Category: Resource Recommendations

Recommendations: Art and Design Classes & Tutorials

Art and Design Tutorial Recommendations

Today I want to share some art tutorial recommendations. The Alchemical freebie is still on the way, but progress has slowed slightly because I started a new day job, so please bear with me. (You can checkout Alchemical Design Resources in the meantime to see the style of the designs.) I’m a couple of months into my new day job and although there is a lot of info and stuff to learn, I’m really liking it so far and my co-workers are all lovely.

The real point of this post is to share a few creative classes and tutorials I’ve watched lately, across both Skillshare and YouTube. Because I watch a lot of classes I’m only hand-picking the ones I’ve found particularly useful for my own business, but I highly recommend searching for classes that suit your needs if these aren’t quite what you’re after. It’s amazing how much knowledge and how many skills are available these days and I know it can be overwhelming!

Note: Please bear in mind that Skillshare is subscription-based while the YouTube videos should be available for free.

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Flodesk: The Best Email Marketing Platform

Flodesk: The Best Email Marketing Tool for Creatives

This post contains Affiliate Links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. Please read my Affiliate Policy to find out more.

I recently switched my email marketing provider from MailChimp to Flodesk and I can honestly say I’ll never look back. There are a few reasons why I made the move and I wanted to share them with you, particularly if you’re a creative or provide some kind of product or service that you need to promote to an email list. While I’m still fairly new to Flodesk, setting up my account was incredibly easy and because I used a referral link I got a lifetime 50% off my subscription. You can get the same saving too! Just use the referral link in this post.

Now I’m not saying there is anything terrible about MailChimp (or other email marketing services), but I never felt that the platform was quite right for me. I struggled to get my emails looking exactly how I wanted, and I was limited on how many subscribers I could have before the price went up.

So without further ado, my top six reasons to choose Flodesk over other email marketing tools.

One monthly price (with a huge discount for referral customers)

You get unlimited subscribers, no price hike as your email list grows. You could have 10 subscribers or you could have 100,000 and you’ll still pay the same monthly price. And as I said above, if you use a referral link like this one you get a whopping 50% off your Flodesk account for life. This means that you will pay $19 for Flodesk each month, rather than the full price of $38 p/mo. This is an amazing bargain, especially when you look at what you get (and how beautiful the emails are!).

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Paper Crafts and Calligraphy at Home

Paper Crafts at Home Title

Paper crafts are a wonderful way to express yourself if you have artist’s block or you’re struggling to be productive. The first few months of 2021 were tough for me and mine and it really screwed with my creativity. My father had a small stroke back in February (he is OK now, thank goodness) and COVID continued to loom over us all. The European side of the company I worked for closed, and I was made redundant. I’m currently job hunting which can be a long process. None of these things could be helped, but it was important not to let them overwhelm me and prevent progression in other areas of life.

Usually when I struggle with creativity, the first thing I do is try something new—whether it’s a course or class, a new art medium or just reading books and articles to pick up inspiration.

I chose three paper crafts to help me push through these uncertain times: watercolour painting, calligraphy and origami. You can start all of these at home and relatively cheaply. I also subscribed to Skillshare for its broad range of classes that will help me develop my skills. (You can find many free tutorials on YouTube and across the web, too!)

Bear in mind I am a true beginner in both watercolour and calligraphy and many of my early attempts are totally cringeworthy. 😊 Still, I’d like to share my progress here on the blog so people can see how easy it is to develop with a bit of dedication and practise. I’ll also provide links to resources if you’re looking to try watercolour painting, calligraphy or other paper crafts.

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Creative Necessities | What Can’t You Live Without?

Blog Essential Creative Tools

Most artists and designers will have creative necessities that they just can’t live without. I’m curious to learn what other people use on a daily—or at least regular—basis; those tools you depend on for your work and don’t think you can do without. They can range from hardware like computers and tablets, and software like programs and apps, to hand-drawing tools and must-have comfort items in your workspace. I’ll share my creative necessities below, with links, and I would love it if you shared yours! I am always searching for new tools and tips to make my day-to-day work more comfy and efficient.

Hardware & Software

  • iMac – This is my most important tool because even without any of the other stuff, I could still draw and create new products and artwork, share on social media and communicate with friends and family.
  • Adobe Creative Cloud – My second most important tool for creating. My main apps are Illustrator and Photoshop, but I occasionally use InDesign, Premiere Pro, Audition and After Effects.
  • iPad – Where I often sketch ideas and store products-in-development. All of my iPad sketches are rough and generally for my eyes only, but I love how easy it is to share artwork drawn on the iPad directly to websites and social media. The convenience is insane! Apple Pencil – Not a true necessity, but it makes drawing on the iPad a lot easier. As an addition, I’ll also add the Paperlike Screen Protector, which makes it feel like you’re drawing on actual paper.
  • Procreate – The app that I most use for drawing / creativity on a tablet.
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Creative Resource Recommendations | Part Two

Creative Resource Recommendations Part 2

This post contains Affiliate Links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. Please read my Affiliate Policy to find out more.

