ANY GRAPHIC DESIGNERS?

[Guest dontcaretoomuchforcrap]

MAYBE I'M INTERESTED IN BECOMMING ONE. I LOVE THE SHIT.

CAN ANYONE ANSWER ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?:

WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU KNOW?

WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT YOU DO?

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW?

WHAT KIND OF SCHEDULE DO YOU HAVE? MORE OF AN OUT OF HOUSE OPERATION. OR A FIRM?

ARE YOU HAPPY?

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO?

IF ANYONE ANSWERS EVEN ONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. JUST SETTING UP A OUTLINE REALLY.

[RedFoxxworth]

www.newstoday.com

I'll let you unleash your terror now over there

Best design board/blog/website there is....

Actin' bad like a kid at Six Flags...

[adsurgo]

my girlfriends a graphic designer.. ill have her respond to this tommorow.

[Quiver]

Hey, thats like one of my biggest hobbies!

I know Photoshop & a lil bit of 3DSMax.

I started off making anime wallpapers cos I thought that was pretty cool but moved onto other stuff like book covers & logo designs.

I wish I had a tablet so I can learn Illustrator. Also hope to exapnd my 3DSMax skills.

Since I'm not professional there is no schedule ><

I'd be happier if I were pro i think =) I'd love to do it for a living....but I can't cos...

I'm currently a full time uni student.

There ya have it.

Well I gotta go now but if you havent seen the following site, you should definitely check it out...theres tonnes more but this is one of the first that popped into mind =)

http://www.tetsoo.com/

[My Pal the Crook]

Quote:

Hey, thats like one of my biggest hobbies!

I know Photoshop & a lil bit of 3DSMax.

I started off making anime wallpapers cos I thought that was pretty cool but moved onto other stuff like book covers & logo designs.

I wish I had a tablet so I can learn Illustrator. Also hope to exapnd my 3DSMax skills.

Since I'm not professional there is no schedule ><

I'd be happier if I were pro i think =) I'd love to do it for a living....but I can't cos...

I'm currently a full time uni student.

There ya have it.

Well I gotta go now but if you havent seen the following site, you should definitely check it out...theres tonnes more but this is one of the first that popped into mind =)

http://www.tetsoo.com/

--- Original message by Quiver on Sep 19, 2005 09:20 PM

who the hell needs a tablet to learn or to even use Illustrator??

[adsurgo]

^^ got to it before me.

[andewhall]

Hey DCTMFC, do you draw much? I may be old school but I just love pen on paper, seems to be losing a bit to computers. My advice would be to draw heaps, study graphics, quality of line, shading techniques, colour, application of different media etc. There must be some good art schools, Programmes in your area too. Get drawing buddy, we wanna see some pics!

[andewhall]

I wanna learn to use some computers too though!

[TragicBliss]

Everyone's a graphic designer... Everyone.

If your serious about it (as a career) though, you have to hustle. Do quality work and get it out there where people can see it. Even when your not "working" you should still be working...

http://www.tragicbliss.com

[mouko]

I work as a freelance illustrator, but work closely with the art director and have a close friend at an ad firm (who both have degrees in GD)

Programs you will need to know (in order of importance)

1. Adobe In Design (which has replaced Quark as the industry standard layout program)

2. Adobe Illustrator

3. Adobe Photoshop

My friend Carolina is the lead art director for Planet Magazine (http://www.planet-mag.com) Her job is primary to design the actual layout of the magazine. This includes font design, cover layout, actual page layout (what goes where, how text aligns) and actual page designs (type of font, treatment of images..etc) The magazine staff is small and although she has 2 assistants under her, at bigger magazines her job would be split up with several people.

She also does letterhead, businesscard, flier design on the side.

My other friend works for a firm that handles ads for big companies like Saks 5th ave. She basically works on their websites and print ads. Text design, photos..etc.

They both tend to work long hours during crunch time, but they both love what they do.

