A big hello from me

[Quin_uf]

Hello people http://graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
I'm new to this forum and wanted to intro my self.
Heres a bit about me:- I'm 24 andcurrently trying to setup as a freelance graphic designer specialising in business ID. logos, stationary, flyers etc.I have a few years PS experience and have created various logos for relatives, friends businesss and fun?!

I havealways created my logos in PS but have recently discovered that it's a process which is better done or translated as a final piece in Illustrator. Hearing this I went and got a copy of Illustrator. Now I'm trying to learn Illustrator aswell as learning more advanced techniques in PS.

Apiece ofadvice I would like to know from the forum is what software should I have and will I need to allow me to design and "ready for print" work? I currently have PS, Quark and now illustrator. Secondly where can I find good tutourials for illustrator to help me find my feet (preferably online)


I've been reading theadvice in the forum and as a result I'm hoping to be a regular posterhere. Aswell as gaining more experience as a designer. I am the student wanting to learn http://graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/worshippy.gif. Like a sponge ready to soak up info aswell as offering any advice that I can.

Thanx
Quin

[Kool]

Hi Quin, welcome to the forum. PS, Quark and Illustrator should handle any kind of print design jobs you need to do. It seems you have already discovered the drawbacks of using a raster based program like PS for logos. As for Illustrator tutorials, there is a link at the top of every page for the TEIM Design tutorial hunt site. Check it out they have a bunch.

http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/KoolsSig.gif

'I used to be with it. But then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me.' Abraham Simpson

[vectorgfxqueen]

Howdy, Quin, I am new too...I just came on yesterday. Looks like this is a good site for technical information, which is hard to come by when you are sitting at home working all the time.

I personally love Illustrator and use it all the time. The pictures you see here---the mermaid head, the T-Bird car--are all drawn in Illustrator, using a mouse. I haven't tried that pad thingey yet, but it is on my wish list.

Anyway, I started another thread (which no one as answered) that I am trying to develop a style that looks like airbrushing. I have been working on Illustrator for over three years, and still learn something new all the time. I found that most of the turorials are very basic, which is good for learning the tools. I wish you luck. Illustrator makes far superior logos...
Peace

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

Welcome to the forum both of you!

Vector your doing a great job! I already love your style.

Quin your in the right place man. If I was you I would do what Vector did. Take a picture of a car and trace it in Illustrator. That is exacly what I did and learned. But Exosteve seems very proficient in vector are so when you see him post you might want to PM him with some questions but you can ask away and well throw some goodies your way.

Snoop around guys there is plenty of info on here. Over 31,000 post you know we must have covered some thing important along the way.

http://www.cbcamerica.com/images/webshots/banner-design.jpg
'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

[D-Frag]

welcome to the both of you, stick around!!


http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/13115/Profile_2.jpg

[DeleteYourself]

Welcome! I'm pretty new here, too. I wholeheartedly agree with the 'tracing an image in a vector program' technique. I use it all the time, and find it be very useful, especially for those of us who have a hard time doing any kind of manual illustration.

Patricia, rad signature graphic!

http://www.dafenix.org/todd/dy.gif
Support Music and Arts Education
www.dafenix.org (http://www.dafenix.org)

[vectorgfxqueen]

boy, everybody, got to jump to my defense...I hate tracing, I never do it. I have always been an artist and using the mouse to draw anything is really easy for me. What is hard, hard hard is the technical stuff, particularly dealing with Photoshop. I am went to college and got a degree in graphic design (graduated in 2002), but I learned hard...I was in my 50's and they say that my generation is slo mo on the computer learning curve....You all can be my new best friends and help with the technical stuff....

I thought about getting a pad to draw with, but I realize I would have to train my hand all over again. If you check out my two little portfolio sites (by the way, does anyone know of others?) www.portfolios.com/padams and www.voodoochilli.net you will see what I mean...these are drawings.

Oh, with voodoochille, they rate the pictures and then pick for the month...so, go rate me good!

