Tea. Study. Inspiration.

Rina | 20 | Russia | Student | Advertising and public relations | My motto: be yourself; everyone else is already taken [ Oscar Wilde ]

[kaylareads]

haven’t posted in so long… i’ve had a lot going on. but i hope you all are doing well <3

[emmastudies]

Free September desktop and phone wallpapers 

Here are a selection of wallpapers for both your computer and phone. 

You can download the phone and desktop wallpapers below:

Download here!!

I hope you enjoy using these and if so, I’d love to see them in action!  Feel free to tag me #emmastudies in any photos you upload on Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter.

Whilst these wallpapers are free of charge, it would be amazing of you to check out my Ko-fi account! :-)

Disclaimer: These backgrounds are for personal use only! Please respect that :-) If there are any problems, please contact me!

Thank you for checking this out! If you have any questions and issues, please let me know.

Downloads | Printables | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Twitter | Etsy Shop | Discord

[arawaraw]

sunday 🍵

[redlitmusbluelitmus]

<transcript below>

Читать дальше

[greenstudies]

Changing things up in life

Especially now, in the corona pandemic, things can feel very mundane and a little too repetitive. Routines and repetition are important but everybody needs a bit of change sometimes. Today I wanted to mention some quick and simple ways to freshen things up in your life:

Change your routine -This one is probably the simplest way to bring new fresh feeling into your day to day. You can add completely new activites or you can just change the order of thigs. Either way it will feel new and maybe even exciting depending on what you add!

Try something you’ve never done -You can cook a new recipe or try out a new hobby. If you fall in love with it or not doesn’t really matter here. What’s important is the experimentation!

Learn a new skill -This one is quite the longer version of the previous tip. Learning new skill takes time and patience but it will add a longlasting feeling of novelty and it can really switch up your entire lifestyle.

Switch up your style -Combine the clothes you have in a new way, change up your hair and make up! You can do whatever you want. I personally don’t really support buying an entire closet of new things but as long as you do it responsibly (and perhaps donate the old stuff), it’s also an option.

Change the way you work out -If you already don’t have a way you move your body (almost) every day, find something you’ll love. If you do work out, try something else! You can do pilates, try jogging or weight lifting. Dancing and walking are both fun ways too! No matter what you’re doing now, go and try something else. You might even like it more!

Talk to someone new -Find a new friend! (Right now on the internet is quite preferable. Stay safe, kiddo)

Try new decor -Bring a new plant into your home or try a new DIY that will make your home look different.

Move your furniture around -Using the thing you already have is always an option (perhaps a better one). Simply move things around until you like it. Your space will have new energy (how tumblr of me to use the word new energy) and you didn’t even have to spend money!

Change of scenery -Switch up your usual places for certain tasks/activities. Change the place where you read, where you work or where you work out.

Quit a bad habit -This one is neither simple nor quick, but I had to mention it since it’s one of the best ways to feel like a whole new and better person. Choose a habit that makes you feel bad and do your best to replace it with a good habit.

Change the time you wake up -This is a small change but waking up earlier/later can give you both more time and energy! Figuring out how much sleep you need and when is the best time to wake up for you can significantly improve your life.

As always, I hope I helped and have an amazing upcoming week!

[ohghiblies]

journal with me 

[sheisrecovering]

26 activities to help your mind, body and soul. 

stretch

cuddle with a pet

go for a walk

put on music and dance

clean your room for 10 minutes

take a hot bath or shower

write down your honest thoughts

go cloud watching

take some deep breaths

cook a healthy meal for yourself

swing on a swingset

scratch something off your to-do list

go through your closet and donate clothes

go exploring with your camera

sing a motivational song out loud to yourself

unplug from all electronics for an hour

burn a scented candle

dress up in your favourite clothes

soak up the sun for 15 minutes

take yourself on a date

paint something huge

watch videos that make you laugh

write a gratitude list

give yourself a pedicure or manicure

treat yourself to dessert or a glass of wine

try something new

some important facts to remember about self care:

self care makes you more energetic and mentally present.

you technically don’t have to do anything and it can still be an act of self care. self care is about genuine fun and relaxation.

self care can help you build self esteem.

self care does not mean you are choosing between yourself and others. it does not make you selfish.

self care is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself and others.

self care is essential.