My advice to you is to look into going to actual school and getting a degree in it. Yes, you can make it on your own, but you lose the advantage of experience. I was fortunate enough to catch a ton of lucky breaks for my illustration, I started getting a lot of work while I was still in school and then persued a different degree and am still able to work. But going into a market like graphic design with no degree is very diffficult in my opinion because it is super competitive and saturated with people that have degrees.

Check out RISD, probably the best GD school in the nation.

[96st]

Quote:

Hey DCTMFC, do you draw much? I may be old school but I just love pen on paper, seems to be losing a bit to computers. My advice would be to draw heaps, study graphics, quality of line, shading techniques, colour, application of different media etc. There must be some good art schools, Programmes in your area too. Get drawing buddy, we wanna see some pics!

--- Original message by andewhall on Sep 19, 2005 11:43 PM

simple, concise and full of truth... pen to the paper the hit it up on with the computer. Build your composition and get a style down.

.....& that's word 2 ya' mother!!!!

[Guest]

Quote: Everyone's a graphic designer... Everyone.

If your serious about it (as a career) though, you have to hustle. Do quality work and get it out there where people can see it. Even when your not "working" you should still be working...

So. fucking. TRUE. I did heavy graphic design in highschool and early college and even considered majoring in GD/Product Design as a career. But as an industry, its WAYYY TO saturated. I learned all these programs Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, 3D MAX, Maya, Flash, Director, you name it, I know it. Frankly, all you really need to be COMPETENT is the internet, some books for the library, and your time. Granted; I use to draw a LOT when I was younger and these stemmed from I think the most basic requirement: Talent; creativity and an eye for the artistic. Frankly, you can't teach this. Its innate. People either have it or don't.

Instead, I did a computer science/japenese concentration and couldn't have been happier and I would suggest it. Frankly, being able to use these program is one thing, but being able to create/customize your own programs gives you an entire new wealth of options and gives you a leg up from the competition. Its like any other artist, the program is a tool and often times the tools u use may not fit the requirements of the problem. That's why have a knowledgeble CS background to code new tools has been invaluable. Plus, if you decide to go the computer animation route, almost all the big names (PIXER et al.) is all custom-coded and heavy on the physics/math end.

If you do go the desktop publishing/freelance artist/graphic designer path: You gotta define your OWN style. I'd have to say the majority of graphic designers aren't really artists BUT "stylists", they aren't really creating new and innovative art/ideas but merely re-appropriating what's in vogue/hip in the graphic design realm. Mashed-up fonts/lines/designs ala Raygun? No problem. Paint drips/graffiti/spray painted stencil lettering/logos? No problem. Skull cross bones/crests/wreaths? No problem. Avant-garde alternative font + 80s strobe light graphics? No problem. Silloueted people or pixel art? No problem. Frankly, IMO the graphic design realm really isn't as creative as it used to be say pre-1998/1997 when the interest in internet graphic art arose and the rave-scene/techno scene brought up the likes of The Designers Republic. Now everyone with a desktop computer and photoshop thinks they can do graphic design.

Like the other poster said, DRAW with pen and paper, a LOT. Usually the best indivuduals in graphic design draw their inspiration from outside the industry. Joshua Davis never even knew how to program or code or use flash when he started PrayStation. Don't surf graphic design sites. Most of the sites aren't innovative at all. Draw from outside the realm and gain inspiration. And I'd have to disagree with Mouko, you don't need a GD degree. It's bullshit in IMO. But like an MBA, connections you gain do help. Eventually, however, you gotta have talent. I can post some of my work if your interested. Peace.

[Guest]

Quote: Everyone's a graphic designer... Everyone.

If your serious about it (as a career) though, you have to hustle. Do quality work and get it out there where people can see it. Even when your not "working" you should still be working...

