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Discover these sites and resources to create high-impact photomontages Photomontage is the composition of different images to create a completely new one; it’s used as much by artists as by advertisers. Here are the best free resources to aid you start out or perfect your skills in this creative discipline, helping you achieve better finishes with your experiments in photomanipulation.
Learn step by step how to redraw, refine, and polish the vignettes that will shape your comic, with Charles Glaubitz Nowadays, practically all comic book artists have to know how to work both in analog, with pencil and paper, and in digital, taking advantage of the drawing tools offered by programs such as Manga Studio or, more recently, the iPad software Procreate. Procreate allows us to import our sketches and work on them with a wide range of brushes that we can customize to our liking. Mastering it is an essential skill for any good comic artist, and the good thing is that its simple interface makes things much easier. In the following video tutorial, comic book creator and multidisciplinary artist Charles Glaubitz (@mrglaubitz) shows us step by step the process to import a sketch on paper to Procreate and start working with it, to get a fully digitized comic book. Watch the video below:
The professional fashion illustrator shares her daily routine and the process behind her unique fashion collages Fashion illustration is part fantasy, part reality. Translating the artistry of high fashion into typically two-dimensional pieces of work, it records the details of actual garments while also infusing them with a dreamy, imaginative quality. Connie Lim (@_connielim_) is a London-based fashion illustrator whose work with fashion collages literally adds new layers to the traditional fashion illustration. Her distinctive style incorporates illustration and mixed-media to create unique textures and details, and her collaborations include work with brands like Louboutin, Bulgari, and L’Oreal. In this Domestika Diary, she shares her routine, gives a tour of her studio, and talks about her creative process and sources of inspiration.
Photo editing and retouching experts show you how to improve the quality of your photographs Every great photographer knows that to achieve great results, retouching is an indispensable part of the post-production process. If you want your photos to be flawless and look professional, check out these courses, in which five experts share their knowledge to help you reach your full potential. To learn more about each course, click on the title in red. Introduction to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a Domestika Basics course by Juan Achiaga This Domestika Basics course will show you how to master Adobe Lightroom from scratch. Learn to organize, store, and edit your photos like a pro. Get to grips with the program’s basic tools, storage, and organization system, as well as the Develop module.
Learn how users read a page and why it’s important that designers understand copywriting, with James Eccleston Though you might not realize it, copywriting is an essential skill in the toolkit of a successful web designer. Understanding the basic principles of copywriting, and how it informs how people interact with a page, offers great insights that can be applied to design. This can improve SEO, increase conversion, and also make your website more aesthetically pleasing. As brand and UX specialist James Eccleston (@james80) explains, web designers don’t need to replace copywriters, but by having a greater understanding of how copywriting works they can enrich their designs and coordinate more effectively with their teams. In the video below, he explains the six writing tips that designers need to know in order to create interesting and engaging web pages.
Learn to use RakugakiAR and make your creations move around in the real world using the magic of augmented reality Have you ever imagined the characters in your illustrations coming to life and jumping out of the paper? That is precisely what RakugakiAR can do thanks to the magic of augmented reality. Created by a team of developers in Japan, this app is guaranteed to put a smile on your face from the very first time you use it.
Work faster when modeling in ZBrush and download a guide with the most useful and basic shortcuts
Two design professionals explain what spot colors are and when and how to use them Both Chack Robles (@chackrobles) and John Naranjo (@jonaranjo) have spent over two decades in the worlds of advertising and editorials, respectively: this means they are experts in the world of printing. Throughout their careers, they’ve been able to work with spot colors on numerous occasions and are the perfect people to clear up any doubts over what spot or Pantone colors are and when to use them. What is a spot color? As John Naranjo tells us, colors, depending on their origin, can be differentiated into light colors—which are those derived from the decomposition of light and which, in screens and devices, compose light into RGB values—and pigment colors, created from the chemical mixture of pigments to create a color. Spot colors belong to this second group. Spot colors, also known as solid colors, "are used to select special colors that can be applied in a single run without the need to combine selection or offset colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) or four-color process", clarifies Chack Robles. The Pantone system, made up of flat colors, has managed to interpret multiple colors by mixing basic pigments. With it, says Naranjo, "you can achieve colors that are out of range and cannot be represented digitally, such as metallic colors, pastel colors, etc."
Get to know this design program and learn to paint within a virtual world Federico Moreno Breser (@jackmcfly) is a digital artist and animation director with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. In 2005, he founded Mcfly Studio, one of the most well-known animation studios in Argentina, where he is from. In 2012, he launched a magazine called Moushon! and, three years later, he created Luty Art Studio–an art department dedicated to developing art and concept art for the film, animation, and video game industries.
L’Abu Studio produces a unique range of custom handmade wooden pieces featuring detailed embroidery Estela Botello grew up in Madrid, surrounded by a talented family of craftspeople. Looking back on her childhood, she recalls picking up her first needle around the age of six and learning to embroider and crochet with her grandmother (an expert at making intricate tablecloths). Since picking up her first needle, Estela has rarely put it down. Estela is the founder of L’Abu Studio (@labustudio), producing a unique range of custom-made decorative objects combining carpentry and other crafts such as embroidery and macrame–from unique wall hangings to embroidered furniture.
