How to Create a Gouache Color Card
Learn how to create a gouache color card, with illustrator Maru Godàs
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Creatives share their best tips and tricks for making your projects more professional.
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How To Create a Papercut Tree of Life
Storyteller and papercutting artist Karishma Chugani walks us through her creative process Karishma Chugani is a storyteller and papercutting artist whose work blends ancient narrative formats from across the world. After writing a story, she creates a visual language with images specifically designed to tell that story.
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Teacher CraftHow to Stick New Polymer Clay Onto Finished Pieces
Learn how to make quick and easy, adjustments to your polymer clay designs with Marisa Clemente, aka The Folky Fox
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How to Create an Expression Sheet for a Character You’ve Designed
An expression sheet is a way to get to know your character and show how they express themselves Designing a new character is not an easy task: you have an idea, you look for reference images, you sketch several versions... When you finally get to a satisfactory point, you have to work out how to convey emotion through their facial expressions and body language. To do so, Caio Martins (@caiorfmartins) recommends creating an expression sheet. This sheet will allow you to understand how your character behaves and looks from different angles in different moods. To create your expression sheet, sketch your character in several different poses. This will help you discover other aspects of your character's personality. Imagine what they look like from behind, sitting, or showing their profile when irritated, surprised, or happy!
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Why You, As a Creative, Should Use TikTok
If you haven't already joined the fastest growing social network in the world, find out what you’re missing TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms globally. It’s positioned itself as an essential space to build brands, especially your own. Fast, bold, creative, and funny language often scares those who are trying to find a way to embrace it, especially if they are shy or feel like they are not in the appropriate age-group. However, if you work in the creative field, there are many reasons why TikTok deserves to be included in your social strategy. Today, the photographer, Domestika teacher, and influencer THAT ICELANDIC GUY (@arnulfur) will share some of them.
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Teacher ArtHow to Start Your Own Art Collection at Home
Everything you always wanted to know about amateur art collecting from illustrator Manuel Bueno You might think that art collectors are people with huge bank accounts who live in big mansions and buy their art at auctions just to pass the time. But art is not just for the one-percenters, nor should it be limited to museums. You can also turn your personal space into a place where all kinds of art fit right in. That's why we spoke with the graphic designer, printmaker, and illustrator Manuel Bueno Botello (@buenobueno), who has experience in the world of collecting, both for professional and personal purposes.
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Teacher CraftTips on How to Make Paper Doll Chains
Papercutting artist and magical storyteller Karishma Chugani shows you the best way to cut out a chain of paper dolls
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Do’s and Don’ts of Podcasting with David Mulé
Podcast producer David Mulé Rebecchi shares his Podcasting Do’s and Don’ts
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How to Make Lifelike Paper Petals
Learn this simple method for making 3D paper craft petals, with Eileen Handmade. Paper flowers capture the beauty of nature and survive a lot longer than your average bouquet. Eileen Ng (@eileen_handmade), also known as Eileen Handmade, is a craft artist and maker who has been creating floral installations for years. In this tip, she shares a simple technique to make paper petals with volume.
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10 Easy Ideas to Get You Sketching
We select 10 projects that will help you to fill your sketchbook, whatever your drawing level Drawing is one of life’s greatest creative pleasures. However, many people are held back by self-doubt, under the impression that the quality of their sketches isn't good enough, or feeling like they’ve run out of ideas for a new project. Below, 10 Domestika teachers share easy and fun ideas for sketching projects. While our recommendation is to start them in a sketchbook, you only really need a piece of paper and a pencil to try them out. You'll see that you don't need to be an expert to get your hand moving and unleash your creativity. A love for silhouettes Find a couple of reference images. You can look them up on the internet, or better yet, find them in books, magazines, on postcards, or whatever you have around the house. They can be works of art or photographs; what’s important is that you feel a connection with the image. Now, look at the image. What shapes do you see? How are they distributed within the composition? Once you have a basic understanding of the shape of the image, draw its silhouette. In other words, draw the outline of the image first, then color in the space inside your shape. Learn more creative techniques with illustrator and designer Manuel Vargas in his course, Creative Sketchbooks for Illustration Projects.
