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September 2021

  • Sarah Van Dongen Illustrates Her Experiences in This Draw Yourself
    Teacher Illustration

    Sarah Van Dongen Illustrates Her Experiences in This Draw Yourself

    The Dutch illustrator, specialized in creating children's books, answers questions about herself using... illustration Sarah Van Dongen (@sarahvandongenillustrations) is a Dutch illustrator based in Amsterdam who has always loved stories, and after studying literature did a masters in children’s book illustrations in Cambridge, UK. Since then, she has applied these skills and her passion for storytelling by creating children’s books and editorial pieces for magazines and clients such as Villa Augustus, Adobe, and Possible. In this Draw Yourself, Sarah draws various scenes from her life to help us get to know her better. She reveals what picture books she remembers seeing as a child and how they inspired her, why she loved to draw in 3D when she was growing up, and why she’d love for her teachers to see her now.

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  • Essential Materials for Starting Out in Amigurumi
    Craft

    Essential Materials for Starting Out in Amigurumi

    Discover the basic materials and tools for crocheting characters With its unpronounceable name, amigurumi is a thread and needle knitting technique that enchants those who discover it. It allows for the creation of characters and real-life objects with a soft feel and adorable look. If you are interested in exploring these crochet creations, you’ll need to know the materials that will help you bring your ideas to life. Expert crocheter and character designer Príncipe del Crochet (@principe_del_crochet) provides a list of essential elements for developing this art.

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  • Paula Scher: Insider Advice From the Trailblazing Designer
    Design

    Paula Scher: Insider Advice From the Trailblazing Designer

    The rock star of visual identity gives us her unique insight into the world of branding and design Paula Scher is no stranger to success. The designer, artist, and teacher, is the creative genius behind the visual identities of some of the most important brands in the world, with an enviable client list that includes Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co, Microsoft, the New York City Ballet, and the Museum of Modern Art. In this episode of Domestika Maestros, we discover the challenges she has faced in the industry, the defining moments of her career, and a few insider tips for aspiring creatives.

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  • The History of Macramé: From Arabic Weavers to Coachella Fashion
    Teacher Craft

    The History of Macramé: From Arabic Weavers to Coachella Fashion

    Discover the creative link tying together everyone from old-timey sailors to English Queens From nuns to ladies-in-waiting, and from sailors to hippies, for centuries macramé has served as a creative outlet for people across the world. But how has something as simple as decorative knot tying been able to connect with so many audiences and be reimagined in so many radically different ways? Join us as we untangle the fascinating history of macramé, exploring how each generation keeps adding their own twist on knot tying to transform something as humble as a bundle of rope into a canvas for creativity.

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  • Free Guide: Makeup Tips for Photography
    Teacher Photography

    Free Guide: Makeup Tips for Photography

    Discover the secrets of makeup in photography with an expert and create striking professional images Lighting is what allows a photograph to tell a story and convey emotions and sensations. Contrast, shadow and brightness, when properly used, transform a simple image into something striking. In this image capture process, dedicated flashes, light modifiers and makeup play a crucial role in giving the photographer more scene control and cutting down on editing time. Photographer Chris Robinson (@chrisccrobinson) is an expert in using light to materialize abstract feelings and create portraits that highlight the subject's facial expressions.

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  • What Is a Business Mindset and Why Is It Important?
    Marketing

    What Is a Business Mindset and Why Is It Important?

    Learn how to develop a business mindset and apply it to your creative work for guaranteed success Whether you’re looking to get your first ideas off the ground, are thinking of a career change, or looking for ways to improve your business strategy, having a business mindset is crucial to your success as an independent creative. We creatives are passionate about our jobs, and feel extremely lucky to work in the sector that we do. Unfortunately, this can sometimes mean that we do not recognize the value of our work, undersell ourselves, or give away our skills, knowledge, or time “for free”. Remember, creativity is a skill and you are bringing something different to the table, so you should be looking to make a profit on your work.