Part two of my resource recommendations series. A while ago I posted a selection of products by other creators that I think you would like: Creative Resource Recommendations | Part One. Since then, many stunning products have launched and I have to share some of my favourites from what I’ve seen lately.

While I can’t personally vouch for every single product, I will only share resources from designers and artists I know of and whose quality I trust. I will also only share resources from the marketplaces where I sell my own products (i.e. those I trust!).

Keep reading to discover my Creative Resource Recommendations (Part Two).

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Brilliant Branding Bundle at The Hungry JPEG

Brilliant Branding Bundle

Just a little heads up that my product, Cosmic Dream Logo Template Kit, is featured in The Brilliant Branding Bundle right now at The Hungry JPEG! This bundle is packed full of branding graphics in a range of styles and colours, and includes 940+ editable logo templates, fonts and design elements. You get 27 products all rolled into one big package for $19 so it’s a total bargain. I’ve been a seller on The Hungry JPEG for a while now and I really like their bundles because they always pack them full of great value.

Click to learn more about the Brilliant Branding Bundle at The Hungry JPEG!

The bundle is available from 29th March to 2nd May 2021 so you have a few weeks to grab your copy. Keep reading to see previews from Cosmic Dream Logo Template Kit and how you can use it to spruce up your branding and marketing.

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Creative Resource Recommendations | Part One

Creative resource recommendations part 1

This post contains Affiliate Links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. Please read my Affiliate Policy to find out more.

As a digital illustrator and designer, part of my job is to keep up to date with trends and products in my industry. I run shops on a few different marketplaces and as a result I get to see many wonderful and unique design resources on a daily basis. I’ve decided to start a series here on the blog: Creative Resource Recommendations, where I will occasionally share links to hand-picked creative products that you might like.

While I can’t personally vouch for every single product, I will only share resources from designers and artists I know of and whose quality I trust. I will also only share resources from the marketplaces where I sell my own products (i.e. those I trust!).

Keep reading to discover my Creative Resource Recommendations (Part One).

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Creative Distance Learning Resources

Distance learning resources

This post contains Affiliate Links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. Please read my Affiliate Policy to find out more.

The wonderful folk at Creative Market have put together a collection of creative resources dedicated to distance learning and homeschooling. This will help teachers working from home and parents taking on the role of teacher during these difficult and unusual times.

What’s on offer? You’ve got a choice of fun characters, diagrams, activities, learning games, printable worksheets and posters that will engage and entertain kids. Some of these graphics also work great in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Canva, giving you a lot of different options to use them (make sure to read the descriptions first!).

There is a huge range of different creative resources available, and everything is organised into sections to make it easier for you to find what you need. Sort by subject or by grade level. I can’t emphasise enough how awesome these products are so why not take a look and see for yourself:

Click here for a wide range of Distance Learning Resources

Below you’ll find some of my favourite collections from this range (with preview images), but do explore the Creative Market website to discover everything.

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6 Creative Projects You Can Do At Home + Inspiration

Creative projects you can do at home

The wonderful thing about being creative is that there are many things you can do even if you have a small to non-existent budget. With everything that’s happening in the world right now, a lot of us find ourselves isolating at home with more time on our hands than normal. If you’ve only ever dipped your toe into creative projects but you want to get more hands on, now is a great time to do it. I’ve put together this post full of ideas, resources and inspiration to (hopefully) kick-start your creativity!

Just to note: because I’m mainly a digital artist a lot of my creative work involves a computer, although for this list I’ve tried to include a few physical activities you can do at home even with limited supplies. The key to this post is that you have choices and nothing is ridiculously expensive or difficult to access.

So without further ado, here are 6 creative projects you can do at home on a small-to-zero budget.

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How to Create Product Preview Images that Drive Sales

Product previews that drive sales

This post contains Affiliate Links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. Please read my Affiliate Policy to find out more.

Ever wondered how some people create gorgeous product preview images? If you’re a creative solopreneur or small business that designs and sells end products, you might already know how important it is to have high-quality previews that engage your potential customers. If not, or if you’ve been struggling with your product previews, this post is for you.

Product preview images are your one chance at a great first impression. Most customers won’t consider buying a product if they can’t at least see what it is or how it can benefit them.

Unfortunately, I have some experience in this area. I’ve released products that have strong previews and I’ve released product previews that I’ve rushed. And let me tell you, the difference is real. One will compel your potential customers to click through and find out more about your product or service. The other will likely mean you’ll have to re-make the previews at some point down the line – a time-consuming and unnecessary task that could have been avoided (hey, we live and learn!).

I’m going to attempt to demystify mock-ups and suggest where you can find quality mock-up resources. I’ll also argue why investing in your product previews is best practise for your business in the long run.

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