Inspiration

Expand your personal library of references and get to know the work of creatives from various disciplines.

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  • Meet Illustrator Ulises Mendicutty
    Illustration

    Meet Illustrator Ulises Mendicutty

    The Mexican illustrator with a passion for pink, street culture, skulls and perreo Ulises Mendicutty is an illustrator, art director, and visual artist from Mexico who has been living in Barcelona for over a decade. Passionate about pink, street culture, unique anecdotes, traditions, cinema, the future, skulls and perreo (among many other things), Ulises loves to participate in diverse projects that push him out of his creative comfort zone and experiment with different formats: “I love to draw and see my strokes in magazines or blogs, but I am also a fan of seeing them on a wall or transformed into a ceramic object”. While he studied communication and philosophy at undergrad, art had always been his passion. A postgrad in illustration confirmed that he was destined to draw. He has been commissioned by the Spanish national newspaper El Pais, Slanted Magazine, Vips, and Penguin Random House and his work has been exhibited in Italy, Scotland, Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Here we share a selection of Ulises’ work, from portraits to murals. 365 Fuegos Ulises teamed up with author Bebi Fernandez to create this weekly 2020 calendar. Throughout its pink pages, you’ll find flaming illustrations by Ulises and sassy quotes written by Fernandez. The 2020 calendar was published by Motena under Penguin Random House.

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  • 7 World-renowned Artists Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity
    Art

    7 World-renowned Artists Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity

    Art has always been a powerful form of activism. Today we’re celebrating 7 artists who have stood up and spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights. Zanele Muholi, David Hockney, Keith Haring, Catherine Opie, Gilbert & George, Annie Leibovitz, and Robert Mapplethorpe have each used their medium of choice to speak out against social injustice, break down barriers, subvert gender norms, or draw attention to, normalize and celebrate queer identities and relationships. To celebrate Pride month, here we take a look at some of their most iconic works of art.

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  • All The Apps You Need to Create Pixel Art
    Web & App Design

    All The Apps You Need to Create Pixel Art

    Daniel Benítez shares a list of software for creating pixel art Daniel Benítez (@dabntz) is the art director and founder of Fourattic, an independent video game studio. He specializes in pixel art, a technique he used when developing the video game Crossing Souls. He uses the pixel as the smallest digital element to obtain an aesthetic similar to that of classic video games.

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  • The Narrative Visuals of Siames Escalante
    Illustration

    The Narrative Visuals of Siames Escalante

    Discover the graphic world of the Mexican illustrator and designer Siamés Escalante (@siamesescalante) is from Merida, Mexico. Her illustration style is characterized by innocence and melancholy, with each piece telling a fantastical tale. Siamés recalls developing a love for illustration when she was a child; she was introverted and spent a lot of her time entertaining herself with coloring books and children’s books.

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  • 5 Free Tutorials to Spark Your Creativity
    Teacher Marketing

    5 Free Tutorials to Spark Your Creativity

    Learn techniques from different disciplines that will connect with your creative potential Creativity is the result of many variables that not only have to do with specific tools or techniques, but with sensitivity, physical preparation and a sharp eye capable of turning your inspiration into real projects. It does not matter your age, training, or if you are a professional or an amateur creative. If you are looking to get closer to your most sensitive side, overcome a creative block or develop skills that you know live inside you, these tutorials are for you. Illustration Tutorial: How to Tackle the Blank Page Illustrator Adolfo Serra (@adolfoserra) insists that you should never obsess over what the final image will look like and, instead, keep trying until you achieve something that feels fresh. Here he shares three ways to unleash your creativity when you’re experiencing a creative block, let your pencil and mind soar free, and create something special.

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  • Domestika Diary: Álex de Marcos
    Illustration

    Domestika Diary: Álex de Marcos

    The illustrator Álex de Marcos opens the doors of his house/studio to tell us how he has lived the last few months What happens when your house becomes your painting studio? That is exactly what has happened to illustrator Álex de Marcos (@alex_de_marcos), who, in analog or digital format, has worked for clients all over the world cultivating his particular style of oil painting. During the last few months, Álex has had to combine work and home, but thanks to his motivating routine and the constant pursuit of his artistic goals, he has managed to keep productivity up. In the following Domestika Diaries, the illustrator opens the doors of his house to tell us about his routine, his career... and introduce us to his pet.

