Lately I’ve been experimenting with making some fun time-lapse art videos to share with you all. Here are a few I’ve uploaded recently.
Drawing on my sketchbook using dollar store pens.
Filling in a map of the U.S.A. with mandalas.
Filling in map of Canada with mandalas and other doodles.
Do you guys like these kinds of videos? I will probably make more in the future so make sure you subscribe to my Youtube channel.
Hope you’re having a great summer! I will be going on haitus for a few weeks so I won’t be posting any new blog posts, but will have lots of new content for you starting in September. See you then!
Hey guys! Today I’d like to share 8 of my favourite art accounts on Instagram. You should follow them if you’re into art, graphic design or just looking at pretty things in general!
Von Kowen’s designs are dark and macabre, with lots of clean graphic lines in black and white. Occult symbolism, mysticism and astrology are featured in her work. She showcases her designs on t-shirts and other wares for sale through her Print on Demand shops, and looks super cool doing it all.
Purelifephotoss is a brand created by Abby Juli who is a self-labelled “creative rebel”. Her designs are very graphic and often combine art and symbolism with uplifting text and quotes. Much of her work is inspired by animals and mental health awareness. Her designs are available through several Print on Demand shops which are showcased on her profile.
Awaarts is known for her really unique and interesting surreal art. She creates fantastical creatures and beings through drawing, mixed media, sculpture and more. Her bright and colourful artwork is sold on prints and more through Print on Demand sites, some of which is showcased on her profile.
Ana, aka anishacreations is known for being able to make just about anything adorable. Follow her page for a daily dose of cute. Sometimes she posts animations as well along with music, which are guaranteed to brighten up your day.
Belettelepink is known for her animal art which is expressed through drawing and painting. She mainly focuses on wild animals, especially mustelids, which is a family of animals including weasels, badgers, ferrets and more. Her work is often displayed on products for sale through her various print on demand shops. Sometimes she hosts art challenges like her #wolvesofthworld2019 which are fun to participate in.
Hundilaul aka Anaya’s work is very graphic and she does a lot of detailed pattern work. She has a wide variety of bright and colourful patterns and mandalas which are displayed on products from her Print on Demand shops.
Pahleeloola is known for her graphic poster designs featuring prominent historical figures along with their inspiring quotes. She also shares snapshots of her life, photography, and more on her account so there is a good variety of posts to inspire you.
Darkhysteriaco is known for her black and white graphic illustrations combining occult and wiccan imagery. Her crisp and clean line work is displayed prominently on prints, enamel pins, apparel and more with a wiccan aesthetic.
Hey guys, I’ve created another free download-able template to help you with your art! This printable grid template I created to help draw patterns to use for mandalas or other artwork.
This grid template is a great way keep track of patterns to use for future mandala drawings and also to practice your drawing techniques.
You can download and print off this template then either draw straight on it or trace underneath another sheet of paper.
Use the one with dark lines to trace and the one with lighter lines to draw straight on it.
Pattern drawing can be a nice soothing and calming activity, similar to making mandalas or zentangle inspired artwork.
I hope you find this grid template useful. Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below! You can also tag me in your creations on Instragram @julieerindesigns.
Hey guys! Today I’d like to share with you 10 dorm room essentials to get you ready for heading back to school this fall.
Please note this post contains affiliate links.
1. Tapestries
Tapestries are wonderfully versatile decorations. You can put them on the walls surrounding your bed, or use them as a bed sheet.
2. Fairy lights
Fairy lights a.k.a. white Christmas lights add really pretty and soft lighting to your room. You can put them on the wall like in the picture below, or around the top and sides of a tapestry as a backdrop to your bed. This creates a really nice boho vibe and they can be a lot less bright and jarring than regular lamps or overhead lighting.
3. Pillows
If you’re going to be spending long hours reading and studying you might as well be comfortable. Add some pretty throw pillows to dial up your decor and give yourself some back support.
4. Cute bedding
You’ll be spending a lot of time on your bed so it might as well look cute and reflect your unique personality!
5. Cute stationary
From the dorm room to the classroom, everyone needs some cute stationary. You can find all kinds of unique notebooks, planners, pens and more. You can even get customized stationary with your name on it!
6. Photos of Friends and Family
You might be away from home for a while, so it’s nice to have some photos of your friends and family close by. You’ll also be making a lot of new friends! A great way to showcase these special people and moments is to use a bulletin board. You can pin all kinds of photos into a fun collage to hang near your bed or work desk.
7. Cozy blankets
When the nights start getting long and cold, a nice fuzzy throw blanket is just what you need to curl up with a good book.