So. fucking. TRUE. I did heavy graphic design in highschool and early college and even considered majoring in GD/Product Design as a career. But as an industry, its WAYYY TO saturated. I learned all these programs Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, 3D MAX, Maya, Flash, Director, you name it, I know it. Frankly, all you really need to be COMPETENT is the internet, some books for the library, and your time. Granted; I use to draw a LOT when I was younger and these stemmed from I think the most basic requirement: Talent; creativity and an eye for the artistic. Frankly, you can't teach this. Its innate. People either have it or don't.

Instead, I did a computer science/japenese concentration and couldn't have been happier and I would suggest it. Frankly, being able to use these program is one thing, but being able to create/customize your own programs gives you an entire new wealth of options and gives you a leg up from the competition. Its like any other artist, the program is a tool and often times the tools u use may not fit the requirements of the problem. That's why have a knowledgeble CS background to code new tools has been invaluable. Plus, if you decide to go the computer animation route, almost all the big names (PIXER et al.) is all custom-coded and heavy on the physics/math end.

If you do go the desktop publishing/freelance artist/graphic designer path: You gotta define your OWN style. I'd have to say the majority of graphic designers aren't really artists BUT "stylists", they aren't really creating new and innovative art/ideas but merely re-appropriating what's in vogue/hip in the graphic design realm. Mashed-up fonts/lines/designs ala Raygun? No problem. Paint drips/graffiti/spray painted stencil lettering/logos? No problem. Skull cross bones/crests/wreaths? No problem. Avant-garde alternative font + 80s strobe light graphics? No problem. Silloueted people or pixel art? No problem. Frankly, IMO the graphic design realm really isn't as creative as it used to be say pre-1998/1997 when the interest in internet graphic art arose and the rave-scene/techno scene brought up the likes of The Designers Republic. Now everyone with a desktop computer and photoshop thinks they can do graphic design.

Like the other poster said, DRAW with pen and paper, a LOT. Usually the best indivuduals in graphic design draw their inspiration from outside the industry. Joshua Davis never even knew how to program or code or use flash when he started PrayStation. Don't surf graphic design sites. Most of the sites aren't innovative at all. Draw from outside the realm and gain inspiration. And I'd have to disagree with Mouko, you don't need a GD degree. It's bullshit in IMO. But like an MBA, connections you gain do help. Eventually, however, you gotta have talent. I can post some of my work if your interested. Peace.

[djrajio]

Quote: Everyone's a graphic designer... Everyone.

If your serious about it (as a career) though, you have to hustle. Do quality work and get it out there where people can see it. Even when your not "working" you should still be working...

So. fucking. TRUE. I did heavy graphic design in highschool and early college and even considered majoring in GD/Product Design as a career. But as an industry, its WAYYY TO saturated. I learned all these programs by myself: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, 3D MAX, Maya, Flash, Director, you name it, I know it. Frankly, all you really need to be COMPETENT is the internet, some books for the library, and your time. Granted; I use to draw a LOT when I was younger and these stemmed from I think the most basic requirement: Talent; creativity and an eye for the artistic. Frankly, you can't teach this. Its innate. People either have it or don't.

Instead, I did a computer science/japenese concentration and couldn't have been happier and I would suggest it. Frankly, being able to use these program is one thing, but being able to create/customize your own programs gives you an entire new wealth of options and gives you a leg up from the competition. Its like any other artist, the program is a tool and often times the tools u use may not fit the requirements of the problem. That's why have a knowledgeble CS background to code new tools has been invaluable. Plus, if you decide to go the computer animation route, almost all the big names (PIXER et al.) is all custom-coded and heavy on the physics/math end.

If you do go the desktop publishing/freelance artist/graphic designer path: You gotta define your OWN style. I'd have to say the majority of graphic designers aren't really artists BUT "stylists", they aren't really creating new and innovative art/ideas but merely re-appropriating what's in vogue/hip in the graphic design realm. Mashed-up fonts/lines/designs ala Raygun? No problem. Paint drips/graffiti/spray painted stencil lettering/logos? No problem. Skull cross bones/crests/wreaths? No problem. Avant-garde alternative font + 80s strobe light graphics? No problem. Silloueted people or pixel art? No problem. Frankly, IMO the graphic design realm really isn't as creative as it used to be say pre-1998/1997 when the interest in internet graphic art arose and the rave-scene/techno scene brought up the likes of The Designers Republic. Now everyone with a desktop computer and photoshop thinks they can do graphic design.