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  • Once Appon a Time: Today's Apps in the Past
    Design

    Once Appon a Time: Today's Apps in the Past

    Take a nostalgic leap with Luli Kibudi's designs Luli Kibudi (@bylulikibudi) is a graphic designer originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. Her work experience includes work in marketing and advertising, branding and editorial design. In her Once Appon a Time series (derived from a pun on the term app), Luli produced a visual essay exploring the modern functions of apps compared to objects we used to use in the past. The result is an attractive retro-modern graphic combination. Learn about her project below:

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  • Creatives For Black Lives Matter
    Illustration

    Creatives For Black Lives Matter

    Get to know the pieces that some artists have made for #BLM After the Black Lives Matter social movement was revived in recent weeks, the international art community added their voices to the cause. We gather below some samples of these pieces of art, in which we find techniques of embroidery, painting, drawing, lettering, photography and illustration.

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  • Domestika Diary: Nathan Jurevicius
    Illustration

    Domestika Diary: Nathan Jurevicius

    The multidisciplinary artist shares his process for working at home and finding inspiration in the everyday Working from home can sometimes feel like it limits your creative opportunities, especially if you’re used to looking for inspiration in the outside world. But just because you’re stuck indoors, doesn’t mean you have to suffer from a creative block. Nathan Jurevicius (@nathanjurevicius) is—among other things—an illustrator, toy designer, author, creative director, and concept artist. His colorful characters, lushly imaginative worlds, and diverse projects (which include glass sculpture collaborations with IKEA, a film, toys, and graphic novels, and more) are all a testament to his boundless creative energy. In this Domestika Diary, he shares how he deals with the challenges of working from home and how he manages to find endless inspiration no matter where he is.

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  • Domestika Diary: Emma Hanquist
    Illustration

    Domestika Diary: Emma Hanquist

    The Swedish illustrator shares her daily routine and how she incorporates creativity into her everyday Editorial illustrators face an interesting creativity challenge—not only do they need to consider the practicalities of page design, but they also have to create images that are visually striking and contribute to a larger conversation. Emma Hanquist is a Swedish illustrator who specializes in editorial illustration and who has also worked with brands such as Airbnb and Spotify. In today’s Domestika Diary, she talks not just about her daily routine, but also the places where she finds inspiration, and what she’s doing to foster her children’s creative habits.

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  • How Did Digital Illustration Begin?
    Illustration

    How Did Digital Illustration Begin?

    From engineering to tablets, digital illustration has come a long way Digital illustration is part of the mainstream. But, not long ago, it was something that few artists used in their work. How did those artists start using computers to design? How did digital art become what it is today? In the video below, we review a brief history of the technique that is now vital to the creative process of countless makers and artists. Don't miss it!

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  • How to Use Archetypes to Create A Graphic Novel
    Illustration

    How to Use Archetypes to Create A Graphic Novel

    Add meaning to your graphic novel by using thousand-year-old archetypes with Charles Glaubitz In Jungian theory, an archetype is described as a primitive mental image inherited from our earliest human ancestors, concepts present in our collective unconscious. Multidisciplinary artist and graphic novelist Charles Glaubitz (@mrglaubitz) explains how we can use these literal and visual archetypes that have been used throughout the history of human literature to create a comic. The most famous and widely-used archetype theory in storytelling is Joseph’s Campbell Hero’s Journey: a concept that describes the basic archetypes of any story.

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  • BCN Rise & Fall: The Street Art of Barcelona
    Art

    BCN Rise & Fall: The Street Art of Barcelona

    Watch this documentary on the golden age of Barcelona street art In the nineties, Barcelona became an unmissable destination for urban artists. Suddenly, the city walls were flooded with the art of internationally renowned creators such as Banksy, Space Invaders, London Police, and Os Gemeos, among many others. The documentary BCN Rise & Fall reviews the golden age of street art in Barcelona and reflects on its current state. It is an important analysis of how the peculiar graffiti and urban art scene was created in the city.

