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  • What is Doodle Illustration?
    Illustration

    What is Doodle Illustration?

    Learn how the scribbles we make when daydreaming can become art from a master in the craft: Mauro Martins Illustrator Mauro Martins (@mauromartins) stood out as an art director in advertising and later established himself as a creator, applying a refined and personal version of doodle style artwork. His characterful work has secured him commissions from companies like Absolut, Domino’s Pizza, Amarula, and many more. He believes in the ability to tell small narratives through a style of drawing we typically call doodling, drawings that can grow in complexity as we improve. Below, he explains the characteristics of this playful and attractive style of illustration.

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  • What’s a Storyboard and What's a Shooting Board
    Illustration

    What’s a Storyboard and What's a Shooting Board

    Storyboard artist Pablo Buratti talks us through the difference between these key pre-production tools If you are both an illustrator and a cinema aficionado, storyboarding might be your calling. A vital tool in the pre-production stage of any audiovisual project, a storyboard depicts a film sequence, breaking down situations and actions into individual panels to show how they will unfold. Pablo Buratti (@pabloburatti) is an illustrator working in the film industry. He is a storyboard artist working across character design, set design, concept design, and more. Pablo landed his first storyboarding job over fifteen years ago for Luis Sepúlveda’s film, Nowhere. It was after this that he became determined to make a career out of this way of fusing illustration and film. Since then, Pablo has worked on numerous projects, including Pedro Almodóvar’s four most recent feature films, from Broken Hugs (2009) up to Julieta (2016). He has also worked with directors Álex de la Iglesia on the film Witching & Bitching and JA Bayona on The Impossible. Pablo has collaborated with Daniel Calparsoro for more than 10 years–beginning with a film called Ausentes (2005) and most recently working on To Steal from a Thief (2016). Here he explains the differences between a storyboard and a shooting board.

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  • What Is Punch Needle and How Is It Different to Other Embroidery Styles?
    Craft

    What Is Punch Needle and How Is It Different to Other Embroidery Styles?

    Embroiderer Laura Ameba tells the origins and characteristics of punch needle Laura Ameba (@lauraameba) is an embroiderer who started out in traditional embroidery and haute couture in Barcelona, Paris, and Kyoto. Her love for punch needle and embroidery has taken her and her art to exhibitions around the world. Here, she shares what punch needle is: a technique that allows you to create beautiful three-dimensional effects and rich textures.

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  • Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating: What’s The Difference?
    Design

    Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating: What’s The Difference?

    Learn the difference between these two interdependent, often confused, but very different disciplines The work of interior designers and interior decorators is often confused: most people use the terms interchangeably. However, these two roles differ far more than you probably think. Interior designers are responsible for designing the functional spaces and frameworking within which the interior decorator can play, adding the personality and style of their clients. The skills required for the jobs can overlap as their projects will all require: a lot of research and development; creativity to turn that work into a plan; communication between clients, contractors, and whoever else might be involved; an ability to visualize the final product and predict the challenges or benefits it could throw up and; of course, a fundamental knowledge of the history of art, architecture, and design.

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  • What Is Facebook Business Manager and What Advantages Does It Offer
    Marketing

    What Is Facebook Business Manager and What Advantages Does It Offer

    This tool allows you to optimize the way you communicate with your followers on social networks Facebook started out as a social network designed to connect people, but, over time, it has also shaped the way we interact with brands. Increasingly, companies have found a niche for themselves on Facebook, and the platform has adapted to their communication needs by creating tools such as Facebook Business Manager. What is Facebook Business Manager? In 2014, Facebook launched a tool that allowed companies to create pages and manage their marketing strategies within the social network. With it, Facebook Business Manager was born and with it a whole range of possibilities when working with company pages and advertiser accounts.

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  • What Is an Artist's Book?
    Design

    What Is an Artist's Book?

    Susana Domínguez explains the definition and value of an artist's book Artistic binding is the answer to a creative need, and Susana Domínguez, an artist devoted to this trade, uses the art of binding to create unique pieces. The artisanal processes she applies are indeed the perfect techniques for binding treasured publications, such as artists' books. In 2017 she was awarded the National Prize for Artistic Binding in Spain. Today, she will teach us what artists' books are, using examples that vary instyle, form, image, and text.

