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  • 7 Free Design Tools
    Design

    7 Free Design Tools

    These websites have you covered for all your graphic, editorial, web, and identity design needs There is nothing more exciting for a graphic designer than starting a project from scratch and creating all its visual elements. Sometimes, however, you need tools to kickstart your creative process. Here is a list of free resources that will inspire you and help you during the research phase. We have also shared tools for downloading free vectors and images that will save you time when creating presentations for a client. Maps Stamen If you are ever have to create layouts that include maps, this site will help you. It contains maps from all around the world and allows you to download them with different styles. For example, you can obtain high contrast maps in black and white, or with watercolor effects. You can show the elevation and vegetation of any given area... there's even a map of Mars! It uses the OpenStreetMap open license, so keep in mind that using the tool is free, but requires attribution.

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  • Upcycling Tutorial: 5 Hacks to Transform your Clothes
    Teacher Craft

    Upcycling Tutorial: 5 Hacks to Transform your Clothes

    Learn easy ways to upcycle and remake your wardrobe with Steel and Stitch Repurposing and revitalizing items in our wardrobe can save money, help the environment, and produce one-of-a-kind pieces. Crochet designer and author Emma Friedlander-Collins, also known as Steel and Stitch (@steelandstitch), specializes in upcycling and remaking objects. Here, she shares a few simple ways we can extend the life of our wardrobe by using simple techniques to create pieces that are original and full of personality.

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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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  • 5 Interior Design Courses to Transform Your Spaces
    Design

    5 Interior Design Courses to Transform Your Spaces

    Learn to design, build, and place objects that will reflect your personal style in your space If you want the space in which you spend most of your time to become an extension of yourself, it is essential to put some effort into its organization, design, and appearance. Contrary to what you may think, you don't need to be an expert to do so. These 5 practical and fun courses will teach you to design and build furniture and accessories with different materials, and how to transform your spaces with a touch of creativity and style. Furniture and Object Design for Beginners, a course by Juan Pablo Fuentes Learn with Juan Pablo, an industrial designer with more than 20 years of experience, how to conceptualize, sketch, and manufacture the furniture and accessories you have always dreamed of.

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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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  • What Is Landscaping?
    Architecture & Space

    What Is Landscaping?

    Learn the fundamentals of this branch of landscape architecture Few (if any) of the greatest architectural spaces around the world would be able to fill onlookers with such awe if it weren’t for landscaping. Think about beautiful parks filled with monuments; relaxing gardens filled with fountains; or university campuses and their ideal spots for studying: all of these examples feature design elements that fall under the umbrella of landscaping. A branch of landscape architecture, landscaping’s main aim is to find perfect harmony between human-made constructions and their natural surroundings using an extensive design process. It covers a range of disciplines including architecture, science, art, ecology, law, historic preservation, horticulture, and urbanism.

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  • Letterform Archive: 1000 Years of Typography Online In Ultra-high Quality
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Letterform Archive: 1000 Years of Typography Online In Ultra-high Quality

    Let the Letterform Archive’s ultra-high quality digital collection inspire your typography Letterform Archive was founded by Rob Saunders, a letter arts collector who wanted to share his collection with the public. They have been a reference for over 10,000 visitors in the last five years, but visiting their diverse collection of typographies, calligraphies, artworks, and texts has become impossible in quarantine. However, whether it’s a loose page from a Qur’an from 1150 or every copy of the boundary-breaking design magazine, Emigre, they’ve gone to extraordinary measures to bring the artwork to you.

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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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  • What Is A Mood Board and How to Make One for Interior Design
    Design

    What Is A Mood Board and How to Make One for Interior Design

    Get to know the characteristics and uses of this interior design tool Every creative needs inspiration, from within and from the outside world. The task is systemizing and organizing the ideas, tastes, and elements that surround our imagination. As complicated as that might sound, it isn’t. Mood boards are the creative tool that shows this. This is what you need to know to make your own mood board for interior design.

