Creatives share their best tips and tricks for making your projects more professional.
Learn a quick way to create tassels to decorate clothes, jewelry, and accessories with Binge Knitting Binge Knitting (@bingeknitting) is a duo of designers and weavers made up of Bárbara Bremer and Carolina Herrera. They knit all kinds of fashion and home accessories with traditional crochet or crochet and needle techniques. Both infuse in their pieces with a contemporary vision of design and sustainable fashion.
Empathy map: a simple exercise to grow creatively and professionally with Marcelo Tas It doesn't matter what your specialty is: we all have creative prejudices that, if we don’t know about them, can block development of our projects, as they distance us from objectivity. For Marcelo Tas (@marcelo_tas)–journalist, scriptwriter, actor, TV presenter and director–knowing your creative inclinations is fundamental to understanding your audience and communicating with them in the best way. Here, he shares a practical and simple exercise that will help you to find it. This exercise is ideal for communication projects that need to identify their audience. It is also useful for getting to know yourself as a professional.
Natalia Méndez explains the different categories used for children’s books in the world of publishing When it comes to illustrating or publishing a children’s book, understanding its category will help you to plan your project, not only in terms of content but also the format, illustration style, typography, as well as other factors relating to the editing process. All of this will help define what type of book you want to publish. Categories are also useful when choosing books and deciding on the direction in which you want to take the project. On the publishing side, you’re thinking not just about the content, but also more technical questions to do with the physical object itself–the shape of the book, the front cover, the design, and more. These steps may seem like a small part of the process but, in the world of publishing, they are vital. To better understand the differences, Natalia Méndez (@natumendez)–a children’s book editor and writer–talks us through the main categories for children’s book: Books for babies and young infants: Small books that can be explored by small hands with little mobility. The pages might be made from card or some other thick material that can be easily turned or even put in the reader’s mouth or bitten or sucked.
Steel and Stitch teaches the fundamental stitches you'll use in nearly every crochet project
Add meaning to your graphic novel by using thousand-year-old archetypes with Charles Glaubitz In Jungian theory, an archetype is described as a primitive mental image inherited from our earliest human ancestors, concepts present in our collective unconscious. Multidisciplinary artist and graphic novelist Charles Glaubitz (@mrglaubitz) explains how we can use these literal and visual archetypes that have been used throughout the history of human literature to create a comic. The most famous and widely-used archetype theory in storytelling is Joseph’s Campbell Hero’s Journey: a concept that describes the basic archetypes of any story.
Niels Pagh Anderson, the editor of the Oscar-nominated documentary The Act of Killing and Ai Wei Wei’s latest film shares his philosophy and tips on how to edit a powerful film Niels Pagh Anderson is a master film editor and has worked with some of the world’s greatest artists and directors, including Joshua Oppenheimer and Ai Wei Wei. His ability to understand, collaborate, and challenge their visions has earned him his place in the documentary film halls of fame. This week, DocsBarcelona hosted him–online, of course–for a masterclass in film editing. You can watch Niels for free on the DocsBarcelona website. Niels is adamant about the importance of stories and storytellers: “We live in chaos, we need to make sense of it.” The notion that every civilization has used stories, from creation myths to archetypal struggles, to make sense of the chaos is what informs Niels approach to editing, well as the title of his soon-to-be-released book: Order in Chaos.
The team at Bauertypes share some basic thoughts about the use of typeface for brand identity
How to take professional portraits of amateur models Catalina Bartolomé (@catalina_bartolome) is an Argentinian photographer who has been taking portraits for more than 12 years. She has collaborated with the likes of La Nación, OHLALÁ, Clarín, Radar, Inrockuptibles, Rolling Stone, and Las 12. In 2016, she founded her own company, Retratos Profesionales, specializing in portrait photography for amateur models. Over the course of her career, Bartolomé has mastered the secret to great direction, having worked with a diverse mix of models and clients who have each had their own unique reason for seeking out a professional portrait. Today she is sharing 7 key tips that will help you work with amateurs and get the best results.
