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December 2020

  • Design Better Websites Using These Wireframes
    Design

    Design Better Websites Using These Wireframes

    A good wireframe is the first step to a successful website and these are the different types Wireframes are schematic drawings of a web page that help us plan the distribution of content or communicate to a client how the users will interact with their page. Javier Usobiaga (@htmlboy) is the founder of Swwweet, a web design studio in Barcelona that has worked with numerous companies and institutions. Over the years, Javier has created countless wireframes for his own projects, and he classifies them according to their design and function: Bird's-eye view This is a global view of the website's navigation tree. It explains how users would move through the different pages and approximate the UX elements they'll encounter.

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  • 5 Photographers Who Defined the Self-portrait
    Photography

    5 Photographers Who Defined the Self-portrait

    Discover painting’s influence on the photographic self-portrait and how it can build a visual narrative Across all artistic disciplines, self-reflection can be expressed in different ways. The creator inevitably leaves a piece of himself in each of their creations. Since the days of Ancient Greece, it has been believed that creativity goes hand in hand with self-exploration. When it comes to the self-portrait, there is a whole other level of communication between the artist and spectator. The artist shows themselves exactly as they are, or, how they want others to perceive them.

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  • Free Download: Sketching Brush for Photoshop
    Teacher Illustration

    Free Download: Sketching Brush for Photoshop

    This brush for Adobe Photoshop is intended to replace the pencil in your digital sketches Just as we do when we draw on paper using a pencil, the first step in the drawing process is sketching. For many, the first idea is captured directly in an analog way, but it is always necessary to have a first approach to obtain an excellent final result. Illustrator Germán González (@germangonzalez) carries out his entire drawing process in Photoshop, and he soon realized that in order to work in the way he felt most comfortable, with the tools offered by the software, he had to create his own brushes. This brush that he shares with you today is the one he always uses to sketch and capture his first illustrated ideas on canvas.

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  • Top 10 Photography Books of 2020
    Photography

    Top 10 Photography Books of 2020

    If you're looking for a book to give to a professional photographer or photography enthusiast, check out these 10 titles that we recommend History repeats itself: the year draws to an end and we celebrate and exchange gifts with our loved ones. If you have a photographer or photography enthusiast on your gift list, it’s hard to go wrong with a great photography book. In this blog post, we share our top ten recommendations to help you find the ideal title. Don't forget to write a personal inscription! Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, by Hugh Nini This book is a visual narrative of rare sensitivity showcasing Hugh Nini & Neal Treadwell’s previously unpublished collection of over 2700 unique photographs taken between the 1850s and 1950s, depicting romantic love between men. The images are almost all anonymous and from all over the world. They were sourced from flea markets, family archives, and online auctions. The exceptional quality of the collection and the emotions it conjures up are reasons alone to include it on our top ten list.

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  • 4 Great Tools to Manage Your Social Media Activity
    Marketing

    4 Great Tools to Manage Your Social Media Activity

    Manage and optimize your brand’s social media activity with top suggestions from an expert Hana Klokner (@hanajayklokner) is a social media marketing specialist who works with major companies like Amazon, the United Nations, GLH Hotels, and smaller personal brands. In her Domestika course, Hana helps build a community management strategy and establish effective relationships with followers and customers using popular social media platforms. To ensure you build a thriving community around your brand and are on top of your social media strategy, Hana recommends using some practical tools and apps to make this job more manageable.

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  • 5 Tips for Working With Embroidery
    Craft

    5 Tips for Working With Embroidery

    Get expert advice on how to improve your techniques and turn pro People have embroidered for centuries, using this technique to decorate and customize garments and make them more special. Over time, this practice has evolved. Once embroidered pieces were something only the rich and powerful could afford. Now, they are commonly owned by people from all different walks of life. Embroidery is a versatile form of expression with few restrictions, popular across numerous cultures, from east to west, and which has become a very accessible art form. Paula Linard (@paula.linard) has over five years of experience as a professional embroiderer. For her, this medium offers infinite possibilities, from decorating paintings, personalizing clothing–both old and new–to making more elaborate pieces. "There’s a great demand for pieces made for babies or to give as gifts. We just need to develop our drawing skills a little more in order to put our stamp on a piece. We need to focus on the artistic side of this craft, which is a form of expression. It's good to try and create your own drawing, evolve your own line–it doesn't have to be perfect. I like to observe and appreciate the imperfections in my stitches and drawings. It doesn't always look so attractive at first but the final result always makes me happy, because I have created it with my own hands, from start to finish. That is invaluable", she says.