[studyvari]

tips on how to organise your study sessions

Hi guys! So quite some time, i asked you guys if you were interested in some tips on how i manage to stay concentrated for a long time period and how i prepared for my exam season - writing 4 exams in 1 month when i haven’t written a real hard exam in 2 years. It was not that easy, but i managed to do okay. I passed all of them so far - which is cool for me, because they were exams in business class, and i usually don’t have business classes. Anyway, i’m blabbering, so here’s my tips on how to stay focussed! 

1.  have a look at the material you need to study!

This was actually the first thing i did before studying anything. I checked everything i needed to know, wrote down the chapters on each subject (which was, for me, marketing, cultural philosophy, accounting and leadership), and did a study time planner. I roughly planned the time i needed to study for every subject, then i made a day-by-day-study-plan. I customised it half way through and made sure i sticked to it. Also, be sure that you’re honest with the time you’re planning. If you know that you’re a slow learner, please allow yourself the time you need! It’s not a shame if you’re studying 3 months before your exam. It’s a shame if you don’t study because you wanna be cool and only start studying 2 weeks before your exam. IT WON’T BE ENOUGH TIME, depending on what subject you have! At university, it most likely won’t be. Also, be sure to add other things to your study planner, like birthdays, grocery shopping, eating, work, appointments, showering, etc. These all take time, and only if you note these down, you know how much time you’ll have for your study. 

2. have a regular daily schedule

So this is, in my eyes, the most important advice. For me, it worked best when i studied from 9 am to 12 or 1 pm, depending on my concentration, then have a lunch break, and continue to study from 2 to 6 pm with breaks in between. If i still felt like i could concentrate after that, i did another hour or two in the evening. But i slowly had to make my body and my brain accustomed to this rhythm, which took some time. So, if you know you have a though exam period coming up, be sure to not cram, but to slowly work your way towards studying several hours a day. This is best if you start studying or at least making study guides at least 2 months before the exam. 

3. Don’t study the same thing the whole day

So this is actually how i manage to do such long study periods during exam time. In the morning, i usually study some theory - learn things by heart, learn definitions and these things that require your memory. I read them a few times, then first try to recall them by talking, then i need to write the definitions down. So this actually works best when i’m home. I’m running around in my dorm room and need to be comfortable with that. The Library’s not my favourite place for this kind of study session. However, sometimes i have to go to the library, especially if i can’t concentrate at home, which happens too often. Then, in the afternoon, when my concentration isn’t too good and i feel sleepy, i did some calculating and exercises. Since i studied for marketing and accounting, there was a lot of maths involved, which i always had to practice a lot in order to fully understand stuff. It is not as demanding as learning stuff by heart, but it is still important to do exercises for some subjects. If you don’t have to practice stuff, try to do other stuff. There’s mostly the possibility to play around with your study methods, and i totally recommend you to do so! It’ll boost your creativity and also your brain action so you’ll feel more productive! 

4. take breaks

This is really important. In the mornings, i often managed to study 90 minutes to 2 hours in one session, but then i need a break of at least 15 minutes. In the afternoon, my breaks are often much more frequently. I got quite comfortable with studying 50 minutes and having a 10 minutes break. So it’s like the Pomodoro technique, but the double of it. And after 2 or 3 study session, i’ll have a longer break, for like 30 minutes to 1 hour. Also, in the evening, i’ll take time to do other stuff, for like 1 or 2 hours. For example, i like to practice the piano, do some sports, read a book that doesn’t require much concentration, make yoga, cook something nice, etc. I’m sure you’ll find a creative way on how to spend your breaks. Also, it’s very nice to talk to friends during breaks, or have a walk around the campus, if the weather’s okay. 

5. allow your body the right food

Food is a really important thing. I love cooking, and during exam period, it is even more important for me to stay well nourished. Also, i drink lots of coffee and water during my study sessions. And, which is very important, i also allow my body to have sugar in the afternoon. Yep. It is totally okay to have a muffin, or some other sweets if you feel like your brain is a bit down. It’ll help you to stay concentrated for another hour. At least that’s with me. And yes, i also gain weight during exam periods, but for me, that doesn’t really matter. I can always lose that weight afterwards. 