Thanks Delete yourself, that is basically how I designed my business card. I had already drawn the t-bird and I love to use shades in about everything...I think the idea of 'designer tag' is pretty cool, also...but that is because I have three teenagers who defintely went through their name brand stage and use to save the tags...as in fubu, sean john, etc.

anyway, thanks and peace---(one a hippie always a hippie I always say)

Hey Benjo, I have been reading you and print driver and d-frag all throughout these back threads, as well as the Kool guy....are you the only ones that stay around for any length of time? Oh, and they cool minimod chick....why is that? Do people come and go?

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[vectorgfxqueen]

I am so fascinated with everyone's signature...delete yourself, that is a trip, love it...I just went to your site for 'dafenix'...is your art there? what is your role?
I just moved to Jacksonville from Lake Worth...you know where that is right? So, explain about dafenix...

Benjo, those are hand drawn letters (as opposed to fonts..) did you do them in Illustrator or Photoshop...love your signature and am too curious about the Star Wars passion.


Kool, you are a cartoonist?

QUIN...HAVEN'T FORGOTTON YOU! Lets see some of your stuff...do you have a web site? anybody have web sites? I'll bet you have photoshop stuff!

Hope I can post this again...my son just said you can't double post on his forum
Peace

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[Kool]

Patricia, people come and go all the time. Most just stay for a few days and ask a bunch of questions. There is a core membership that has been here for quite a while though. This place can really get into your blood and become a large part of your life.

My signature and avatar were completely designed by Benjo. I'm the opposite of you. Very strong on the technical stuff and pretty weak on the artistic side. If we got together we could make one great designer.

http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/KoolsSig.gif

'I used to be with it. But then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me.' Abraham Simpson

[PrintDriver]

I'm with the Kool guy (LOL). Fast tech. Slow at design.

Benjo, Kool, Keyare, Madora, Casedsgn and others you don't see too often like TallMike, Defjoe, and Magnus (Gawd if I forgot someone they will kill me) are the real old-timers. And of course there is AllenH who created it all.

The rest of us came later.

You gotta admit there aren't a lot of graphic design forums that tolerate having the techs around to tell it like it really is. On another forum that will remain nameless, my job has been described as 'print monkey' by the designers in residence. GDF is friendly and homey and anyone can ask any question without being flamed as a NooB.

Specialization is for insects...

R.H.

[DeleteYourself]

Patricia,

Dafenix Foundation is a non-profit organization that a few friends and I started about a year ago. We raise money for music and art education in public schools. We find it said that there are so many out-of-pocket costs for kids to participate in creative elective programming in schools that are supposed to be funding by the government. We just basically try to make art and music education accessible to everyone.

We host benefit concerts and art shows to raise money, and provide services such as creative workshops to nurture young artists. The whole idea, basically, is artists helping artists. Like the mythical Pheonix, we want to form a community of artists to rise up, and then give back in a continuous cycle. LOL.

Thanks for the interest!

PS - I'm with Kool, savy on the tech, somewhat lacking on the artistic side.

http://www.dafenix.org/todd/dy.gif
Support Music and Arts Education
www.dafenix.org (http://www.dafenix.org)

vectorgfxqueen I didn't draw my sig although I'm working on a hand drawn version using graffiti which is what got me into Graphic Design. But yes (shamfully speaking) those are a font.

There are alot of usualls around here some come in and post for 1 month then never return some return and some stay. We don't discriminate! LOL!

I'm shore all of them read up on the post even if they don't participate.

Kools sig I just made up I didn't draw it. I'm alittle out of touch with my drawing. I used to draw cartoons too, mostly holding guns or hanging on to graffity letters and stuff. I really want to get back into drawing but sometimes I don't find the time I need.

I think I just have to focus on what I want and do it. I'm way to distracted which is playing a role in my delayed success in certain areas of my life. But thats another topic all together.

I really like your car drawing you have some serious skills there.