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  • 5 Great Comic Adaptations for Television
    Writing

    5 Great Comic Adaptations for Television

    A compilation of fantastic graphic novels that were successfully adapted for the small screen Gone are the days in which graphic novels were considered lesser work. Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the first-ever comic to receive the Pulitzer Prize, Joe Sacco’s comics journalism, and Alan Moore, possibly the greatest artist in this genre’s history, are brilliant proof that a great story can be told in all sorts of formats. Over the last few years, to confirm comic books’ growing standing, we have seen many characters leave the pages and come to life in cinema, TV, and other platforms. The most significant success in the history of cinema, Endgame, earning 2798 million dollars at the box office, is based on the superhero comic book, The Avengers.

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  • Find the Perfect Gift for Creative Minds at Domestika
    Teacher Domestika

    Find the Perfect Gift for Creative Minds at Domestika

    Find out how to gift a Domestika course in a few easy steps Creative people love to learn: for their professional development, to discover new techniques, and to learn new skills. A restless mind will always enjoy the opportunity to learn something new. Find out different ways to buy a Domestika course as a gift, following a few easy steps: Plan your gifts by making lists If you enjoy planning and want to save a list of the courses you would like to purchase for yourself or others, use the option Course list. Simply access the Lists section of your profile page, and click on Add new list. You can make these lists public or private, and make as many as you wish. You can also add courses directly from the Courses page (without needing to go to your profile page) by clicking on the +List icon that appears when you hover the cursor over the course name. You can see some examples of lists shared with you by Domestika teachers on this link.

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  • Free Download: Scale guide for building models
    Architecture & Space

    Free Download: Scale guide for building models

    This guide by Julieta La Valle will help you understand the main scales used in the construction of models for architectural projects When entering the world of model making, one of the first elements that we have to take into account is the concept of scale: the size, relative to the real world, that we will give to each of the furniture and other elements that we want to build. For this reason, sculptor, filmmaker and art director Julieta La Valle (@julietalavalle) shares a scale guide with Domestika. In it you will find very useful information: first, a graphic explanation of the usual scale measurement formula (for example, 1: 1, 1:10, 1:20 ...), which is nothing other than the size that would correspond to the object in the real world and its size transported to the model (for example, 1:10 means 1 meter in the real world and 10 centimeters in the model).

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  • How to Curate Your Instagram Grid Layout
    Marketing

    How to Curate Your Instagram Grid Layout

    Find out how you can make the most of Instagram to show off your creative portfolio Customizing your Instagram feed is a great idea if you want to use your account as a portfolio. A well-curated feed can transmit what you do in seconds. If your work is visual, knowing how to order your posts–so that they stand out more as a whole–is key when it comes to attracting new followers and showing off your work. Or maybe you are just interested in experimenting with your personal page. The well-organized and harmonious effects you achieve when you plan your posts in advance are known as Instagram Grid Layouts, Puzzles, or Mosaics. To incorporate them into your feed, all you need to do is follow different publishing methods and try out some of the tools that photographer Pati Gagarin (@patigagarin) recommends in her course, Instagram as a Photography Portfolio.

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  • What Is Embroidery and What Are the Main Types of Embroidery?
    Craft

    What Is Embroidery and What Are the Main Types of Embroidery?

    Learn about the infinite possibilities of this technique If we wanted to define it in the simplest way, we could say that embroidery is a technique that consists of using a needle and thread to decorate fabric. However, there is so much more to be said about this technique, which is enjoying something of a renaissance right now. What was once written off as an insignificant craft activity, embroidery is now recognized as its own art form. Learn more about this exciting activity, which you can start practicing right away.

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  • Beginner and Advanced Watercolor Painting FAQs
    Illustration

    Beginner and Advanced Watercolor Painting FAQs

    Ana Victoria Calderón answers what you’ve always wanted to ask about watercolors Ana Victoria Calderón (@anavictoriana) is a painter and illustrator who uses watercolors as her primary medium. She creates art for Hallmark, Papyrus, Demdaco, Galison, and editorial work for Glamour, Vanity Fair, InStyle, and Elle. One of her three Domestika courses, Modern Watercolor Techniques, has just reached 100K students! To celebrate this achievement, Ana Victoria has been answering some frequently asked questions about watercolor materials and techniques and giving professional tips in a live chat for the Domestika Live series. Read some of her answers below:

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  • 7 Sites for Storing Your Photos in the Cloud
    Photography

    7 Sites for Storing Your Photos in the Cloud

    Discover the storage services you can use to organize and back up your images A few weeks ago, Google announced that it will no longer offer free unlimited photo storage after June 2021. Following then, if you require more than the 15GB of storage space available for free, you will need a sign up to a paid plan (as is the case if you have Google Drive). If that’s not enough or you’re looking for alternative options, we’ve compiled a list of sites that offer image storage services: Amazon Prime Photos If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can take advantage of their unlimited photo storage service and free space for up to 5GB for videos. Other services are also offered, such as the option to share albums with other users or get images printed and delivered to your home. Price For more information on prices, check how much an Amazon Prime subscription costs where you live.

