THE OFFICIAL™ GRAPHIC DESIGN THREAD

[uptown4real]

Originally Posted by Nawth21

Good luck finding something in Print, it's a dying sector

you're better off sticking to other mediums

How will print ever die?

 

[smedroc]

Originally Posted by DaNiKeRhiNo

Yeah you hit the mark Dynasty, it's really all about what you're interested in. The best Graphic Designers are the ones who can draw and incorporate that into the Photoshop (or Illustrator) (no pun intended). Unfortunately, I'm not really interested in working with Photoshop as a primary source for my artwork. I much rather prefer a pencil and paper, I'm an old fashion artist. I always wish I was good at Photoshop though, maybe in the future.

Your use of pencil and paper better be novel otherwise you gonna struggle.

I'd say you cant really afford to limit yourself just to that (unless your really f'n amazing!?!) It's best to get to grips with a variety of mediaso as to broaden your creative capacity.

 

[lexflex81]

I know what you mean about being able to draw, Fong.
I started out (like many) with graff and I always swore I would draw everything by hand....then I discovered Adobe products

Before I knew it I was doing everything on the computer...it happens before you know it. But over the years I've realised that being able to draw broadensyour possibilities design-wise.
So I'm back to doodling whenever possible

and also sketching logos, scanning them and completing them in Illustrator.

 

[danikerhino]

Originally Posted by Smedroc

Originally Posted by DaNiKeRhiNo

Yeah you hit the mark Dynasty, it's really all about what you're interested in. The best Graphic Designers are the ones who can draw and incorporate that into the Photoshop (or Illustrator) (no pun intended). Unfortunately, I'm not really interested in working with Photoshop as a primary source for my artwork. I much rather prefer a pencil and paper, I'm an old fashion artist. I always wish I was good at Photoshop though, maybe in the future.

Your use of pencil and paper better be novel otherwise you gonna struggle.

I'd say you cant really afford to limit yourself just to that (unless your really f'n amazing!?!) It's best to get to grips with a variety of media so as to broaden your creative capacity.

It's very good, but not great yet. Right now I'm improving on it and also planning to take a few more Photoshop classes so I can be a bitmore broad. But drawing is the only thing I can see myself doing as a career as far as art goes. I'm not amazing yet though, but after I polish andfine-tune my techniques then I should be very exceptional.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Originally Posted by ardeedas

I too am pursuing a degree in graphic design. Not too sure what medium i want to focus on. My dream job would be to work for pixar or lucasarts... isn't that every artist dream job? But I do want to design characters for video games, movies, comics.. all that.

Anyone know of any good schools in cali pref. or anywhere with a good design prog? My friend's recommend CCA and CALarts... does anyone have experience with art/design schools?

Animation and design are two really separate things. THey almost have nothing to do with each other at all really.

But schools really on aren't the threshold for being a good designer. Being a designer is pretty much like a trade job....ie barber, mechanic etc. You canbe a super dope designer right now if you want to. Almost all of the jobs I applied for were all about your portfolio and not your degree. Although the degreegets your foot through the door more so then without, but I know a lot of people that don't have degrees that are great at what they do. But CCA and CAlarts and the Academy of Arts are all great schools. You just have to pay the phat tution cost but they do teach you more fundamentals then going to a state or UC.For example......some of the classes I took were like design 101, wed design 101 etc....where as the Academy has classes like hand drawings, muscle and bonestructure, and so many great core classes that you will see only at an arts school. But forewarning...you are entering in a arena of very talented people and Iknow so many people that have gone into it and quit half way because it was too hard.


Anyways.....peep my homeboy that just graduated in animation and illustration at the Academy of Arts. Dude is so dope:

 

[ardeedas]

^^ That's sick!! I wish I had some recent pieces to make a portfolio.


Here's a plug to my DA page with some work I did a while ago. I really wish i had a scanner and a wac just to complete all these sketches i have. http://ardeedas.deviantart.com/

 

[abeautifulhaze]

Anyone in here good at custom fonts/typography?

I need some work done.

