Domestika's blog

The largest creative community

All articles
Categories
Popular tags

October 2020

  • What Is a UX Writer?
    Design

    What Is a UX Writer?

    Mario Ferrer sheds some light on this role and how UX writers are key to creating an excellent interface UX Writing consists of creating, developing, and designing an interface’s content in an app using user experience design methodologies applied to words. UX designer Mario Ferrer (@marioferrer), the creator of the UX Writers España group, has worked on various mobile app games like Candy Crush Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, Bubble Witch 3, and is part of the product team at Skyscanner. In his own words, he ‘uses words as a design tool’ to collaborate with production teams to find solutions that deliver the best possible user experience. Yes, a person who is dedicated to UX Writing also designs. Read on as Mario defines the role of a UX writer, how it differs from other roles that also use writing as one of their main tools, and how a UX writer works within a product team.

    • 1
    • 0
  • Free Download: Vampire Plush Toy template
    Craft

    Free Download: Vampire Plush Toy template

    Get your materials ready and get to work on this stuffed vampire bat The Textile Toy world is an art form that Omar Gad, founder of the Piti Piti studio (@pitipiti), is an expert of. Starting with designs that he first creates on paper or the computer, he creates a whole universe of characters by giving them volume and shape and transforming them into adorable stuffed animals. He is sharing this bat pattern with huge eyes and ears, and sharp vampire teeth, with Domestika. Time to recreate one yourself.

    • 0
    • 0
  • How Frankenstein’s Monster Turned Green
    Film & Video

    How Frankenstein’s Monster Turned Green

    Discover how early film shaped the look of Mary Shelley’s iconic creature Every Halloween, a familiar cast of creepy characters appears in horror movie marathons. Of these classic monsters, one is especially distinctive with his blocky head, green skin, and bolts in his neck. Even though Mary Shelley’s creation has become a pop culture icon, there are still a few basic things people get wrong about him, from mistakenly calling him the name of his creator (Frankenstein) to depicting him as green, when, in her book, Shelley describes his skin as yellow and translucent. Discover in the video below how the limitations of early film turned Frankenstein’s monster green:

    • 2
    • 0
  • What Is Color Theory?
    Illustration

    What Is Color Theory?

    Learn the basic rules for creating colors so you can create color palettes more easily Color theory is a set of rules that apply to color, regardless of how color is applied. It helps us to understand how different colors are created, and how they complement one another.

    • 11
    • 0
  • Materials: Make-up For Artistic Self-portrait Photography
    Photography

    Materials: Make-up For Artistic Self-portrait Photography

    Cristina Otero talks us through her favorite products for creating experimental make-up looks Cristina Otero (@cristinaotero) is a photographer specializing in artistic self-portraits. At the age of 15, Cristina became the youngest Spanish artist to present a solo exhibition in a gallery. While her main clients tend to be art collectors, she has also worked on commercial projects for brands and organizations such as Huawei, Renfe, and Turismo Andalucía. Cristina started out drawing portraits of women, using herself as a reference. Drawn to hyperrealism, she began experimenting with photography and using herself as a model. When it comes to post-production, Cristiana insists, “I don’t edit, I paint”.

    • 1
    • 0
  • 6 Filmmaking Techniques Pioneered by Alice Guy-Blaché
    Film & Video

    6 Filmmaking Techniques Pioneered by Alice Guy-Blaché

    Considered the first female filmmaker, Alice Guy-Blaché pioneered techniques that shaped the history of cinema Alice Guy-Blaché was born in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Mandé in 1873. More than half a century after her death, her trailblazing contribution to the history of cinema is being rediscovered, and her story shared. Until recently, Guy-Blaché’s significant role had been overlooked, erased from the history books, despite her body of work comprising over a thousand emotionally-engaging, universal, magical films that she wrote, directed, or produced. Her output during the first quarter of the twentieth century was far greater than Thomas Edison, the Lumières, and Georges Méliès. Considered the first female filmmaker, she was among the first filmmakers to use techniques such as storytelling, editing, the close-up, synchronized sound, primitive special effects, and hand-tinted color. Her work was not only groundbreaking in a technical sense, but a thematic one too.