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The 4 Pillars of Constructive Advertising
What is constructive advertising and how to achieve it, according to copywriting expert Carla González Sooner or later, if you work in the field of advertising, these questions will pop-up in your head: does my work have any meaning? Can a publicist do more than just sell a product? Advertising has evolved over time. We went from a simple "buy now" to campaigns that help discover, deepen, and expand a brand's universe through concepts such as "values". In this context, we spoke with Carla González (@carlagoon), an advertising copywriter specializing in Branded Content and a Domestika teacher. We wanted to know what constructive advertising is and how it is made. We are talking about the kind of advertising that promotes values, takes a stance, and aims to benefit consumers and society. Carla, who has worked for brands such as IKEA, BMW, Vueling, Banco Sabadell, or Casio, shared some ideas and tips to rethink advertising as a business and our role within it.
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Complete Guide to Anime and Manga Terms
This glossary explains the different terms related to Japanese animation and comic genres If you're looking to venture into the world of Japanese manga and anime but don't quite know where to begin, this guide is for you! Whether you’re on the hunt for a new favorite series or movie, or you want to learn how to illustrate your own comics inspired by these styles, getting to grips with some of the most commonly used terms is sure to help you discover what suits your tastes and needs. Anime vs. Manga Manga is the name given to graphic novels and comics from Japan, or those that adhere to this school of illustration. The term means "improvised images.”
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Teacher IllustrationTips to Paint Without Brushes
Learn how to use dry twigs, a toothbrush, feathers and kitchen roll to create illustrations with Laura McKendry
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10 Key Tips for Editing a Fashion Magazine or Blog
Learn some basic tips to perfect the content of a creative magazine Content, editing, and consistency are at the root of a project's success. They help it to stand out in the digital world but aren’t always easy to achieve. Creative director Pedro Saldías (@pesaldias) has managed to successfully combine all those elements in his many innovative fashion, art, and design projects. Specialized in digital marketing, storytelling, and branded content, in his 10 years of experience, Pedro has developed work for Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany & Co, among others. To develop editorial formats, use the following 10 tips he has set as a guideline to help you create relevant content and make the most of social media.
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The Pomodoro Technique: The Key to Successful Time Management
Get to know this way of working–your brain will thank you! You'll have already figured it out by now: human beings are not machines. Although many of us would love to be able to perform at a steady pace for hours at a time, inevitably, our attention wanes, our brainpower deteriorates, and we can become prone to procrastination. To perform well, to make the most challenging days productive, we must understand how our brains work and organize our planning around that information–that's what the Pomodoro Technique is all about.
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Lettering, Calligraphy, and Typography: Do You Know the Differences?
These three concepts all refer to disciplines involving letters, which is perhaps the only thing they really have in common Creating letters is a whole world, and it is not surprising that people who are not fully familiar with this field have some doubts. In this blog post, we take a look at what exactly is lettering, calligraphy, and typography, and the differences between them. We describe the characteristics of each discipline and show examples to help you recognize which is which. Hopefully, after reading this post, you will be able to avoid any of the confusion that novice designers, or those specializing in other areas, often feel. Calligraphy
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How to Crop a Photo
Learn how to best crop a photo in Photoshop, with self-portrait photographer Laura Zalenga One of the simplest yet most underrated and effective ways to enhance your photos is by cropping them correctly. It may sound simple but knowing what to take out of your images is just as important as what you leave in. Laura Zalenga is a photographer specializing in artistic self-portraits, with commercial clients that include Adobe, Disney, Sony, and Mercedes Benz. In this tip, she shares how to best crop a photo using Photoshop and basic photographic principles.
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Teacher Music & AudioDos and Don’ts of Directing Music Videos
Director Lyona Ivanova teaches you what to do and what not to do when creating music videos
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Top Tips for Creating Successful Online Events
Social communication expert Natalie Koutia shares some tips to help you organize online events efficiently Nathalie Koutia (@nathaliekoutia) is a freelance designer and social media enthusiast who is the communication director and social media manager of the international creativity event OFFF Festival. In her recent Domestika live, Nathalie tells us how a large live event was transported into a virtual world. She advises on how to ensure your online events, however small, are also successful.