Discover the different types of embroidery stitches you can use to create incredible textures and detail In the hands of Adriana Torres (@soymigadepan) a simple needle and piece of thread turn into powerful tools, which she uses to create illustrations in embroidery. This technique allows her, in addition to expressing her creativity, to achieve incredible textures and volumes that greatly enrich her work, creating a piece that is both visual and tactile. Perfecting her embroidery style has taken Adriana a lot of time as she's explored different materials and tools. Above all, it's taken practice to perfect the different types of stitches she uses. This embroidery stitch guide that she shares with Domestika is the result of years of discovery and experience.
Carola Rafowicz of Park studio takes us on a journey through the key moments in the history of fashion photography
Brown Girls Doc Mafia champions women and non-binary people of color working in the documentary film industry Brown Girls Doc Mafia is a community of women and non-binary people of color who are passionate about documentary filmmaking. The initiative began five years ago, when founder Iyabo Boyd was visiting Good Pitch New York in October 2015. During the event, Iyabo was excited to find herself surrounded by so many black female filmmakers (including Tabitha Jackson, N’Jeri Eaton, Sonya Childress, and Rahdi Taylor). Iyabo introduced herself and invited each woman to a meet-up in a nearby bar. A photo of the group went viral on Facebook, inspiring more filmmakers to band together. Brown Girls Doc Mafia was born and went public at Sundance Film Festival in 2017. It now has over 3300 members who convene online and in-person to provide a nurturing atmosphere where careers can evolve in a safe place.
Julieta Álvarez talks us through one of her latest projects: creating ceramic jewelry for Lladró While Julieta Álvarez’s passion for creating things out of clay dates back to childhood, this love truly blossomed when she discovered she could use it to make unique pieces of jewelry. Now, Julieta (@julieta_alvarez) has almost a decade of experience creating delicate handmade ceramic jewels under her belt. This career path has brought about opportunities to collaborate with international businesses and create collections for brands such as Lladró from Spain, a project which we had the opportunity to learn all about in the following interview.
Discover the keyboard shortcuts of one of the most popular 2D illustration and animation programs around TVPaint Animation, with After Effects and Toon Boom Harmony, is one of the most complete and used 2D illustration and animation programs on the market. The program allows you to make storyboards, character designs, and boasts other tools that will help you create two-dimensional animations in the best way possible. A good animator needs to be fast and efficient and, as you use TVPaint Animation, you will realize the amount of time it can save you knowing these useful keyboard shortcuts. Here we compile some of the basic shortcuts on TVPaint Animation:
Find inspiration in the work of these textile artists, who will soon start new courses at Domestika As a creative discipline, contemporary embroidery offers limitless possibilities. Throughout the world, embroiderers have created designs with unique expressive styles and singular pieces. Here are five wonderful embroiderers who will soon be sharing their knowledge with you in new Domestika courses. Get to know them all! Elena Obando (@e___l___o) Based in San José, Costa Rica, Elena is a designer, jewelry maker, and embroiderer. After working in design and advertising, she discovered her love for handicrafts while studying contemporary jewelry. By combining various techniques, she self-taught her way into the world of embroidery, leaning on what she had learned as a child. Currently, embroidery is her main media. Her unmistakable style of textile illustrations is inspired by birds and portraits she stitches on tulle.
We asked the Domestika community on Instagram what their favorite design apps are, and here are the results A good app can inspire you to start a new project, deal with those little repetitive tasks that take the fun out of your creative process, or encourage you to explore new techniques. With this in mind, we asked the Domestika community on Instagram what their favorite design apps are; what programs help them to be more productive or creative. These are your favorites. Mojo Stories have become one of the main features of Instagram and a valuable tool to share creative projects. Fast-paced, fun to watch, and highly addictive, these snippets can be used to tell stories or show a technique. But it can feel a little bit constrained sometimes. Creating attractive designs requires time and effort. Mojo solves this by giving the user hundreds of stunning templates to choose that create eye-catching animated slides, unlock new narrative avenues, and take stories to the next level. A great tool to boost engagement in all of your social posts.
Learn about the origin of animation in its purest form: the stop motion technique
Discover how an animation specialist, with an Oscar nomination, manages both sides of the same career
Discover the first posters in history and how this format has evolved to what we know today
Step into the iconic catalog's history and see how homes have changed and developed over the last 70 years
Learn branding and identity tips from experts in design and creativity So that you do not hesitate and start working on that creative project you have in mind, we compiled these lessons for you that you can enjoy for free for a limited time. Join ten experts in different branches of design and creativity to discover best practices and tips to launch or renew a brand and achieve the greatest impact. To view each class, just click on its title in red. Enjoy!
