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@visignacademy

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Empowering artists to create amazing art for games and film. Start today with in-depth Art Courses, free resources & open community

Bucharest
Joined May 2023
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@visignacademy
Visign
25 days
Cool tip of the day: use separation of background elements, value contrast and saturation to create stunning paintings!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Tip of the day: apply the big-medium-small principle to your designs and don't forget to add depth and perspective to all shapes to reinforce three-dimensionality.
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@visignacademy
Visign
22 days
Do it yourself: try this simple exercise to render a wood texture that looks interesting and dynamic!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Tip of the day: the principle of repetition creates a sense of cohesion and unity in an artwork. Check out how to repeat shapes, details, contours to create unity in this character design!
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Tip of the day: apply gesture, big-medium-small and shape variety to create more interesting prop designs.
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@visignacademy
Visign
15 days
Sweet tip: when rendering rusted steel, analyze the base color and distribution of rust. Try this step-by-step to familiarize yourself with this material!
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Tip of the day: counterchange is the tonal alternation between light and dark within a shape. You can simplify the values to just black & white and observe how they change within your subject. This helps integrate it in its environment and makes it look more realistic.
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@visignacademy
Visign
19 days
Did you know that without reflected light, we wouldn't be able to see at all in the shadows? Once you understand reflected light, you'll be able to create more realistic elements and scenes.
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@visignacademy
Visign
29 days
Tip of the day: here are some common negative & positive space ratios and the effect they produce on the viewer.
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@visignacademy
Visign
10 days
Level up your texturing! Try this simple exercise for rendering wool - a more complex surface, that's neither smooth nor rough.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Tip of the day: be most critical in the first 10 minutes of sketching, when it's easier to think critically and make big changes quickly. This will set the foundation for the final artwork.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Hierarchy is a design principle that refers to the relative importance of elements within a design. Here are a few examples that you can use in your own designs!
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@visignacademy
Visign
18 days
Try this simple flow to render a texture of polished steel! Reflectivity can be challenging, so keep in mind these considerations to make it truly pop!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
If you want to create the illusion of three-dimensionality in artworks, perspective is one of the most important fundamentals to master.
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Tip of the day: use line weight and hatching to suggest light and shadow areas in your artwork. Don't forget to use areas of rest to enhance the focus on your areas of detail!
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Hatching enhances the illusion of shadow, form and texture in drawing and inking. Here are some common types of hatching.
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 days
Make it pop! Add color vibrancy to a painting with a colored underpainting layer instead of the white canvas. Let the underpainting show through for vibrant color combinations!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Using references is important because it enables you to accurately depict the world, and create more convincing and engaging artworks. Mathias teaches a course on simplifying the human body, which includes most of the examples in this post:
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Tip of the day: when creating a composition, keep in mind aspects like graphic shapes, areas of rest and detail and sense of depth.
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Tip of the day: split your environment into fore-, mid- and background to create a clear value structure, and use the principle of rhythm to guide the viewer through the environment!
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Tip of the day: when drawing, vary line weight to enhance readability and give your drawings a more appealing and organic look.
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Simplification is a powerful skill, both for producing high quality art, and for elevating your ability to learn.
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@visignacademy
Visign
30 days
Positive & negative space is a contrast-type principle - a contrast in values (light & dark) which creates readability in artworks.
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Balance is a design principle that refers to the distribution of visual weight within an artwork or design (composition, characters, environments or props). Here are three common types of balance you can use in your designs.
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Tip of the day: create depth, interest and dynamism by adding gradation and lost edges to the brush strokes applied along the form - which enforces three-dimensionality, as we've seen in the previous tip. Check out the suggested exercise!
