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  • Photoshop Tutorial: How to Flatten Your Character
    Creativity Tutorials

    Photoshop Tutorial: How to Flatten Your Character

    Learn the steps and techniques to color your illustrations on Adobe Photoshop, with Joel Santana Where do we start coloring our new character, once we've decided on how it will look? How do we choose the right color palette to communicate its personality? How can we apply all this to its digital illustration? Character design specialist Joel Santana (@themaddhattr) shows us how to color our creations with Photoshop, using the flattening technique, in the following video tutorial:

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  • How to Transfer an Embroidery Design to Fabric with Solvent
    Craft

    How to Transfer an Embroidery Design to Fabric with Solvent

    Florula shows you her technique for transferring your embroidery designs to fabric with solvent, step by step One of the most important steps in embroidery is printing your design onto fabric. There are many ways to do it. Here, we show you one of Mexican designer and textile artist Elidé Rangel Soto’s (@florula) favorites. She specializes in embroidered lettering and always uses this technique: transfer with solvent.

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  • Domestika Masters: Viki Ospina
    Masters & Creatives

    Domestika Masters: Viki Ospina

    A pioneer of Colombian photojournalism, her camera has captured the last 50 years of the country's history When Viki Ospina started taking photographs, being a photojournalist and a woman were almost incompatible. Still, working alongside other photographers who struggled for decades to claim their role in the world, she managed to find a place for women in this profession. Along the way, Ospina also captured all the contradictions of the recent history of Colombia through the lens of her camera. The photographer meets us in her studio to enlighten us with all her wisdom, accumulated over decades of constant work. Passionate about capturing the true essence of things, and about transmitting everything she learned throughout her extraordinary career, Ospina reviews the most important moments of her life in the following video.

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  • 10 Artists Who Were Inspired By Their Cats
    TOP 10

    10 Artists Who Were Inspired By Their Cats

    Meet the artists whose cats inspired their masterpieces From drawing to architecture, we have composed a list of ten cat-loving artists who used their felines as sources of inspiration. As all cat-lovers know, the lives of these artists were deeply connected to that of their pets: they roamed their studios, interrupted their work, and often, served as models and parts of their studio production. Edward Gorey The American illustrator Edward Gorey, famous for his macabre and dark sense of humor, said that his greatest loves were his cats. He looked after them for more than 60 years, and on his death, he gave most of his wealth to an animal care organization. In this video, animated by Benjamin and Jim Wickely, Gorey himself speaks of his love of cats.

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  • Domestika Masters: Yves Zimmermann
    Masters & Creatives

    Domestika Masters: Yves Zimmermann

    The Swiss designer Yves Zimmermann is a key part of world of Spanish graphic design Designer, teacher, editor. If he were just one of these things, Yves Zimmermann would have still left a mark on the early years of graphic design in Spain. However, he managed to be all three and his impact on the craft is still felt today. Arriving in Barcelona in 1961, at just 24, Zimmermann brought with him a new conception of design, influenced by his Swiss roots, that he applied to his works, classes and collection of books GG Diseño. Zimmermann has worked with Barcelona Airport, the Bank of Spain, Carolina Herrera and the Círculo de Lectores. He was a finalist in the competition to design the euro notes and won the Premio Nacional de Diseño in Spain. He takes us through this extraordinary trajectory in the video below:

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  • The Path to Establishing an Independent Studio, by BASA
    Interviews

    The Path to Establishing an Independent Studio, by BASA

    Creativity and hard work have led to success in this Mexican multidisciplinary studio Success, defeat, achievements, and failures are pillars of our training as professionals. That is why we talked with Diego Huacuja "Deachete", an illustrator and animator who, since 2010, is also the director of BASA, a studio located in Mexico City. BASA has become a well-known name all around the world thanks to projects ranging from music festivals and art for events and music videos to animations for TV stations such as ESPN and Discovery Channel or collaborations with human rights organizations. We spoke with Diego about the origin of the studio, the problems they faced in establishing a customer base, and the learning involved in achieving a solid workflow as an independent studio in the world of illustration, design, and animation:

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  • What is Latch Hooking and Locker Hooking?
    What is

    What is Latch Hooking and Locker Hooking?