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7 Tips to Succeed on Facebook Like a Pro
Experts reveal their secrets to exploit the potential of your brand on Facebook Despite the fact that every year we hear that a new social network is gaining popularity among users, Facebook continues to be a powerful ally of brands. With a wide portfolio of tools that is constantly updated, creatives, brands and services of all kinds can promote themselves and reach their target audience. So that you too can improve your Facebook marketing practices, experts share their best tips and practices with you. To read the article that interests you, just click on its red title.
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Sourcing Inspirational Images for Your Next Embroidery Project
How to use Instagram to find images that will inspire your next creation Courtney McLeod, also known as Dearest Q (@dearest_q), is a textile artist based in Philadelphia who creates colorful framed embroidery art inspired by fashion illustration and 90s pop culture. Working with clean lines and minimalist compositions, Courtney produces figurative illustrations on fabric. She sells her work on her online store and has been commissioned by Brie Larson, Peppa Pig, and the magazines “Today’s Parent,” “Love Embroidery,” and “Koel.” Courtney first learned to embroider while studying textile art at OCADU in Toronto. She picked it up again after graduation while working at a restaurant as a relaxing and portable activity she could easily do during her breaks. She started off embroidering lots of plants and copied popular motifs that she saw other artists recreating. However, as her skills evolved, Courtney quickly developed her own style and found herself drawn to fashion illustration, embroidering shoes, colorful socks, and women wearing vintage denim.
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Teacher MarketingTop Tips for Using Copywriting to Strengthen your Personal Brand
Copywriter Carla González lists the importance of language when building a communication strategy and offers tips to improve your texts Marketing is not a religion–although some may disagree, but we think the following biblical verse is fitting: “in the beginning was the Word.” For Spanish copywriting specialist Carla González (@carlagoon), great brand ideas and product concepts are shaped and developed on strong linguistic foundations. Copywriting has an essential role in this process. It is vital to know how to select the appropriate tone and the best words and create a unique style to strengthen a personal or company image. Nowadays, we need to choose our language carefully in order not to offend different sensibilities. We asked Carla three questions about the importance of editing when creating promotional text. Based on her answers, we have put together three great tips on using copywriting to strengthen your brand. Let’s have a look at what she suggests:
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Dos and Don’ts of Client Presentations with Katya Kovalenko
Learn the dos and don’ts of client presentations so you can present yourself and your projects successfully, with presentation and data designer Katya Kovalenko Client presentations are a part of almost every professional’s life, whether you work in an office or for yourself, we all need to know how to get our ideas across, clearly, concisely, and, most importantly, convincingly. Katya Kovalenko (@katyakovalenko) created a business that helps startups become brands, using the expertise she gained over a decade in the advertising business to help them design their data and present themselves. In this tutorial, Katya will share the dos and don’ts of client presentation to help ensure that your next presentation is a success.
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5 Low-cost Ideas to Improve Your Video Call Backdrop
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the walls of our homes have a lot to say Your wall–and no, we’re not talking about Facebook or Instagram, but the physical one behind you–sends a message. As a result of lockdown, last year, many of us had to quickly transform corners of our homes into impromptu office spaces. In 2021, these spaces can tell our colleagues, clients, and collaborators a lot about who we are. Among the interior design trends to look out for in 2021, your walls, now visible to others, have become a tool for connecting with the world. Therefore, it’s time to start thinking more carefully about how we present them (if you weren’t already!). Below, interior designer Sofi Saraví O'Keefe (@decolookbook) shares her top tips. 1. Be careful about what can and can’t be seen “By now, many of us have realized that having the ironing board, an unmade bed, or a bottle of laundry detergent visible during a video call doesn’t make a great impression. However, sitting in front of a plain, empty white wall is not the solution either. While the latter was acceptable during the first week of lockdown, that is no longer the case–it can suggest that the rest of that person's house is a mess. It also transmits that you couldn’t be bothered to make a little effort. After all this time, could you not have come up with something more interesting? If you're creative, this is your moment to shine.”
