Sometimes when designing a character, it’s easy to get lost in making a complex design that looks and feels interesting. As a character designer who has been developing for the past seven years, I’ve learned the importance of shape language and having fun exploring a variety of designs by using nothing more than simple shapes.

Boiling down what complex versus simple is can be quite challenging – wrestling with less versus more and clean silhouettes while trying to keep your character design fresh, pushed, and stylized can be overwhelming. When I got overwhelmed and stuck looking at a blank canvas, I wanted to find something to help me warm up, an exercise pushing shapes and designs in a fun way. What may initially look like random pushed and pulled blobs are shapes that can make almost any design you can think of with enough practice, repetition, and imagination.

This shape warm-up exercise has helped me get out of my head and stay loose because the scariest part is getting started. Here, I’ll be showing you how to use this shape exercise to help loosen up and practice using shapes in your designs too! It doesn’t have to be scary, so grab your favorite digital art software or sketchpad and best pencils, and let’s get started.

01. Choose your theme

When I start this exercise, I like to think about what I’m going to draw in the shapes. You can pick animals, people, cars, or anything you like! It’s great to challenge yourself with these themes and make them as specific as possible, but it’s also good to be simple too. Sometimes I can pick something as simple as one animal and challenge myself by drawing them differently in every shape. Either way, sticking to a theme is important to push yourself; try not to change it before you start or else it may become too easy.

02. Experiment with materials

You need to know what you’re going to use to make your shapes and draw in them. You can use any physical media such as paint, crayons, ink, or even digital tools like Procreate. You just need to create larger shapes with a bigger material and then carve into them with a smaller one, like pens, pencils, or anything that can let you contrast your line work from the shape itself. Don’t feel limited, you can create any amount of shapes with any material and can even play around with switching materials up for every exercise you do.

03. Understand how to use different shapes

Learning basic shapes such as triangles, circles, and squares is important when it comes to designing a character. Each shape can convey an emotion or personality, so in this shape warm-up, you can use, or even combine, a lot of shapes to create an interesting design. Triangles are both exciting and scary, circles are round and soft, and squares are grumpy and grounded. When I’m laying out all my shapes to draw in, I try to have a variety of them so that I’m forced to draw my theme into them to convey different personalities for characters.

04. Learn how to combine shapes

A. Basic shapes: Circles, triangles, and squares are your starting points to create a variety of fun shapes and combinations. Most other shapes are already a combo of these three, so try not to use anything too complex like stars or crescents.

B. Putting them together: Being able to combine these shapes to make organic silhouettes can allow you to have fun designs for faces and poses. Be sure to combine them in a way that doesn’t make them look too busy.

C. Push and pull: Don’t just use the same sizes of each shape. Feel free to make your triangles longer or shorter, your squares taller and flatter, and your circles bigger, smaller, or even ovals! This will challenge you to create complex shapes most simply and allows you to use more than one shape language to make characters even more unique.

05. Make clean sihouettes

When making your shapes, try to create them with a clear silhouette. Don’t make them too complex or busy, even if you’re combining more than one shape to create a new one. Although they may just look like blobs, in their simplicity they also have a clear gesture. The busier you make the shape, the harder you make it to decide elements of the design. Being simple and having a clean silhouette helps you challenge yourself to sell your theme in the movement of the shape, and forces you to think simpler. Try to make anywhere between four and ten shapes to begin with.

06. Try using different colors

Sometimes I like to add colors to create mood or contrast in each shape. This is an added challenge because color can sometimes add more to what each character is feeling or what their personalities are like. If the color is too complex, feel free to just use basic colors or greyscale for your shapes. For example, sometimes it’s as simple as me just wanting to use the color blue to challenge me with what a blue raccoon could look like if that was my theme. Explore complementary colors, or just have fun with a color you want to use that day.

07. Find references

Now you have your theme and shapes, it’s always great to have a reference for what you’re drawing. For example, if you picked an animal, you may have an idea of what that looks like in your head, but a reference keeps you accountable and helps you discover something new as you explore your shapes with different styles and textures. Reference is super important in everything that you do, so implementing it in this exercise is a good habit to get into. Try to grab as many references as you’d like to fully understand all the angles of your theme.

08. Keep it loose

As you finally start drawing in and around your shapes, remember to stay loose and have fun! Draw without stress and try not to think too hard. Try to make it fun and keep in mind that this is just an exercise to get better. Test many lines or even as few as possible. The goal is to ensure there’s clarity of your theme in the shapes while trying new things to get different designs of the same subject. It can be hard at first, so stay loose and stick at it.

