10.04.18

my bullet journal spread from this week, and tbh I think it’s one of the best I’ve made yay :) hope everyone’s day is great!

🎼painter / austin blue

A lot of you have been asking how I go about making my graphics, i.e. how I do graphic design, so I thought I’d make a guide - or perhaps a series of guides if you would like - on how to design graphics! First off, I’d like to introduce you to the fundamental elements of graphic design, and hopefully this will help you gain a new perspective. and improve your own design skills.

Lines are structures that connect two points. They make up everything that we see, even the letters and characters we read every day. But more often than not, we take them for granted. In reality, lines are one of the most rudimentary components of graphic design, and they serve to channel ideas and emotion.

Lines can:

A shape is any two-dimensional area with a recognizable boundary. They can add interest to designs (such as in backgrounds), organize visual content, and be used to make illustrations.

Shapes exist in three categories:

When brought together, these shapes can form helpful illustrations that will help convey meaning to your work or add some decoration to it.

The effects achieved by the shapes are determined by its form, color, size, and other characteristics. For example, triangles often show excitement and risk, while circles are seen as eternal and often feminine.

In the example illustration below, which is one of my January wallpapers, I use triangles to convey a feeling of vivacity and excitement.

Different shapes may also be used to structure content or create a layout, making it easier for the user’s eyes to find information. This is often the case in blogs and websites.

Color can be used to make an image stand out, convey information, enhance meaning, or group things together, but how do you know what colors ‘fit’ together? When you’re starting out, you might find it easier to look for color schemes from pinterest or wherever you can find inspiration. It also helps to look for images or photographs that evoke the same vibe you’re going for, and then using a similar color scheme.

But what if you want to make a palette yourself? Learn color theory!

Before I elaborate, here’s some terminology for you:

Now, how do you go about making a color scheme? Here are some types of color schemes you should know about:

When choosing a color scheme, the main thing you should keep in mind is balance. Using fewer colors means it’ll be easier to balance and thus it is less likely that the piece will appear messy and discordant.

Color has the power of evoking emotions and moods, and each hue and shade has certain connotations associated with it.

In the illustration below - which is part of my April wallpaper set - I use the color green to convey the safety and familiarity of the comfort zone. The color red, on the other hand, shows risk and danger, but it also represents the courage required to get out of the comfort zone.

So the next time you’re thinking of what colors to use in your project, think of what kind of message you want the audience to receive.

Like the other elements we’ve discussed so far, type conveys meaning beyond what is written. Type can communicate a mood, style, vibe, or feeling. A curly or script font might appear fancy and extravagant, while a handwritten font may seem raw and playful.

Different types of fonts are also suitable for different contexts. For example, sans-serif fonts are more readable on screen while serif fonts are more readable in print. Display fonts, on the other hand, tend to be fancy and decorative, and thus should only be used for small amounts of text, like titles.

Audience and purpose also serve a role in deciding what fonts to use. Large, bubbly text is suitable for a children’s birthday party invitation but probably not for a business card.

In graphic design, different fonts are often used in tandem with each other. The main principle or rule behind this is that you should choose fonts that complement each other. Large, bold fonts should be paired with small, subtle fonts. Oftentimes, you’ll have to rely on your instincts, and that’s okay.

Remember, though, that you wouldn’t want to overwhelm your readers by using too many fonts. Stick to one or two per project. To add variation, change the weight or style of the existing fonts.

Finally, your text would be more effective if you establish some sort of visual hierarchy. This essentially means sorting out your text in order of importance, using different typefaces and fonts. This includes adding a certain weight (or boldness) or increasing the size of texts that are more significant.

In the title graphic below, the word “podcasts” is handwritten and larger than the rest of the title because that’s what I want to draw attention to, so that readers know what the post is about. My name, on the other hand, is smaller than the other texts.

Texture adds tactility and depth and can also be used to evoke a certain feel. In this graphic from my March desktop wallpaper, I used a tape texture and a paint texture to achieve a scrapbook-y vibe.

