• Willian Santiago Will Always Be Remembered with a Smile

    Willian Santiago Will Always Be Remembered with a Smile

    A tribute to illustrator and Domestika teacher Willian Santiago from the team who collaborated with him on his course We always smile whenever we see photos from Willian Santiago's Domestika course. They stir up powerful memories. To create his course, Willian set off from Londrina in Brazil and took a plane for the first time, crossing the Atlantic and landing in Madrid, bursting with excitement. He wanted to share everything he knew about illustration generously and gently.

  • Curious Minds Podcast: Why Do So Many Artists Make Self Portraits?

    Curious Minds Podcast: Why Do So Many Artists Make Self Portraits?

    Discover what makes self portraits such a unique format and part of the creative process with Curious Minds, an original podcast by Domestika Curious Minds is an original podcast by Domestika that explores the curiosities and untold histories of the creative world. Each week we’ll bring you a new episode, interviewing experts and creatives as we dive into the unusual origins of the images, patterns, and designs we take for granted. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

  • A Brief Guide to Roger Deakins’ Cinematography

    A Brief Guide to Roger Deakins’ Cinematography

    Discover the work of the Oscar-winning cinematographer, known for films such as Blade Runner 2049, Fargo and 1917 Roger Deakins is a living legend. At 71, not only is the British DP still active, he is arguably at the top of his game (and given that cameras keep getting lighter and lighter, he has no plans to retire any time soon). Best known for his collaborations with directors such as the Coen brothers, Sam Mendes, Michael Radford, Ron Howard, and Denis Villeneuve, Deakins has worked on a myriad of films shot on wide-ranging budgets, exploring completely different genres. Each one has a unique look.

  • Herman Miller and Knoll: Two Design Powerhouses Become One

    Herman Miller and Knoll: Two Design Powerhouses Become One

    Following the announcement that Herman Miller and Knoll will merge, we look back on their most iconic pieces of modern design Since their beginnings, Herman Miller and Knoll have always been synonymous with modern design, delivering their passion and philosophy to customers and clients around the world. The two legendary furniture design companies are joining forces to "create the preeminent leader in modern design," as stated in the official announcement. The companies have announced that Herman Miller will acquire Knoll in a $1.8bn deal.

  • Free Butterfly Embroidery Pattern
    Teacher Craft

    Free Butterfly Embroidery Pattern

    Do you want to embroider a beautiful monarch butterfly? Check out this pattern shared by Emillie Ferris In the art of needle painting, a needle acts like a brush and the thread as the paint, helping you achieve hyper-realistic designs. You can create realistic embroidered pieces using the long and short stitch technique, just like Emillie Ferris (@emillieferris), who makes contemporary embroidery patterns, kits, pins, and original hoop art using traditional methods. Insects are a wonderful place to start if you’re a beginner, as they can be very forgiving of mistakes. Their symmetrical nature also makes the entire embroidery process very meditative and relaxing.

  • 5 Instagram Food Styling Accounts Telling Stories for Children

    5 Instagram Food Styling Accounts Telling Stories for Children

    Learn how you can use food as a storytelling tool that incorporates character design Mealtimes can be highly emotional occasions when children are concerned. The following designers, illustrators, and stylists take the art of gastronomic creativity and pattern composition to a new level. They attract a large community of children (and grown-ups) with their colorful dishes. Using simple everyday ingredients and a large dollop of imagination, they have brought both old and new characters to the table. Their beautifully designed dishes tell stories that draw you into a magical world. Let them inspire you and discover how to use food as a conceptual communicative tool. Edible_food_art_for_kids England Sarah Lescrauwaet, who created these pies, is the founder of Mia Chocolate. After living in Africa for seven years, Sarah wished to continue helping the communities she had gotten to know there. She founded her brand in collaboration with Proudly Made in Africa, which ensures all the chocolate and other ingredients used in her products are fair trade.

  • 10 Online Adobe Photoshop Courses for Pro Photographers

    10 Online Adobe Photoshop Courses for Pro Photographers

    Experts in Adobe Photoshop teach you how to retouch your photos and explore the possibilities of Camera Raw Adobe Photoshop courses are the key that will unlock the door to achieving professional and quality images. Photographers around the world choose this program for its versatility and the range of tools it offers. But even for them, the post-production process brings with it several challenges. That's why everyone needs to regularly update their knowledge and discover the latest creative possibilities it offers. If you are a photographer, be sure to check out these ten Adobe Photoshop courses. With the help of photo retouching experts, you will practice all kinds of techniques while discovering different settings. Some courses focus on the importance of Camera Raw. In addition to teaching you new useful tricks, these artists are sure to inspire you. Adobe Photoshop for Color Correction, a course by Manu Torres Photographer Manu Torres will show you how to adjust and manage the color of your photographs with absolute precision. You will also master how to develop your photos in Adobe Camera Raw, allowing you to get the most information from your photos and obtain professional results. Manu, a colorist who specializes in Photoshop, says that this software is the most suitable for working with color.