    • 3
    • 2
  • Materials: Needle Felting
    Teacher Craft

    Materials: Needle Felting

    The designer Maria Filipe Castro, as known as droolwool, shows us the extensive list of tools and objects that she uses to make dolls with felt, wool, and lots of creativity Maria Filipe Castro is a toy artist, specialised in the design and production of characters and figures made with textile materials like felt and wool. She regularly exhibits her creations and sells them on her online store. In her Domestika course, focused specifically on the manufacture of toys and animals through needle felting, this designer, as known as droolwool (@droolwool), uses different types of needles, brushes, wool, cutters, scissors, and other tools. In the video below, droolwool shows us these materials in detail:

    • 3
    • 0
  • Creativity Tutorial: What a Mood Board Is and How to Create One
    Teacher Design

    Creativity Tutorial: What a Mood Board Is and How to Create One

    Learn what a mood board consists of and how to compile visual inspiration, with Linus Lohoff A mood board will provide any visual branding project with the foundational elements to become a success. In many cases, the better the mood board, the clearer the process, and the better the final result. A mood board can be comprised of anything that will inform the next steps you take in the design process: images, photos, textures, patterns, colors, text, typography, and objects. Linus Lohoff (@linus_lohoff) is an art director and photographer who has worked for creative agencies such as Saatchi&Saatchi, BOROS & Vasava Studio. In this tutorial, Linus shares his process for how to easily create a clear and effective mood board.

    • 7
    • 0
  • Challenge: Illustrated Letterform
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Challenge: Illustrated Letterform

    Illustrator and multidisciplinary designer Birgit Palma takes on the Domestika Challenge Through blending illustration with typography, illustrator and multidisciplinary designer Birgit Palma creates colorful and expressive letterforms that add another layer of meaning to the words they spell out. With clients that include Adidas, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and Adobe, she plays with shapes, colors, and volume to add imaginative, expressive twists to familiar letterforms. In this Domestika Challenge, Birgit is given a mystery box filled with random items and asked to create a letterform using three of them. Want to see how it turns out? Find out in the video below:

    • 2
    • 0
  • What Is the Best Place to Sell Your Clothes Online?
    Design

    What Is the Best Place to Sell Your Clothes Online?

    What is the best platform to sell your streetwear project? Smithe presents his favorite options You’ve just created a fantastic collection of t-shirts with your designs and illustrations, and now you need your audience to see it and buy it, correct? Which online shop should you choose to advertise your products if you don’t have a way to set up your website? Smithe (@smithe)–a Mexican urban artist, illustrator, and designer–has been working on his style, perfecting his images’ narrative, and working as a creative for fashion brand, Tony Delfino. Here he shows us the difference between the two leading e-commerce platforms, Big Cartel and Shopify.

    • 1
    • 0
  • 7 Beautiful Films on Great Artists
    Film & Video

    7 Beautiful Films on Great Artists

    The best films on history’s greatest artists, as chosen by illustrator Alex de Marcos García From Van Gogh to Basquiat, there are some names–and some pieces of art–that everybody recognizes. Far fewer people know about the person behind the masterpiece, however. We study their techniques and the movements they began but sometimes their personal lives can be equally insightful for those of us who want to learn from them. Illustrator Alex de Marcos García teaches the Domestika course Pictorial Portraits Using Digital Techniques and, even in his modern-day craft, encourages students to find out more about the artists they love. Alex has shared his 7 favorite artistic biopics that reveal just what a great film about a creative genius can bring to our understanding, enjoyment, and creation of their art and ours.

    • 6
    • 0
  • 7 Polaroids and Inspiring Quotes by Andrei Tarkovsky
    Photography

    7 Polaroids and Inspiring Quotes by Andrei Tarkovsky

    Discover this collection of Polaroids taken by the Russian filmmaker–each one is accompanied by a quote that invites you to step into his world… Memory, dreams, and spirituality play a central role in the meditative work of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. Born in Zavrazhye in 1932, he is considered by many to be one of the greats of film history. He won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury twice at Cannes with Solaris (1972) and The Sacrifice (1986); the Golden Lion in Venice for Ivan's Childhood (1962); and was posthumously awarded the Soviet Union's prestigious Lenin Prize. Many of his sequences are iconic, such as the burning house in The Mirror (1975) or the protagonist’s long walk in Nostalghia (1983) as he tries to keep a candle alight. Tarkovsky was also concerned about the aesthetic and moral implications of the art itself, a topic he explored in his most-celebrated book, Sculpting in Time.