09. Develop expressions

When I’m drawing, I’m thinking about each character’s mood and expression for each shape. For me, it’s helpful to start with the eyes because they hold so much story in them, and a lot of the time, the rest of the face and expression can follow. I try to make sure that each expression gives the characters life while working on this exercise so I can implement them better in my designs outside of it. Try to figure out what the shape and silhouette are conveying and use it to create fun expressions to guide and build the rest of your design.

10. Repeat, repeat, repeat

Do this again and again! If you’re struggling to find your art style, technique, or material when doing this exercise, it’s okay. Finding a style isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead taking from art and things that inspire you, and shaping them as your own. It’s important when exploring this to listen to your gut and the things that get youexcitede, and translate that into your art. It’s like creating a palette but with your creative sensibilities; it takes that, patience and repetition for your style to grow and transform.

The post Warm Up Exercises for Drawing: Create Better Characters With These Quick Exercises appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

The best pencils for artists can help your work shine – and can help you work more comfortably too. There are thousands of different pencils out there, so it can be tricky to whittle down your options, but in the guide below, we compare the best pencils from other categories to help you choose.

Our reviewers have tested out the best pencils for various creative tasks, including the best pencils for drawing, watercolour, colouring and pastels (you can use the quick links to skip to your preferred option). We’ve aimed to include options for both professionals and hobbyists, evaluating each pencil on based values su quality, ability, performance, and durability.

For inspiration, see our essential guide to pencil drawing techniques and our pick of the most realistic pencil drawings. And if you want to test out your new pencils, why not get one of the best colouring books or one of the best sketchbooks

The Best Pencils for Drawing and Sketching

01. Palomino Blackwing pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for drawing

+ Smooth to use
+ Quality materials

Palomino Blackwing pencils have wax added to them, making them super-smooth to use, and they create velvety dark marks. We gave them five stars in our Palomino Blackwing pencils review. A pack of 12 also offers good value for such fine-quality pencils, making these our best pencils for drawing overall.

02. Caran D’ache Graphite Line

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for a gift

+ Exceptional quality
+ Range of effects

If you want to treat someone (or yourself), the Caran D’ache Graphite Line gift box is truly a thing of beauty. It’s very pricy for 20 pencils, plus graphite sticks and accessories, but the quality is exceptional, having been refined to perfection. They deliver thick and thin lines, gradation, flat-wash, blurring and watercolour effects.

03. Lyra Rembrandt Art Design

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for shading

+ 17 grades
+ Pure cedar wood

For a much more economical option, these hexagonal design pencils are ideal for honing shading skills. The full range covers 17 grades from 9B to 6H, but smaller selections feature a good, representative sample. These are encased in pure cedar wood and boast ultra-fine graphite lead suitable for more rigid technical drawing techniques.

The Best Pencils for Colouring

01. Derwent Lightfast Pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for colouring

+ Intense colours
+ Layerable and buildable

The first oil-based range of pencils from Derwent offers super-intense but flexible colours – how firmly you press makes a huge difference in how they show. Derwent has taken the lightfast element very seriously for a colour that can stay for up to 100 years in museum conditions. The pencils layer beautifully, and their maple casing looks and feels great.

02. Derwent Procolour pencils

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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Best for pigment

+ Blend well
+ Sharpen nicely

Another selection from the same reliable brand, the Procolour range came out in 2017. The pencils feel substantial, with a sturdy circular shaft, and the leads aren’t too waxy or too brittle. They boast a high pigment level, which makes for wonderful colour gradation, even with a light touch. We gave them four and a half stars in our Derwent Procolour review.

03. BIC Conté colouring pencils

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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Best budget colouring pencils

+ Splinter-free
+ Very affordable

We think these are the best pencils for colouring on a budget. They’re made of synthetic resin rather than wood, so they’re splinter-free if they break. A 3.2mm pigment-based lead provides smooth, even and consistent coverage for artists of all types, and you can get them in sets of 12 or 24. The colour intensity isn’t as strong as more expensive sets, but they’re great value.