6. stay away from your phone

Seriously. Lock your phone so you can’t see it. Even shut it down. And it’s best if you’re doing the same thing with your laptop, if you don’t need it to study. I printed all of my material, so i didn’t have to be on my laptop all the time. I now that when my phone is lying right next to me, i’m gonna feel the need to check tumblr, twitter or instagram every half an hour. Or respond to unimportant messages right away. Believe me. Your friends can wait until the evening. Tell them that you need to concentrate on your studying, and they’ll understand. If not, ask yourself if they’re worth it. They should be supportive about your education, and if you decide to only reply to them in the evening, they’ll be okay. you’ll be okay. You won’t miss anything important in a day. Trust me. 

7. make sure you know WHY you’re doing this

This is really important if you feel like it’s all useless anyways. I had a clear focus, because i absolutely wanted to pass these exams. It was a totally different subject from what i study (Cultural management/Cultural studies), but i know that i had to get through these subjects because they’re useful tools if you want to be a top manager, even for a cultural organisation like a theatre or an opera. It is always good if you know about financial stuff, even though there may be someone else responsible for that. So, what i wanna say is: find your goal. Find your motivation, know, why you need to do this, and if it’s only just to prove yourself and anyone else wrong. YOU. CAN. DO. IT. 

Disclaimer: I’m NOT saying that this is how you get straight A’s, or that it is helpful for everyone. For me, these things worked - and if you have no idea how to stay concentrated, maybe you need to customise the suggestions i give you. I hope they’re useful in some ways to you! If you have another thing that always works for you to stay motivated and concentrated, please don’t hesitate to add it! 

[eintsein]

[scholasticbabe]

read classics - I know from experience its a slow but steady climb when it comes to reading classics, but it’s a worth while experience to put yourself in world that so different from the world now but mirrors it quite the same. Reading classical opens you mind to how simple but complex the human race is. It might seem like chore especially if your not a reader but you can start by just picking a classical that ficinated you the most  and listening to it on audiobook first. After a couple times of listening on audiobook you’ll get used to rhythm of the language and it’ll be easier to continue reading on your own. Also, pro tips- if you really wanna kick it up a notch, write a short review for every classic you read to help retain the info. 

expand your genres-  Everyones knows there’s a lot to be learned from movies, tv show and music but for most of us, once we learn what kind of genres we like we tend to never branch out and this limits our learning. You don’t have to like every genre but exposing yourself to different styles of music and movies teaches you tolerance and after a while of forcing yourself to do this, you might find your pallet start to shift.  

watch youtube videos- This is one of my favorite ways to not only be entertained but to get a general overview of a certain topic, usually if it sparks my interest i’ll do a little further research. Youtube channels such as ted-ed, asap science, scishow and today i found out do an amazing job of giving you a little bit of knowledge about everything.

listen to people who have different opions than you- I know this one is particularly hard one for most people, but your going to learn the least from having repeptive conversations with people with the same ideas as you. People with different opinions than you will have an impact on how you live your life wether you like it or not; its not your job to accept their ways of thinking but to understand why they think the way they do- you never know, you might just find that the other persons opinion has some merit and might make you more knowlegable about a certain situation. A great way to do this is to watch interviews, read articles about the opposing side of your opinion.

Accept that you’ll never know everything- This is an important one, you may be thinking, how does this have to do with educating myself? well, I added this one because I truly feel like you can’t educate yourself without acknowledging your ignorance. A person who thinks they know eveything has no room to learn. One of the most powerful ways to educate your self is to accept that you are never going to be finished learning, this opens you up and makes you more receptive to lessons we learn in life everyday. So in short, if you want to be more educated, just live! we’re all life long students and that’s okay. 

