What is

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What is
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  • What Is a Rigger? Discover the Professionals Behind SFX
    3D & Animation

    What Is a Rigger? Discover the Professionals Behind SFX

    Their role is essential when creating animated characters, but chances are you haven't heard of them The future of entertainment will rely on digital: cinema and big TV shows are increasingly dependent on special effects; computer animation has practically replaced traditional animation techniques, and video games are already the most profitable cultural product. In all these fields, there is an essential professional figure who ensures that all computer-generated characters have an organic, coherent, and fluid movement. They are the rigger.

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  • What is Sumi-e?
    Illustration

    What is Sumi-e?

    Illustator Flor Kaneshiro tells us about Sumi-e painting, a Japanese illustration technique of Chinese origin Sumi-e is a Japanese word formed by the terms "sumi" (ink) and "e" (painting). It is a centuries-old drawing technique that came to Japan with Buddhist monks from China, and has since been combined with other techniques and original interpretations In the video below, the Japanese illustrator Flor Kaneshiro (@florkaneshiro) talks about sumi-e, its characteristics and most common uses.

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  • Postmortem Project Evaluation: What Is It and How Do You Do It?
    Design

    Postmortem Project Evaluation: What Is It and How Do You Do It?

    Improve your skills, assess the progress you’ve made, and become a better creative through self-critique When you finish a project, it’s very important to carry out a post-mortem evaluation. This will convert your self-critique into a powerful tool that pushes you to be better. The biggest challenge is having to separate yourself from a project you’ve spent so much time on, stand back, and analyze it objectively. Designer, illustrator, director, and conceptual artist Nathan Jurevicius (@nathanjurevicius) shares his top tips for productively critiquing your work.

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  • What Elements Make Up A Brand?
    Marketing

    What Elements Make Up A Brand?

    Learn to build a brand identity by knowing the elements that define it To create a brand with value that meets the expectations of any creator, it is essential to base each part of its construction process on concrete information related not only to the audiences you want to reach, but to your own objectives and the image you want to establish in the market. An important part of that information has to do with the elements that make up a brand. Here we explain what each one of them consists of based on an identity-building model proposed by Alejandro Pascalis (@alejandro_pascalis), a graphic designer with 10 years of experience as a brand strategist. He has worked with clients such as American Eagle, Uber, Claro and American Express, among many others.

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  • Different Types of Community Managers
    Marketing

    Different Types of Community Managers

    Maximize your professional results by working out what CM category you fit into Different types of community managers have different roles. Understanding this is essential, according to Ana Marín (@anamarinen)–a creative strategist with over a decade of experience in advertising and working with digital and creative agencies. She has also won more than 50 awards in Latin America and is a leader in her field at McCann Worldgroup.

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  • What are the origins of the different LGBTQ+ symbols?
    Teacher Design

    What are the origins of the different LGBTQ+ symbols?

    We explain the lesser known origins of some of the LGBTQ+ community’s most recognizable symbols Although there is no doubt that the best known LGBTQ+ symbol is the rainbow flag, which represents the diversity of the community, there are many who feel like they aren’t fully represented in this single symbol, or who for other historic reasons have used other symbols to represent their specific community. Throughout history, the labels and symbols used to represent the LGBTQ+ community have held a lot of meaning, and they continue to do so. Behind each of them there are millions of people fighting for the right to authentically represent themselves, using these symbols not just as a declaration of identity but also as a way to foster community. You’ll likely recognize all, or at least most, of these symbols, but you might know know their origins. Here we tell you a bit more about each them, and why these images hold so much power:

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  • What is Noise in Photography?
    Photography

    What is Noise in Photography?

    Discover what noise is, how it happens, and how to make sure it doesn’t Understanding the concept of visual noise is a basic way to improve the quality of a photograph. While many may use it as an artistic resource, it is an undesirable element for most photographers: a product of failures when capturing or digitizing, of errors when calibrating a camera, or technical deficiencies of the equipment. That said, noise in digital photography can be understood as a visual distortion identifiable as graininess or discoloration that often reduces the impact of an image, obscures details and, when there is a lot, can completely ruin a photograph.

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  • What Is Furniture Restoration?
    Craft

    What Is Furniture Restoration?

    Discover the principles and history of this surprisingly modern vocation Furniture has, of course, existed throughout history: humans have always needed a place to rest their bodies and store their things. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, however, that the historical and cultural value of furniture, and, in turn, the importance of restoring and conserving it, was recognized. The craft itself also became a means of practically understanding the processes that created the antiques we admire. A community of restorers and museums blossomed and continues to share their findings openly to ensure the authentic preservation of historical artifacts and the skills and techniques used to make them. The Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute lays out three main principles of furniture restoration: The minimization of deterioration (preservation) The consolidation (stabilization) of artifacts as they currently exist Repair/replacement (compensation or restoration) of existing damage One of the most ambitious feats of recent restoration was the work on the chair of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France until her death during the French Revolution in 1973, by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

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  • What is SEO?
    Marketing

    What is SEO?

    Natzir Turrado gives you the keys to better understand what SEO is and why you should take it into account for your website An online presence is essential today, so you have to think about how to position yourself. There are few methods for increasing your hits on Google, so it is important to learn what SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is, why it is important, and how search engine positioning and search engine optimization work. Natzir Turrado is a SEO and digital analyst and has worked with important web portals. He is also a professor of marketing, UX, and digital analytics. Here he will explain what SEO is and the basics to improve your presence in search engines.