 

[general johnson]

First, here are some samples of my work...

PHOTO RETOUCHING



PROMO POSTER



T-SHIRT DESIGN



LOGOS





HALLOWEEN COSTUME ART



SKETCH





Secondly, I have a love/hate relationship with my line of work.

I love that I get to spend my day doing "art" for a living. I love being paid for being creative.

I hate having to spend my creative energy on other people's work. I hate that people think that because I enjoy doing art, they don't have to pay mewell for it, including friends and family (I NEVER do free work though). I hate that the pay isn't all that and I have to find ways to supplement myincome.

Be prepared to deal with a lot of uncreative people who think that their ideas are great and can not explain them to you, yet somehow expect you to pull arabbit out of your hat for them. Be prepared to deal with "do whatever you think will look nice" and then have the customer not like "whateveryou think is nice".

Overall, I love getting paid to do art, but honestly, I would not recommend it as a profession if you want to have a family.

If you plan on being single and adventurous the rest of your life,

then go for it.

Good luck.

 

[onlyXXVIII]

I go to FIDM-LA, and I love it there.

Im majoring in graphic design in my fourth quarter.

If Ive learned absolutely anythin there, its that networking is EVERYTHING.

 

[dwizard23]

I look at it like this:

Deciding on a major choice? Well ALOT of that depends on your school. DaNiKeRhiNo said all he was getting was technical stuff in Creative Suite. Hot keys andwhat not. I wished my school would have taught us that. I got more of the basic design theories. Gestalt principals, the basic building blocks so to say andthe computer was an after thought. So there are two VERY different routes each school took but with the same major. The Vis Com dept at each University will bedifferent.

You want to draw on pencil and paper? I feel you. Check this out though, I got so frustrated at one point in school that I about dropped out of Vis Com andjust wanted to go straight to a drawing major. I stuck with Vis Com though and Im glad I did. Like I said I was blessed enough to get a 9-5 where I work inIllustrator all day everyday. A TINY bit of PS/ID tossed in there. Im trying to learn more and more about PS. BUT BUT BUT I STILL DRAW ON PENCIL AND PAPER FOREVERYTHING I DO!! I will say though that my skills have waived off a bit with the pencil and pad because Ive come to relay on the computer to "fix"things. That comes out of a necessity though to turn things around so fast in the work environment. PS/Illustrator are AMAZING TOOLS. USE them, dont let themuse you. Like I said I sketch FIRST for nearly EVERYTHING I do, scan that drawing in, and take it in Illustrator. You wanna draw? No one said you couldnt inVIS COM. Its something you have to do on your own!! Take life drawing & painting for electives keep those skills fresh. Look at PS & Illi as anothertool to get a finished piece of art - just like a brush or a pencil or pen.

Type is a BIG factor to being a successful designer. Me? I hated type classes. I know VERY VERY few who actually enjoyed it. BUT its something your glad youdid once you get out. You see some amazing designs, take a look at the type. Its usually on point.

Graphic Design vs. Illustration. I took both. Well I took graphics to Graphics III ( missed on advanced type and Graphics IV - BUT wish I woulda taken them!)and got my degree in Illustration. I talked to my professors and told them, I WANT as much graphics as I can handle in ADDITION to my Illustration classes.They worked with me and allowed me to take them. I know at KU there were VERY few who did both and completed both. At my school at least it was a TON of workto take on. But again your GLAD you did, once you get out. Bottom line, BOTH avenues HELP so much in creating a successful Graphic Artist and at the end of theday both get a degree in VISUAL COMMUNICATION.

You keep on those drawing skills, AND combine that with Graphic Design AND Illustration... you got a nice complete package there.

Then... network network, check out others art, see what others are doing, get influenced, grow, network network....

 

[mstrpln]

BEST ADVICE:

Get a solid foundation in design through education (I.E. go to school)
Educate yourself on your own time as well, they don't teach style in school. Buy some books and magazines on the subject, get inspiration from designwebsites, and join a community like Behance.
Learn all types of mediums (print / web / illustration / typography/ etc) and try to keep on top of what is current.
Intern at a design firm or advertising agency for some real world experience.

