Graphic Design: How to get started, etc?

[Rozume]

At some point, I want to start making my own GUIs and Logos so I don't have to pay someone to do it for me. But I'm not really sure how to get started - all though, I've seen tons of tutorials on Graphic Design stuff floating around here, I should go look for them.

I also want to ask some graphic designers on how they got started. Furthermore, if you also have a background in art (illustration, etc), is there any difference or overlap between the two?

Also, which programs are best suited for graphic design? Photoshop? Illustrator?

Any help would be appreciated!

[Auro-Cyanide]

Well, I'm professionally a graphic designer, as in it's my day job, and I got started after I finished school and then I went to uni to study it. I have a BA majoring in it, though that isn't the only path of course. People have gotten there through TAFE, work experience or self study.

You don't need to be able to draw to be a graphic designer. There were only a handful of us who could draw half decently at uni, and the people who couldn't still created some amazing stuff. It helpful of course, but not critical.

You can probably get away with just Photoshop, but Illustrator is super useful as well. Of course these are the high end professional programs, so as long as the program can handle text and layers you should be able to achieve decent work in other programs as well

I wrote a couple blogs on the basics before which you might find helpful: LINK LINK LINK LINK

Let me know if you have any questions

[Hijiri]

I also want to ask some graphic designers on how they got started. Furthermore, if you also have a background in art (illustration, etc), is there any difference or overlap between the two?

I started out of necessity. I wanted a good looking GUI but I wanted it cheap. Obviously, a lot of good UI makers aren't going to do it for close to nothing, so I said to myself "I can do it too!" and started to play around with graphic design. While my first GUIs and logos are nothing to be proud of, they were the first steps towards getting better. From then on, I've just improved. As for an art background, I lack one but I got an understanding of it from taking several classes in HS.

One thing I do recommend is to look up other people's works and study them as you would a piece of drawn art.

Also, which programs are best suited for graphic design? Photoshop? Illustrator?

PS is the best from what I hear, but I've gotten by with GIMP.

[fioricca]

I also make my own UIs because I have basic Photoshop knowledge (though my Illustrator could use much more work...). I found being able to imagine what the final UIs look like important, so gathering references and thumbnailing are important to me. I've also been slowly building up a library of resources such as patterns, textures, fonts that I can use commercially. DesignCuts puts up heavily discounted bundles of high quality resources regularly and I purchase them if I see anything I like. They also have tutorials which I found quite useful.

My logos are awful because I never liked logos though so I guess the only thing I can say about it is that passion for logos definitely helps |D";;

[Evilgit]

Hi,

I am a self starter in 3D art. I did study game computing at a uni, but it was 99% programming with very little art. However, a friend of mine once suggested that I take a look at something called Blender 3D if I wanted to create some basic models and backgrounds. I did and have been using that program since 2011. It is great and more importantly completely free. There is a huge library of various tutorials available for it from the very basic to the very advanced (especially the ones with particle and physics systems). Using Blender even allowed me to score a job with Hewlett Packard Laboratories in summer of 2011 as a 3D artist, so if you want to get started in 3D art cheaply, then Blender is the way to go. I do not even have any Photoshop skills or Photoshop for that matter and yet I was able to work in 3D art just fine. Another program you might want to take a look at is GIMP: also completely free with a bucket load of tutorials available for it online. I used that program recently to make some brochures for an international conference company based in the UK.

As far as I am aware both Blender and GIMP give you the ability to create fully commercial works without any extra hoopla involved. I am using Blender right now for my first visual novel - creating both backgrounds in PNG and JPEG as well as full 3D videos. Already have a scene with a news reporter showing a video transmission in the background with both background images and video fully and completely done in Blender.