The Best Mechanical Drawing Pencils

01. Uni Kurutoga Pipe Slide

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best mechanical pencil overall

+ Consistent lines
+ Low risk of breakage 

The design of mechanical pencils hasn’t seen a massive progression in recent years, but Uniball Kurutoga Pipe Slide leaps forward with a spring-loaded clutch that incrementally twists the graphite as you write. This means the lead wears uniformly, staying pointed so that the beautifully thin line remains consistent.

02. Pentel 200

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best budget mechanical pencil

+ Great price
+ Good all-rounder

We think this is the best pencil for those who want a budget mechanical option. They might not boast any clever features, but they’re nice to hold and draw with, and a pack of four is great value. With a plastic barrel, ribbed finger grip and removable metal pocket clip, these make good pencils for professional drafting, too.

03. Rotring Rapid Pro

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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The best mechanical pencil for pros

+ Clip and eraser included
+ Cross-hatch grip

This beautiful metal drafting pencil is without a doubt one of the best pencils for pros. It has a full metal hexagonal body designed to balance its weight and a circular cross-hatch metal grip. The cushion point mechanism allows the sliding sleeve to give slightly under pressure, reducing the risk of the lead breaking.

The Best Watercolour Pencils

01. Staedtler Karat Aquarell watercolour pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best watercolour pencils overall

+ Can be used dry or wet
+ High pigment content

Coming in sets of 12, 24, 36 and 48, these are our pick of the best pencils for watercolour work. They have high-pigment, break-resistant leads and a quality wooden shaft that sharpens well. Of course, you can use them dry, but you can add water for extra fun. We gave these five stars in our Staedtler watercolour pencil review.

02. Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolour pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for fade resistance

+ High-quality materials
+ Can be used dry or wet

These excellent watercolour pencils boldly claim to offer over 100 years of fade resistance, and they’re made from the highest quality materials, including vibrant pigments and a unique binder medium. They’re perfect for both drawing and painting techniques and come in tins from 12 to 120.

3. Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Magnus Watercolour Pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best pencils for large canvases

+ Soft laydown
+ Brush included
– Limited range

If you want to work on a large canvas, these bigger, chunkier vibrant pencils from the same brand may be the best pencils for you. The 5.3mm leads allow large areas to be covered quickly and easily, and their size and shape are easier on the wrist too. They come in tins of 12 or 24, and they come with a 10mm paintbrush.

The Best Pastel Pencils

01. Caran d’Ache Pastel Pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best for professionals

Quality: Professional
Lightfastness: nearly all

These are pricy, but they’re richly pigmented and almost all 84 have high lightfastness ratings. The texture is smooth as it goes down, and it leaves a dense colour. They feel harder than a soft pastel, and the core is quite thick. The hexagonal barrel is a perk, and the wood is smooth and easy to cut with a blade.

02. Cretacolor Pastel Pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best for details

Quality: Professional
Lightfastness: most pencils

These pencils have a smooth, chalky feel on the firmer side, which makes them easy to sharpen to a good point, and they keep a point. This makes them one of the best pencils among pastels for fine lines. The colour intensity is fantastic, going down densely. They tend not to blend so easily as other pastels, though they transfer well.

03. Koh-I-Noor Gioconda Soft Pastel Pencils

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Best soft pastels

Quality: intermediate
Lightfastness: most pencils

Koh-I-Noor’s are among the softest pastel pencils our reviewers have used. They’re bright and blend readily, though there is some loss of intensity when blending. For the price, the colour is surprisingly intense and most are lightfast. The casing is good quality and easy to sharpen. We found these to be suitable for beginners and professionals alike.    

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Here are the 10 best AI-driven tools you can use to create digital products to sell on Etsy for passive income.

1. Canva: Design Simplified with AI

Canva is a user-friendly design platform incorporating AI features to make the design process smooth and efficient. Canva offers thousands of customizable templates, but what sets it apart is its AI-powered design suggestions. It analyzes your design choices and offers relevant templates, font pairings, and even color palettes that suit your aesthetic.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Design printables, planners, social media templates, and even digital art.
• AI tools can help automate tedious design tasks, like resizing images or suggesting layouts.

Pro Tip: Use Canva’s AI-driven brand kit tool to create cohesive branding for your digital products, which can make them stand out on Etsy.

2. Adobe Firefly: AI-Enhanced Creativity

Adobe Firefly, part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, is a new AI tool to supercharge your creativity. It can generate patterns, vectors, and textures with just a few clicks. This allows you to create intricate designs without needing advanced design skills.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Create seamless patterns for digital paper, fabric designs, or wallpapers.
• Design one-of-a-kind digital assets like invitation templates, stationery, and art prints.