Like the other poster said, DRAW with pen and paper, a LOT. Usually the best indivuduals in graphic design draw their inspiration from outside the industry. Joshua Davis never even knew how to program or code or use flash when he started PrayStation. Don't surf graphic design sites. Most of the sites aren't innovative at all. Draw from outside the realm and gain inspiration. And I'd have to disagree with Mouko, you don't need a GD degree. It's bullshit in IMO. If you have talent, the work will speak for itself. There are also plenty of GDs that have degrees but still suck. I don't have a degree and could do circles around people from top GD schools. Focus on creating top-quality work and the rest will follow through. But like an MBA, connections you gain do help. I can post some of my portfolio work if your interested. Peace.

Edited by djrajio on Sep 20, 2005 at 08:30 AM

Edited by djrajio on Sep 20, 2005 at 08:46 AM

[Iambic Pentameter]

full-time salaried designer with no college education. All self-taught.

photoshop, illustrator, indesign are all you really need for GRAPHIC DESIGN...you can even get by without knowing indesign depending on the stuff you're doing. Its less the software than knowing the actual concepts of design.

I do all sorts of stuff, web sites, DVD / interactive CD menu screens/interfaces, catalogs, brochures, logos, image retouching, you name it. I wish I was doing CD sleeves & posters, I'll get there eventually.

Can't say there's anything I wish I knew...

my schedule is M-F, usually 9-10 hours (sometimes more though) with a 1 hour lunch break and a good amount of screwing off. Thats a benefit of working for a small agency, I can go in as late as 11am as long as I still put in a full workday, and its a very relaxed working enviornment.

I'm extremely happy

That being said you can't make it this way without being exceptionally talented or having a relentless drive and passion for it. It doesn't just happen to you. "I might be interested" will not cut it, you have to eliminate all doubt and actively pursue it with every fabric of your existance. I mean, assuming you're trying to make a career out of it and not just have it as a hobby. Especially if you are not naturally creative or artistic. I believe these things can be taught, although you'll forever be at a disadvantage to a natural, design is not art...there's a system to it and thus it can be learned.

it takes work though.

[mouko]

I have to agree to an extent, and the topic of "does a degree matter" is debated many times over. As I stated though, it's not necessarily required, but it is highly dependent on what you want to do. There are a lot of firms that will not even look at your portfolio if you do not meet its standards in terms of education, on the other hand, there are many companies that are very lax and if you're strictly working freelance, the work generally speaks for itself.

I personally started doing freelance illustration while I was still a sophmore in college and now I get tons of work with an unfinished degree in fine arts and illustration. But it is just an opinion that to have a structured education program presented to you by individuals working in the industry (whether it be from a college degree or getting a mentor) gives you an edge over someone who is just jumping into it. On the other hand though there are always exceptions, those few people that make it big on just their work, but if you take a look at most successful artsists, you will find many have some type of formal education in their field or related.

[shoeraider FH]

Anyone know of the cheapest place to get the CS2 package for MAC.

hit me up PLEASE??? at [email protected]

FORT HOME CHICAGO

http://www.forthomechicago.com

"WE GOT IT CHEAP"

Edited by shoeraider FH on Sep 20, 2005 at 10:04 AM

[darkanimal]

What you need to know:

http://www.thedesignerslife.com/home/

[wild_whiskey]

I'm of the "you have to have a degree" school of thought. Being a graphic designer isn't just about learning programs. You can *master* Illustrator or Photoshop in 6 months with some hard work and a good book, but believe me that does not make you an artist. Sorry guys, but if you think that's all there is to it.. well, I guess I can't say you're wrong, but I can say that I think you're stupid. There is a lot you have to learn about theory and fundamentals, and that's just the start of it.

