Courses?

BenJonesDesign

Active Member
Hi everyone,

Ok here's the thing. I love design and I'm trying so hard to develop my skills with Photoshop, illustrator and Indesign creating such things as logos and print design, but I really want to be able to learn much more than what I can find on tutorial website etc.

Does anyone know any good courses that would be good not just for my development but for my CV too. At the moment the only form of course I'm doing is a course book on Indesign by McClelland, it's great and I'm really enjoying the 1-2-1 aspect of it, but it's not much to put on my CV really.
 
I suppose if all you care for is how to use the programs, and Adobe Certificate would be the way to go...

Though if you care for design, stop thinking about programs... they are a tool... not a way to design
 
What Renniks said, if you're wanting to learn to design look at your local college for part-time courses such as a national diploma or higher national certificate in graphic design. A lot of colleges run them part-time in the evenings.
 
I agree, I learnt Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator with the official classroom in a book by Adobe. Photoshop is such a big program that the book really only covers the basics so it might be worth checking out a more specific book like Photoshop for Photographers or subscribing to the Advanced Photoshop Magazine. All of the classroom in a book series contain all the information you need to become a Adobe Accredited Expert (ACE Certificate) in a specific program, which will look good on your c.v. but essentially means jack next to a slick portfolio.
 
I would suggest a college course too, even if it's part-time.

I've just completed a HND myself and although you don't learn everything about the programs (as the book may do), you learn about things such as typography, colour choices and composition, which will be helpful especially if you want to work with logos.

I want to go into print design and I found it really useful, even though I still don't know everything about the programs.
 
The programs were taught on the HNC I attended but it was just exercises from the 'classroom in a book' series, so I didn't learn anything :x But the series is good if you're new to the programs.

However, the other stuff learnt, and things such a live projects and a more diverse portfolio at the end of the course isn't half bad.
 
ok, but what would you say is more important, the qualifications or a great portfolio?

My thoughts are that if it's a great portfolio then I stop worrying about looking at courses (even though i dont have the money or time) and just do as much as i can in terms of hands on experience, building up my portfolio. I do know photoshop, illustrator and Indesign pretty well, looking at courses is really for me to push my skills to the next level rather than learning from scratch. I think I might just look into the classroom in a book series, it certainly sounds interesting.
 
ContraStar Designs said:
ok, but what would you say is more important, the qualifications or a great portfolio?

My thoughts are that if it's a great portfolio then I stop worrying about looking at courses (even though i dont have the money or time) and just do as much as i can in terms of hands on experience, building up my portfolio. I do know photoshop, illustrator and Indesign pretty well, looking at courses is really for me to push my skills to the next level rather than learning from scratch. I think I might just look into the classroom in a book series, it certainly sounds interesting.


It's a good series of books.

A stunning portfolio will always outshine someone with just a qualification or someone who 'knows' the programs.

But start from the basics, rather than just worrying about the programs. As Renniks said, they're merely a tool, like a pencil or a hammer.
 
I see what you mean, well I'm an artist too so perhaps I'll start combing my digital and manual skills more, generally whenever i use sketch work or painting in digital it's only a very small amount. I've recently been up against Steve Crisp, he did art work for Stephen King books as well as other things, for a contract on doing the artwork for a number of magazine covers. He beat me by 3 votes to 2, but looking at some of his work it makes me think about how much he has combined the use of his digital and manual skills as his work just seems so pristine.
 
Steve Crisp looks old school to me - ie airbrush, ink, watercolour that type of thing, you can get a lot of masking fluids (most turn into a gum which peels off) which can be used when working with the above.

It may get scanned in and then given a little touch up but he's from the pre computer art era and sometimes it's better to stick that way. Using an airbrush is not an easy skill.

Not saying Berry is old (don't want his wrath :p) but he's been and done work using the older techniques and I'm sure he'd vouch for how invaluable they are now and in some cases are actually quicker to do work using older methods than new ones. This knowledge/skill is gradually being lost purely due to the way courses are focusing on using computers for the work being produced.

As to the courses, I'd look at the local college, I'm sure most do evening classes, if not open university may be worth looking at too.
 
There are some courses available at local collages, I've also looked at open university but could see anything specifically for graphic design, maybe i'm looking in the wrong place on the website
 
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