[emmastudies]

Hi! Do you have any must-haves for college? Like planning and stuff? thanks xx

Hey! Here are the things I’d recommend:

a backpack - the best solution for carrying around a lot of things! I tried going with a shoulder bag on my first day of university and it was the worst thing ever!!!! Never again will I do that to myself! Get yourself a sturdy backpack with strong straps! You, your back and your shoulders will thank me later! I use a 13″ laptop version Fjallraven Kanken, it is really awesome. Very practical, comfy and waterproof. My only dislike is how the zips go so far around the whole bag. I always get nervous that someone behind me will unzip it and steal my purse or whatever it sitting at the bottom.

a 4 ring binder (and plastic sleeves) - any brand will do really! I would recommend getting one per subjects since it saves running out of space if you try to fit things into one. It is also sometimes cheaper to purchase several at once! This stay at home though.

notebooks - I use a single Arc Notebook for all my subjects and love it. I find it easier to have a single notebook with dividers, rather than carrying several individual books. However, any notebook(s) would be fine. You can decide if you’d like spiral, A4 or A5, etc.

OR a tablet for digital notetaking - this depends on how you plan to do your notes but I’ve recently been using our family iPad Pro for university and absolutely love it. It is so convenient, easy to use, and fun! Writing with the pencil is so smooth. I can change colours, mistakes, placement so fast. I think it has helped me be much more productive than any other semester! Here are some digital things I have on my Etsy!

planner - this can be any you like or even digital version! I tend to go for smaller planner if I’m actually taking it to uni. Here is are some recommendations. Here is a review on the Mossery Co planner. Here is my 2017 bullet journal. Here is a detailed pros and cons list of a planner vs bullet journal. There is also my printable or digital 2018 student planner or 2018 weekly planner :-)

pens - I would recommend getting a pack with a selection of colours. I usually recommend the Staedtler 432 pens since they’re well priced, easily accessible, come in packs and don’t smudge. I don’t see the point in buying huuuuge packs with a million pens but 10 to 12 is more than enough. I really like the Zebra Sarasa though - they’re so nice but are gel pens! Other pens I like are the Pilot G2 and Juice, Staedtler Triplus Fineliners, Muji Gel Pens. Obviously, you don’t need a million different packs! To be super simple, I’d say the Zebra Sarasa are a great start. Here is a more detailed comparison though!

highlighters - I use the cool, warm and light packs of the Zebra Mildliners. I’ve used the Stabilo Swing Cool in the past and they were good! I think having a selection that matches your pens is so helpful when you’ve organised a colour code.

pencil case - I only take a few pens to uni so my pencil is only small. I don’t think it’s necessary to take a huge pencil case so just any will be okay! I have one from Muji and one from Emma Bridgewater. The Muji one irritates me though because when it’s not full, it makes so much noise..

etc - this goes for post-it notes, page flags, etc! I love to-do list pads and post-it notes to help keep me organised!

Additionally, here are a few printables that might help you get/stay organised:

2018 student planner - includes loads of student-related printables (study, finance, etc) and undated daily, weekly and monthly planners.

ultimate student organiser - 47 pages of printables to organise your upcoming semester! Covers things like your individual classes, reading schedule, essay planner, etc.

college packing list - not necessary if you’re still living at home, but if you’re moving into a dorm this might be beneficial for making sure you remember everything!

curve of forgetting planner - a simple way to mark off topics in each subject and make sure you’re revising them regularly.

grade and assessment planner - it is always important to track how your grades are doing and this is a quick way to do so. Also, should make find problem areas relatively simple!!

student financial planner - an easy way to monitor your spending, set a budget and reach savings goals!

student reading journal - great if you have a lot of required readings each week!

there are loads more though! I also have lots of things for GoodNotes is you do have an iPad.

Here are some additional links that could help:

advice for the first day

things (personal, academic, etc) to do every week

10 small ways to improve your productivity

10 small ways to improve your motivation to study

dealing with stress

how to improve your sleep schedule

how to improve group assessments/projects

dealing with competitive people

how I stay motivated

how to study during the semester

I hope this helps and good luck! xx

[emmastudies]

one of my lecturers printed us a step-by-step guide to writing an essay for an assignment we had. i decided to type it up and share it with you guys. i think for the most part it is really useful and a super simple way to break down your essay. hope this helps :~)

[logicversesemotion]

This is a chart that my chem teacher gave to everyone after our first exam. 

[emmastudies]

This is a really good step by step guide!