Learn the basics of how to handle a brush and gain confidence and fluidity using a brush pen, with Bego Viñuela Nearly everyone who was taught to write as a child had to do exercises to improve the fluidity of their handwriting. Practicing strokes, curves, ovals, waves... the shapes that build the letters that allow us to express our ideas and feelings, recording an infinite amount of stories. Italic calligraphy goes one step further in the art of handwriting. Characterized by elegant and decorative lines, refined curves, and a lot of expressiveness, it is more than a means to convey a message: it is the message itself. Calligrapher Bego Viñuela (@caligrafiabilbao) is an expert in this technique, and here she teaches us the basics of how to handle a brush and create beautiful letters full of strength and visual impact. "There are traits that are shared among the letters. If we work on them a little more and put emphasis on perfecting them, then the letters will be stronger," says Viñuela. Find out below:
Alex Hillkurtz, a storyboard artist fascinated by urban watercolor, shows us his personal vision of Madrid When it comes to the art of urban watercolor, there’s a magical mix of two elements: the unique vision of the illustrator who executes it, ensuring that no two watercolors are ever the same, and the personality of the buildings, people, and streets of the city that they’re capturing. This combination makes urban watercolor a fleeting reflection of the observer’s senses and an ever-changing environment, its results defined by the viewpoint of the artist and the location that they are seeking to capture. Few have a viewpoint as unique as that of Alex Hillkurtz. A storyboard artist with a passion for urban watercolor, he has an innate talent for reinterpreting the cities he visits through striking splashes of color and fascinating perspectives. Because of this, we jumped at the chance to accompany him during one of his drawing sessions set in the streets of Madrid. Find out more in the following Domestika Diary:
Make the most of this social network and adopt effective strategies for your brand There’s no denying that Instagram is one of the biggest virtual display windows for showing off whatever products or services you're selling. Companies and brands each have to find their own way to use it to stand out and draw people in. Not only does Instagram enable users to get a good look at your projects and products, but it can also be used to construct a non-verbal narrative that tells the world outside what you’re about. While the app’s most popular tools are its filters, the most successful profiles are those sharing powerful photos that have a deep understanding of creativity, composition, and photographic technique. Learn to unlock your potential and embrace your artistic sensitivity with these five Instagram photography specialists and discover how to get the most out of the tools on offer. Professional Mobile Photography and Videos, a course by Nay Jiménez Learn to take great photographs using just your phone. This photographer and art director will help you understand concepts such as color and composition so that you can create an Instagram feed with a consistent visual style. Also, they will share all of their techniques for dispelling fear and transforming your phone into an ideas machine.
Learn how to create interactive prototypes in Adobe XD using wires and the tap and time trigger, with Ethan Parry One of the great benefits of using Adobe XD is that it does more than simply let you design artboards. With the capability to create prototypes that you can share with developers, the program allows you to test out and further explore your ideas, which results in a richer end-product. For service designer and UX research consultant Ethan Parry (@ethanparry), prototyping is a crucial part of his process. By allowing designers to solicit feedback from others and test their hypotheses about user behavior, prototypes can help UX designers and businesses reduce investing time and resources into concepts that don’t end up serving their end goal. By giving you a new way to interact with a design, prototyping can also be an excellent method of ideating and finding new inspiration and solutions. In this tutorial, Parry explains how to use Adobe XD to create prototypes using basic actions, simulating how users will navigate and experience the design.
Learn about cyanotype, a low-cost, creative, and beautiful printing process that lets you print any type of image from scratch and the surprisingly simple materials and method to apply it Cyanotype. Sounds cool. But what is it? Cyan, as in the shade of blue, and type, as in printing: cyanotype is a printing process which has been used by artists, botanists, and architects for almost two centuries. A photosensitive solution that dyes objects blue when it comes into contact with light is used to develop images onto a whole range of surfaces, from paper to fabric, wood, and ceramics. For this article, Xavier and Gabriela from the design workshop Fábrica de Texturas (@fabricadetexturas), who teach the course Cyanotype: Printing with Light, have shared the materials and tools you need to embark on your own blueprint journey.
This digital campaign tracking template allows you to study metrics over time When creating marketing campaigns for social networks, it is essential to monitor results throughout the entire duration of the campaign in order to correct any potential issues and to obtain learnings related to what has and hasn't worked. Arantxa Beltrán and Guillermo Medina have been working in digital marketing for years, primarily with Google and Facebook Ads campaigns, and beyond mastering various types of ads and the ways they influence user behavior, the pair are also specialists in analyzing and tracking campaign metrics. This template which they've shared with Domestika will help you better manage and understand the metrics generated by your social media campaigns.
Get more engagement from your followers when doing live transmissions A live broadcast allows content creators to connect with their audience more deeply and interactively. Recently, the format has gained traction thanks to international quarantine measures and the fast paced and meaningful interaction it enables. This inspired us to collect some useful tips that will guarantee better engagement. Notify your followers Illustrator Carlos Rodríguez Casado (@carlosrodriguezcasado) did Lives almost every day during the COVID-19 confinement in Spain and, in addition to becoming one of his favorite ways to connect with his audience, he learned a lot about how to make them work. Carlos' first piece of advice is to announce a Live session in advance with a Story slide that specifies the date and time: "The more attractive the design, the better. I'd also recommend using the countdown sticker, since it's very visual." This tip may sound obvious, but many people forget the importance of notifying their followers in advance about when and on which platform the live transmission will be on. Don't make just one announcement. Make several posts on your social networks, reminding everyone of the day and time it will take place.