    Discover these two embroidery techniques that can create a multitude of decorative objects Latch hooking and locker hooking are two modern textile techniques that appeared at the beginning of the 20th century that allow the creation of a wide variety of things, from tapestries to pillows and mats. Colors and textures are brought together by weaving wool and other materials into a mesh. Mariana Baertl (@marianabaertl) is a Peruvian textile artist who specializes in the creation of woven and embroidered pieces for interior decoration who is an expert in these two techniques. Her main source of inspiration is the natural and organic world. All her pieces are made by hand with fibers from across the world.

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  • The First Special Effects: From Méliès to Marvel
    Cinema & Filmmaking

    The First Special Effects: From Méliès to Marvel

    Discover the technology behind the first special effects in history Destroyed cities, explosions, aliens: nothing is impossible in the world of special effects. We're used to seeing practically anything imaginable on our screens. They're not only for action movies either: almost all films use digital elements to simplify production. But this isn't the end of "true cinema": film has always been a visual spectacle filled with special effects. Discover in the video below how the first special effects were made:

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  • Learn with the Domestika Live series while you #StayAtHome
    Domestika

    Learn with the Domestika Live series while you #StayAtHome

    Get to know the creatives that will share their expertise on Domestika Live We invite you to watch our Facebook Live series, Domestika Live, where creatives from different backgrounds will share their secrets and answer your questions. Keep learning while you discover more about Domestika teachers and other members of the creative community. You can watch the talks here. All past episodes are available here. Come and join us!

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  • 5 Free Tools to Create Color Palettes
    Design

    5 Free Tools to Create Color Palettes

    Designer and illustrator Laura Varsky tells us about her favorite tools to create color palettes for her projects Creating and selecting the right color palette is an art that not many designers can master. Trends play a big role in choosing specific colors for designs and illustrations, but a trained eye will be able to build a winning palette more easily. There are several free tools to help you create perfect color ranges for your projects. Laura Varsky, an Argentinian designer and illustrator who has made a name for herself in the field of pattern making, shares her favorites. Color Lisa Color Lisa is a collection of color palettes inspired by the works of some of the most famous artists of all time, paintings such as The Son of Man, by René Magritte; Gravitation, by M. C. Escher or Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat. And these are just a small selection of the whole collection, which will allow you to use color like the great masters.

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  • Watercolor Tutorial: Types of Brushes and How to Use Them
    Illustration

    Watercolor Tutorial: Types of Brushes and How to Use Them

    Naranjalidad shows us the types of paintbrushes we should be using to paint in watercolor, how to use them for each type of stroke, and how to make sure they last longer Types of watercolor brushes Before starting to paint with watercolor, it’s important to prepare your basic palette of brushes. This will be your main work tool, so it’s important to know what types of brushes we can use for each case. For Naranjalidad, (@naranjalidad) illustrator and Domestika teacher, there are three types of brushes crucial to any artist: Round tip The top the list because they are indispensable. They are the most versatile brushes that are good to fill in large surfaces, but also to add details and fine lines. They come in different sizes but a medium-sized one will cover all your needs.

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  • Stefan Sagmeister: 7 Key Works on Graphic Design
    Design

    Stefan Sagmeister: 7 Key Works on Graphic Design

    Learn about the legendary graphic designer through the defining moments of his career Born in Austria, Stefan Sagmeister is one of the most respected graphic designers of the world. Known by his distinct sense of humor and unique perspective on art, design, type, and illustration – his award-winning projects span from personal art to branding and music album covers, as well as striking and complex pieces that don’t fit into a specific discipline. Make sure to catch here his exclusive Domestika Live session next Thursday 9 April at 13:00 hrs (CT). Stefan will be telling us about how he started as a designer and the highlights of his career that have led him to where he is today. You can also watch the recording at any time here. Now, learn more about this iconic designer with some of the key moments in his career.

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  • Illustration Tutorial: How to Draw Flowers and Leaves
    Creativity Tutorials

    Illustration Tutorial: How to Draw Flowers and Leaves

    Learn the steps to sketch well-proportioned, symmetrical leaves and flowers on white paper, with Maya Hanisch Floral illustration, with its wavy and lively forms and infinite colors, is present in disciplines from graphic design to fine art, always balancing the freedom of nature and the control of the illustrator, who's able to create attractive patterns based on floral elements. In the following video, artist and graphic designer Maya Hanisch (@mayahanisch) shows us how to sketch symmetrical and well-proportioned leaves and flowers, as a starting point for our floral compositions.

