Slunk,

Drawing skills are a plus, but not a necessity. As long as you can convey your ideas on paper (i.e. thumbnail sketches and roughs) you should be ok. I used to draw all the time, but now I mainly sketch my ideas and then use the computer as a tool. Don't be put off by not being able to draw... the instructors should be able to help you with that. Follow what you want to do. Limitations are there to overcome.

Cheers and good luck.

Drawing skills are not necessary. As long as you can get your ideas down somehow for brainstorming, most things can compiled on the computer. Also in today's design, you work with photographers and illustrators to get the images you need.

Anyone can learn how to draw, it is just a tax on your time. Practice and practice and a lot more of practicing and you will find that one day you can draw really good. That's how those of us who can draw did it, just that we've been doing it longer. Trust me, you look at my younger stuff and it's very juvenile, yet there are those who do it soo much better than me because they have put in the time.

Of course it can be learned - I'm just not convinced it's needed for Graphic design. I can draw, but there were few people on my course that I would consider "able to draw".

Of course if your course has an illustration segment like mine did, it will become immediately apparent who can and who can't.

Thank you very much for your replies! This gives me a lot of confidence.

seriously. Get this book.

http://www.drawright.com/

me too i have asked this questions numerous times

i just never wrded it right

much help above

Drawing is a learned skill, just about anyone can learn to draw.

I tend to value the ability higher than most.
I find that the process of learning to draw is an incredibly helpful aid to anylitical thinking, and helps a lot in visualizing as well as certain key aspects of critical thinking and composing skills.

Takes some classes - especially life drawing.

A great book is Betty Edwards' "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".

She illustrates that several visualizing and conceptual techniques can help someone "who can't draw a stick figure" learn to render still lifes and portraits faithfully and naturalisticly in a matter of days, if not hours.

sorry to butt into this thread, but i JUST bought that very book the other day.
mostly just to 'brush up' on my skeelz-
haven't dove into it just yet.

pretty good Morea?

looks it so far. I just got it myself... it came highly recommended.

Drawing is the most fundemental part of your education for graphic design. Its teaches you how to take an idea out fo your head and see it through to a complete idea. The better you draw the easier all aspects of design can be. It teaches you to be intuitive and it teaches you patient. It is a learned skill up to a certain level then it becomes something else. Painting will help you see how color really work and when you learn how to mix colors on a palette you start to really grasp what color work together and how complentary and splits create a force in you layout. The way a drawing works on paper or canvas and how you eyes follow the scene around is the best way to learn great page layout skills. Look at the works of caravaggio and other baroque painters. The way they have you eyes move around the page is all down with implied lines and shapes which is exactly what you do with a great ad or website.

Do not let anyone tell you drawing is not that important. In fact at most schools, like the one i went to, I had about 8 classes in fine art and that was for a 2 year associate in graphic design.

Drawing from the right side of the brain is a great book. The first few chapters will change how you draw. The way she describes how she thinks the brain functions is just amazing

steve

I also believe that drawing skills are very important to the designer.
If you can't relate relate objects proportionally in hand drawing, you aren't going to be any better at it using a computer. It used to be you had to have an art portfolio review before you could even get into a design course.

PrintD - that should still be a requirement (have a portfolio review before getting into a design course). As I go through college I am in courses with students who couldn't sign their own names with creativeness. It seems to leave them stuck without the ability to come up with ideas on paper (thumbnails). Some without artistic talents just go straight to the computer to design and never do thumbnails.....

I am not saying it is wrong not being able to draw nor am I saying you cannot be successful as a designer.

I totally agre with both of you. Drawing is the most fundemental skill in any design aspect. It teaches you how to develop proportion, Positions, contrast and so much more. In the classes I took the people that could not draw always had much much worse layouts than those that could draw hands down. I don't think you have to have a mastery of the brush or anything but you should feel comfortable doing a still life or a the human figure with confidance. Doing real creative illustration is also a plus but a good intermediate drawing and painting is so vital to the creative process.

Unless of course you spend you whole time slightly modifying clipart and istockphoto images so they appear different but that isn't design.

When you go to a normal design school the normal regiment of fine art classes should be more then sufficient I feel.

steve