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  • What Is and How to Apply the Rule of Thirds in Illustration
    Illustration

    What Is and How to Apply the Rule of Thirds in Illustration

    For centuries, we have known that geometry plays a fundamental role in the composition of an image Throughout history, the golden number has been heralded and, in most visual and aesthetic terms, it can embody an almost mystical perfection. The Ancient Greeks explained everything sacred through geometry, art, and mathematics, using the golden ratio as a symbol of excellence and divinity; this ratio is constantly repeated in nature and has been replicated in art over the centuries.

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  • What is Shibori?
    Craft

    What is Shibori?

    Discover this traditional Japanese technique for dyeing textiles Costume and textile designer Carolina Raggio (@carolina_45) reinterprets ancestral techniques to achieve modern results. Carolina is the creative director of her own eponymous brand, for which she develops timeless garments and accessories. In this blog, Carolina explains more about the history of this technique and how you can experiment with it to create unique designs and patterns.

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  • What is Fabric Marbling?
    Craft

    What is Fabric Marbling?

    Discover the secrets to this traditional technique that combines painting and design Fabric marbling is a process that involves floating paints on top of a thick solution. The paints are manipulated into patterns that are later transferred to an object. You can use this craft to dye fabrics and paper, while some people also use it to dye leather and ceramic pieces.

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  • What Is Calligraphy and What Is Lettering?
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    What Is Calligraphy and What Is Lettering?

    Discover what these two handwriting techniques are and what sets them apart with TECK24 Confusing calligraphy with lettering is a common mistake: both techniques build unique and personalized letters; require a specific knowledge; and, to some extent, share tools and artists that make both. But calligraphy and lettering are not the same. In the following video, TECK24 (@teck24horas), graffiti artist and expert in the world of letters, explains the basics that will help us differentiate between calligraphy and lettering, two techniques that may look similar but are actually quite different. Discover the video below:

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  • What is Photo Composition in Photography?
    Photography

    What is Photo Composition in Photography?

    Discover this type of photographic composition where the only limit is your own imagination Although, when we talk about photo composition, many will think of linotypes used in graphic arts, in photography, it has more to do with creative collage and photo retouching. What is photo composition? It is a photographic style that consists of creating images from several photographs. To obtain good results in photo composition, it is not necessary to use many media or extremely sophisticated cameras because the success of a good composition lies in the concept behind it. What is required are high-quality images and, above all, a good command of photographic retouching to ensure that, however unlikely the resulting photographs may be, the look is completely realistic and close to what a picture would look like without intervention.

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  • What Is Crowdfunding?
    Marketing

    What Is Crowdfunding?

    Learn about this practice that can help turn your big ideas into reality Over the last ten years, the concept of crowdfunding has evolved considerably, becoming one of the practices that generates the most funding around the world. In the beginning, it was a way to support a cause through donations. However, today, big projects have come into existence thanks to this practice: from music productions and films to the launching of start-ups that have revolutionized industries. Below, Juan del Cerro–a top promoter of entrepreneurship in Latin America and director of Disruptivo.tv (@disruptivotv)–talks through using this innovative method to make the most of your network of contacts and turn your big ideas into reality. What is it? Crowdfunding is a practice that allows you to finance projects with the support of entire communities. It is based on the idea that it is much more difficult to get one person to invest a huge sum than it is to get people from your intimate circle (including friends, family, collaborators, coworkers, followers, etc.) to support you with smaller sums that, when added together, meet the target you need to finance your project.

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  • What is CNC?
    Craft

    What is CNC?

    An introduction to this automated manufacturing process CNC stands for computer numerical control. It refers to the automated control of machinery and tools–such as drills, boring tools, lasers, and lathes–to generate physical parts from CAD (computer aided design) files. This manufacturing process is much faster, incredibly precise, requiring very little to no human assistance or interaction. CNC machines have at least two axes, operating along an XYZ plane–X axis (vertical), Y axis (horizontal), and Z axis (depth)–following instructions from a computer. The number of axes usually determines the type of movement a CNC machine can perform. The instructions the machine receives are written in a programming language known as G-code. We can use CAM (computer aided manufacturing) software to automatically convert CAD files into G-code.