This one right here is really good:

http://www.portfolios.com/Pics/pattyfun/pattyfun_5_p.GIF

http://www.cbcamerica.com/images/webshots/banner-design.jpg
'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

You pay alot of attention to detail and your shading is excellent!

http://www.cbcamerica.com/images/webshots/banner-design.jpg
'Adventure, Excitement, A Jedi craves not these things.'
'Anger...fear...aggression. The dark side of the Force are they.'

[LTG]

really, really nice!! and with a mouse - wow!

If it wasn't for the last minute nothing would ever get done.
(When I grow up I want to be just like Keyare! He does excellent work - even when he's trying to not to.)

[vectorgfxqueen]

Benjo, how cool you brought my picture in! How did you do that? You should bring in the 'meditatin Mermaid' that has some detail, also. Yes, lots of detail, they take about two weeks to do and I get real up close and personal. If you zoomed in, you would find just about everything evens up, matchs, etc.

Talk about delayed...I was hippie for years, then been saying for about 30 years (really 30 years) what do I want to be when I grow up. I stopped drawing when I was 20 and didn't draw a single thing until I was in college at 50. I discovered I had been waiting 30 years for computers. I hate drawing with a pencil, or anything else, I only want to draw on the computer. How weird is that?


Delete yourself, go to abbysideafactory.com and look under graphics first (that is me) and then the Phoenix award...you won't believe how close we came to the same idea, I even designed an award that looks my version of a phoenix lady! I was on the street 7 years ago with three childen(I had them very late, in my forties) and no job, car, money and hadn't worked in over 12 years. Went from there to college and discovering my talent. I seriously rose out of the ashes and there are about a million or 10 single moms doing the same thing, in very very hard conditions (that was my socialogy term paper!). So, that is where my heart lies...do you have children that you are concerned about school art? My Oldest, Elijah, gradiated from School of the Arts in West Palm beach. (same year I graduated from college! too cute!)

Gold Designer, thanks....yes, I am one with the mouse...all that metaphysical training for thirty years really paid off...

Quin...aren't you glad you signed on? Such a personal forum........
Peace

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[vectorgfxqueen]

delete youself, I just went to abby's site and your can find about the phoenix award at the bottom of the section on 'book'. We broke diplomatic relations, so I hadn't been there in awhile. My design work is still there, however. Also, check out the logo for 'coming soon' that was the last thing I designed. That is my logo large on front and also my rocket ship! But, amazing working towards same, can't get over it. I am very curious how old you are, if that isn't too personal....

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[DeleteYourself]

I love the Phoenix Award graphic, that's beautiful. Can you explain what AIF is? I'm a little confused.

But to answer your question, I don't have kids and I'm 23 (no, not that wasn't too personal). I noticed that the AIF is based in Boca?! That's pretty interesting, b/c I currently work in Boca. Though, I actually live farther South in Broward County (almost Miami). Dafenix Foundation is pretty new (only about a year old), and we are currently trying to form a foundation. I highly encourage any and all artists to contact us about joining our artists page. We will have a new site up in a matter of days (I hope). After that, we will be focusing on building a community of artists and musicians that wish to share and sell their work through our site. Of course, a small perecentage of that would go to benefit the organization. Anyway, enough of my little schpiel.

http://www.dafenix.org/todd/dy.gif
Support Music and Arts Education
www.dafenix.org (http://www.dafenix.org)

[vectorgfxqueen]

AIF is the name of Abby's business (the entire site is devoted to her, check out kudos, biography and you will get a feeling for this chick) Abby's Idea Factory - AIF. I did graphics for her for about two years. We did a book together, From Heart 2 Arts, she wrote the poems and I illustrated it. From some of the proceeds, we gave awards to one girl and the other kid got an award from the Inventors Society. Boca...yes, she is a rich lady from Boca. hmmm.