Pro Tip: Use Adobe Firefly’s AI feature to create unique digital patterns and repeat designs. These are perfect for selling on Etsy as customizable downloads.

3. PatternedAI: Instant Design Patterns

PatternedAI is a tool specifically tailored for generating seamless patterns using AI. This is ideal for anyone looking to sell digital designs for fabrics, wallpapers, or gift wraps. You input a few keywords or preferences, and the AI generates a unique, seamless pattern based on your criteria.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Design digital papers, fabric prints, or gift wrap patterns to sell as instant downloads.
• Use the patterns to create wallpaper or backgrounds for planners, scrapbooks, or digital planners.

Pro Tip: Experiment with different keyword combinations to create unique patterns that no one else is offering on Etsy.

4. ChatGPT: AI-Powered Content Creation

While most people associate ChatGPT with writing, it’s an invaluable tool for creating digital products like eBooks, guides, or even printable checklists. With its AI-driven natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can help you generate high-quality content, which you can sell as a digital product.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Create eBooks, blog templates, and guided journals.
• Develop printable content like to-do lists, planners, or even educational materials for teachers.

Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to generate unique content ideas for niche markets. For example, if you specialize in wedding printables, have it create checklists or guides related to wedding planning.

5. Deep Dream Generator: Create Unique Digital Art

Deep Dream Generator is an AI-powered art generator that uses neural networks to turn your photos or ideas into dream-like digital artwork. This is a great way to create visually striking products that are perfect for digital downloads or prints.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Generate abstract art, digital prints, or unique designs for posters.
• Offer customized digital portraits based on customers’ photos.

Pro Tip: Offer custom digital art services on Etsy, where you take a buyer’s photo and run it through Deep Dream Generator to create a unique digital masterpiece.

6. Runway ML: AI for Video and Image Creation

Runway ML is an AI-powered content creation tool that specializes in both video and image manipulation. For Etsy sellers, the image creation tool can be useful for developing digital art, mockups, and product images. Runway ML’s unique features include background removal, upscaling low-resolution images, and generating high-quality artwork based on input images or text prompts.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Create detailed digital art or mockups for custom products.
• Use the image generation features to create stunning product photos for your digital listings.

Pro Tip: Use Runway ML to create product mockups, giving potential customers a clear idea of what your digital products will look like in real life.

7. Artbreeder: AI-Powered Art Generator

Artbreeder is a creative AI tool that allows you to generate original artwork by blending images. It’s perfect for creating unique digital art pieces, character designs, or illustrations. The tool enables you to manipulate images with intuitive sliders, helping you fine-tune features like color, texture, and style.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Generate unique digital portraits, character designs, or abstract art.
• Create printable art or digital wallpapers from AI-generated visuals.

Pro Tip: Artbreeder allows for image customization, so you can offer personalized prints and digital art services by allowing customers to input their preferences for custom pieces.

8. Desygner: AI-Powered Branding and Templates

Desygner is an AI-driven graphic design platform that focuses on brand building and template creation. With a wide selection of customizable templates and AI-enhanced design tools, Desygner makes it easy for sellers to create digital products without needing extensive design experience.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Create brand kits, social media templates, or marketing materials.
• Design downloadable templates for business cards, resumes, and presentations.

Pro Tip: Designers AI capabilities help streamline the process of designing cohesively branded materials, which can be bundled and sold as brand kits for small businesses on Etsy.

9. Krita: AI-Enhanced Digital Painting Tool

Krita is an open-source digital painting application that offers a host of AI-enhanced features for professional-level digital artwork creation. This tool is ideal for creating digital illustrations, concept art, or even textures and patterns.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Create custom illustrations or digital prints to sell as downloadable art.
• Use Krita’s AI tools to create detailed textures and brushes for digital painting.

Pro Tip: Pair Krita with Etsy’s custom order feature to offer personalized digital paintings based on customer input.

10. Remove.bg: AI Background Removal for Product Mockups

Remove. bg is an AI-driven tool that automatically removes the background from any image. This is perfect for Etsy sellers looking to create product mockups, digital art, or customizable products where a clean, isolated image is needed.

How to Use It for Etsy:

• Use Remove. Bg to create clean, professional mockups for your digital products.
• Offer customizable digital designs like photo collages or custom portraits.