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@visignacademy
Visign
23 days
Did you know that light is a powerful storytelling tool? The intensity of light can make or break the mood in illustration, film, photography and more! Uncover the secrets of Light and Value:
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Brush economy refers to using as few brush strokes as possible to convey the visual information. It does not mean painting quickly - it means applying each brush stroke with precision and purpose.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Repetition is a design principle that refers to the use of recurring elements or patterns throughout the artwork. It is a versatile principle, used not only in entertainment art, but also in graphic, industrial, fashion design etc.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Did you know this character design process? Mathias explains the process in full detail, including insights from his own experience as character designer, in his course:
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Tip of the day: the direction and flow of the brushwork can reinforce the shapes and ideas in painting. Brushwork can follow the form, or wrap around the form, for different effects.
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Design inspiration of the day: have a look at how gesture, design and stylization are applied in this character. Every design choice is consciously made to enhance the character's story.
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Contrast is one of the most important principles of design, because it naturally draws the viewer's attention. Here are some examples of contrast, all based on the same artwork.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Tip of the day: when designing with function in mind, pay attention to static vs. moving components and how they come together as a whole.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
This second (and last) part of this character design process covers refinement, coloring and rendering. This is just the tip of the iceberg - check out Mathias's course for full details and considerations in each step of the character design process:
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Tip of the day: sketch loosely to capture ideas and allow room for interpretation. When refining, add details and adjustments to support the original intention.
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Gesture is a key method of capturing ideas and conveying intentions quickly. Let's have a look at some important aspects to know about gesture. The figure drawings here were done by our artists in our recent drawing sessions on Discord!
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Rhythm is a design principle that refers to the arrangement of design elements to create a sense of pattern, flow or movement. Hue Teo presents all 12 designs principles in depth in his course:
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@visignacademy
Visign
16 days
A cool and simple way to add storytelling is to show how time or usage affect your designs. In this first part, we'll have a look at 3 types of weathering and aging effects that instantly add depth to your art!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
When designing inorganic objects like vehicles, mechs etc., pay attention to functionality: structure, components, joints and how everything comes together to convey functionality.
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@visignacademy
Visign
9 days
You probably know about warm and cool colors, but did you know that temperature perception can be influenced by different factors? Check them out below! Want to know more? Axel breaks down color in his course:
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Here is a simple exercise to practice skin tones: choose a color palette and observe how light and shadow affect the skin color on a simplified character head. Try it out, and remember the components of light and shadow!
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Artists can apply different composition rules to arrange the elements in an artwork. The 12 principles of design can also be used to enhance the overall composition.
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 month
Ideation is an essential part of the artistic process - let's have a look at 3 ways to generate ideas. If you want to improve your ideation sketching, we have a free material on that on our website (this post covers just a small part of it):
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Weight is one of the basic characteristics of the line, and line weight plays an essential role in drawing. Try out this simple exercise to vary line weight and see your art come to life in a new way.
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
When drawing characters, it adds more interest and personality if you portray them in dynamic poses. Mathias Osland explains this in more depth in the course Basics of Character Design for Video Games:
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Tip of the day: you can choose a color palette that's somewhat unconventional - as long as the colors work together, the final result will be aesthetical. This example works with a mid-value range. Focus on the main shapes first, and add details later. Try it out and tag us!
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
The lit side of objects can be broken down into 3 elements: center of light, highlight and halftones. Have a look at how these light areas are rendered in @Mathias__Osland 's character!
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Tip of the day: choose a color palette to work with, and build your artwork step-by-step, from blocking out the main shapes to progressively adding details that tell a story. Try it out - tag us so we can showcase your work!
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
By using different types of edges in painting, you can create visual focus and interest. Let's have a look at types of edges used by John Singer Sargeant.
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Sketching is a quick way of capturing and exploring ideas. Remember, sketches shouldn't be perfect - take away this pressure and you'll be able to focus on the creative process.
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@visignacademy
Visign
26 days
Great lighting enhances mood and facilitates visual storytelling. To create great stories, you must understand how light influences value and color. Axel breaks down light and value in his course:
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Design is more than a set of principles to create beautiful works. Design is a way of thinking, processing and solving visual problems. An individual's capacity for problem-solving comes from experience, feedback, self-criticism and patience to tackle one problem at a time.