[emmastudies]

Is there a certain way you avoid procrastination? Love you <3

Hey! You probably can’t avoid it entirely! But here are a few things that could help:

a bit of straight talking/tough love

10 small ways to improve your productivity

10 tips to increase your motivation for study

productivity and time management applications

how to remove distractions

types of procrastination and how to deal with them

how to study more effectively

good habits to implement

how to stick to a schedule

how to structure a weekly review

free organisation printables

xxx

[studywithmariana]

7 Apps for Studying and Time Management

Companion video: link

►Memorigi

Android [FREE]: link iPhone: [NOT AVAILABLE] Similar app: Wunderlist [FREE] link

Memorigi is a really easy to use time management app where you can log in all of your tasks for the day, week and month. You can use a color code to track your tasks by theme or by subject so you can understand what your workload will be for the next few days. I really like this app’s simple layout and the fact that you can chose between different views, namely between a daily view or a three-days view. It also lets you set an alarm to remind you that your tasks and events are coming up. Other similar apps to consider are Google Calendar and Evernote.

►Duolingo Android [FREE]: link iPhone [FREE]: link

Duolingo is an app that lets you learn languages through an array of mini games and exercises that you can complete daily, increasing your fluency and mastery step by step. Each language comes with dozens of different themed levels that teach you different aspects of vocabulary and grammar so you can build up your knowledge on that language. Each level recycles what you’ve learned in past levels to make sure that you still remember that you have learned before. You can also use the training icon to get a personalized lesson with your weakest words, so you can really tackle whatever you are having a difficult time with, before moving on with the learning process. I also enjoy the fact that the levels are short and you aren’t required to speak or listen, so it’s the perfect way to spend some idle time during commuting to school.

►Forest: Android [FREE]: link iPhone [1,99$]: link

Another app that I always talk about is Forest, and for me it’s the best way to use the Pomodoro Technique whilst having a true visual experience of your productivity levels. The concept is quite simple: for each block of time you spend studying, you plant a virtual tree. While that tree grows, you cannot use other app in your phone, less you get distracted. When the timer reaches zero, you will have planted a tree in your forest. The more trees you have, the more productive you were during that day.

►Loop - Habit Tracker Android [FREE]: link iPhone: NOT AVAILABLE HabitBull [FREE], similar app: link

Habits is an habit tracker app that lets you follow up on those small daily tasks that we sometimes forget, like drinking enough water, taking medication or taking a walk outside. It’s very simple to use – all you have to do is insert which tasks you want to track and just press the small cross to mark it for that day. As time goes by, you will build a graphic that tells you how many times you’ve forgotten certain tasks and where you should improve. I usually do this by hand in my bullet journal but I think that tracking your habits with an app should please everyone who prefers to manage their time with their phone and doesn’t like to carry a notebook around.

►SaveMyTime Android [FREE]: link iPhone: NOT AVAILABLE Similar app: link

Still on the time management theme, I think that everyone should try at least once in their life to really understand how they are spending their time. A time wheel lets you do this – you basically input how you have been spending your time during the day, with transportation, sleeping, eating, studying and taking classes and you will be baffled by how little time you can actually spend at your own will. This app lets you do exactly this, you just insert the amount of time you have been doing something and it will build a time wheel for you, so you can reflect where you have been wasting your time and re-organize your schedule. I think this is a great challenge to keep up with during a week and just reflect on how you are actually living your life. Basically, it sets a tracking time and when you unlock your phone, the app will ask you what you have been doing for the past fifteen minutes so you can build your time wheel gradually during the day without even noticing it.

►Quizlet Android [FREE]: link iPhone [FREE]: link

A great app to save paper, ink and time is quizlet. It basically replaces all of your physical flash cards and lets you keep entire sets of questions and answers in your phone under your personal account. You can then export these to your computer and share them with your friends. I think this is an amazing app for anyone who relies on definition based classes and tests and is something great to use on idle times or when you need to study but only have your phone around. It has tons of different ways to test your knowledge on a subject and it can even read your cards out loud as if you were being questioned by your professor.