Learn some tips for researching and collecting images for your digital art projects
Did you know you could paint with plasticine? Illustrator Jacinta Besa tells us more about this versatile modeling and painting material We all know and have even tried painting with watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, and even spray cans. But, did you know you could paint with plasticine? Jacinta Besa (@jacintabesa) is a visual artist and painting expert. Over the course of ten years, Jacinta has developed her own style, using plasticine to make 2D pieces, using it as a means of adding color to her illustrations with a realistic touch, and also submerging objects inside it. Her fascination with nature is palpable in all her work. Her fascination with it, along with the role of the modern woman, her evolution, and revolution are all key elements. But it is plasticine that brings her work together: a versatile material that gives her pieces volume and texture. Let her explain further in the video below:
Learn five essential tips to create a professional profile on LinkedIn
Practical tips to showcase your creative projects on the popular social media platform
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
The COVID-19 lockdown is hitting artists and creators especially hard. These resources can help you stay afloat during the quarantine period. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown measures are wreaking havoc on all kinds of industries and businesses, from restaurants to airlines, but it is especially troublesome for artists and creatives. Those who relied on live performances or in-person classes to survive now find themselves with no chance to continue their professional activities. Those who worked in a studio or at home, and can keep doing it during quarantine, face deteriorating market conditions. Commissions have dwindled, and fear of a recession is holding back creative projects for many companies.
Basic guidelines to safeguard your personal and business data online
How to improve your brainstorming and create together better Advertising executive Alex Osborn came up with brainstorming in the 1950s: get together, share as many ideas as possible (no judgment or criticism), revise ideas and build on the best. Sounds great, but that Mad Men stuff just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Decades of studies show that these brainstorms actually lead to fewer and worse ideas than people would’ve come up with alone. Ideas fuse together into much of the same where fresher, individual ideas are what we really want. Some easy fixes have been shown to work by several studies however. We at Domestika pieced together a simple method we’ve dubbed “WAGSAD”. Just kidding, but you can call it that if you want.
Karina Meza shares how to take advantage of light and shade in your photos using Photoshop Karina Meza (@karinameza) is a photographer with 15 years experience in digital retouching, specializing in advertising still lifes. She knows that special attention should be giving to retouch brightness and reflections for product photos, as much as to contrast. These details greatly influence the product’s final look. Below, she gives three basic tips you should consider when editing these elements on Photoshop.
Content marketing expert Reina Rodríguez shows us how to get the right tone for your posts, strengthening you and your brand’s image Weird times these, unprecedented for most. It seems the only thing normal about quarantine is our need to communicate, stay informed, or—equally legitimate—combat boredom on social media. However, should you to get your tone wrong, you could end up accidentally upsetting your followers with your message. To understand what language to use or avoid, and how to make the most of the situation we find ourselves in to strengthen your social media presence, we’ve spoken with expert communicator Reina Rodríguez, who teaches the Domestika course Content Marketing for Social Media. She gave us her top 5 tips for getting the tone of your posts just right.
Advice for recording and producing your own audio projects at home Whether you work in audiovisual, music, or a specialized area of audio production, going that extra mile will not only help you stand out amongst the competition but will make your experiences more enjoyable and improve the quality of the work you produce. Where and how best to record audio at home is one of the first hurdles those looking to develop their own audio projects are currently facing (whether you’re looking to launch your first-ever podcast or to improve the quality of your video projects). While the amount of money and time you invest in a home studio is entirely your choice, it’s important for you to consider the following information before you decide for certain that you want to go ahead.
Do you want to make better use of your Instagram account to grow your following? Dot Lung, Mother of Social Media Dragons, gives us 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts for Instagram to gain more followers and grow your social media presence Like other social networks, Instagram has become a perfect place to show our talents as creatives or promote our brand, but it is important to know the rules by which the platform is governed. To reach more people or, rather, reach those people who interest us the most: this is the obsession of many Instagram accounts. Do you want to take better advantage of your Instagram account to build a greater audience? Dot Lung (@dotlung), specialist in social networks, gives us 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts for Instagram. Discover them in the following video: