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  • Sarah Van Dongen Illustrates Her Experiences in This Draw Yourself
    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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  • What Is Color Harmony and What Types Are There?
    Illustration

    What Is Color Harmony and What Types Are There?

    Discover how to generate effective and attractive color combinations using this color theory technique Color plays a vital role in the world we live in. It influences our thoughts, affects our reactions, and causes strong emotional associations. Color also impacts us on a physical level: our eyes can be soothed or irritated by a color; colors can increase blood pressure or suppress appetite. And when used correctly, color can even help us save energy. As a communicative tool, color is irreplaceable. The universality of its language helps us make our messages flow and invoke certain emotions more easily. For all these reasons and more, it’s essential to learn to speak the language of color theory. And within this language, a technique we should acquire is color harmony.

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  • Uemura Shōen: The Inspiring Story of Japan's First Female Professional Painter
    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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  • 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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  • Free Reference Sheet for Learning to Draw Eyes and Expressions
    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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  • Essential Materials for Drawing Manga in Watercolor
    Illustration

    Essential Materials for Drawing Manga in Watercolor

    Learn the essential kit needed for a watercolor painting of the popular Japanese art Geoff Pascual ( @geoff_pascual ) is an artist who specializes in illustrating manga characters in watercolor. Although he had planned a career in business, when he realized he was making it through selling artwork online, he decided to dedicate himself completely to his art. To create his work, Geoff uses specific materials that help him capture the images he visualizes in his mind on paper.

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  • 8 Free Templates for Drawing Insects and Plants as a Beginner
    Illustration

    8 Free Templates for Drawing Insects and Plants as a Beginner

    Practice botanical watercolor illustration and loosen your strokes using these naturalist drawing templates There’s only one way to know if you are mastering the technique of naturalist illustration: going from theory to action. If you specialize in watercolor, the process begins with a pencil sketch to loosen your hand and get over the fear of the blank page. Then you bring your drawing to life by creating a color palette, playing with shading and volumes, adding textures and highlighting specific areas. Artist and illustrator Cristina Cilloniz ( @cristina_cilloniz ), specializes in watercolor and shares eight naturalist illustration templates with you. Simply choose your favourite and start practicing in pencil, before adding brush strokes. There are insect templates and other botanical themes for nature lovers like you.

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  • 5 Online Courses for Learning How to Illustrate with India Ink
    Illustration

    5 Online Courses for Learning How to Illustrate with India Ink

    Discover how to draw and paint using this centuries-old technique with five Domestika experts India ink, also called Chinese ink, has been an essential material used in calligraphy and art in China, Japan, and Korea for centuries. According to experts, the oldest remains to be discovered are oracle bones used in divination rituals. Thousands of years ago, diviners would paint questions onto animal bones before tossing them into a fire, interpreting the patterns of the cracks, and writing a prognostication. Even back then, India ink consisted of more or less the same mixture that it is today: water and soot.

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  • What Is an Illustrated Life Journal and How to Start One?
    Illustration

    What Is an Illustrated Life Journal and How to Start One?

    Learn all about the wonderful art of illustrated life journals and find some top tips for creating one of your own Life can be hectic. We rush from one place to another with barely a moment’s pause to stop and appreciate the present moment. But our increasingly stressful routines mean we are finally starting to wake up to the need to prioritize mental and emotional wellbeing as a way to combat the fast pace of modern-day living. Life journals and diaries do just that. They are a wonderfully therapeutic way to document your daily thoughts and feelings, and ground yourself in the present moment. Traditionally, this has been done through the medium of writing, but lately a new trend has emerged: illustrated journals.

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  • 435 Free Bird Watercolors from the 19th Century
    Illustration

    435 Free Bird Watercolors from the 19th Century

    Get inspired by these watercolors of North American birds as an introduction to naturalist illustration If you have the opportunity to escape to the mountains or spend some time in a park with your paintbrushes, do not miss it. It’s the best way to make the most of watercolor when painting botanical and naturalist illustration. If, however, what you really like is painting birds, you will need a great deal of patience, as they can spread their wings at any moment, and leave you halfway through your composition. In addition to working from observation, you can use reference images to practice painting birds from other countries, and even from other eras. Birds of America gives you this opportunity: a journey into the natural world of the 19th century. Printed between 1827 and 1838, this free resource contains 435 life-size watercolors of North American birds, all reproduced from hand-etched plates. Its author, John James Audubon, America's first ornithologist, is considered the original wildlife illustrator.

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  • What Is Oil Pastel and How Can It Be Used for Painting?
    Illustration

    What Is Oil Pastel and How Can It Be Used for Painting?

    Discover this drawing and painting technique and why so many artists love oil pastels Oil pastels fall halfway between being a tool for drawing and painting. They are a practical, enjoyable, and very exciting tool that is often recommended for beginners but also used by professionals. In this post, you will discover how to get the most of this tool and learn about its unique qualities for creating paintings and illustrations. You will also learn the fascinating story behind its creation.

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  • 13 Great Illustrated Horoscopes From the Sixties Onwards
    Illustration

    13 Great Illustrated Horoscopes From the Sixties Onwards

    Discover the mysteries of the zodiac and their power to inspire creativity with these original horoscope illustrations Mankind is on a permanent quest for meaning. Throughout history, we have searched for a way to understand the vast mystery we call life. To do so, we have often looked to the stars to tell us more about ourselves, our destiny, our character, and to make sense of an often chaotic world. It is this need for understanding that contributed to the emergence of Western astrology. The Western zodiac, whose signs make up the horoscope we still use to this day, was created in around 1,000 B.C. (some say even earlier, in Mesopotamia). From there it spread to Egypt, where it was taken up by the Greeks, and then the Romans.

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  • 10 Free Illustration Tutorials for Learning New Techniques
    Illustration

    10 Free Illustration Tutorials for Learning New Techniques

    Learn new styles and techniques to enhance your illustrations with tips and advices from great experts In the field of illustration, there is always something new to learn to enhance our practice and grow as artists: be it manga techniques, eastern art, different narrative styles, or tips to achieve perfect anatomical proportions. You will find 10 illustration tutorials below that will help you expand your creative possibilities, under the guidance of some of our top experts. Watch the video, and click on the red title to access the post with a full tutorial explanation. Enjoy! Illustration Tutorial: Tips to Illustrate a Children's Story To illustrate a children’s book, you need to be able to sum up a story in a series of simple images that captivate a reader’s imagination. In her tutorial, illustrator Teresa Martínez (@tereza_mtz) shares her creative process and secrets for turning the adventures and characters of the written pages into beautiful drawings.

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  • What to Do if Your Work Is Plagiarized
    Illustration

    What to Do if Your Work Is Plagiarized

    We consulted an intellectual property expert to know the procedure to follow should your creative work be illegally used At a time when people, companies, and organizations need more and more content, designs, and ideas, the search for resources has become fierce. More so in the visual world, where unauthorized use, theft, and plagiarism of creative material are becoming widespread. To be able to protect their work, illustrators, photographers, and designers must be aware of the legal tools available to enforce their rights against any such infringements. How do you protect your work? What do you do when you discover your idea has been used? We consulted Intellectual Property specialist lawyer Esteban Agatiello, founder of Creativa-Abogados’ (Creative - Lawyers’) studio, who has defended international cases.

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  • Free Visual Reference Guide for Botanical Watercolor
    Illustration

    Free Visual Reference Guide for Botanical Watercolor

    Learn to use visual references in botanical watercolor with this guide shared by illustrator Luli Reis In botanical illustration, besides observation, it is very important to wisely choose the visual reference you will use in your projects. Whether it's a real plant or a high-resolution photo, some care must be taken so that you can reproduce a fruit, flower or plant with fidelity and details that add layers of realism and meaning.

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  • Character Designer Félicie Haymoz Illustrates Her Inner World in This Draw Yourself
    Illustration

    Character Designer Félicie Haymoz Illustrates Her Inner World in This Draw Yourself

    Félicie Haymoz answers and illustrates questions about herself and her creative inner world Félicie Haymoz (@feliciehaymoz) is a character designer and illustrator based in Switzerland who specializes in creating fantastical anthropomorphic characters. She’s applied these talents to movies like Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, where she worked as the lead character designer, as well as to his other animated feature “Isle of Dogs.” In this Draw Yourself, Haymoz answers questions about herself using anthropomorphic illustrations. From what happiness means to her, to the animal that best represents her, to her aspiration to be a witch, Haymoz uses these whimsical illustrations to give us a peek into her imaginative inner world.

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  • Essential Materials for Painting in Watercolor and Gouache
    Illustration

    Essential Materials for Painting in Watercolor and Gouache

    Learn about the materials you need to start in watercolor and gouache painting and achieve amazing results Watercolor is one of the most ancient forms of painting, and although you don't need advanced tools and materials to start out, you will require a great deal of confidence and control to achieve the best results. Watercolor lends itself to many applications and has been used through the centuries all over the world. It is a popular technique that has recently enjoyed renewed popularity, thanks to its expressivity, simplicity, and understated charm.

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  • Mixed Media Artist Hanoch Piven in this Domestika Diary
    Illustration

    Mixed Media Artist Hanoch Piven in this Domestika Diary

    The Jaffa-based mixed media artist shows us his studio and shares a peek into his creative process Even though many of us tend to imagine layered pieces of paper when we think of collage, that doesn’t mean this creative technique has to be flat. Hanoch Piven (@piven) is a mixed media artist best known for his creative portraits, which use three dimensional objects such as toys to suggest the features of different figures. His “collage with everyday objects” approach has won him numerous awards, such as a Gold Medal from The Society of Illustrators of New York, and his work has appeared in publications like Time, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone. In this Domestika Diary, he shows us around his studio, shares the process behind one of his published pieces, and demonstrates all the creative possibilities you can enjoy with just a few objects and a piece of paper.

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