In this article, you'll learn how to easily and quickly create great artwork, like the images you see here:

All of the examples shown above follow this simple formula:

Background + Tint + Text

You may be wondering how to combine these elements or how to create a tint. But don't worry — we will walk you through the whole process step-by-step below. Click here for a quick video intro.

First, you’ll need a background. This can be a photo, a pattern, or a solid color. Unsplash, Pixabay, and Pexels are all great resources for free, high-quality images (although keep in mind that Subsplash is in no way affiliated with these sites, and as such we have no control over the content contained in them). Not only that, but all of the images on these sites are 100% commercial-use friendly, meaning that you can modify and distribute them in any way you choose without worrying about infringing on a copyright license.

Once you’ve found a background that you like, the next step is to add a tint. Adding a tint is optional, but the benefit of a tint is that it will help any text placed on top of your background to be readable. For the following steps, we are going to use Canva.com, a free online tool that will allow you to add elements like tints and text to your background image.

Once you create an account on Canva, click the Canva logo in the top left corner of your screen to start a new project. Then click “Create a Design” and “Use Custom Dimensions”.

You will need to create four different sizes of your artwork for all the various places it will show up in your app: 1024 x 1024 for square, 1920 x 1080 for wide, 1920 x 692 for banner, and 1920 x 652 for the giving banner. We’ll use 1024 x 1024 for this example.

Click the "Uploads" tab and then "Upload your own images" to add your background image to Canva. Once it is uploaded, click and drag to scale the image to fill the whole background of your canvas.

Next, add a tint on top of your background by selecting the “Elements” tab then “Shapes”. Drag the square shape on top of your background and scale it to fill the canvas.

Click the white square in the upper left corner of your work area to change the color to black.

Next, adjust the transparency of that shape to create a tint. Click the checkered icon in the upper right corner of your work area and set the transparency to 50.

Voilà! Now we have a tint.

Lastly, add your text by selecting the “Text” tab and then dragging “Add Heading” onto your canvas. Feel free to adjust the size, color, and font of your text. White is always a good choice for a black tint, as it will pop from the background.

If you’re not sure what font to pick, try using a simple font as they are timeless and easy to read. Here are some fonts we recommend that are available on Canva:

Canva also provides templates that combine different text styles for you – try out your headline in a template and see how it looks!

So now that you’ve got the formula, you can apply it consistently to create an image style. This can bring a cohesive look to your app. Check out these examples below:

As you can see, using a consistent tint or font can bring unity to your images.

You can create your own app artwork, similar to the examples above, with images and icons found in our Image Resource Library. Using Canva, you can add text or the icons over any background image you choose.

Image Resource Library

See a step-by-step walkthrough of creating images on canva.com in this short video!

That’s it! You’re well on your way to creating beautiful, consistent artwork. We’d love to see what you create — tweet us a screenshot @subsplash or use the hashtag #subsplashhints and we may feature your artwork in the "Get Inspired" section of the Knowledge Center. As always, don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or feedback.