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  • 10 Key Moments from Geek Culture
    Teacher Art

    10 Key Moments from Geek Culture

    From the founding fathers in the 18th century to Star Wars and Rick & Morty, understand how this tribe of brilliant and unusual people have reached the pinnacle of pop culture Nerd, geek, otaku, dork, poindexter. None of these terms existed a hundred years ago. However, individuals who share these characteristics–high IQ, bad social skills, acute obsessions with particular topics, an affinity for math or science–have lived among us since long before their creation. The biographer and writer Tom Schachtman, in Gentlemen Scientists and Revolutionaries: The Founding Fathers in the Age of Enlightenment, gathers data that illustrate how some of the so-called 'founding fathers' in the United States in the 18th century, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were geeks of the technological world, polymaths obsessed with research and inventions who had little time for things like family or "normal" friends. Today, nerds come in all shapes and sizes, from the classic computer geek to the anime obsessed otaku, and the school nerd boffin. While they were ridiculed when they were younger, many are now leaders of industry, superstars, and billionaires associated with entrepreneurship, discipline, and professional success. This Geek Pride Day, a celebration that began in Spain and has now spread across the world, we look at ten key moments in geek culture, from its prehistory in the 18th century to today. 1. The Founding Fathers

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  • Jupiter: Textures and Colors Out of This World
    Photography

    Jupiter: Textures and Colors Out of This World

    Enjoy this stunning collection of Jupiter photographs created by NASA and amateur astronomers The Juno space probe reached Jupiter in 2016 after a five-year journey from Earth. Since then, NASA has gathered a vast collection of data that is helping us understand the fascinating nature of the planet and giving the artistic and scientific communities new opportunities to work together.

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  • Plasticine: Another Way to Paint, Color and Add Texture to Your Illustrations
    Illustration

    Plasticine: Another Way to Paint, Color and Add Texture to Your Illustrations

    Did you know you could paint with plasticine? Illustrator Jacinta Besa tells us more about this versatile modeling and painting material We all know and have even tried painting with watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, and even spray cans. But, did you know you could paint with plasticine? Jacinta Besa (@jacintabesa) is a visual artist and painting expert. Over the course of ten years, Jacinta has developed her own style, using plasticine to make 2D pieces, using it as a means of adding color to her illustrations with a realistic touch, and also submerging objects inside it. Her fascination with nature is palpable in all her work. Her fascination with it, along with the role of the modern woman, her evolution, and revolution are all key elements. But it is plasticine that brings her work together: a versatile material that gives her pieces volume and texture. Let her explain further in the video below:

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  • Discover Karmen Loh’s Fantasy Portraits
    Illustration

    Discover Karmen Loh’s Fantasy Portraits

    Get lost in the dreamy world of independent illustrator, Bearbrickjia Karmen Loh, also known as Bearbrickjia (@bearbrickjia), is an independent illustrator and character concept artist from Malaysia. Loh uses her dreamy illustration style to explore fantasy worlds and femininity; her work channels tranquility and ethereal beauty. You will often find her portraits decorated with details from outer space, the ocean, and flora. She draws inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, James Jean, and Aykut Aydogdu. As a character concept artist, Loh has worked on video games such as Street Fighter V and Steel Circus, and collaborated with clients such as XP-Pen and the electronic music YouTube channel, “MrSuicideSheep”. Here we take a look at a selection of works that show off Loh’s dreamy aesthetic and unique versatility. Color portraits – personal work Loh’s personal work is an exploration of femininity and tranquility, both in male and female subjects. Her portraits capture mystical youth culture in a dreamy color palette, playing with fashion and fantasy. Her personal work often features elements of nature, outer space, and the ocean.