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  • Uemura Shōen: The Inspiring Story of Japan's First Female Professional Painter
    Teacher Illustration

    Uemura Shōen: The Inspiring Story of Japan's First Female Professional Painter

    Discover the work of the woman who broke down barriers and became one of Japan's most recognized artists A mold-breaking artist and outstanding painter who became famous within her lifetime, Uemura Shōen broke down barriers imposed on women in contemporary Japan. She won international awards and accolades, defied social norms as a single mother of two, and dived into the world of professional painting at a time when women weren’t welcome. This is the inspiring story of the Japanese painter who rose to fame and took her country's art scene by storm.

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  • Tie-Dye Tutorial: Crumple Technique for Beginners
    Teacher Craft

    Tie-Dye Tutorial: Crumple Technique for Beginners

    Discover an easy DIY tie-dye technique you can do at home, with Peter Wasp When it comes to DIY crafts, tie-dye only continues to get more popular and it’s not difficult to figure out why. With its bright and beautiful results, simple materials, and beginner-friendly techniques, this dyeing process offers a powerful way for anyone to add personality to their clothes and fabrics. Fashion designer Peter Wasp (@peterwasp) has always been fascinated by the way that a piece of clothing can be totally transformed through dyeing techniques, and through all the ways that something as simple as tie-dye can be used to create unique gradients, stains, and geometric patterns. In this tutorial, he shows you how to use the crumple technique to create unique tie-dye pieces at home.

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  • Award-Winning Illustrator and Hand-Lettering Artist Lisa Perrin Stars in This Domestika Diary
    Illustration

    Award-Winning Illustrator and Hand-Lettering Artist Lisa Perrin Stars in This Domestika Diary

    The illustrator and teacher takes us behind the scenes at her home and studio to reveal her creative process Lisa Perrin (@perrin) is an award-winning illustrator with a unique style that combines humor with darkness and beauty with strangeness. Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3X3 Magazine, and Print Magazine, and her clients include Macy’s, Anthropologie, Penguin Random House, and Harper Collins. She is currently working full-time as a professor for the Illustration department at MICA. Join her in this Domestika Diary as she takes us through her creative process and shares some tips and advice for budding artists.

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  • 6 Online Courses in Productivity and Organization for Creative Freelancers
    Marketing

    6 Online Courses in Productivity and Organization for Creative Freelancers

    Discover time management techniques, business strategies, how to protect your work, and more with our experts Working as a freelance creative requires key skills that go beyond doing the creative part of a job. You also need to know a thing or two about financial management, planning, strategy, networking, and all the other necessary steps that are likely to crop up along the way. Knowing the best way to sell your work, get the word out about what you do, and build up your client base or a loyal audience, is essential. After all, this is how you will be able to broaden your horizons and land new contracts, jobs, and opportunities to collaborate, as well as increasing your productivity. Doubts are common when it comes to putting a price on your work, especially when you are just starting out and creative work is mistakenly seen as something subjective or abstract. Aside from the final result–the delivery–, it is necessary to take into account factors such as hours worked, tools, courses, experience, and other essential resources for your creative process.

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  • 3 Free Tutorials on Creating Digital Mockups and Dummies
    Design

    3 Free Tutorials on Creating Digital Mockups and Dummies

    Discover how to professionally present your design projects in the most attractive way with these tutorials Mockups allow us to see how a design we’ve created will look in the real world. For example, you might use one to see how a poster you’ve designed would look on a billboard or how your business cards would work in card format. It is a way of getting to see the expected results ahead of time. Before diving into these video tutorials, let’s take a moment to remind ourselves what exactly a mockup is and why investing energy and effort into making one for your project is a worthwhile step.

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  • Scan The World: Free Access to Over 16,000 3D-Printable Sculptures
    3D & Animation

    Scan The World: Free Access to Over 16,000 3D-Printable Sculptures

    This digital collection allows you to 3D-print sculptures and other works from museums around the world While 3D technology emerged in the 1980s, today we are constantly discovering new ways to use it and experiment with it. Tools, furniture, and more or less anything you can imagine can now be printed in three dimensions. The artworld is also exploring what this technology has to offer, case in point: Scan The World. This digital archive, which continues to expand every day, shares 3D-printable sculptures and monuments that you can download for free. If you are passionate about art and have access to this technology, be sure to get involved in this remarkable project!