    • 2
    • 0
  • A Brief Introduction to the Kantan Needle
    Craft

    A Brief Introduction to the Kantan Needle

    Discover the origin of this needle and the different types of embroidery projects you can create with it As a creative discipline, embroidery offers endless possibilities. Enthusiasts will find great satisfaction in discovering new materials to create projects that go far beyond working with a traditional needle and thread. In this blog, designer, art director, and embroiderer, Koral Antolín (@koralantolin) presents the Kantan needle–a tool that will help you add unique touches to your designs.

    • 5
    • 0
  • Essential Shortcuts for Working with SketchUp
    Design

    Essential Shortcuts for Working with SketchUp

    Improve your workflow when creating and 3D modeling in SketchUp SketchUp is a 3D modeling software for different projects, from architectural and interior design to civil engineering, movies, and video games. It is an ideal software for those who are starting out and want to share their ideas in 3D, as it is quick to learn and get good results. We have put together the most useful shortcuts to improve your workflow:

    • 0
    • 0
  • Contest: Create Your Own Version of Domestika's Logo
    Teacher Domestika

    Contest: Create Your Own Version of Domestika's Logo

    Over 2 million creatives on Instagram! To celebrate, participate in this creative challenge At Domestika you always have the power to choose: you can learn to design, draw, embroider, sculpt... Each person's experience is unique and different, but one element is the same for everyone: the desire to create and to share. Now that there are 2 million followers on Instagram (@domestika) we want to celebrate with a creative challenge: create and share your own version of the Domestika logo (specifically its isotype) in your own style, using the technique of your choice. It could be designed in Adobe Illustrator, embroidered on fabric, painted with watercolor, 3D-printed... the options are endless. The most important thing is that it is uniquely yours, and that it reflects your experience as part of the Domestika community! Below you can see some examples:

    • 13
    • 0
  • 5 Free Classes to Learn How to Vectorize
    Teacher Illustration

    5 Free Classes to Learn How to Vectorize

    Discover the basic tips to master vectorization in Adobe Illustrator Vector illustration is a discipline in which aspects of both graphic design and digital illustration come together. Whether you use Adobe Illustrator or similar vector software, knowing vectorization principles will make your sketches look professional. Join these 5 vector illustration experts to discover easy ways to vectorize your designs. To watch each lesson, just click on its red title. Enjoy!

    • 2
    • 0
  • The 4 Best Open-Source Software to Awaken Your Creativity
    Design

    The 4 Best Open-Source Software to Awaken Your Creativity

    The Domestika community has selected the best open-source programs for getting creative Open-source software invites developers to work in collaboration. It guarantees that the program being developed is kept available to all and is, in general, free to use. These programs are great options for creatives, students, and beginners across different disciplines wanting to experiment with free versions of popular software that often ends up being expensive. We reached out to the Domestika community over Instagram and asked them what they consider to be their favorite open-source programs. These were the top-voted answers. Blender Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite. You can work on all types of 3D pieces: modeling, animation, simulation, rigging, rendering, video editing, and much more. This program also allows you to work on digital painting projects, 2D animations, and video games development. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

    • 1
    • 1
  • Adrian Brandon on Creating Art That Starts a Conversation
    Illustration

    Adrian Brandon on Creating Art That Starts a Conversation

    The Brooklyn-based artist talks about the power of art to start a conversation about Black lives and Black culture Adrian Brandon (@ayy.bee) is an artist dedicated to raising awareness of injustice towards Black people, and celebrating and creating an understanding of Black culture, “and the unique joy, swagger, and love that is shared in our community”. For Adrian, creativity has always been a huge part of his identity, “I was that kid in the back of the classroom doodling way too much and not paying attention in class.” Having grown up in a crafty household–in which Mother’s Day called for designing a full brunch menu and pulling flowers from the garden, while his father’s birthday was preceded by making a chessboard and all its pieces out of clay–he credits his parents for fuelling his early interest in art.

    • 2
    • 0
  • Free Download: Content Marketing Planner
    Marketing

    Free Download: Content Marketing Planner

    Use this template by Ellie Rivers to easily create a multi-platform content and marketing calendar for your e-commerce business Marketing campaigns are a powerful way of attracting customers to your e-commerce. While it’s important to have a content and marketing calendar year-round, they are especially crucial during peak sales periods like the holidays. E-commerce marketing consultant Ellie Rivers has over 15 years of experience working independently and as part of a digital consulting agency for luxury, fashion, and lifestyle brands. In her English-language Domestika Live on October 15, she explains how to use this content marketing planner to create an effective digital marketing campaign for your e-commerce business. If you miss the Live, you will be able to find an archived version of it to enjoy later.