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@visignacademy
Visign
11 days
In this second part, let's take actual examples of weathering and aging in our artists' works, and see the stories that they tell! Remember, these effects are details that should enhance the design and fundamentals of your work.
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@visignacademy
Visign
11 months
Art foundations are the key skills to creating compelling art products. They are prerequisites for any kind of career in art - fine art, concept art, illustration, game art etc. Follow us for more insights and get a free PDF with drawing tips at sign-up:
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Thumbnails are small, quick sketches that explore visual ideas. They are useful in all types of art, and by starting out with thumbnails, you can reach better, more creative solutions, and make the rendering process more clear.
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
Thumbnailing is a fast exploration of ideas to find the most interesting variants to take forward in design. Here are three common methods of thumbnailing - they can be used in any type of design, here we will look at examples of thumbnailing characters.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
We warmly invite you to a figure drawing session Saturday 8PM CET, hosted by @Mathias__Osland and @AxelSauerwald . Draw along and share your drawings after the session - check out Mathias's drawings from our previous event! Join the Discord Event:
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
Join our practical figure drawing session held by @AxelSauerwald and @Mathias__Osland , Sat 8PM CET in Discord (link in bio). Whether for practice, for your next character design or simply for fun, join the session and enjoy! Share your drawings with #visignlivedrawing !
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
The structure of fore-, mid- and background adds clarity, depth and focus in scenes - whether in illustration, games or film.
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Design is problem-solving, and as an artist you often need to solve multiple problems at once. This can make it easy to fall into some common design mistakes.
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Colors carry meanings and can be used to influence moods or psychological reactions. Let's examine warm colors - keep in mind, these are some common interpretations, but you can always create your own.
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Flow is essential in design, and lines & counter-lines are simple ways of establishing the flow in the early design stages. Sign up to the newsletter on our website for more in-depth materials - something really cool is following for our subscribers next week!
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Let's have a look at some common meanings behind cold colors - remember, you can use color to convey your own story. For more in-depth tips, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter on our website - something awesome is cooking for you this month!
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@visignacademy
Visign
4 months
Cast shadows are created when objects block the light. Here is a simple way to determine the size and shape of the cast shadow, depending on the light source and the object casting the shadow.
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@visignacademy
Visign
9 months
Color plays an essential role in character and environment design, and can add deeper layers of meaning to the story by using color symbolism. Sign up to get a free PDF with drawing tips:
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Congratulations to our second prize winner @Mikel_6279 - for his submission, he created two tower variants and a ward, cohesively designed as a set for a dedicated game event! Check out his portfolio:
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@visignacademy
Visign
17 days
Fresh out! Check out these short video tips on Ideation Sketching: practical ideation techniques and simplification. Start applying these tips in design, concept art, illustration and more!
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Design is a manifestation of both science and art; it is creativity and aesthetics mixed with utility and function for effective problem-solving. The process can start with either of the two aspects.
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
Here are some examples of color schemes and the effect they create in an artwork.
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Big vs. Small is a design principle that creates immediate visual interest, and is often applied in illustration, film and games.
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
Color schemes are specific combinations of colors that work together to create aesthetically pleasing works. Working with color schemes helps with consistency and transmitting the right message, mood or feeling.
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Happy Holidays from all of us at Visign! We wish you joy and inspiration for the holidays and throughout the next year, and we thank you for supporting us so far!
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Join us in congratulating @FishIsMyDish , our first prize winner of the community art challenge - Game Style Prop Design. His submission goes above and beyond prop design, with a full setting exploration with gameplay in mind! Check out his portfolio:
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
The theory of Big-Medium-Small is widely applied in game and film design, as it helps clarify visual information by creating a hierarchy based on size. Check out the examples in props and characters!
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
Proportions make characters believable. The normal human proportions are the ground for both realistic and stylized characters, and characters can follow different stylistic conventions depending on the media they are in.
