or if they are flashes of inspiration that you didn't see coming and that you simply need to jot down somewhere. The sketchbook can go anywhere with you, and it will be at your side in any situation and at any given time, ready to capture your ideas.
Learn to design, build, and place objects that will reflect your personal style in your space If you want the space in which you spend most of your time to become an extension of yourself, it is essential to put some effort into its organization, design, and appearance. Contrary to what you may think, you don't need to be an expert to do so. These 5 practical and fun courses will teach you to design and build furniture and accessories with different materials, and how to transform your spaces with a touch of creativity and style. Furniture and Object Design for Beginners, a course by Juan Pablo Fuentes Learn with Juan Pablo, an industrial designer with more than 20 years of experience, how to conceptualize, sketch, and manufacture the furniture and accessories you have always dreamed of.