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  • 10 Typefaces From Movies
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    10 Typefaces From Movies

    Discover typefaces used in movie posters, promotional materials, and title sequences If you’re a fan of typography, you’re sure to love seeing it on the big screen. From being featured in trailers to staring back at us on movie posters, typography captivates our attention and plays a key role in convincing us that we want to see a film. Here we have put together a list of 10 movies that feature outstanding examples of typography. We share the names of the designers and agencies who worked on them, as well as which fonts they used. It’s important to point out that in some cases the typefaces were slightly modified. Vertigo (1958) The legendary designer Saul Bass created the titles for this spectacular film from Alfred Hitchcock. Just like in many of his other creations, the credits are a fine example of creating a perfect harmony between the typeface and footage, which only a genius like Bass can achieve. These credits laid the foundations for a new school of movie title design. The spiral sequence was created by John Whitney, a pioneer of computer animation, under the direction of Bass. Main Typefaces: Claredom and News Gothic.

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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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  • How to Age Wooden Picture Frames
    Teacher Craft

    How to Age Wooden Picture Frames

    Want to give a new lease of life to your frames? Treat them like unique pieces full of personality, not just a support for your pictures and objects. Give them a vintage style in this quick and easy way. In the following video, designer and framer Coy Aballay of @elpezenmarcado shares her wood-aging technique in three steps.

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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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  • Domestika Diary: ADVNTR Studio
    Design

    Domestika Diary: ADVNTR Studio

    Creative couple animator Willie Russell and designer Jillian Russell share how to stay active without leaving the house Finding a creative partner who complements us professionally is an interesting way to develop a career: we can always ask their opinion, sharing the process can help us see our strengths and weaknesses, and together we can take on jobs we might not be able to do alone. Designers, animators, creative couple, and founders of ADVNTR Studio Willie and Jillian Russell take us through their journey and artistic anxieties in this edition of Domestika Diary. They give us a tour of their home and studio while sharing tips on how to continue cultivating our creativity wherever we are. Learn more in the video below:

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  • Basic Script Lettering Tools and Stationery
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    Basic Script Lettering Tools and Stationery

    Discover the markers, pencils, and papers that will open up the world of calligraphy When starting out in lettering, it’s essential to learn the basics, like the difference between calligraphy, lettering and typography; the foundations of cursive letters; and the toolkit to practice and achieve fluency and dynamism in your script. That’s why Ximena Jiménez (@jimenezlettering)–a graphic designer specialized in drawing letters of all kinds, shapes, and formats–has shown us how to put together this toolkit so you can begin to paint and draw your own letters.

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  • 5 Typographic Portrait Artists That Will Inspire You
    Typography, Calligraphy and Lettering

    5 Typographic Portrait Artists That Will Inspire You

    These illustrators play with words and typefaces to create unique and powerful images We know a picture can be worth more than a thousand words. It can also be made of dozens of them. Typographic portraiture is a booming genre in the world of illustration that combines the beauty of lettering with a powerful illustration to create a striking image, often loaded with meaning. These five designers have elevated typographic portraiture into an art. Each of them employs a distinct style but with equally surprising results. Sarah King (@sarahkingart) Inspired by the animal world, science, surf, and snow, Sarah King's illustrations overflow with expressiveness and motivational words. This English artist, now based in Canada, has collaborated with large publications and companies such as the Washington Post, Oprah magazine or the New York Times.

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  • Top Tips to Understand Instagram Metrics and KPIs
    Marketing

    Top Tips to Understand Instagram Metrics and KPIs

    Learn about Instagram's key metrics to improve your profile and enhance your engagement Instagram is crucial to creating a community but did you know that it has a tool to review the statistics of your posts and even of the users who follow you? The analysis and interpretation of these numbers will help you understand your post engagement and how to improve it. If you ignore the stats, you lose a great deal of Instagram’s potential. That’s why digital strategist Juanmi Díez (@juanmidiez) has shared these key tips to help you understand, improve, and grow your followership.