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  • What is Chalk Lettering and Why is it So Effective?
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    What is Chalk Lettering and Why is it So Effective?

    Find out what chalk lettering is and why this vintage style is blowing up once again While it might bring up memories of bad math classes or, for members of Generation Z, movies about bad math classes, chalk lettering is a world away from stuffy classrooms and equations. The intricate discipline has experienced a renaissance in recent years as brands and businesses look to the visual appeal it offers to present their work. Chalk lettering is a discipline of the people. It’s cheap, accessible, and we’ve all done it: everyone remembers scrawling something in chalk as a kid, onto a pavement or in a classroom, getting chalk dust under their nails as they blend their masterpiece or erase a mistake.

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  • What Is Upcycling?
    Craft

    What Is Upcycling?

    Upcycling champions Emma Friedlander-Collins and Ximena Corcuera guide us to environmental awareness in a creative way

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  • What Is Mold-making?
    Craft

    What Is Mold-making?

    Discover this crucial step in manufacturing sculptures, ceramics, and much more Whether we’re using artisanal or industrial processes, two essential items that we need to reproduce an object are 1) a liquid material that will go hard when heat is applied and 2) a mold. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about large-scale industries such as automobile manufacturing or small workshops producing artisan products: molds are essential for reproducing objects. But… how are molds made? What is mold-making? Mold-making is creating a mold that will later be used to duplicate a particular object or artwork. It can be made from different materials, including metal, plastic, clay, and plaster.

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  • What is Augmented Reality and How Does It Work?
    Film & Video

    What is Augmented Reality and How Does It Work?

    Multimedia artist Solimán López explains the basis of the technology that allows us to merge real and virtual worlds From its origins in the Sensorama project to its popularization by the global phenomenon Pokémon Go, augmented reality has long been a part of our lives. But what exactly is it? How can we define it? Solimán López (@solimanlopez), multimedia artist and founder of Harddiskmuseum, explains what augmented reality is and how it works in the following video:

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  • What is RAW Imagery and What is It For?
    Photography

    What is RAW Imagery and What is It For?

    Find out what the main advantages of RAW photography are and why you should consider using it It is one of the most used image formats by professional photographers because of its great advantages when editing and the amount of information it is capable of storing, but do you know what RAW is and why you should consider using it? Photographer Edu Gómez (@edugomez) explains what its main features are and why it is the format of choice for connoisseurs of photography.

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  • What is Negative Watercolor Painting?
    Illustration

    What is Negative Watercolor Painting?

    Find out what watercolor in negative is and how to use it to create light and depth in your illustrations Unlike other painting techniques, with watercolor, you can’t use white paint to add light and depth to your illustrations like you can with oil or acrylics. Instead, you must learn how to manage the white of the page on which you are painting to your advantage. One of the most effective ways to do this is by painting watercolor in negative: leave principal elements of your illustration unpainted so that they jump out at you. Instinctively, the most important elements of our paintings seem like the parts that we should be painting most. Painting in negative turns that idea on its head requiring you to paint everything but the object you want to highlight. Examine the picture below:

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  • What is Crewel Embroidery?
    Craft

    What is Crewel Embroidery?

    Discover the characteristics, materials, and origins of this embroidery technique Crewel or crewelwork embroidery is characterized by the use of thick wool instead of delicate threads, as in other types of embroidery. This technique is at least a millennium old, and can be found on decorative objects such as tapestries and curtains, as well as luxury clothing. Recently it has been incorporated into contemporary embroidery in pieces such as cushions, clothing or decorative embroidery for walls. Origins The origin of the word is uncertain, but it comes from the name of a special type of wool that is used, which tends to twist. The Bayeaux Tapestry, or Queen Mathilde's Tapestry, is one of the oldest known pieces, and was embroidered in the 11th century. It recounts the events of the Battle of Hastings. This impressive piece has about 70 scenes from the battle, and is approximately 68 meters long.

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  • What Is Packaging Design and Why It Is So Important Today
    Design

    What Is Packaging Design and Why It Is So Important Today

    Discover the fundamental principles of packaging design Packaging was initially created as a utilitarian item–its sole function was to conserve a product as best as possible. However, soon the appearance of packaging also became crucial: packaging needed to attract buyers and drive sales. Today, these continue to be the two main ideas that all packaging designers work around. How did packaging come about? Packaging began to be developed at the same time that advances in technology and transport were being made, meaning food could be stored for longer and travel further. As more and more new products arrived, so did new types of packaging, printer technologies, and marketing techniques that set out to make products grab people’s attention. When it comes to graphic design, something similar happened. The art and culture trends can be seen reflected in packaging from different time periods. Memorable packaging Here are some examples of iconic packaging that show off the trends of the time. The Tiffany Box In 1887, Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the jewelry brand Tiffany & Co, chose the turquoise blue that would become emblematic of the Tiffany Box. The box has since become almost as iconic as the engagement ring inside. In 1998, the color “Tiffany Blue” was registered as a brand and listed in the Pantone color system.

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  • What is Blackwork Embroidery?
    Craft

    What is Blackwork Embroidery?

    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.

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  • What is Tapestry? The Definitive Crochet Technique
    Craft

    What is Tapestry? The Definitive Crochet Technique

    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.

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  • What’s an App Style Guide and What’s It For?
    Design

    What’s an App Style Guide and What’s It For?

    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.

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  • What is Lowbrow Illustration?
    Illustration

    What is Lowbrow Illustration?

    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:

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  • What Is a Sketchbook?
    Illustration

    What Is a Sketchbook?

    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.

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