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Good character designs resonate with the audience because they are able to tell stories. Here are three ways to help your characters tell more about themselves.
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@visignacademy
Visign
7 months
Shape language is essential for design. The basic shapes that we know from natural and man-made objects gained common interpretations, positive or negative, from our long history with them.
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@visignacademy
Visign
11 months
The last three levels of drawing focus on the progress from natural elements to small and large spaces, using perspective, construction and composition. Sign up to get a free PDF with drawing tips:
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@visignacademy
Visign
3 months
Let's look at the entertainment art job market and concrete steps that artists can take to navigate this period. Share this if you know someone who might benefit from career advice right now! Join us for free on Discord: Event is Saturday 10 Feb, 8PM CET.
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
What is value and why do we need it in artworks? The answer is simple - value helps create the illusion of light and form, so it is essential if we want to depict form and three-dimensionality.
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 months
"Design Theories & Applications I" with @hue_teo will allow concept artists to expedite their thought process and elevate their problem-solving skills. Check out his portfolio to see how he applies his extensive design knowledge for major studios!
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Congratulations to our honorable mention, Olly. His submission includes a set of magical props and details their enchanted properties! Check out his portfolio:
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@visignacademy
Visign
9 months
Art fundamentals are key to building effective visual narratives, and color is perhaps the most powerful and versatile tool in visual storytelling: it triggers emotions and aids the overall visual focus. Sign up to get a free PDF with drawing tips:
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 months
"Basics of Character Design for Video Games" with @Mathias__Osland takes you through the production process of a unique character, from ideation to final render. Check out his portfolio to see processes and final designs he did for major studios!
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 months
We're excited to announce we are now live! Thank you for being a part of our story so far, and we hope our courses will help you become the artist you aspire to be! Check out our courses:
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@visignacademy
Visign
1 year
Happy to announce early access to our innovative online art education platform. Follow us for tips & expert-led resources.
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@visignacademy
Visign
11 months
A solid drawing foundation means having control over lines to express ideas and emotions. These are the first two levels of learning drawing. Follow us for the full process, and sign up to get a free PDF with drawing tips:
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@visignacademy
Visign
12 days
Studying purposefully builds you up as an artist: you can unlock, retain and apply new concepts in your art - and become a better artist in the process! Join @Mathias__Osland this Saturday to find out how to study and apply knowledge purposefully:
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 months
The wait is over! With just 9 days to our official launch, we're thrilled to show you a daily sneak peek of each of the 9 upcoming courses. "Design Foundations I" with @hue_teo will uncover the 12 principles of design that you can use to create stunning artworks.
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@visignacademy
Visign
2 months
@BakalVitaliy The example here is actually a drawing, so that was the intended effect
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
The line is probably the most simple - and most versatile element of art. Mastering the line gives the artist power to define form, create the illusion of light and shadow, and tell stories through different line styles.
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@visignacademy
Visign
9 months
Light & shadow, together with other fundamentals, shape the viewer's emotional experience with an artwork: enhances mood, adds a layer of symbolism and guides the viewer through the composition. Sign up to get a free PDF with drawing tips:
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Building a visual library lets us recall more tools and principles when creating artworks, which boosts our creativity.
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@visignacademy
Visign
6 months
When drawing or painting, an artist can have a 2D or a 3D mindset. Both can result in amazing art, the key difference is how they treat the sense of depth.
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@visignacademy
Visign
8 months
"Light and Color" with @AxelSauerwald will help you infuse meaning and emotion in your art through color. Check out his portfolio to see how his use of color enhances mood and overall design!
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@visignacademy
Visign
5 months
Congratulations to our third prize winner, ROAM-3R. Unlike the other winners, who approached the brief from the perspective of sets of props, he considered props for different game factions! Check out his portfolio:
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@visignacademy
Visign
9 months
There is no single recipe to learning, but here are 3 general tips to ease your mind into acquiring and retaining information better. Sign up to get a free PDF with learning tips:
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