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  • Tat*: A Graphic Designer’s Addiction to Ephemera and ‘Bad’ Design
    Writing

    Tat*: A Graphic Designer’s Addiction to Ephemera and ‘Bad’ Design

    A book of tat and ephemera collected by one of the UK’s most accomplished graphic designers, Andy Altmann Most scrapbooks are tucked away in a drawer or on a shelf somewhere, never to be seen again. But, when a scrapbook is compiled by one of Britain’s foremost designers and ephemera aficionados, it’s worth taking another look. Andy Altmann is the co-founder of Why Not Associates, the design studio behind brands like the Pompidou Center, BBC, Channel 4, and the Tate Modern. He is also an ephemera addict who has decided to put said addiction to good use by publishing a book called tat*. *tat (noun) – anything that looks cheap, is of low quality, or in bad condition; junk, rubbish, debris, detritus, crap

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  • 5 Free Classes: Tips for Packing Your Craft or Handmade Pieces
    Teacher Craft

    5 Free Classes: Tips for Packing Your Craft or Handmade Pieces

    Craft and DIY professionals show you how to keep your creations safe during transfers If you love creating with your hands, you will know how fragile some of your most beloved pieces can be. This is especially true when you work, for example, with ceramics. However, the transfer of our creations is inevitable: either by the same creative process or because we want to put the objects in circulation, there is a moment when we will have to expose them. These 5 free classes allow you to discover how to protect and transport your pieces without unnecessary risks and taking care of every last detail. Learn from the experience of the experts. To watch each class, just click on its red title. Enjoy!

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  • Copywriting Dos and Don’ts with Carla González
    Writing

    Copywriting Dos and Don’ts with Carla González

    Top marketing copywriter Carla González shares her vital Dos and Don’ts. Being a good copywriter is about much more than knowing how to write. Copywriting involves creating texts for advertising. As such, it persuades and informs, which is a more complex task. To ensure your words convey precisely what you need to say in the clearest, most direct and entertaining manner, you need to master a series of techniques and learn to apply them on a daily basis. Carla González (@carlagoon) has worked as a marketing editor for brands including IKEA, BMW, Vueling, Banco Sabadell and Casio. She shares her experience and defines her top three key copywriting Dos and top three key copywriting Don’ts. Find out what they are in this video:

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  • Illustrator Tutorial: 17 Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Illustrated Lettering
    Teacher Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Illustrator Tutorial: 17 Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Illustrated Lettering

    Learn essential Adobe Illustrator shortcuts that will improve your workflow when designing illustrated lettering When working with software like Adobe Illustrator, there are often commands and tools that you use frequently, making shortcuts a great way to save time and maintain your creative focus. For Birgit Palma (@birgitpalma), an illustrator and multidisciplinary designer who specializes in creating illustrated letterforms, Adobe Illustrator shortcuts are a crucial part of her workflow. In this tutorial she explains 17 important shortcuts and how they will help you when designing illustrated letterforms.

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  • Among Us and the Basics of Good Video Game Design
    3D & Animation

    Among Us and the Basics of Good Video Game Design

    Get tips from a video game developer on how to create a successful project like Among Us If you’ve been on the Internet over the last few weeks, you may have heard about Among Us, a video game launched in 2018 that went viral in 2020 for being simple and extremely entertaining. Its logic is straightforward: you and your friends must complete small tasks onboard a spaceship while looking for an impostor: a killer trying to decimate the rest of the crew. Through this plot, the game becomes a social and narrative experience aiming to unmask the story’s villain, who is also one of the players. Its popularity turned Among Us into the most streamed game on Twitch in September 2020 and is still breaking audience and sales records.

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  • The Music Videos That Have Inspired Director Lyona Ivanova
    Film & Video

    The Music Videos That Have Inspired Director Lyona Ivanova

    Discover the music videos that have shaped the creative style of the successful Spanish director For many, Lyona Ivanova (@lyona) has the dream job: to imagine and create visual worlds for songs. The director has created over 100 music videos for artists including Love of Lesbian, Amaral, Leiva, Sidonie, Lori Meyers, Carlos Sadness, and many more. Ivanova started developing a passion for film as a child when her grandfather was head of programming at a local cinema and organized Sunday sessions. As a teenager, she was inspired by Tim Burton's film Edward Scissorhands. Lyona started making home movies, and after finishing school, she enrolled at ESCAC (Catalonia’s School of Cinema).