  • Discover Julia Nimke’s Outstanding Travel Photography

    Discover Julia Nimke’s Outstanding Travel Photography

    Explore the nature-inspired work of this German photographer as she takes us on her travels around the world We all live in the same world, but we do not always manage to honor its beauty when it comes to capturing it on film or in photos. Specialist travel photographers know how to connect with the wonders of our surroundings through their lenses. The images they capture enable us to experience the magic of those places, even if we’ve never been there. Julia Nimke (@julia_nimke) is a German photographer who specializes in travel and lifestyle. She has worked with clients such as Adobe, Mercedes-Benz, Lufthansa, and Sony. She knows how to represent the emotion and beauty of our planet. Read on to learn about her fascinating professional journey.

  • Drawing Tutorial: how to make an illustrated map in 10 steps
    Teacher Illustration

    Drawing Tutorial: how to make an illustrated map in 10 steps

    Learn how to draw a map in a few steps and in a simple way, with Stef Maden. Creating an illustrated map can be a great way of bringing a city to life as well as a wonderful way of remembering your favorite place. Illustrator Stef Maden (@stefmaden) has worked with clients such as Sainsbury’s, Hallmark, and Tesco. She loves to travel and create maps of places she’s been, using illustration to help capture the essence of each place. In this step-by-step guide, she shows you how to create your own illustrated map using Photoshop.

  • Meet the Winners of Domestika Scholarships 2021!
    Teacher Domestika

    Meet the Winners of Domestika Scholarships 2021!

    Thousands of creatives from all over the world took part in the third edition of Domestika Scholarships March 9th marked the launch of the third edition of Domestika Scholarships, an initiative that recognizes and celebrates the talents of creatives from all over the world. Thousands of participants–65% of which were women–from across the globe submitted their portfolios in response to our third call-out for entries, with the majority of the projects presented falling into the categories of design and illustration. A jury composed of top experts working in the creative sector, all of whom are also Domestika teachers, was asked to select the best candidates to be awarded scholarships. The members of the jury are Paloma Rincón (@paloma_rincon), Sagi Haviv (@sagi), Catalina Estrada (@catalinaestrada), Pepe Gimeno (@pepegimeno), Ana Victoria Calderón (@anavictoriana), Antoni Arola (@toniarola), Trini Guzmán (@holaleon), Alexis Moyano (@alexismoyano), Mattias Adolfsson (@mattiasadolfsson), Isadora Zeferino (@imzeferino), Ji Lee (@jilee),Fito Espinosa (@fitoespinosa), James Lewis (@jamesllewis), Marcelo Tas (@marcelo_tas), and Alex Trochut (@trochut). The ten winners will each get to choose 50 free courses from the entire Domestika catalog to boost their creativity and enhance their learning across multiple disciplines. Meet the ten winners of Domestika Scholarships 2021 below! Yên Trần Phúc Nguyên (@tranphucnguyenyenn1997) Yên Trần Phúc Nguyên is a Vietnamese illustrator who studied at Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, majoring in graphic design. Her work is influenced by Asian crafts such as Chinese handscrolls. In her project Memoirs of a Geisha, an illustrated Orihon book originating from the Tang Dynasty, she used Indian ink, a Kolinsky sable brush, and lines to recreate the mysterious beauty of the world of geishas. Yên Trần had not experimented with digital tools before.

  • Free Fashion Pose Templates For Drawing Croquis Sketches
    Teacher Fashion

    Free Fashion Pose Templates For Drawing Croquis Sketches

    Do you want to draw expressive poses for your fashion illustrations? Check out this guide shared by Connie Lim There is an explosion of creativity in the fashion illustration industry and many illustrators take inspiration from fashion runways and editorials to create striking visual expressions through drawing and painting. Fashion illustrator Connie Lim (@_connielim_) combines traditional drawing techniques with a more experimental approach using mixed media to create exciting fashion illustrations. Using an editorial reference as a starting point, Connie follows unique processes to achieve the perfect pose and style of her illustrated fashion figures.

  • 5 Anatomy Books to Improve Your Figure Drawing

    5 Anatomy Books to Improve Your Figure Drawing

    Discover some invaluable resources to help you when drawing the human figure Human anatomy is undoubtedly complex, and studying it is an activity that deserves years and years of commitment. Like all complex things, it needs to be broken down to be more easily understood. Studying artistic anatomy books routinely is key to a figurative artist's practice. Understanding how human anatomy works is essential to strong, powerful figure drawing. It improves the ability to represent the human figure and contributes to creating successful dynamic figure drawing. Artist Shane Wolf (@shane_wolf) has dedicated over ten years to exploring and experimenting with the art of figure drawing. Hailing from the US, where he graduated as a graphic designer, he soon realized that his true calling was to explore his inner artist with unwavering determination. He set off to Florence, Italy, where he studied at the Angel Academy of Art and is now a professional painter working from his studio in Paris, where he experiments and seeks to express the depth of humanity through his art.