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  • How to Promote Yourself and Your Work to the Right People
    Digital Marketing

    How to Promote Yourself and Your Work to the Right People

    Learn to sell your talent to the right people, in the right space Once you have put together a portfolio that best demonstrates who you are as an artist, you need to do two things: 1) get your work and your art in front of the right people 2) convince them that you are the right person for the job. Today, we are sharing five basic industry tips that will land you your dream job:

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  • Domestika Talks: Rodrigo Corral
    Design

    Domestika Talks: Rodrigo Corral

    Watch this talk by Rodrigo Corral, one of the greatest book cover designers of recent decades What makes a great book cover designer? Is it best to bring your own style to the design or should you focus entirely on communicating the concept of the book you're working on, removing yourself from the equation? Perhaps the trick is to strike a balance between the two. Rodrigo Corral (@rodrigocorral_) answers these questions and more. Corral–creative director of the publishing house Farrar, Straus and Giroux and head of his own studio–took the stage at the most recent edition of Copa Domestika Colombia to talk about the core ideas behind his work. Watch his talk in the following video:

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  • 10 Ceramic Artists That Will Inspire You
    TOP 10

    10 Ceramic Artists That Will Inspire You

    Ceramic designer Paula Casella shares the artisans who inspire her when creating her own pieces Pottery and ceramics have been experiencing a boom for some time now that has brought back traditional craftsmanship but, in many cases, with a modern and interesting twist. It’s a trend that has given ceramic objects new life and a place in our contemporary lifestyle. Argentinian artist Paula Casella Biase (@paulacasellabiase) is one of the leading examples in this renaissance of all things handmade.These are some of the potters who inspire her the most: Hand and Fire The hands that shape these pieces of white enameled black clay are those of Sage Cortez. Undoubtedly one of Casella's favorites, Cortez is an American ceramist who makes each object she creates unique by playing with textures and transparencies.

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  • Ji Lee Challenges You to Make Someone Happy in This Creative Challenge
    Domestika

    Ji Lee Challenges You to Make Someone Happy in This Creative Challenge

    Join the #DMSTKHappyChallenge, with creatives like Ji Lee, Joluvian or Zenzuke Ji Lee, a Domestika community professional and freelance designer currently working as creative director for Instagram and Facebook, is a strong believer in the power of personal creative projects. For him, projects that really touch and move us are the best way to expand our horizons. For this reason, his Challenge is called 'Make Someone Happy', and the goal is to use our creativity to, well, make someone happy. To kickstart this creative challenge, Ji Lee turned to two professionals from the Domestika community: motiongrapher Carlos 'Zenzuke' Albarrán and graphic designer Joluvian. Both had to apply their creativity to meet Ji Lee's goal: build something creative capable of making someone else happy. Find out if they succeeded in the following video:

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  • What Is Fashion Upcycling?
    What is

    What Is Fashion Upcycling?

    Ximena Corcuera sheds some light on the current global trend of design sustainability Ximena Corcuera (@ximenacorcuera) is a fashion designer who, from an early age, has been interested in experimenting as a way of life. She is an expert in fashion, and in design that is sustainable and experimental. She is passionate about responsible fashion, so we decided to talk to her to find out more about the concept of upcycling, and how to embrace a trend that is gaining more and more strength in the design world. What is upcycling and what do you do with it? Upcycling is a recent term and it is used to describe the techniques that encompass the idea of transforming residues or refuse to create new items of value. It can be applied to all sorts of designing or manufacturing: furniture, garments, textiles, decorative objects. etc.

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  • The Best Photo Editing Apps
    Photography

    The Best Photo Editing Apps

    Expert photographers share their favorite apps to take and edit pictures using only natural light No matter what your photography style is, these tools will help you get the most out of your mobile device. Photographers Nicanor García (@nicanorgarcia), Emilio Chuliá Soler (@emiliochulia) and Derio Ilari (@derioi) recommend their favorite applications for phones and tablets, apps that will help you capture and edit incredible pictures both indoors and outdoors, using only natural light. SKRWT This application allows you to apply perspective correction (horizontal and vertical), distortion, cropping, lens correction, ISO adjustments and gives you exposure information of your pictures, as well as a gallery view function.