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  • Free Download: Anatomical Guide to Human Musculature for Drawing
    Illustration

    Free Download: Anatomical Guide to Human Musculature for Drawing

    This anatomical drawing guide, created by Leonardo Gauna, uses some of his favorite illustrations to show the human musculature As an illustrator, an extensive study of the human figure makes your works enrich and gain in realism and naturalness. To make good illustrations it is not essential to make exact reproductions of reality or the human body, but knowing the specific proportions of things will allow you to work with a greater knowledge of how forms work and obtain better results. To facilitate this task, the Argentine illustrator Leonardo Gauna (@capocosmico) has made a complete anatomical guide of human musculature for drawing that you can download and use as a reference.

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  • And the Pantone Color of the Year 2021 is...
    Design

    And the Pantone Color of the Year 2021 is...

    Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray! Two colors that symbolize strength and optimism and that give us hope After an especially difficult year worldwide, Pantone has announced its color of the year 2021. And it is not one, but two. The tones that will mark the year ahead are designed to create the feeling of a fresh sunrise over rocky terrain. These are Illuminating, a yellow that looks like the skin of a ripe lemon, and Ultimate Gray, a gray that resembles wet concrete. Their technical names are PANTONE 17-5104 + PANTONE 13-0647. The symbolism, like every year, is very important. This time it is not a depressing gray but a gray that refers to practicality and solidity, like a rock. Yellow is neither frivolous nor fleeting, it invokes strength and positivity. The combination is, according to Pantone, the story of colors that encapsulate deeper feelings and that, when they meet, bring the promise of something happy and friendly. Made of a practical and solid material like a rock but at the same time warm.

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  • How to Identify a Good Logo
    Teacher Design

    How to Identify a Good Logo

    Learn how to identify a good logo, with designer Sagi Haviv Your logo is the first image people will associate with your brand. That is a lot to ask of one small graphic, but the greatest designs manage to communicate a company’s identity and ethos in an instant. Few know this better than Sagi Haviv (@sagi), partner and designer at Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, who has developed more than 60 graphic identities, including those of the US Open, Harvard University Press, and National Geographic. In this video, Sagi Haviv reviews different designs, highlighting and explaining their strengths and weaknesses so that you can better understand how to apply these lessons to your own work.

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  • Photoshop Tutorial: How to Sharpen Your Images
    Teacher Photography

    Photoshop Tutorial: How to Sharpen Your Images

    Learn how to use the high pass filter to sharpen photos easily on Adobe Photoshop, with Mikael Eliasson There are numerous reasons why you should sharpen your images before publication: it can compensate for blurring caused by equipment, make your pictures more vivid, and make them easier to read. Remember, however, that it isn’t supposed to bring an out-of-focus shot into focus. Mikael Eliasson runs his own photography school in East London and has had his work exhibited across Europe. In this tutorial, he shares how to sharpen an image simply on Photoshop using the high pass filter.

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  • Essential Keyboard Shortcuts to Master Nuke
    Film & Video

    Essential Keyboard Shortcuts to Master Nuke

    Speed up your Nuke workflow using these essential keyboard shortcuts Visual effects for cinema and television have reached such levels of realism that, often, make us question what is real and what is an illusion. We owe those incredible and magical universes to the hard work of visual effects designers and software tools like Nuke, a node-based digital compositing and visual effects application. To make you an expert in the use of Nuke, we have compiled a list of the most used shortcuts. They'll save you time and numerous clicks. Check them out: Note: Use the Ctrl key on Windows, Command key on Mac.

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  • How to Create a Charismatic Character
    Illustration

    How to Create a Charismatic Character

    These are Ed Vill's tips for illustrating characters full of personality In the history of illustration and advertising, there are countless examples of characters and mascots designed initially to be used in branding that have become a resounding success, an indissoluble part of a company's image, or, in some cases, even part of popular culture. Sometimes, the opposite happens. Characters fall into oblivion for their lack of charisma and personality. Such is the case of Speedee, the little-known predecessor of Ronald McDonald. With his big hamburger-shaped head, he failed in his mission to become the official mascot of McDonald's. This is just one of the many examples that underscore the importance of creating characters with personality. Ed Vill (@edvill) has some tips that you should keep in mind when drawing your own.

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  • 3D Art Inspiration You'll Love
    3D & Animation

    3D Art Inspiration You'll Love

    Learn about some inspiring 3D artists with multidisciplinary designer Ali Sahba London-based multidisciplinary designer and photographer Ali Sahba (@alisahba) creates 3D animations, illustrations, and other projects for a wide range of digital and print media and has worked for clients such as Apple, Microsoft, Adidas, and Oreo, among others. In his Domestika course, Ali Sahba encourages you to explore the possibilities that exist when you blend different digital tools and software in a single project and teaches you to create photorealistic 3D illustrations. Experimentation is essential for telling stories differently. Ali combines different tools and software in his 3D projects to create realistic visual art that pushes contemporary storytelling limits. Various artists working in photography, graphic design, illustration, and film making from around the world have influenced and inspired him. Let’s get to know these artists and their work.

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