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  • 10 Inspiring Examples of Kokedama: Discover the Art of Making Moss Balls
    Craft

    10 Inspiring Examples of Kokedama: Discover the Art of Making Moss Balls

    Discover how to connect with nature at home thanks to this Japanese technique for growing designer plants, sans pot Many of us have been led to believe that you need a pot to grow a plant indoors. Enter the art of kokedama, which consists of growing a plant from a ball of soil covered in moss, i.e. sans pot. This technique was created 500 years ago by Japanese artists who wanted to stay connected to the forest even though they could no longer live near it. Below, we share contemporary ways to brighten up your surroundings and connect with nature using the art of kokedama.

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  • Free Reference Sheet for Learning to Draw Eyes and Expressions
    Teacher Illustration

    Free Reference Sheet for Learning to Draw Eyes and Expressions

    Learn to depict different emotions and expressions in your character designs and make your comics unique A few years back, when thinking about comics, you would inevitably imagine superhero stories. With the advent of social media, the variety of themes and styles of this genre has become remarkable. The possibilities are endless when mixing illustration techniques and imagination. The same thing happens with the characters. There are so many out there, so how do you ensure yours will captivate the readers? Expressing their emotions is key for creating a closer bond and an interesting image. For this reason, the expressions sheet shared by illustrator and cartoonist Rocío Diestra (@rociodiestra) will be an excellent reference to help you draw how your characters feel at any given time.

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August 2021

  • Thousands of Images from Space Free to Download
    Photography

    Thousands of Images from Space Free to Download

    Gain access to photography, real-time images, videos, and educational material through the Hubble space telescope The discovery of outer space never ceases to amaze us. While we stare incredulously at billionaires like Jeff Bezos space travelling, and await the announcement of Elon Musk's next adventure, in some corner of the universe, spectacular images are generated to which we have free access. All this is thanks to the launch, on April 23, 1990, of the Discovery space shuttle and its Hubble space telescope in tow. Days later, the telescope was undocked from Discovery and started floating in orbit, with a mission of capturing images. Since then, our perception of space has changed. This tool has provided the scientific community with visual information that had never been accessed before.

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  • Kintsugi Tutorial: How to Glue Your Broken Bowl
    Teacher Craft

    Kintsugi Tutorial: How to Glue Your Broken Bowl

    Learn the basic steps to prepare the glue to stick together broken pottery using the ancient Japanese art of imperfection Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, leaving visible golden lines along the seams where the cracks once were. It celebrates an object’s imperfections instead of hiding them, embracing the philosophy of impermanence and simplicity. Kintsugi is perfect for anyone looking to give a second life to their favorite pottery pieces in a unique and creative way. You can use items that are already broken, or you can purposefully break your pottery and put it back together for a beautiful and original result. Kintsugi also has the added advantage of grounding and calming the mind as you focus on the delicate process of putting your ceramics back together.

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  • 15 Online Video Editing Courses for Beginners
    Film & Video

    15 Online Video Editing Courses for Beginners

    Learn to edit videos in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with these Domestika audiovisual experts Great video editing can transform the way we experience audiovisual content. Editing sets the pace, style, and tone of the movies, series, and videos that we watch every day. In our list of 10 courses below, Domestika experts will teach you how to master the most sought-after video editing programs for audiovisual projects on the market. Whether you're interested in using Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, you'll learn to get the most from these programs the best way possible: doing it yourself!

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  • From Mario’s Mustache to the Very First Easter Egg: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Video Games
    3D & Animation

    From Mario’s Mustache to the Very First Easter Egg: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Video Games

    The video game universe is full of interesting facts. Discover some of them in this video Covering everything from action to adventure, from platforms to sports to simulations and strategy, videogames have been making millions of people happy and keeping the world entertained for over 50 years. But did you know why Mario’s mustache was invented? Or why PlayStation controls have their famous symbols? Find out in this video that reveals five fascinating gaming facts.

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