8. Plants
Since you can’t have any pets it’s nice to add some greenery and life to your dorm to brighten things up. If you don’t have a window you can get a little grow lamp or even just some fake plants, which can really add to that zen boho vibe.
9. Posters
Posters are a dorm room must have! You could have pictures of your favourite celebrities or an iconic photo of your city to remind you of home. Even a motivational quote to start your day would be a great addition to your dorm room.
10. Coffee Maker and Mugs
Everyone needs their morning coffee but buying it every day can add up! If your dorm allows it, invest in a small coffee maker like a Keurig or even just a french press with a hot water kettle. Make sure you pair it with a cute mug!
I hope you’ve found this list of dorm room essentials useful. Good luck at school this year!
Can you turn a 2D mandala drawing into 3D printed artwork? Apparently, yes.
My boyfriend has a 3D printer so we thought it would be fun to see if one of my mandala designs could be printed in 3D! We also made a video out of the process.
Check out the timelapse video above to see my mandala art being drawn by a machine!
The original mandala design was drawn by hand and then scanned to the computer. I used Adobe Illustrator to turn the image into a .stl file, which is the file type used for 3D printing. To do this I exported the file as .svg from Illustrator and then used a website called SVG to STL to turn it into the correct file type.
The finished result of the 3D printed mandala is pictured below:
The mandala is only a couple centimeters thick. It’s pretty flat so I’ve actually been using it as coaster! It also could be some sort of window art or other decoration. Honestly it was just an experiment so I have no real plan for it otherwise.
I think it’s pretty cool to use new technology for art. What do you guys think? Would you be interested in seeing more videos of 3D printed mandalas or other things? Let me know in the comments below!
Hey guys! If you’ve been online pretty much ever, you’ve probably seen a scammer in action. But did you know there are scams specifically targeting artists and creatives?
I have personally encountered some of these scams and they can be very difficult to identify. I created this post in order to share them with you so you don’t fall prey to them.
Scammers are always coming up with new ways to take your money or intellectual property, so I’m sure this list will be outdated as soon as it’s published. However, I’ve also provided some tips on how to weed out a scam if you think you’ve encountered one.
Ways to Identify a Scam
It’s always exciting as an artist when people reach out to you and recognize your talent. Many people and companies prey on this and find ways to disguise their scams as “opportunities” for artists.
Read every e-mail or message thoroughly. If the language and grammar is very poor and sentences don’t make sense, it’s likely not worth your time and could even just be an automated message.
Whenever you are approached by a person or company find out as much as you can about them before proceeding. Google the company, and read reviews about them on websites like Better Business Bureau. Ask friends or other artists if they have experience with this company. If you can’t find anything about them online that’s usually a red flag.
When a company sends you an offer or contract, thoroughly read the fine print because there could be a catch. If you have to spend any of your own money up front, it’s probably a scam.
Always consider what’s in it for them. Why are they interested in you and your art? What do they get out of the partnership? Not to say your art isn’t good, but no one works for free or without motive.
Here are some common scams for Artists to watch out for
Companies reaching out to you for a “media feature” – Don’t waste your time. You will later learn you have to pay upwards of $5000 for this feature that probably doesn’t reach your target audience at all.
People asking to “collaborate” only to get free content from you, such as a photo of yourself using their product. Unless it is a big company which aligns with your brand, don’t give away your content for free.
Someone asking to use your art for their website or logo. Be very wary and do your research before sending them anything. Do not give it to them for free either. At least create some sort of contract saying they cannot re-sell your art and only use it for a specific purpose so you could take legal action if needed.
People asking for free art or products in exchange for a social media shout-out. I strongly encourage you never to give your art away for free. If the person is a legitimate social media influencer they probably would not be approaching you.
Amateur art shows that are paid for by the artists. These art shows sound exciting but you should not be forced to sell tickets or pay to fund the show yourself. Always research the company, read reviews, and consider what they are getting out of it.
So-called “gurus” trying to you sell you expensive courses to “help your business”. Some of them ask for $20,000 or more! Don’t give up your life savings for the same things you can learn online for free.
People asking to buy your artwork, but want to pay through non-traditional payment methods. ONLY accept payment through Paypal, Cards or E-transfer. Do not accept cheques. Never send files or ship art until after you’ve received payment and it’s in your bank account.
Sellers ripping off your designs to sell on websites like Amazon, AliExpress, TeeSpring etc.Β Google the keywords of your most popular works every few months to see if it shows up on websites that are not your own.Β Then submit take-down notices.
Have you ever been scammed or encountered an artist-specific scam? Leave your experience below for others to learn from!