Pro Tip: Use Remove. Bg to easily remove backgrounds from product images and create cohesive product listings that stand out in Etsy search results.

Maximizing Passive Income with AI-Driven Tools

To maximize your passive income potential on Etsy, you’ll want to leverage multiple AI-driven tools to streamline your workflow, automate design tasks, and enhance your creativity. Here are some tips for using these AI tools effectively:

1. Batch Create Products: Use AI tools like Canva, Artbreeder, and Adobe Firefly to design multiple digital products in one go. Create a batch of social media templates or digital art prints and upload them all at once to Etsy.
2. Offer Customization Options: Many AI tools allow for easy customization, which can give you the flexibility to offer custom orders. Personalization is a big draw on Etsy, and AI can help you meet this demand quickly and efficiently.
3. Use Mockups to Sell More: Mockups help potential buyers visualize how they can use your digital products. Tools, like Remove. bg and Runway ML can help you create professional mockups that showcase your products in real-life settings.
4. Focus on Niches: AI tools make it easy to quickly create digital products for specific niches. Identify popular niches on Etsy, such as wedding planning, fitness, or small business branding, and use tools like Canva and PatternedAI to create niche-specific designs.
5. Automate Marketing: AI tools like Desygner and Canva can help you automate the creation of marketing materials for your Etsy shop. Design and schedule social media posts, email templates, and product announcements in advance to keep your shop in the spotlight.

By integrating these AI-driven tools into your workflow, you can create digital products with greater efficiency, allowing you to focus on scaling your business and generating more passive income on Etsy. Whether you’re designing social media templates, creating custom digital art, or selling seamless patterns, these tools will help you create high-quality digital products that stand out in a crowded marketplace.

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1. Your Font Collection is Larger Than Your Wardrobe

Let’s face it—who needs more than a couple of pairs of jeans when you have 732 fonts at your disposal? You can easily spend hours debating the merits of Helvetica versus Futura, and Comic Sans sends a chill down your spine. You know the difference between kerning and leading (and why they’re both life-changing).

You’re a font ninja. Why? Because every design problem can be solved with the perfect typeface.

2. You Speak Fluent Hex Code

While most people see colors like “blue” or “green,” you see #1A237E or #4CAF50. Your brain immediately translates visual hues into six-digit hex codes, and it’s impossible to stop yourself from muttering “That’s not quite FF5733, is it?” when choosing a new paint color.

Forget ROYGBIV—your brain works in hexadecimal.

3. You’ve Defended the Golden Ratio… In Public

Whether it’s a discussion about the logo of a new startup or the composition of a family photo, you’ve probably started more than one debate about the beauty of the Golden Ratio. You might even carry around a Fibonacci spiral diagram—just in case.

It’s not just math—it’s art! (And yes, everyone else at the dinner party is rolling their eyes.)

4. You Can’t Watch a Movie Without Mentally Redesigning the Posters

You go to the cinema and instead of enjoying the trailers, you’re too busy critiquing the typography on the posters. “Did they choose Papyrus for this?” you mutter, wondering how on earth this font choice made it through design approval.

Your design sensibilities are strong, even if it means ruining perfectly good popcorn moments.

5. You Judge Apps by Their UI Before Their Functionality

Before even knowing what an app does, you’ve already critiqued its user interface. If it’s clunky or violates the sacred rules of hierarchy, you’re out. Aesthetics and functionality should walk hand in hand like a couple in a Wes Anderson film—perfectly symmetrical.

*Is this app usable? Meh. But is it beautiful? Now, *that’s* the question.*

6. You Organize Your Life in Grids (and Feel Anxious When Things Don’t Align)

You have a deep emotional need for things to be perfectly aligned. If you’ve ever rearranged your desk just because the pen wasn’t parallel to your notebook, or you mentally measure spacing while looking at your computer desktop, congratulations—you’ve achieved peak design nerd status.

The real-world grid system is your best friend.

7. You’re Overly Excited About New Adobe Updates

While everyone else groans at the thought of software updates, you’re feverishly reading up on the newest features in Adobe Creative Cloud like it’s the next iPhone launch. The words “live collaboration in Illustrator” send a rush of adrenaline through your veins.

Adobe is your playground, and updates are your candy.

8. You’ve Dreamed About Perfect Color Palettes

Let’s be real: you’ve dreamt about that perfect color combination you couldn’t quite nail during the day. Perhaps it’s a dreamy blend of pastels, or a dramatic, high-contrast black and neon. Either way, it’s impossible to escape your design brain—even in sleep.