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  • How to Decorate Your Notebook
    Craft

    How to Decorate Your Notebook

    Transform a boring notebook into a floral explosion with these simple steps Maya Hanisch (@mayahanisch) is a Chilean artist who works in editorial illustration for books. Her figurative art is strongly influenced by Latin American and European folklore. Her compositions are generated using layers of paint, which act as a solid gradient to give volume, contrast and intensity to various elements of nature.

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  • Photoshop Tutorial: 3 Ways to Save Your Images
    Teacher Photography

    Photoshop Tutorial: 3 Ways to Save Your Images

    Learn from Carol Lopes the 3 ways to save a file in Photoshop so that you can edit, print, or share it on social media Saving an image file in Photoshop may sound simple, but it requires following different steps depending on what you want to do with your image. In this tutorial, post-production expert and photographer Carol Lopes (@carol_lopes) will teach you three ways to save your images: one so that you can continue to edit later, one so that you can print, and another for sharing on social media. Watch the tutorial in the video below:

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  • Ideas for How to Make Your Business Profitable During a Period of Slow Activity
    Teacher Marketing

    Ideas for How to Make Your Business Profitable During a Period of Slow Activity

    Embrace practical advice and activities that could make things better for you and your business All businesses experience high and low periods, so it’s important to know how to manage both. If you’re experiencing a drop in sales, I would like to encourage you to make the most of this period of slow activity to trial some ideas that could make things better for you and your business. Quantity doesn't mean quality. Quarantine is a good time to stop creating and spend your time working on strategic activities that could help you keep moving in the right direction. I want to share some ideas. What do you think? Shall we begin?

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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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  • Draw Yourself: Illustrator Emma Hanquist Draws Her Career
    Illustration

    Draw Yourself: Illustrator Emma Hanquist Draws Her Career

    How did Emma Hanquist start drawing? Did you know she lives on an island with her family? Discover more about her in this edition of Draw Yourself Emma Hanquist has been working as a freelance illustrator for over ten years, during which time she has worked with clients such as Airbnb and Spotify and filled magazines, like Modern Psykologi, Scandinavian Traveler, and Natur & Kultur, with her illustrations. The Swedish illustrator, armed with a pencil, opens a window to a few of the key moments of her life and the way she understands her profession. From the day she began to illustrate to how she'll look when she's old, Hanquist shows her ability to create wonderful imagery in this Draw Yourself.

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  • Watercolor Tutorial: Basic Exercises to Inspire Your Painting
    Teacher Illustration

    Watercolor Tutorial: Basic Exercises to Inspire Your Painting

    Learn the watercolor basics: transparency and opacity, gradients, water use, pulse and precision with Cristina Cilloniz Despite being one of the most popular visual arts, getting the most out of watercolor requires a lot of technical skill. As we can't use the colour white to create light, we must introduce the colors gently and work with transparency, or we will never achieve the effects we're looking for in our illustrations. In this tutorial, botanical illustrator and artist Cristina Cilloniz (@cristina_cilloniz) shares her different techniques for letting go and taking advantage of watercolor's gentle layers. Get your materials ready and let's go. Watch the tutorial in the video below:

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  • Photographic Composition: 9 Basic Principles You Should Know
    Photography

    Photographic Composition: 9 Basic Principles You Should Know

    Derio Ilari tells you how to achieve stunning photos for a professional Instagram profile Many people believe, to capture a great photo, you need great equipment and editing skills. However, you can be a master of post production and not get a single good photo if you don’t pay attention to the composition. Derio Ilari (@derioi) is a product photographer who has worked with brands like Adidas, Audi, Volkswagen, Guaraná and, Stella Artois, among many more. His incredible catalog shows his talent and artistic sensibility. Photos have always been the medium he has best expressed himself with and the composition is the essence of each of his images. Here he shares what to consider when taking professional photos for Instagram.

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