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  • Different Types of Camera Shots and How They Drive Visual Narrative
    Film & Video

    Different Types of Camera Shots and How They Drive Visual Narrative

    Learn about different types of camera shots and why they are so important when telling an audiovisual story Aside from their aesthetic power, camera shots play a vital role in how moments are narrated on the screen. Depending on how the camera frames a situation, the audience will receive information in different ways. This is why it’s essential to learn the names of the different shots and how they drive a narrative. Extreme Long Shot (ELS) In this type of shot, the subject is not the focus of the scene. In fact, often they don’t even appear in it. You won’t really notice where the character is; even if you do see them, it will be at a great distance, and they will be very small. The ELS is often used to introduce a new setting–it shows where the story is taking place, and its function is always descriptive. Many films often start with an ELS as a way to bring the audience into the place where the story is occurring. Also, given how much information is being transmitted in each frame, this shot can remain on the screen for longer than usual.

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  • What Is Night Photography?
    Photography

    What Is Night Photography?

    Photographer Alejandro Chaskielberg teaches the basic principles of long exposure photography Alejandro Chaskielberg (@alechaski) is a photography director with advanced studies in classical music and animation. This multidisciplinary artist specializes in night photography, a technique that allows him to show an altered version of reality —or, as he defines it, "time frozen between day and night." His work blends fiction with reality, creating fantastic scenes with real characters. For him, light (or rather, the absence of it) is a powerful creative tool. Today, he'll give you some essential tips that will help you create images like his.

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  • What is Concept Art?
    Film & Video

    What is Concept Art?

    We spoke with concept artist and artistic director Jean Fraisse to learn more about concept art Experienced illustrator, graphic designer and concept artist, recognized for creating worlds in various audiovisual projects and video games such as Elixir, Jean Fraisse (@jbfraisse) is an art director at HuevoCartoon and teaches several courses at Domestika on stage design, character design for animation and video games, and art direction for concept art. He focuses on learning the theoretical method to define a visual style and tell a story, find memorable characters, and create incredible worlds. That's why we decided to talk to him and clear up any doubts about concept art: what it is, what is the first known example of it in the industry, and the differences that exist with respect to illustration.

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  • Motion Graphics: What Is It and What’s It For?
    3D & Animation

    Motion Graphics: What Is It and What’s It For?

    Learn what differentiates motion graphics from animation, and why it is such an effective branch of design Today, motion graphics is a branch of design that is becoming increasingly popular. It’s now known that people pay more attention to videos than still images, even if those videos are just simple GIFs that move very little. If you’re a graphic designer, sooner or later you will come across a client who will ask you to create a piece that requires motion graphics. Learning to do so is sure to help you stand out among the competition. Find out more about this branch of design below. What is motion graphics? Motion graphics is essentially a type of animation. However, it has a different purpose. The term “animation” can refer to all sorts of techniques used to make images move, such as those seen in animated films and series. In this sense, animation is a basic component of narration and storytelling. Instead, motion graphics is a particular type of design, which applies movement to certain elements in a composition in order to capture the viewer’s attention. In this video, you can see some examples of motion graphics created by Guillermo Zapiola (@guillermo_zapiola):

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  • What Is Self-Portraiture and How to Master It
    Photography

    What Is Self-Portraiture and How to Master It

    Learn more about self-portraits, some tips for doing them and what this artistic genre involves In 2013, the Oxford Dictionaries chose "selfie" as the word of the year after estimating that its use had grown by 17,000%. Behind the increased use of this word was, obviously, the smartphone. With their embedded cameras, they have made self-portraits one of the most popular photographic genres. At the most artistic end of this photographic discipline is Cristina Otero (@cristinaotero), whose self-portraits push the edge that separates photography from painting, and could be easily elevated to the category of art. Her work focuses on her life, and everything around her, from anecdotes, turned into metaphors, to verses by her favorite authors. This is how she discovered her best muse in herself.

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  • What is 3D Printing?
    3D & Animation

    What is 3D Printing?

    Designer and maker Agustín ‘Flowalistik’ Arroyo explains how FDM 3D printing works and the different types of 3D printing that exist

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  • What Is Cloning in Photoshop?
    Photography

    What Is Cloning in Photoshop?