Who needs sheep when you can count color swatches?

9. You’ve Designed Your Branding Kit—Just for Fun

Whether you’re a freelance designer or you work in a studio, you’ve probably spent an absurd amount of time creating your branding—fonts, colors, logos, business cards, and all. And let’s be honest, you did it for yourself more than your clients.

A personal logo is just good design sense—and who doesn’t want to have their own brand guidelines?

10. You’re Weirdly Passionate About Paper Types

While most people think paper is just, well, paper—you know better. The thickness, the texture, the finish. Your love for the smooth feel of a premium uncoated stock is borderline obsessive, and you could write a novel on why glossy is overrated.

Paper is a design element in its own right—never forget that.

So, how many of these signs apply to you? If you nodded along to most (or all), you’re a design nerd. Embrace it! Being a design nerd means you have a unique perspective on the world, one where alignment, color theory, and typography reign supreme. Just remember: not everyone may understand your passion for Pantone or your obsession with clean lines—but that’s what makes you a true design aficionado.

Now, align that coffee cup with the edge of your desk.

The post 10 Signs You Might Be a Design Nerd appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

So, if you want to stop chasing pennies and start earning what you deserve, here are six strategies to help you find the kind of freelance clients who will recognize your value (and pay for it).

Referrals: Let Your Work Speak For You

Some of the best clients come from those you’ve already worked with. Research shows that 60% of freelancers land their gigs through passive sources like referrals. Satisfied clients will happily recommend you to their friends and family and return as regulars. That’s why delivering great work and going the extra mile should always be a priority.

Create a referral system that encourages your clients to spread the word. Testimonials, reviews on your website, or feedback on freelance platforms can turn referrals into a steady stream of high-quality clients.

Create Content That Speaks To Your Ideal Client

An online presence isn’t just nice to have; growing your business as a freelancer is essential. One of the most effective ways to get your name out there is by creating content that showcases your expertise and skills. Whether you’re sharing tips, case studies, or the latest industry trends, make sure your content speaks directly to the clients you want to attract. Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram are great places to start.

Engage In Niche Communities

As a freelancer, you’ve got two main options: go broad or dive into a niche. Niching down can feel a bit limiting at first, like being stuck in a box. But the truth is, many freelancers discover that honing in on a specific audience brings in better, higher-paying clients.

Join communities on Facebook, Discord, or other platforms where your target clients hang out. Engage in conversations, offer value, and build relationships. You’ll be top of mind when clients need your services.

Make Connections In Everyday Life

Sometimes, finding clients happens when you’re just doing what you love. You’d be surprised at how often social events around your hobbies turn into networking opportunities. Think about it: that chess club you joined could have a marketing director sitting right across from you.

What makes these interactions special is that they’re real. You bond with people first, and business conversations tend to flow naturally when the timing feels right.

Build A Personal Brand That Stands Out

In today’s competitive freelance world, having a strong personal brand is crucial. Your brand is more than just a logo or a portfolio; it’s the overall impression you leave on potential clients. When you clearly define what you stand for and the value you bring, you make it easier for clients to trust and choose you.

Craft a unique selling proposition (USP), and make sure your messaging is consistent across all platforms. A cohesive brand helps you attract clients who resonate with your style and are willing to pay for quality.

Invest In Paid Advertising

Freelancers often overlook paid advertising as a tool for finding high-paying clients. But platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Facebook Ads can be great for targeting your ideal audience. With paid ads, you can create specific campaigns targeting potential clients who are actively searching for services like yours.

When setting up paid ads, focus on precise targeting to reach clients who can afford your services. It’s an investment that can help you land clients ready to pay for top-quality work.

Follow me on LinkedIn.

The post 6 Strategies To Find High-Paying Freelance Clients appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

You may be wondering by now how many AI image generators the market can sustain, but the competition for top place is showing no sign of abating. After the entry of Flux, Google Imagen 3, and Ideogram 2, now comes Playground.

But Playground is an AI image generator that approaches things differently. It appears to be aiming directly at users who might like Adobe Express or Canva.

Playground’s tagline is ‘Design anything like a Pro’. That’s a little fallacious since users definitely won’t be designing anything the way a pro would. But both the browser-based app and native iOS app allow users to have a stab at a wide range of assets in a very accessible way. Rather than start from scratch with a text prompt like in the AI image generators such as Midjourney, Playground takes a template-based approach. 