 

[jimmybeanz]

i appreciate all the comments in here. a lot of great insight and things for me to think about.

 

[danikerhino]

Originally Posted by Mr Fongstarr

Originally Posted by ardeedas

Wow...great work, I'm going there right now taking Illustration courses. Art school is definitely the place to go for anyone trying to pursuita degree in it. Damn think if this guy gets good in Graphic Designing also, he will be a beast in the field.

 

[cucumbercool]

Ive been majoring in it but now I am much more serious about it. I may take some of the courses again to refresh my memory. I hear it is a good field and Ihave been into it so long I hope this pays off.

 

[abeautifulhaze]

General Johnson...whats your website/e-mail?

 

[mstrpln]

P.S > Fongstarr, your blog is looking good these days! Nice job on that!

 

[Fong$tarr]

^^^^^^Thanks dude. I am actually going to revamp it again. Clean it up and make something that compliments the photos better and make it look more design savy.I kind of went on this weird space when I PS'd my banner that I have but I think I have something in mind that will look better.

 

[DYNAMICS]

*bump

Since I see 206 is back.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Yeah......206 is good....and has a solid strengths in both design and art.

It's funny cause stuff like logos, it is the same process no mater who is doing it. Start out brainstorming, sketches, mock ups of different variations,scan it in and trace it digitally and wa-lah, you have a logo. A lot of people I know forget that process and go straight into the computer to design a logowhen you have to start from the ground up.

 

[emmanuelabor]

this is all VERY informative

 

[danikerhino]

Does anyone on here know about Corel, I know nothing about that, in fact, I don't even know if I spelled it right.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Originally Posted by DaNiKeRhiNo

Does anyone on here know about Corel, I know nothing about that, in fact, I don't even know if I spelled it right.

I know of Corel but honestly it is a program that is either obsolete or isn't really used in the professional world. All you really need is Photoshop,Illustrator and Indesign for general stuff. No one is better then the other and it is great if you knew all of the programs. They kind of all accommodate eachother in there own way.

 

[oo206oo]

Originally Posted by Mr Fongstarr

Originally Posted by DaNiKeRhiNo

Does anyone on here know about Corel, I know nothing about that, in fact, I don't even know if I spelled it right.

I know of Corel but honestly it is a program that is either obsolete or isn't really used in the professional world. All you really need is Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign for general stuff. No one is better then the other and it is great if you knew all of the programs. They kind of all accommodate each other in there own way.

Fong, youre my dude, but ima have to disagree with you on that one. And not just cause i personally use Corel. Corel is better now (version X4)than its ever been and can do everything AI can, and is almost completely compatible with adobe products. If nothing else, ive actually seen an increase inCorel users over the last couple years. Its far from the industry standard of course, but its just as capable and easy to use as AI and i think its actuallycheaper as well.


As far as the other issues in this thread, theres some quality info. I basically agree with what mstrpln said. And also, while i happen to have a certainamount artistic talent away from the computer, its really not necessary to be a great designer. I know some really good designers who can barely draw betterthan my 5 year old niece.

 

[Fong$tarr]

^^^^^^Interesting. Maybe I just don't know. I mean even with the enhancements of Adobe CS4, I know people that are still on CS2 and are doing fine with it.I guess it really isn't the program but how you use it. It's definitely now a bad thing to learn Corel that is for sure. But it is good to know a lotof programs and updated ones at that. Technology changes so much now a days and it is good to be on top of you game. I even know some simple music editingprograms and actually in one of the websites I did years ago, I had to use it to loop a sample over and over for an audio for a splash page. So any programessential really.......

 

[mstrpln]

guess it really isn't the program but how you use it.


Truth, but it also helps to know what you are doing and how to apply that in professional situations.
We had a guy once who did website layouts in illustrator and even though it was perfectly functional, at the end of the day everyone was scratching their headswondering why he chose that over photoshop, as it even posed disadvantages in the end as no one else was used to using that for the integration. Random.