  • Challenge: Painting Ceramics While Blindfolded
    Teacher Craft

    Challenge: Painting Ceramics While Blindfolded

    We asked ceramic artist Sandra Apperloo to paint fun faces to apply onto her ceramic creations while blindfolded Sandra Apperloo is a ceramist who has not only found great joy in the craft, but also made it her full-time profession. Her brand, known as The Pottery Parade, is filled with quirky faces and pastel hues, has over 100K followers on Instagram, and has been featured in magazines like This is Colossal, ArtPeople, and more. In this Domestika Challenge, she takes on the task of painting while blindfolded. Will she be able to do it? Find out in this video.

  • What Is Fine Art Photography?

    What Is Fine Art Photography?

    Learn all about this photographic style and its key characteristics Although there isn't one clear definition to describe fine art photography, a key characteristic of this type of photography project is that its author always has a clear intention. In this discipline, the photographer is considered an artist. The images, which translate the creative vision of the person behind the lens, seek to go beyond reproducing or representing reality, as is the case, for example, in documentary photography. Instead, these images are the fruit of an artistic process that will usually have been developed over months. Their aim, like all works of art, is to invent, or, to quote a song by brazilian artist Caetano Veloso, "throw worlds at the world".

  • 50 Rhinoceros 3D Shortcuts for 3D Modeling

    50 Rhinoceros 3D Shortcuts for 3D Modeling

    Speed up your workflow in Rhinoceros 3D with these basic keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac Rhinoceros 3D is a program that allows you to design, create prototypes, and manufacture all your ideas with precision. Industrial designer and Domestika teacher Diego Fernández (@diego1177) uses it for projects ranging from packaging to industrial design and furniture design. From aviation to jewelry, you can use it to model several versions of the same project you have in your head. This program offers many tools, from the most basic to the most complex. The challenge professionals face is knowing how to combine them to develop their own way of working within this 3D environment. This way, you will get a complete vision of three-dimensional modeling. If you have already started to familiarize yourself with Rhinoceros, you will find the following keyboard shortcuts very useful. They will help you to be more agile in your practical exercises and focus on your designs.

  • Farewell to Willian Santiago, Illustrator of Vibrant Colors and Infinite Talent

    Farewell to Willian Santiago, Illustrator of Vibrant Colors and Infinite Talent

    We remember the life and work of the Brazilian illustrator and teacher, who died at the age of 30 Domestika deeply regrets the passing of Willian Santiago, a Brazilian illustrator, teacher, and member of our creative community. The artist's agent has announced his death. His strong artistic instincts are expressed through the work that he made, characterized by the combination of simple shapes and vibrant, uniquely Brazilian colors. Willian was primarily a digital artist, but he gave his work an artisanal and analog touch by digitizing old papers or mark making with chalk and splashed of ink.

  • Free Drawing Exercises to Become an Artist
    Teacher Illustration

    Free Drawing Exercises to Become an Artist

    Do you want to learn some drawing exercises so you can warm up before you start illustrating? Check out this guide Illustrator Sarah van Dongen (@sarahvandongenillustration) uses fun methods to develop her ideas and knows that the best ideas come when we least expect them. She encourages you to draw from observation, and without restraints. Before you set off to create a finished illustration, you should start with some warm up exercises. Draw using a variety of materials and fill up your sketchbook pages as you practice. This type of routine free from expectations helps you overcome the fear of the blank page, and to further develop your style.

  • 5 Online Mexican Art Exhibitions to Visit on Cinco de Mayo
    Art

    5 Online Mexican Art Exhibitions to Visit on Cinco de Mayo

    Immerse yourself in Mexican culture and explore this rich mix of art, from Mesoamerican stone carvings to 1940s film noir May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, the yearly anniversary of Mexico’s defeat of the French Empire in the Battle of Puebla back in 1862. While in Mexico, this day is only really recognized in Puebla, in the USA, it has morphed into a big, commercial celebration. Why is it such a big celebration in the USA? It began back in the 60s, when Mexican-American activists started to raise awareness of this historic event to honor their heritage, and bridge the gap between the two cultures. Cities with large Mexican-American communities subsequently started to commemorate the date with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing, and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano.

  • How Can I Become an Architectural Illustrator?

    How Can I Become an Architectural Illustrator?

    Discover how you can train as an architectural illustrator and show what a project will look like using drawing According to architect and architectural illustrator Hector Lopez (@_thearchitector), the role of an architectural illustrator is to create visual representations of a structure, ranging from the smallest detail to a complete building or a block of buildings. In general, an architectural illustrator works in collaboration with an architect to visually present plans and help them understand how a project will look when it’s finished. These drawings are used to show the project to a team, to sell it to potential inhabitants, or to present its features. What does it take to become an architectural illustrator?