►Timetable Android [FREE]: link iPhone [NOT AVAILABLE] Similar app: Class Timetable [FREE]: link

Finally, and this is one of my favorites, there is a widget timetable app so you can place your school timetable in your homescreen and never skip a class again. I usually never know where I am going to have class and sometimes it’s not really useful to take out your planner and look at your schedule so having it right on your homescreen is really useful.

You can insert all data related to your class in this widget, like the name of the class, the location, participants and total duration. You can always assign a color to a certain class. Afterwards, you just tap the screen to assign your class to a certain timeblock and there you have it.

[artmagine]

Top 12 alternatives to Photoshop for digital painters and illustrators

Hello there!

Yes, we haven’t done this in a while… but our inbox and chat are swamped with questions on the subject, so this article was very much needed.

it’s a simple list of art apps, but we know you love those :D

Enough with the intro, here it is, a list of twelve art apps you may want to check out.

ArtRage is an art program for beginners and professionals. With its minimal interface, it’s easy to keep the essential tools at hand without stealing space from the canvas. Panels can be moved around and tools can be customised. We all know how important it is for digital artists to be able to modify brushes!

Pros: easy to use; friendly interface; essential tools from professional apps available; available for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac

Cons: it may get sluggish with big files and when using big brushes, but performances also depend on the running machine; limited selection of editing tools if compared to Photoshop - ArtRage is more of a painting program rather than an editing one.

Paid

ArtRage Lite is a different version at a cheaper price, mostly for beginners, but also for professionals if they need the essential.

Now free, Sketchbook is the famous app created by Autodesk for various platforms.

Pros: clean, friendly interface; easy to use; professional features

Cons: lack of official tutorials; doesn’t offer as many tools as other apps (it’s down to the essential); paid subscription in Adobe style for multiple licenses

Free and paid

Black Ink is a powerful little program few actually know, but there’s a reason: this isn’t your classing drawing app. What’s cool about it is the vast selection of special brushes, completely non-realistic, and definitely able to boost your creativity.

Pros: vast selection of customisable brushes; excellent performance

Cons: not very easy to use; non-intuitive interface

Paid

This is probably the most complete software for painting, drawing and animation. It was originally known as Manga Studio, but with its updates and addition of features, it became Clip Studio Paint. 

This doesn’t say much about the quality of the features themselves considering the affordable price (if you haven’t used the app yet, that is), but among graphic apps, this one is the top seller.

Pros: professional features for illustrators; layout tools for comic/manga artists; 3D reference models; customisable tools; various sales with special prices

Cons: the interface may not appear intuitive at first; the program may lag (again, performance also depends on the running machine)

Paid

GIMP is the famous open source image editor originally created for GNU/Linux and available for OS X and Windows. 

Best known as Photoshop’s main competition, this is a manipulation program for both beginners and professionals who love design.

It offers many professional features, making the program a powerful tool.

Pros: professional editing tools; supports different formats; supported by different platforms; active community

Cons: in spite of the simple design, many options are hidden and it takes time to discover all the features; slow startup

Free

Krita is an open source painting app created by artists for artists.

Pros: easy to use; intuitive interface; great brush workflow; brush stabilizer; customisable brushes; general good performance; very enthusiastic, although small, community

Cons: it may be slow or even crash depending on the running computer and the app’s version; very few editing tools compared to Photoshop

Free

MediBang Paint is a free and light app for drawing and painting, perfect for manga and comic creation.

Pros: vast selection of brushes; cloud sharing; friendly, minimal interface (non-desktop app); also available for iPad, iPhone and Android

Cons: requires an account to use all features; non-intuitive interface (desktop version)

Free

Mischief is a sketching app with essential tools, useful for brainstorming and ideation.

Pros: infinite drawing canvas; friendly interface; easy to use; cheap pro version

Cons: few updates; offers only the essential (but that’s the point); no editing/adjustment tools

Free and paid

Corel’s jewel, Painter is the most famous software that offers digital tools able to give a traditional feel to brushes and canvas.

Pros: different selection of media; many professional features; PS-friendly

Cons: certain brushes may work slow; not easy to use at first; the software may crash (this is the most common report); pricey

Paid

Paintstorm Studio is a professional software for digital painting. It’s focused on the use of brushes and blending, which makes the software a little gem in the digital painting field.