You decide what you want to ‘design’, choosing from options like logo, poster, T-shirt, pattern, e-book cover, and meme. From there, you’ll be shown a bunch of templates that can be filtered by style. Once you’ve chosen a template you like, only then does the text-to-image generator appear, allowing you to change elements of the template to create the design you want.

Playground founder Suhail Doshi says the idea is that you can then “talk to it like a graphics designer to make changes”. I have to wonder if Suhail has ever listened in on conversations between clients and graphic designers because the tool doesn’t respond too well to the kinds of things clients tend to ask for. Ask Playground to “Make it pop” and it generates a completely different image.

Playground also provides the option to upload an image to start with and to use a combination of Apply Style and text prompts to remove, add, or swap elements of the scene.

Playground.com/design is essentially a wrapper around the Playground v3 foundation model, which is available to use in the manner of a traditional AI image generator at playground.com/create. The ‘Design’ approach could make the tool easier and more intuitive to use for non-designers, particularly casual users and small businesses who are likely to find starting with templates and customizing the results to be more intuitive than prompting an image from scratch. 

The ability to go back and forth between text prompts and ‘Apply Style’ allows for quick, endless experimentation. Some of the templates for logos look suspiciously like real designs, and the tool appears to work at least as well as some of the best free logo makers if not better.

But whether Playground can compete with Canva or Adobe Express remains to be seen. As ever with AI, the results are quite hit and miss, and text often suffers the kind of distortion that’s still common with most AI image generators. And while it’s free in theory, free access allows only a very limited number of edits or generations. That often won’t be enough to get a design anywhere near usable nor give you much of an idea of whether the tool is going to work for you. Some templates require a pro subscription from the start. That costs $15 a month.

While the creations may be usable if you’re not too concerned about originality or consistency, the platform provides no information about the company or how Playground v3 was trained. That contrasts with Adobe, whose Firefly AI model (see deals below) was trained on Adobe Stock images, a factor that Adobe claims makes it commercially safe, avoiding potential copyright infringement.

The post Playground May Be the Simplest Ai Image Generator Yet appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

Creating effective logos is an art that balances simplicity with impact, requiring both talent and dedication to achieve a straightforward and memorable design.

Indonesian illustrator and logo designer, Alfrey Davilla, champions the philosophy that “Simpler is Better.” He is known for crafting delightful logos and illustrations, skillfully blending images of animals, people, and common objects. These elements often symbolize various businesses or the services offered by individuals. Check out some of his best work below.

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Which one’s your favorite? Share this post with a designer friend and voice your views in the comments below. All illustrations © Alfrey Davilla.

The post Logo Designer Creates Adorable Illustrations And Shows The Inspiration Behind Them appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

To make life easier for everyone, designer Poppie Pack from Canva has created a set of mock-ups that show different headline and body font combinations for a variety of design projects. Pack has also specified the font size and style used in each mock-up. Check them out below.

1. Design Publication

2. Resumé

3. Sports/Active

4. eBook

5. Fashion Retail

6. Sophisticated Style

7. Front page

8. Technology

9. Art Gallery

10. Invitation and Events

11. Industrial Cool

12. Lifestyle Magazine

13. Bike Shop

14. Exhibition

15. Mediterranean

16. Form and Function

17. Annual Report

18. Art and Object

19. Fashion Magazine

20. Adventure

21. Zine

22. Web Design

23. Financial Advertising

24. Hotel

25. Cocktail Bar

26. Review

27. Cinema

28. Manufacturing

29. Patisserie

30. Modern Classic

The post 30 Great Font Combinations For Your Next Design Project appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

As a graphic designer, showing your creative side on a business networking site like LinkedIn can be difficult, since you can’t showcase your abilities in a post.

But pas, however, growing up on LinkedIn’s audience is a huge loss.

So with this guide, we’re going to give you some tips to grow your network and build connections to sell your services as a graphic designer.

Improve Your Profile

The first and most important step in growing your LinkedIn account as a graphic designer is to improve your profile. That means improving three important sections when getting started on LinkedIn:

• Your LinkedIn Headline
• Your LinkedIn Summary
• Your LinkedIn Banner

Here’s a more in-depth look at each basic LinkedIn section:

LinkedIn Headlines For Graphic Designers

Many LinkedIn users often make the mistake of overlooking their professional headlines. However, in reality, a good LinkedIn headline can attract more clients and build your name.

