what talents are needed to become a graphic artist?

be good

Mon, May 23 2011, 9:00 pm

I would say you need a good eye for design overall. patience isnt something you need in design more than any other field, but its important to develop it for all areas of life Smile

. creativity and ablity to think aoutside the box will get you far in design too. it you reaaly want to make a career out of it this is important. for more of an office job, major creativity isnt necesary.

techiemom

Mon, May 23 2011, 9:27 pm

Take a look at this site which is based on the books by Robin Williams (not the comedian): nhsdesigns.com

Graphic design can be more structured in that if you follow certain principles, they can help you to lay out material in an attractive manner (the principles are alignment (centering, right, left), contrast, proximity (grouping like items together) and repetition of design elements. I would recommend trying to get one of Williams's books (or going through that site).

Of course, there is a whole element of creativity -- taking something and putting a new spin on it - however I imagine that many graphic artists design straight forward materials.

You may want to study some web design too.

genessa

Mon, May 23 2011, 11:37 pm

an experienced graphic artist told me if you get the technical aspects of the programs down cold, you can be a mediocre graphic artist. it's the art training and the famliarity with great art that will make you really special.
every graphic artist I know goes into a kind of "trance" when sitting in front of the computer, getting really into it. and you do need patience, since clients can be demanding.
good luck!

o'mom

Tue, May 24 2011, 7:43 am

I think you need to have a knack for design more than anything else. Knowing the program might get you the job, but then leave you far behind in a few years' time.

You're reminding me of my little sister. I was testing her on the letter A. She knew the words like bat, rat, cat, hat, etc. pretty well. But when I asked her to read the word fat, she looked at me blankly, "we didn't learn that!"!!!

So you may know how to edit a picture using features a/b/c/d that you learned at your course, but then when features e/f/g will come out, you'll be blank, unless you have the knack.

Fox

Tue, May 24 2011, 12:04 pm

CM is absolutely correct. I only know of one "graphic artist" who makes a parnosseh doing nothing but graphic design.

That said, having some basic graphic design skills is a great addition to other job skills. Most businesses are regularly required to produce newsletters, brochures, or similar material, and having someone on staff who can do a credible job of design and layout is a real boon.

So think about combining graphic design skills with other skills to make yourself more attractive to potential employers -- as well as providing a little variety in your work.

techiemom

Tue, May 24 2011, 12:50 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

The biggest talent you need for that field is the Talent to Network.

That is one flooded field, and if you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for schooling, then sit on the unemployment line, you'd better know people who know people.

A young member of our shul who is a graphic designer volunteers on various committees and is getting his name known by putting together flyers, etc. If you already have some computer skills, you might want to do something like that, too.

amother

Tue, May 24 2011, 8:06 pm

definitely creativity! lots of patience and an eye for detail, and of course in depth and up to date knowledge of the programs needed.

we have alot of graphic design work done for us, for a while we were using a local frum guy, who was trying to promote his business. he clearly had all the skills, knew all the theory and was a real mench to work with, but he had no creativity! it was very frustrating so say the least. eventually we stopped using him because it was just too frustrating and each project would end up taking longer than it should have because we had to go back and forth so many times trying to achieve what we wanted and were all happy with.

cityofgold

Wed, May 25 2011, 2:01 am

I would recommend talking to a few people who work in design. Talk to them seriously about what they actually do all day, what's in the job that they wouldn't have expected, what they love, what they hate, etc.

I know that I didn't know what I was getting into when I started schooling. Baruch Hashem, I do enjoy it and I do work in it, but I'm sure there are others like me who weren't exactly sure what designers do all day...and might find out that involves more than you thought and possibly things you won't like.

(To an extent--there is usually a side to any job that is disliked by the person doing it. It's the rest of it that makes it worth it.)

crl

Thu, May 26 2011, 3:07 am

As someone who is a full time graphic designer and who does some training in the field, I agree with some of what was said, and disagree with other things.

Yes, you do need an eye for design, but an eye for design is very broad and can be developed from different areas of life -- for example, if you have a flair for fashion but don't know the programs, your knowledge of what goes with what can be translated into principles of design, you just need to know the basics of how graphic design works, which just requires some training.

Most of the graphic designers I know are self taught, there are MANY resources available online (PM me if anyone wants them, I have a giant list Smile

) Honestly, you don't need to know the programs super-well (I learn something new every day, even though I've been using Adobe Photoshop since I was 14) but you do need to know what makes something look good, which I think CAN be learned to an extent (good enough to work at most Jewish places that require graphic design) but if you want to break into the field outside of the Jewish world, it is a bit harder to get work but if you build a reputation and a portfolio, there are jobs available, they just aren't always shiach for a Jewish women in terms of environment/hours/flexibility, etc.

I do agree that to get your name out there, once you learn the programs (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for starters) you should offer your services to friends/family/shul for minimal fees just to get practice and experience beyond the basic "textbook" projects you would do either in school or from a graphic design book. This will give you a range of experience in terms of working with different people's styles and designs because the biggest thing to remember in graphic design is that what the client wants comes first, even if you personally hate it.

Sorry for the megillah, but if you (or anyone) has any more questions, I'm more than happy to help out. Smile

Hatzlocha!