(illustration from the 'pixels and vectors' tutorial)
This week, I would like to share a great resource for free design tutorials, in case anyone was still out-of-the-know about Computer Arts' online presence. If there's a particular trick you haven't picked up in class, you can probably find it here. My capstone project will be foraying into subfields of graphic design I haven't had much experience with (packaging and screenprinting), so I'll be making good use of online tutorials and hearsay information as I work.
While tutorials (much like classes) can really vary in their effectiveness and usefulness, it's incredibly comforting to me as an outgoing senior to know that my instruction in graphic design won't have to be entirely self-guided trial and error once I'm no longer in a classroom setting. I want to continue to expand both my portfolio and my overall knowledge of design, and the high-tech nature of the field lends itself to abundant trade and collaboration of ideas. Designers, on the whole, tend to be very optimistic people (problem solving is our profession), and also by necessity, highly communicative. So it both warms my heart and makes perfect sense that designers would be so un-protective of their secrets, so eager to share their skills.
Many of us are concerned about the industry peril of the amateur designer, but I would urge you for the sake of bettering our own culture, not to be exclusive with good information or good taste. I encourage everyone who has figured out how to make something you're proud of to contribute to our incredibly helpful, supportive community - online or in real time.