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  • 3 Iconic Logo Redesigns
    Design

    3 Iconic Logo Redesigns

    Sagi Haviv shares the secrets behind the graphic identity redesigns of three international brands Designers are not artists. An artist has a problem and finds a way to solve it; designers, on the other hand, dedicate their work to solving someone else's problems. While the former can work for days locked up without having contact with anyone, the latter must continuously strengthen their relationship with others: they must connect, interact, and go out into the real world.

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  • Illustrator Confessions: What It's REALLY like to Be an Illustrator
    Illustration

    Illustrator Confessions: What It's REALLY like to Be an Illustrator

    6 illustrators share their experiences and give advice about their profession The best way to learn about any profession is to ask the people who know it best — so we did. Six illustrators sat down to tell us about what it's like working in illustration today, and to give advice to artists who are just starting out. From their struggle to get family members to understand their career choice, to explaining why illustration is anything but a dying profession, here's what they had to say.

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  • Drawing Prompts by Mattias Adolfsson
    Illustration

    Drawing Prompts by Mattias Adolfsson

    This tool will help you overcome any creative block and refine your style All artists, no matter how talented they are, face some kind of mental block sooner or later. There are days where it seems impossible to draw something that makes us proud. Creativity simply eludes us. On those occasions, a drawing prompt can help break the spell and get our creative juices flowing again.

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  • 5 Illustrators That Influenced Jorsh Peña
    Illustration

    5 Illustrators That Influenced Jorsh Peña

    Mexican illustrator Jorsh Peña shares the illustrators old and new who inspired him so they can inspire you Jorsh Peña (@jorshpena) is a Mexican illustrator with 10 years of editorial and motion graphics experience. His influences have helped him create a personal brand, distinguish his work from others, and work all over the world, between personal passions and work with global brands, like Cartoon Network, Kinder, Samsung, Snapchat, Alaska Airlines, and Old Navy.

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  • A Guide to Launching a Print Business
    Teacher Illustration

    A Guide to Launching a Print Business

    Tips for how to turn your passion into a business Selling prints is an excellent way to get to know your followers and explore new markets (added bonus: it also brings in extra income!). Why not give it a go? Pay attention to how your followers respond–their feedback will guide you on how to move forward. If you are an illustrator, my advice is that you experiment with different print companies and printing techniques. This way, you can evaluate which options work best for you. If you’re having any doubts about selling your illustrations, here is a quick guide that will hopefully answer any questions you have. 1. Spend money to make money If you have decided to start selling your illustrations as prints, you should be aware that it is unlikely that you will make a profit straightaway. First, you will need to spend money in order to build up your stock. Spend an amount that you can later increase. Bit by bit, you will get a clearer idea of how things work and what you need to do next. 2. Price range I recommend offering a range of products so that you have a range of prices (include more accessible items such as stickers or postcards). This way, you will be able to see which products work best so that later you can reproduce more of them. The more affordable items will sell quicker. My large format prints that are printed on high-quality paper take longer to sell because of the cost. I tend to produce stock when I have an upcoming opportunity to sell in person (such as at the Feria Domestika). Producing stock for an upcoming event will guarantee that you will at least earn back your production costs.

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  • The Importance of Sketching Every Day
    Illustration

    The Importance of Sketching Every Day

    Marco Mazzoni on how to develop your illustration style through sketching Marco Mazzoni (@marcomazzoniart) is an Italian artist, originally from Tortona in Piedmont, who creates intricate still lifes and portraits inspired by flora, fauna, and folklore (and which often feature female herbalists from centuries past). He began drawing at the age of five, sketching on every piece of paper he could find while waiting for his father to finish work at the paper mill. Color pencils have always been his favorite medium of expression, initially because they were so affordable, and later because of the range of possibilities they offered.

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  • How to Create a Gradient With India Ink
    Illustration

    How to Create a Gradient With India Ink

    Check out Hilda Palafox’s step-by-step guide for creating a color gradient using India ink India ink has been used for centuries in illustration and calligraphy all over the world. According to Mexican artist Hilda Palafox (@poni), creating a color gradient is a basic and very useful exercise to practice when learning to master the brush and ink. Here, Hilda explains how to master this illustration technique and create a monochromatic color spectrum with ten hues, from gray to black.

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