Is graphic design like drawing?

Kayalana99

Sorry I feel a plonker asking this!

I want to learn how to 'design' images from scratch etc for pure example draw a cartoon of a cat on the computer.

Thing is I can't draw, at all..bad hand writing the lot etc.

Is their any point me trying to go down this route? Is it something that is learn able or is it a case of I can't draw R/L so I won't be able to do it on a computer?

WTFH

You might be able to draw on a Wacom pad or similar, but I'd tend to think that if you don't have the natural flair for drawing, then doing it on a computer is going to take a lot of hard work.

(for some reason a quote from Gary Player about luck when playing golf springs to mind: "The more I practice, the luckier I seem to get" - practice and you might get good at it)

Kayalana99

Doesn't sound likey then. Love the quote but to put it another way my stick men are wonky...I don't think its a skill I can learn offline as I have always loved the thought of drawing so its not something I have avoided & not tried.

DKLS

Have a look on youtube there are hundreds of tutorial videos,


http://youtu.be/owZvImgo57s


http://youtu.be/cvyKoHHkJ6Q


http://youtu.be/pRff05FouDY


http://youtu.be/Cye3VaLo0Go


http://youtu.be/jO1lrXtJ_VM

bod1467

Just looking at your sig. Did you make it? Are you a millionaire now?

PS - I'm the same. Can't draw to save my life.

iammumtoone

Are you wanting to draw just as a hobby for yourself?

I can't draw to save my life, I don't have any natural talent at it at all so no point in me trying to. What I do like to do is zentangle, I don't follow the 'official' rules of it, just doodle a load of lines on paper. Its very relaxing and whilst I think my 'drawings' are ok (they are compared to a 'proper' drawing I would do) I would never show them to anyone!

Kayalana99

No I run a small business which I outsource some of the bigger work to my *admittedly* Dad as he is a graphic designer and can do logos and stuff.. he can draw properly as well.

Was hoping I could learn so I could do some stuff myself but I think we sometimes have to focus on what were good at I have always thought of drawing is a natural skill that you can improve but if you dont have it...

bod1467 wrote: »

Just looking at your sig. Did you make it? Are you a millionaire now?

PS - I'm the same. Can't draw to save my life.

I am only 22 with two kids...so no!! :-) I did start my business last Oct though so its a great start since its going pretty well so far!

iammumtoone

Kayalana99 wrote: »

No I run a small business which I outsource some of the bigger work to my *admittedly* Dad as he is a graphic designer and can do logos and stuff.. he can draw properly as well.

Was hoping I could learn so I could do some stuff myself but I think we sometimes have to focus on what were good at I have always thought of drawing is a natural skill that you can improve but if you dont have it...

Does your business involve drawing for the items you sell? Or do you need the drawing side for logos, promotions etc?

If the first then if I was you I would start to learn, maybe even find an art course for beginners you could go on as it will help you in the long term, what will you do if your Dad puts his prices up?! there goes some of your profit.

If the second. I wouldn't worry about it, lots of business outsource that work and your time is probably spent better on other areas of your business.

WTFH

Once you've made your first million, offer your dad a job. Better yet, once you've made your second million, buy his company!

mart44

Some sort of vector drawing program might be best for what you want to do. Vector graphics are made up of lots of separate shapes all sitting on top of each other to form one picture. The shapes are resizeable up or down without losing clarity or definition. That's something that a bitmap image program can't do to any great degree. With vector, you can save the graphic at any time during its creation, open it at a later time and change the sizes of the various elements if you decide to. Here's a page about vector images:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics

CorelDraw is a good vector drawing program. Expensive but there is a more affordable Home & Student version available that still includes enough features to turn out good graphics. Inkscape is another drawing program and this is free. My preference is for Xara Photo & Graphics Designer. Take a look at some examples. Hard to think they are drawings rather than photos:

http://www.xara.com/uk/gallery/

I think it would be a good while before it was possible to turn out graphics as good as shown but I have seen some marvellous cartoon type pictures produced. I'm sure some of the people using the program will have artistic ability but a lot of it is the program itself. It keeps your line straight ..or makes them the shape and size you want them to be.

Kayalana99

Its all graphic related, most of it I can do as its not from scratch but I want to branch into businesses (I sell to ebay customers in singles so I wanted to sell to businesses in bulk) most who come to me have their logo/design etc ready made so it will be simple but I am thinking I can hardly approach businesses and try and sell my product without having a way of doing the design (even if it is through my dad).

Thank you for that Mart.

WTFH - I would have to pay my Dad a pretty high wage for him to come work for me, people laughed at him to before he earnt his first million. It always seems like a pipe dream to other people untill they actually do it...so who am I to say I will? But I will bloody try and no one will tell me I can't because I've grown up out of nothing watching my Dad earn every single penny and I intend to do the same.