Since you’ll find your headline below your name, you’ll need the right mix of keywords to rank higher in the search results. For instance, putting “UX Designer” as your job title and adding in a few skills like “video editing” can do the job.

You can check out the sample below for a good LinkedIn headline:

Source

Read our LinkedIn Headline 101 guide to learn more about the dos and don’ts of a LinkedIn headline.

Or check out our AI-generated headline generator to give you the best ideas.

LinkedIn Summary For Graphic Designers

Another important section on your LinkedIn page to consider is your About Me section or your LinkedIn summary. You can briefly summarize your background, experiences, skills, and many more.

Keep in mind the 2,000-character limit for your LinkedIn summary. Besides this, make the first three lines of this section fun and engaging to grab your viewers’ attention.

You can check out the sample below for a good LinkedIn summary:

Source

Explore the best tips on How to Write a LinkedIn Summary in our in-depth guide.

You can also use Taplio to generate captivating summaries!

LinkedIn Banner For Graphic Designers

Like your profile photo, your LinkedIn banner also plays a huge role in attracting potential clients.

A good banner, which is also cohesive with your profile pic is eye-catching and gives you a chance to show your abilities.

So to create a lasting first impression, a good LinkedIn banner must have your title, a vivid background or photo, and a call to action:

Learn more about the basics of a great LinkedIn banner in The Ultimate Guide for LinkedIn Banners.

LinkedIn Profile Examples For Graphic Designers

Here are some of the best LinkedIn profiles for graphic designers:

Graphic Designer 1

Graphic Designer 2

As you can see, in both these examples, the profile photo and the banner are cohesive, proving that you’re not just editing all over the place but are detail-oriented.

How To Grow On LinkedIn For Graphic Designer

Once your LinkedIn profile meets your standards, the next step is to grow your name.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to have a loyal community and opportunities to nurture it.

LinkedIn Strategy For Graphic Designers

The best LinkedIn tip for graphic designers is to focus on your online visibility and reach. You must maintain your presence by actively posting content and reaching out to potential clients:

• Release Regular Content: You need to know which content resonates with your target audience. You should also identify the best time to post on LinkedIn and the types of posts (ex. photos, videos, news, blogs, etc.) they’ll like. Use analytics tools, like Taplio’s to help you understand what the best time to post is.

• Reach Out Actively: If your content strategy is already solid, you should also focus on reaching out to your audience. You must learn how to write a LinkedIn connection message to do this.

If you want to read more about maintaining your online visibility and reach, check out our How Often to Post Content on LinkedIn guide for a more in-depth discussion.

If content creation is not your forte (or you’re not feeling particularly inspired), fear not, we’ve got you. Use this Viral post generator and start wowing your readers on the daily!

Best LinkedIn Groups For Graphic Designers

LinkedIn groups exist because of networking. Joining them allows you to interact with other graphic designers or like-minded individuals.

The nice thing about LinkedIn is that it contains plenty of LinkedIn groups for graphic designers:

• Freelance Graphic and Web Designers: This LinkedIn group is ideal for freelancers. You’ll find connections who would gladly share tips and tricks for your work.
• Designers – Web/Graphic, User Experience (UI, UX), Interaction Design: This LinkedIn group is more exclusive than other designer groups on the platform. But once you get in, you can have peer feedback on your designs and codes. You can also share ideas and collaborate with other members.

Conclusion

Building a LinkedIn profile for a graphic designer can be challenging, especially for newbies. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you go through the tips listed above.

The post How to Grow on LinkedIn as a Graphic Designer appeared first on GRAPHICERS.

Homestead has created a handy infographic that explains how colors influence people and the role of color in branding and marketing. The graphic also offers tips on how to use contrast, vibrancy, and different color schemes in your designs. Check it out below after the quiz of the day.

Quiz of the day:

The color ______ is associated with royalty, wisdom, and respect.

It stimulates the problem-solving area of the brain as well as creativity.

It is often used for beauty and anti-aging products.

Which color is this? The answer is purple. Refer to the infographic below.

Here’s a color emotion guide by The Logo Company that shows what different colors represent and the brands that use them.

Share this post with a designer friend and voice your views in the comments below.

The post The Psychology of Colors in Marketing (Infographic) appeared first on GRAPHICERS.