Some other common textures used in designs are foil, watercolor, and paper textures. Although there are many textures to experiment with and choose from, you should also be careful not to overwhelm your viewers with too many textures in one piece.

Lines, shapes, color, text, and texture are the five basic elements of graphic design, and by understanding how these elements work together, you’ll be able to make more effective designs.

Now, the question is, do I think deeply about all of this when I make my designs? To be honest, not really. A lot of my designs are instinctual, but knowing the theory behind what I’m doing has helped me improve those instincts, and you can do the same!

That’s all for now. Hope this helps, and let me know if you would like me to continue the series or if this brief blog post is enough. Happy designing :)

Disclaimer: I’m not a graphic designer, just a stressed-out senior who sometimes likes to design and stuff.

21-10-15 / 17:15 / New bullet journal spread!

February 21 2018

It was a wholesome day today!! Except for that I accidentally forgot my macbook at the dining halls and freaked out for half an hour but yes i got it back eheh

Hmm today feels really long though. I had 8am chem lab which was actually fun and easy, and then had a nice lunch before going back to campus for ochem lectures, and then when I came back studybuddy had to go out to study for the midterm he had today so I went to the study at hedrick with my roommate, her boyfriend, and “the guy” (for those of you who remember haha). We also had dinner together and it was productive!!

also im waitlisted for the chem lab class i wanna get into next quarter and im position 3 so 3 people please drop the class pleeeeease

Might go see a movie on friday wow ellee is doin some fun things

Life feels great recently :-)

how do we feel about classmates asking to see our assignments? :/

I draw the line here - it can get both you and your classmate into trouble if there is any similarity between the assessments. I always just ask what it is they are struggling with and try to help them that way, whether it be pointing them in the direction of similar articles/search terms or clarifying a part of the assessment. 

Occasionally I might show them something from my assessment in person but I’ll never hand over a digital copy. At the end of the day, it is your hard work and it deserves protection. 

April Printables, Downloads and Links!

Here is all my downloadable content available for April, enjoy!

(I have started a Facebook Study Group for anyone interested, you can join here! We help each other with problems, do group study sessions, livestreams, etc. I hope you can join!)

Printables

Downloads for Desktop/Tablet (all Monday and Sunday start)

Downloads for Phone (all Monday and Sunday start)

Hope you like them! I’d love to see them in use, so please share and tag me in any pictures on Tumblr or Instagram (@emmastudiess) or Twitter @emmajane1103). If you have me on Snapchat (@emmastudies) and would prefer to send a private picture, please do! :-)

If you’re looking for more organisation, planner or study printables, check out my Etsy Shop! I sell individual and large printable packs which are easy to use. Remember to add ‘student10′ at the checkout for a 10% discount! 

Connect with me on YouTube and Pinterest x

from my studygram

1.20.18 // 11:30 am

finals are finally over!! I’ll be more active on Tumblr again but I probably won’t continue with the 100 days of productivity because I just don’t find it motivating :/

03-02-18 Welcoming February! Hello everyone, I just survived the first one month of university and I’m dying (lol). Thesis is taking my soul out of my body but I’m trying my best to be productive still. I’ve got inspired by you guys and I’m very grateful for the 7k followers! I love you all! Despite of my inactiveness, you guys still support my blog! Let’s keep this support-each-other no matter what. I hope everyone’s doin’ well. I’ve got colds rn but I’m fine. Be hydrated and inspired to push through whatever you want to pursue! I’m here for all of you *sending virtual hugs! 💕

Ps. Yep, I’m the one who’s sticked there. ✌🏻

Steve Maraboli (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

01.22.18 // my 2018 goals!!! what are your goals this year?

100 Days of Productivity - 111/110 

January 30th, 2018 

What is the 100 Days of Productivity Challenge? 