    • 3
    • 0
  • Creating a Magazine Cover with Illustrated Type
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Creating a Magazine Cover with Illustrated Type

    Birgit Palma shares her process for creating a magazine cover in her latest Domestika Live Birgit Palma (@birgitpalma) is an Austrian illustrator and lettering expert based in Barcelona who’s been freelancing for the best part of the last decade. She’s worked on projects for major clients, including Adidas, Adobe, Diesel, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola. After revealing that she shares her birthday with Hugh Hefner (April 9th, in case you were curious!) and that she used to love playing Counter-Strike and headbanging to heavy metal, Birgit shares her top tips for combining illustration and typography in her latest Domestika Live. Before showing us how to create illustrated modular typography from scratch, Birgit shares her process behind creating a cover for the magazine, Yorokobu.

    • 1
    • 0
  • What is CGI Photomontage?
    Photography

    What is CGI Photomontage?

    Discover this method for creating impressive (and often unimaginable) images, as if by magic The initials CGI stand for “Computer Generated Imagery” and refer to any form of visual expression that uses a digital medium: digital photography, analog photography scanner, digitalizations, image banks, and 3D images, etc. Ricardo Salamanca (@ricardo_salamanca) is a designer and art director. He has worked on advertising campaigns that have won awards at festivals around the world. Ricardo describes CGI as “the result you create with an image that has been digitized,” which involves integrating photography shots, 3D images, or takes of actors performing against a green screen, as well as any other image generated using digital means.

    • 0
    • 0
  • 4 Project Management Tools for Working From Home
    Web & App Design

    4 Project Management Tools for Working From Home

    Work more efficiently from home and make the most of your time with these tools The evolution of technology and the democratization of the internet have made working from home a daily reality for many. Managing projects remotely means that teams can be completely decentralized–a designer in Peru can successfully work on a project for a client in Europe without ever meeting face to face. Foncho Ramírez-Corzo (@cholutions)–a digital marketing expert and consultant–embraces and applauds the home office trend. In this blog, he shares a list of project management tools that will transform your working-from-home routine and help you juggle different tasks and stay organized.

    • 16
    • 4
  • Upcycling Tutorial: How to Start Patching Your Clothes
    Teacher Craft

    Upcycling Tutorial: How to Start Patching Your Clothes

    Learn to prepare patches to repair your clothes with Ofelia & Antelmo Fixing damaged clothes is not only good for our pocket, but also for the environment. Patches are a canvas on which you can paint, draw, and embroider: they allow us to extend the life of our favourite garments in style. Gabriela Martinez, specialist in embroidery and textile art and creator of Ofelia & Antelmo (@ofeliayantelmo), will show us the first step in fixing and adding personality to our torn or stained clothes with patches that you can even embroider if you so fancy. You can see the tutorial here.

    • 7
    • 0
  • Transfer a Drawing to Fabric With This Simple Method
    Teacher Craft

    Transfer a Drawing to Fabric With This Simple Method

    Learn a simple method to transfer your drawings to fabric to be able to embroider them easily When starting to embroider, no matter what method we want to use, having a pattern helps us know where to work, especially if we are just starting out. A common option is to transfer a drawing to fabric and then use it as a reference for our stitches. In the following video, the designer, embroiderer and art director Koral Antolín (@koralantolin) shows us a simple method step by step to transfer our drawings to fabric and embroider them easily. Discover it below:

    • 1
    • 0
  • What Are Character and Paragraph Styles in InDesign?
    Design

    What Are Character and Paragraph Styles in InDesign?

    Learn how to apply character and paragraph styles in InDesign, a key step in editorial design While, among designers, it’s not as popular as Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign is an essential program for those working specifically in editorial design. As a layout tool, it enables users to work with large bodies of text in an agile and simple way, making it a favorite for designers working on magazines, books, newspapers, brochures, or even posters. In other words: people who work with different types of text, such as titles or pull-quotes, that are repeated throughout the document. One of the most useful tools InDesign offers is character and paragraph styles; these allow you to create shortcuts for editing similar texts with just one click. Although this is one of the program’s most notable features, often people don’t know the difference between the two and therefore don’t make the most of what they can do. To help you speed up your editing and layout processes, here we explain everything you need to know about character and paragraph styles when working in InDesign.

    • 1
    • 0