  • 10 Amazing Star Wars Tribute Projects

    10 Amazing Star Wars Tribute Projects

    Celebrate Star Wars Day and be inspired by these projects from the Domestika community based on Star Wars' incredible universe Since its first release in 1977, Star Wars' success has not ceased to grow. The conflict between the Light Side of the Force (Jedis) and the Dark side (Sith) is part of cinema history and popular culture. Also, it is a source of reference for creatives all over the world. Star Wars Day is celebrated every year, on May the 4th. For this occasion, we have collected 10 projects, by artists from the Domestika community, inspired by George Lucas' saga. They encompass different styles and techniques, all aiming to pay homage to a universe born "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." If you want to know more about the creative process of each piece, click on the red title. Leave us a comment at the end of the post, and tell us which is your favorite. Doodles Star Wars, by The Moog (@themoogoriginal) Brazilian graffiti artist The Moog is an expert in doodle art. All sorts of Star Wars-themed details intermingle in this illustration. To complete his tribute, he included the most iconic saying from the saga. You cannot miss it. In his project, the artist applied techniques he learned from the Domestika course Doodle-Style Vector Illustration.

  • 12 Free Photography Tutorials For Starting Out or Becoming a Pro

    12 Free Photography Tutorials For Starting Out or Becoming a Pro

    Get top tips and learn advanced techniques from Domestika’s photography experts Photography is such a broad discipline, you will never run out of new tricks to learn. From shooting self-portraits and sunsets to using sketchbooks and pin-hole cameras, these 12 tutorials share the best techniques for working on a diverse range of photographic projects with a variety of tools. Whether you are just starting out with limited resources or are looking to perfect more advanced techniques, we have a tutorial for you. Click on the title to access the full content! Photography Tutorial: How to Set up a Self-Portrait Self-portraits have been a fundamental component of self-expression throughout history, allowing artists to explore their own external image and internal truths. Laura Zalenga (@laurazalenga) is a photographer passionate about the art of self-portraits who has given talks for clients like Adobe, Disney, Sony, and Mercedes Benz. In this tutorial, she shares three different ways you can set up your own self-portrait photoshoot easily and effectively, depending on what tools you have available.

  • Curious Minds Podcast: Why Is Mending Stepping Out of the Shadows?

    Curious Minds Podcast: Why Is Mending Stepping Out of the Shadows?

    Discover how the visible mending trend transforms moth holes into creative challenges with Curious Minds, an original podcast by Domestika Curious Minds is an original podcast by Domestika that explores the curiosities and untold histories of the creative world. Each week we’ll bring you a new episode, interviewing experts and creatives as we dive into the unusual origins of the images, patterns, and designs we take for granted. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode.

  • Top 10 Creative Projects of April 2021

    Top 10 Creative Projects of April 2021

    We’ve compiled a list of 10 projects that have received a lot of positive attention from the Domestika community over April It’s that time of the month when we look back at 10 projects that the Domestika community has crowned as their favorites. If you are looking for inspiration, this list shares personal work, final projects for courses, and exciting updates from Domestika teachers: be inspired by creativity in all different forms. While each project is unique, all ten listed have something in common: they have received the most likes from our community. Over April, watercolor and embroidery stood out as the most popular disciplines. However, the community wasn’t just thinking about threads and colors last month: an e-commerce sustainable packaging project and a digital portrait created in Procreate also feature on the list. If you want to explore each project, click on the title in red. We'd love to hear which one you liked the most in the comments section at the bottom of the article. ¡Nuevo libro! Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media, by Ana Victoria Calderon (@anavictoriana) Ana Victoria Calderón, who teaches Domestika courses such as Modern Watercolor Techniques, has published a book titled Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media. The project has been very enthusiastically received by our community. Presented as a beginner's guide, the book encourages you to experiment with different techniques and paint sparkling galaxies, glowing oceans, and dazzling crystals. The author has shared various images of her process to give you a glimpse of what to expect.

  • Free Color Theory Guide for Embroidery
    Teacher Craft

    Free Color Theory Guide for Embroidery

    Do you want to know how to use color in your punch needle embroidered portraits? Check out this guide Freelance fabricator and designer Camille Labarre (@camillelabarre) can help you turn your next big idea into something tangible. Embroidery with a punch needle is a relaxing, fun, and therapeutic activity. It allows you to create textured works of art that showcase your personal style. Knowing how to choose your colors is key in any art. If you didn’t go to art school, chances are you’ve never even heard of color theory. It is important to know and identify the differences between hue, saturation, and value. These key concepts are incredibly helpful when it comes to your final piece.