It's possible to get into the field with no degree, absolutely. There are always rarities and anomolies. However, all of the most successful designers I know all graduated from college with a degree. Those who are self-taught tend to create sub-par work with designs that appear very uncomfortable. You can tell the work of someone whose educated versus someone who is not.

[smurf]

"Graphic Design" is really a misnomer these days. As one person already said "everybody's a graphic designer." My background is as a photographer, but I'm a web designer/developer now. I use Photoshop, Illustrator and a variety of dev tools. If I was a print designer, some of the tools would be the same and some would be different. If I could draw and was an illustrator, I'd maybe use something like Painter. Basically, every designer is going to use the tools that suit their style best and ultimately, the final product is what counts, not how you get there. Of couse, if you just starting out and want to get a job, learn the shit out of Photoshop!

[Corbin Law]

ive been doin photoshop and shit like taht for the past 3 or so years, jsut as a hobby, anyone can master the program but a good graphic designer is someone who can trully have a good eye for balance and compostion, being original and still contain coherency, and not giving in to trend whoring. all me to repeat the last one, dont give in to trend whoring, its a fun thing once you get the hand of it

chwa?

[FauxSure]

If you want to be a designer skip the programs and start drawing and thinking conceptually. The programs should be an after-thought. I would say that for the most part going through an education program is important, Where you go isn't quite as important. As long as you make the most of it. This arguement is just old, there are so many "designers" and "DJ's" out there.

[LordOak]

If you want to be a designer skip the programs and start drawing and thinking conceptually. The programs should be an after-thought. I would say that for the most part going through an education program is important, Where you go isn't quite as important. As long as you make the most of it. This thread is just old, there are so many "designers" and "DJ's" out there.

fixed it for you.

red tip well earned sir.

[mike lowrey]

what exactly were you thinking? that any thread coming up in your search must be recent? that the person asking this question 2 years ago is still desperately searching for the answer and you just might have it? this boggles my mind :confused:

[1M]

photoshop and illustrator DOES NOT EQUAL graphic design.

they're just tools.

[kunk75]

i own a mid sized design/ad agency in nyc and the biggest things when we hire are:

- someone who's a thinker; not just pretty pictures, but is it on brand, does it map to a strategy

- someone who can find the silver lining in an otherwise boring assigment; school is great for fun projects but what about making something shitty sexy or smart

- quickness-being able to crank under pressure is part of the job

- someone who can get along with different clients, personalities, etc.

Designing is just part of the job.

[darkanimal]

dctmfc has ,by now, graduated from Pratt.

[Lucas0607]

Yeah. I agree. The Label "graphic designer" is really widely used now and there's a huge misconception about being one.

I am a 'designer'. I worked on Graphics exclusively before - illustration, identity, web stuff and all that jazz starting in highschool. Freelancing here and there. Like what people are saying, I was even contemplating about going to college for it and making it my actual profession - I didn't. It's true, I just thought the industry was "too saturated" and there was this huge influx of so called "graphic designers" everywhere. And I thought, hey I know this stuff, so why go to school for it. So I didn't. You just have to be good and you must have the "taste" to be able to make it. True, Photoshop is just a tool, a skill. knowing a program doesn't make you a graphic designer. It's really more about your "sense" as a designer.

Just a tip if you want to delve into design : Learn to draw well. Put ideas on paper. Look at the graphic designers from the Art Deco period. Awesome. Photoshop free.

[thelaststarfighter]

wow this is timely.

just got accepted to Savannah College of Art & Design's BFA program a few days ago.... going to tour in a few weeks.

anyone have hands on experience there?

[bklynsky06]

I got accepted there as well but I ended up going to Art Institute in Miami. But i have a few friends that went there and they spoke highly of the GD & Animation programs.