23 and started that thing? I am amazed---God Bless you and good luck with it!
Peace

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[DeleteYourself]

Thank you. Though, I can't take credit for starting it. My good friend Devin gets that distinction. I just figure that if we work hard at this thing now, I can do it for the rest of my life and die happy.

http://www.dafenix.org/todd/dy.gif
Support Music and Arts Education
www.dafenix.org (http://www.dafenix.org)

[vectorgfxqueen]

I miss south Florida like crazy. I lived there from '74 on, minus a few years hear and there (san francisco, jacksonville, DC...) I lived in South Beach from `978 to 82. love it. Jacksonville is redneck center of the universe. Hippies never liked rednecks and the reverse is for sure true...Did I already tell you I really like your signature? very classy and neat

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[Quin_uf]

Hey guys
I'm still herejust been busy doing some more research into setting up as a freelancer.
These are some of mylogos, they are raster images but bare with me I am currently giving them the illustrator treatment. The 5th Degree ones are business logos I designed/redesignedfor a image consultantand Mint was done for fun it's simple but I like it. Can you guys give me some feed back on 'em positive or negative I dont mind.

vectorgfxqueen I'm loving your work, the detail and shading is tight.

Cheerz

[DeleteYourself]

I really like the 1st and 2nd ones. But just a suggetion: You may want to consider keeping it more horizontal, b/c you may find that extra space above an below the text is unecessary. Plus, when the logo is made small, the words become small and hard to read. If you keep it more horizontal, you'll have the freedom to make it bigger when using it for various pieces, thus making the words easier to read. I really like your style though. Nicely done.

Vector, thank you! I use cleanliess in my deisgn to compensate for a lack of real artistic talent. I agree with you about hippies and rednecks not getting along. I lived in Gainesville for 4 years, and spent a lot of time in Palatka (are you familiar with this sh!thole?), also, so I'm VERY familiar with Florida's backwoods culture. There's also a stereotype about hippies and punks not getting along, but I tend to disagree with that one seeing as how I'm a little of both.

http://www.dafenix.org/todd/dy.gif
Support Music and Arts Education
www.dafenix.org (http://www.dafenix.org)

[vectorgfxqueen]

Hey, Quin, love the logos, specially the first and second ones, but the others also. I am not quite sure what DeleteYourself meant by horizontal...all workd on one line? But, I love the backgrounds of the logos and might suggestion would be to make the word larger to fill the space within the backgrounds....so when you do go teeny for a card, you have the words visible as well as the backgrounds. In fact I am very impressed with the backgrounds....Good luck.

DeleteYourself, a 23 year old hippie, can't tell you how I love that! My son (15) is doing a project for school where he interviews parents (only me around) for something they had to do with history. I used the May 3 1971 peace demonstration where we closed down Washington DC for a day....his teacher loved it!

Peace

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[Quin_uf]

Thx for the comments deleteyourself and vectorqueen. I'm chuffed http://graphicdesignforum.com/emoticons/happy.gifthat you thought they weregood becausesometimes my confidence in my work dips. You guys are the first proper experienced designers to seemy stuff and for y'all to say itsquite goodhas made me happs.

Obviously I've still got a way to go perfecting and learning stuffbut my motivation has beengiven a boost.

Anyway before I start crying from glee!!! imma crack on with more illustrator tutourials

Peace

[vectorgfxqueen]

Quin, make sure you let us see the final version, I am looking forward to it. At first logos were very very hard for me, but after awhile they just pop out when you need them! I also bought the 'big book of Logos' which is great creative food to put in your subsconsious....

If you want to see some of the ones I have done for money honey, go to www.abbysideafactory.com and look at graphics - identities then click on the logos. Also, when your open up the page, there is a running bar that says 'coming soon' click on that and that is the last logo I did for them....Let me know what you think!

http://www.betaimages.com/ws.gif
"I've got a Rock N' Roll heart" - Eric Clapton

[DeleteYourself]

Vector, I'm all about (nonviolent) cival disobedience. I was so happy when I heard about the ish going down in San Fran a few weeks ago with the Gay marraige stuff. There's not enough of that in this country. In places around the world where 'civilization' is older and more established, they don't hesitate to express their disapproval with the governent in the form of protests.

'They give you all the right reasons, to fcuk it up, you gotta fcuk it up!' - Against Me! <--Gainesville peace-punks

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Support Music and Arts Education
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