Pros: good brush workflow; brush stabilizer; “close gap” feature; customisable interface and tools; professional features; affordable price

Cons: non-intuitive interface (desktop version)

Paid

Procreate is the powerful drawing app for iOS. 

With the very sensitive Apple Pencil, Procreate is so easy to use that many artists chose the iPad over the most famous graphic tablets.

Pros: friendly interface; makes it easy to organise files; excellent brush workflow; customisable brushes; video recording; affordable price

Cons: hidden features; only available for iPad

Paid

SAI is a simple app for artists who want to focus on painting and drawing. 

It’s well known for its good pressure support and its essential tools for manga artists, but SAI can be used by any kind of artist who wants to paint.

Pros: easy to use; friendly interface; light software; customisable brushes; tons of (non-official) tutorials

Cons: limited selection of tools, even basic ones; limited canvas sizes and uses; it might crash from intensive work, especially with big canvases and brushes; supports only RGB colour mode; lack of support

Paid

We hope you’ll find this list useful. 

If you think there are other apps that should have made this list, don’t hesitate to let us know!

Thank you and peace out,

G&M

Buy us a coffee ❤

Other articles:

10 inspiring and helpful YouTube channels for digital artists

6 inspiring Art Podcasts for digital artists

7 amazing Photoshop extensions and tools for digital artists

[imafuckingdoctor]

How to prepare for a new semester/year:

So as you all know I’ve been back to uni for about two weeks now and I was NOT feeling it (to say the very least). So here is what I did to get out of that crappy omg I can’t believe school’s back mood:

Clean your room: Back to school shopping is a huge deal for me but personally I like to start by cleaning my room, that includes closet, desk .. etc. Not only does this give you kind of a fresh start but also you end up figuring out exactly what you have and don’t have so you buy way less stuff (and save more money)

And while you’re at it stop hoarding: I’ve had books just sitting there for nearly four years that I haven’t touched (hello histology), same goes for clothes. Get rid of the things you know you don’t use. If you haven’t used them in a year chances are you won’t magically change your mind and start using them. You can sell them or give them away.

Don’t throw away half used notebooks: This annoys me soooo much. Cut out the pages you’ve written in and RECYCLE them. Less is more people. You don’t have to use them for school, I use those for writing down workouts or tracking what I eat, making shopping lists, goals or whatever I feel like writing (so people won’t see you with the same notebook from last year, they probably won’t notice anyway but if that’s your excuse here you go) ALSO: For clothes that you like but are too long, too big or whatever get them tailored! Don’t throw those away too.

Now that we’ve decluttered, make a list of what you need: Tailor this to your schedule as much as possible. If you have long days at uni with a significant amount of walking maybe invest in comfy shoes, if you feel like a certain notebook would work really well for a certain class get it, if you know you’ll be carrying a lot of stuff around and don’t have a proper backpack get one. Write down everything you need before you go to the store.

Figure out what you’ll do regarding your meals: Do you have enough good quality tupperware? Do you have all the groceries? Watch a few videos on meal prepping and have a set list of quick and healthy meals that suit you and your schedule and your diet.

Optimize your study space: I’m not saying make it all white and aesthetically pleasing (unless that’s your thing), just make sure it’s a good environment for you to be productive. Figure out if you need to make any changes to it before school starts.

If you can rearrange the furniture in your room: You’d be surprised at how much this affects your mood, you don’t have to buy new stuff to feel renovated for back to school.

Take a look at all of your classes and try to work out a daily (& study) routine: SUPER IMPORTANT, before school starts try to plan out what your weeks will look like, what you’ll do for certain gaps (for example do you have enough time to go study off campus or get a workout in), which resources you’ll use for every class, how are you going to commute, what kind of notes you’ll take for every class ..etc. Distribute your workload evenly throughout the week (so days when you go home early, allocate more study time and vice versa)

Lurk at studyblrs and studygrams: or even start one, this community is super motivating (pretty sure you already know that)

One last pampering session: This is very very optional and not for everyone but I personally get a hair treatment done before uni so that I don’t spend as much time doing my hair in the morning. Same goes for body hair removal, face masks …etc. It just makes me feel like a new woman 💁🏼‍♀️