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Creative Tools and Techniques to Revamp Your Professional Profile
Learn to enhance your professional profile with some of Domestika’s best-selling courses With the new year comes a renewed impulse to boost your personal and professional lives. If you are looking to create or revamp your brand, or improve your professional performance, we have gathered some interesting resources to guide you and help you get the best results from your creative business or endeavor. ‘Five hats’ technique Mònica Rodríguez Limia (@rodriguezmon) is a business consultant who teaches the Domestika course, Time Management Techniques for Creators and Creatives. She offers advice for creative professionals looking to fix their time management problems. She teaches all the steps involved in planning a full year of work using technology to your advantage so you can prioritize activities, control distractions, and have a successful business while saving time, money, and energy. One of the methods used in her strategy is called ‘the five hats technique’ and is based on Dr. Bono’s ‘Thinking Hats,’ a creative tool also used by actors when they need to take on different personalities. When it comes to time management, if followed with discipline, this technique helps you define roles and associated tasks to improve your results and reduce your stress levels. The five hats are: CEO: refers to your role as owner or founder of your project, holder of your objectives’ vision. Administration: the management role, dealing with money, finance, and paperwork. Design and production: your favorite role and the most attractive side of your business. However, this role should not take over, especially during the first three years. Sales and business affairs: you may not like this role, but it is essential to your product or service’s commercial survival. Communication and marketing: you need to communicate your services and give access to your product. All five aspects play a key role in developing your creative business and should be approached positively.
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Dos and Don'ts When Drawing From Photos and Videos
Laura McKendry shares tips and techniques for taking references from photos and videos to create art inspired by nature Laura McKendry (@laura_mckendry) is an educator and illustrator who has developed an approach founded on curiosity and experimentation. Her creations have been licensed worldwide for book covers, gift-wrap, homeware, fabric, greetings cards, and more, working with clients such as Waterstones, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, Woodmansterne, and Profile Books. Inspired by the natural world, she looks to what she says makes life fascinating, beautiful, and delicious: fruit, herbs, wild animals, the sea, the changing seasons, and much more. She works mostly in watercolor, ink, charcoal, and colored pencils.
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Writing Maps: Writing Prompts That Will Inspire Your Next Story
Prompts that will inspire you to transform people, places, objects, and memories into stories Shaun Levin (@shaun_levin) is a writer, artist, editor, bookbinder, and creative writing teacher. He is also the creator of Writing Maps: a platform sharing illustrated maps filled with creative writing prompts to inspire writers to transform people, places, objects, and memories into stories. Since the release of his first novel, Seven Sweet Things, in 2003, Shaun has published a number of books and creative writing resources including A Year of Two Summers, Isaac Rosenberg's Journey to Arras: A Meditation, and Snapshots of The Boy. He has taught creative writing for over twenty years in colleges, schools, and adult education centers, and run workshops in public spaces. He also founded and edits The A3 Review.
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Choosing Colors and Materials for an Interior Design Project
STUDIOLAV talk choosing colors and materials when designing a space For Loukas Angelou and Vasso Asfi, interior design has the power to boost a person's mood, get their creative juices flowing, and improve their wellbeing. This design duo focuses on creating meaningful emotional connections between people, objects, and their surroundings. Founders of the interior design studio STUDIOLAV (@studiolav), Loukas and Vasso have had their work exhibited in museums such as the Royal Academy of Arts in London and MUDEC in Milan. Their projects have been recognized by Elle Decoration Design Awards and the European Product Design Awards. In this blog post, Vasso talks us through the duo’s process for choosing colors and materials for an interior design project and shares some of her top tips.
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How to Make a Droplet with Needle Felting
Maria Filipe Castro, aka droolwool, shares her tips on how to create a droplet with needle felting
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Teacher PhotographyBasic Settings for Editing Photographs
Photographer Nicanor García shares some fundamental editing settings to apply to all your photographs Adobe Photoshop was one of the first programs created for editing digital images; it became popular because it enabled the user to change and manipulate images for creative purposes and to fix mistakes. Editing, or post-production, allows photographers to go a little further than merely taking a photo. Besides lighting and framing, you can take advantage of other basic editing settings to achieve optimal results. You can refine a picture by correcting the perspective, geometry, exposure, contrast, or highlights. Expert photographer Nicanor García runs us through the basic editing settings that can help us achieve amazing photographs.