    The Photoshop clone stamp allows naturally retouching an image as if you were working with a brush When we talk about cloning in Photoshop, we are talking about an image retouching tool that allows you to copy an area of ​​the image exactly, and paint it in a new place with the brush. This tool is often used to remove unwanted objects within an image, soften shadows or textures, edit photographs, or create a natural transition between tones and textures. The clone stamp: a powerful retouching tool The clone stamp is one of the favorite tools of those who work in photo editing using Photoshop since it allows them to retouch and edit the image from samples taken of the original photograph, thus achieving a perfect result. Since it works as a digital brush—its size, hardness, and shape can be modified—it is very easy to adapt it to each project. This allows editing the smallest details without the viewer noticing that the image has been manipulated.

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  • What Is Exploded View Drawing?
    Illustration

    What Is Exploded View Drawing?

    Learn all about this illustration style used in industrial design and architecture Exploded View is a technical drawing style that shows the individual parts or the assembly order of an object as a diagram. While it’s often used for patenting objects, it first appeared during the Renaissance, and today is also a popular illustration style that is used to create interesting images that don't necessarily guide the assembly of an object. What is it used for? In industrial design, this drawing style helps designers, engineers, manufacturers, and artisans get a three-dimensional, explanatory view of the different parts of an object. Usually, the diagram gives instructions on how to assemble the object, which you’ve probably seen examples of in manuals explaining how to put together a piece of furniture.

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  • Adobe Premiere vs. Final Cut: What Makes Better Films?
    Film & Video

    Adobe Premiere vs. Final Cut: What Makes Better Films?

    The best films cut with Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro Video editors get asked what software they use all the time. The answer will change according to all sorts of variables, such as personal taste, their experience, and what kind of project they’re working on. The truth is, you’ll probably have to learn how to use whatever program your client wants you to work with.

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  • What is Collage, And How Has It Evolved?
    Design

    What is Collage, And How Has It Evolved?

    Learn about the origins and current use of collage, an artistic technique that can awaken our creativity Collage is a technique that has evolved as the number of its collage artists has multiplied. It allows the use of virtually any material and, over time, it has become a versatile art form, with many exponents and styles. Origins of collage Although similar artistic techniques have existed since the Middle Ages, many critics, art historians, and museum institutions consider that collage itself was born in the 20th century. Others, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, recognize earlier photo-collage works as part of this technique. In the example below, from the mid-19th century, Georgina Louisa Berkeley created a watercolor photo-collage with albumen print photographs. She and other Victorian artists who explored the technique depict themselves and other women in an independent context, far removed from the domestic life to which they were confined.

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  • What is Slow Stitch?
    Craft

    What is Slow Stitch?

    A movement that celebrates artisanal production values and a slower process of embroidery If traditional techniques that have been passed down through generations have shown us anything, it’s that it’s not always necessary to produce a lot and quickly, nor the perfect piece, to produce well. There is a movement within the world of embroidery that consists precisely of enjoying the journey, delighting in each stitch, and experimenting with the possibilities that arise when we dedicate time to planning each step–or we just let it flow. It’s known as slow stitch, and the Mexican textile artist Gabriela Martínez (@ofeliayantelmo) is one of its biggest ambassadors. We spoke with her to find out slow stitch is, what the movement consists of, and how to join it.

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  • What Is Needle Painting?
    Craft

    What Is Needle Painting?

    Discover how to achieve realism using a needle and thread Needle painting or thread painting is an embroidery technique that uses traditional painting and drawing techniques to shade and add volume and structure to an image. The needle becomes your paintbrush and the thread, your paint. In recent years, needle painting has become a very popular technique thanks to the extraordinary effects you can create with every stitch.

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  • What Is Inbound Marketing?
    Marketing

    What Is Inbound Marketing?

    Lucas García, designer, CEO, and creative director, explains all about this new way of marketing Inbound marketing is a very effective methodology to attract new customers, since it is based on the value proposition a brand has to offer. Many companies have decided to incorporate this strategy in their day to day operations and give their potential clients much more than they expect. Lucas García (@lucasgarcia), director and founder of Social Mood, is an expert in communication, branding, and inbound marketing: he helps brands connect with their audience using digital content.

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