Today was a very productive day! I organised any binders for back to school, I wrote and uploaded a new blog post, I finished reading Wide Sargasso Sea, I (finally) completed writing up my economics notes, and I reached 3000 subscribers on this blog! What an awesome way to end my first 100 days of Productivity! Thanks, @emmastudies for inspiring me to partake in the 100 DOP Challenge! I will be starting my new 100 Days of Productivity tomorrow, the start of my new school year, and I invite you to join me! Read about how you can partake in the challenge here. Hope you all had a wonderful day 😊✨

insta

study with me time-lapse video is now up on my instagram: thomreads

direct link: here

revision methods that actually work // studygram: alimastudies

1. Memory mind map 

Personally, this is the most effective one for me. All you need is a blank piece of paper. Pick a sub-topic that you are doing e.g in biology a topic could be immune system and the sub-topic could be antibodies and antigens. If you want you can create some questions for each sub-topic and on your blank piece of paper, using questions as a guide, write everything you know about that sub-topic without your notes. After get your notes out and check and correct with a different colour pen. Watch this video to get a better understanding

2. Flashcards

I recommend you use written flashcards, unless you have vocab or definitions in which case digital ones like quizlet is fine. You should have questions on one side and your answers on another - i’ve heard people say the answer shouldn’t be long but i find that the more detailed it is the higher marks you score in the exam - of course summarise don’t just copy from a textbook or there is no point in doing this. When you test yourself try to do something else other than reading, for example write the answer down and then check and correct.

3. Spaced intervals

No point cramming for an exam. Yes it might have got you an A* in GCSE or other lower level exams but it’s certainly not going to get you an A* for a-levels or other higher exams. Space your learning out and if you can try and revise everyday, even if somedays are just for half an hour, DO IT! It will help you in the long term. Don’t revise one subject/unit for a whole day, space it out. For example don’t revise like this: AABBCC, revise like this instead: ABCBCA or something along those lines.

4. Mind maps

My favourite revision source!!! For some reason in an exam ( i only use mind maps for essay based subjects) i can remember where i put each point on my mind map which helps me write my essays and retrieve my information more in the long term! Don’t make it boring by trying to be ‘minimal’ - ADD COLOUR !!! But to stay within limits, too many colours can make it look overwhelming and confusing !

5. Teaching someone else

Either teach your younger siblings or pretend you are teaching to an imaginary class - while it may seem crazy it works, trust me. Use a whiteboard to help you illustrate your ideas! This method will help you identify any gaps in your knowledge and you’ll truly see if you know something well enough to explain it. If you cannot explain it to a six year old then you truly have not got the grasp of it, as Albert Einstein says!

6. past papers

Honestly, this should be the last thing for your revision, unless you have not left enough time to revise all the content and you are running out of time then past papers should be the first thing you do. Do these properly, don’t do it just to see what gaps you have in your knowledge- genuinely do it as if it is a real exam. This will help you see how well you can apply the content you have memorised for an exam. It will also get you familiar with the mark scheme which will help you get as close as full marks !!!

top 5 videos that make me want to study

hey guys, on my instagram i asked if people wanted to see videos that motivate me studying, pushing my limits, and most important help me stop procrastinating. so here is my top 5 videos, hope you like them! (instagram: thomreads)

video number one: The ABCs of SUCCESS - Amazing Motivational Video for Students, Studying & Success in Life

video number two: Grey’s Anatomy, Cristina Yang: “Be unstoppable.”

video number three: Legally Blonde - I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be!

video number four: Michaela Pratt | That’s My Girl (How To Get Away With Murder)

video number five: From FAILING STUDENT to ROCKET SCIENTIST - The Motivational Video that Will Change Your Life

bonus video: Rory’s system to study her finals (Gilmore Girls)

(i know this has taken forever but omg i finally did it)

So i’m making this network because how cool is it making new friends who are awake the same time you are?? also who doesn’t want to talk about kmart and stationery, and complain about high shipping rates?

If you’d like to be a part of this group chat thingo you need to:

The chat will be held on the website and app: Slack!

The application process will close around the end of the month (of july), and i will hopefully be sending out acceptance messages on the 1st of august!

microeconomic notes today ft new modern renaissance palette and a peak into my pencil case !!!