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  • What is an Art Toy?
    What is

    What is an Art Toy?

    Is it a toy? Is it art? What does it represent? Who determines its price? Luasio López answers your questions For many, the charm of an art toy derives from the difficulty of defining it. For Luaiso López (@luaiso_lopez), Spanish graphic designer and illustrator, it’s about understanding their essence: their figurative characters used in exhibitions, events, and collected by private collectors. To understand their nature, Luaiso shares part of the history of these iconic objects that–regardless of their shape, price or the value attributed to them personally–are becoming known to the minds and tastes of millions of people around the world.

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  • 10 Wonderful Webcomics You Need To Read
    TOP 10

    10 Wonderful Webcomics You Need To Read

    These online comics, which were created by illustrators from around the world, will both inspire and entertain you Webcomics are usually comics that were first published online and that are available to read on the internet. In many cases, once they’ve become successful, they are often published in magazines, newspapers or in books compiling a selection of the author’s work. These self-published comics are wonderful examples of their creators’ hard work, dedication, and creativity. We asked the Domestika community to name some of their favorite webcomics and then compiled a list of the top 10. Below, you will find a range of narrative and illustration styles: from dark humor to drama and suspense. Discover them all! Comics series Boyfriend of the Dead, by Ushio This comic follows a young, independent woman fighting for survival during a zombie apocalypse and her story of unexpected love. She faces the challenges of modern love with her boyfriend–a zombie. The first issue was published in 2017, and since then, there have been 247 more.

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  • Five 3D Designers and Artists Recommended by the Domestika Community
    Design

    Five 3D Designers and Artists Recommended by the Domestika Community

    We asked the Domestika community on Instagram who their favorite 3D artists were A few days ago, we asked the community to help us find their favorite 3D artists and designers. Below, we present a list of the most popular names: you’ll find experts in character creation and masters of VFX, as well as unique styles and new ways of using 3D. Eva Cremers (@evacremers) The Dutch illustrator Eva Cremers has worked with clients such as Apple, The New York Times and Pull & Bear, but has stayed true to her own style: friendly, colorful, big-eyed characters, a reinterpretation of classic cartoons. Cremers works in a unique way on the skins of her little monsters, sometimes playing with their hair and sometimes applying soft textures that remind us of the plasticine of our childhood.

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  • 20 Museums You Can Visit Online
    TOP 10

    20 Museums You Can Visit Online

    Take virtual tours of some of the most incredible museums around the world Thanks to museum experts, historians, curators, and photographers around the world, we are able to go online and visit art and history collections on show in the greatest museums each continent has to offer. This round-up includes museums from across the globe that allow you to take a virtual tour of their rooms and collections via their websites or as a collaboration with Google Arts & Culture. Get to know 20 museums virtually by embracing 360 technology or learning the stories of the pieces they have on display. Enjoy! Museo Del Prado (Spain) Visit the collections on display at the Museo Del Prado by time period, author, materials, art school, topic, or technique. Each piece has its own detailed information card.

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  • Download 16,000 Sound Effects from the BBC for Free
    Cinema & Filmmaking

    Download 16,000 Sound Effects from the BBC for Free

    For the first time ever, the BBC are making their enormous sound effects archive openly available and free for personal and educational use Whether it’s a baby waking up, the warble of an African bird, or the roaring of a single motor cylinder, it can all be found in the BBC sound catalog.

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  • Marion Bisserier: A Fresh Look at Typography
    Interviews

    Marion Bisserier: A Fresh Look at Typography

    Get to know this young designer and her contemporary approach to type design Marion Bisserier is a French designer, raised in Amsterdam and currently based in London. She recently graduated (with honors) with a BA in Graphic and Media Design from the London College of Communication. She is passionate about type and its potential to visually convey meaning beyond language. She also enjoys writing on typography and graphic design. We talked to her to discover more about her successful type Good Girl, her work experience in important design studios, creative process and practical advice for anyone interested in type design.

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