8 Steps to Get Into Graphic Arts
Getting into the world of graphic arts can be an exciting venture where you not only get to express your creative talent, but also earn a great living doing what you love to do. It is a very flexible career choice with many paths to go down and combinations to master. For example you could start off being a graphic designer working for a company, then learn web design in addition to graphic design and start your own design business from the comfort of your home or you could just earn extra money on the side being a freelance graphic artist if you already have another job you want to keep.
Steps to Get Into Graphic Arts
1. Start With the Basics
Even though graphic design is mainly associated with computers nowadays, its roots are in fine art. Many graphic art pieces years ago were all done by hand using tools and materials and not by fancy computers and software. This is why its great to have a foundation in drawing, painting and other fine art skills. If you attend design school, many of them will require you to take basic art classes before you are even allowed to touch programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
2. Design School
If you can afford it nothing beats going to a 4 year design school. The experience and guidance you will get is well worth the money and by the time you are done you should have a solid portfolio and resume ready with maybe even a few contacts. Many schools have career departments that can even hlep you find a job after school and the 4 year degree looks great and resumes and can mean an instant higher yearly salary for you.
3. Mastering the Software
The Adobe software suite is what most graphic artists use, so you will need to master these programs and the only way to do that is to spend many hours using each one. Read books, practice tutorials and take classes so the programs become second nature to you.
4. Creating a Portfolio
A portfolio is a must-have for any graphic artist. Some places don’t even care about your resume, they just want to know you can produce amazing work and when you are looking for clients online people go straight to the portfolio before anything else. So make sure you have a nice custom website portfolio up and be sure to update it on a regular basis.
5. Creating Your Resume
Most companies who are hiring will want to see your resume and some freelance clients will request it as well. You should have a copy of your resume ready to go in case some one requests it and you should have a few nicely printed versions ready to hand out with a disposable portfolio, which you would leave after an interview.
6. Networking
Networking is an essential aspect of any business and graphic design is no exception. The more designers and players in the design community you know the better your chances will be when it comes to finding a job of new freelance clients. Keep in contact with your network, take them to lunch, call them once in a while or send an email. This way you are actually making friends and not just abusing people when you need something. Be nice to others and they will often return the favor.
7. Join the Offline Community
If you want to make the most of your career you should get as involved as you can in the offline design community. Try going to museums, lectures, shows and anything else you can. If you love design you may even find yourself doing things like saving business cards from stores you go into just so you can look at them later for inspiration!
8. Join the Online Community
The online design community is one of the richest on the web. It is filled with great blogs, tutorial sites, forums, books, free resources, interviews and much more. Staying involved in the online community will help you keep up to date with the design community on topics such as design trends, hot new studios, marketing tips, business advice and much more.
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wii remote - May 29th, 2009
different career option and different graphic is used its roots are in fine art. also earn a great living doing what you love to do.
Adam - May 30th, 2009
Good advice all around.
One thing I’d like to add: a designer’s resume should almost never look black and white. If you can add design to your resume and make it look as good as anything in your portfolio, it’ll make a much greater impact on potential employers.
Mason - May 30th, 2009
I believe that step #1 is a crucial step. Knowing the basics will enable a person to excell at the trade. It is not wise to build on sand, concrete is always better!
orphicpixel - May 30th, 2009
interesting and very helpful tips
Agustín - May 31st, 2009
Excellent article.
Thanks for the tips.
draft3design - June 3rd, 2009
And, it bears repeating, you may have to do some work for free in the beginning. An academic portfolio is one thing, but a portfolio with some real-world samples is something else altogether.
Ezrad Lionel - June 4th, 2009
Very beautiful site and wonderful articles. I look forward to coming here more often. I was primarily a programmer, doing web design for fun, but I realize I’m very creative. And that creative side can’t be hidden. I’ve been doing web development, design and motion graphics for about 3 years now. It’s in my blood now. I’m glad I got into it kind of late though, the software these days are so powerful. After Effects, Photoshop, 3DS Max, I call it my reality from scratch pack. Good luck to anyone who wants to design, it’s very rewarding. But be warned, if you’re just trying to impress people with half ass attempts, you should get into politics. Your work must always impress you first and foremost.
paul - June 8th, 2009
nice post! im now starting to look more closely to graphic art where as before i just use photoshop for the design aspect of my web design.. i would very much appreciate it if you could post me 10 of the best graphic art sites that you think are good starting points for someone in this career.
Lauren Reagan - June 8th, 2009
Graphic Arts is a wonderful field to get into and your words are welcomed.
Lauren
Brad Krause - June 8th, 2009
Very well put. Although I would have moved #3 (software) down the line of importance a little. The software is only a tool, and you must be able to solve problems creatively.
This is great advice for anyone wanting to get into the field and have a successful career! This is the right way to do it, if you are serious.
Brad Krause
Graphic Designer
Jonathan Daniel - June 14th, 2009
Yeah, this is about the order I did it in.
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Jeevan - June 30th, 2009
There’s limitless possibilities in what you can do in Graphic Design.So many jobs out there. Networking is crucial to a freelance designer.
IdealHut - June 30th, 2009
Very useful post…Thanks!
Website Designer Katy TX - July 14th, 2009
This is a good solid read for a lot of people trying to get started. Going to share.
Flashlight Reviews - July 14th, 2009
all advices are good but i like most step number 1, 4, 5 and 8
Amjad Iqbal - July 16th, 2009
excellent and very helpful tips. thanks for sharing!
Mike - July 29th, 2009
This is a great article. I feel that web portfolios are one of the most important things to have among others in this list.
NIRASHA - July 31st, 2009
It’s a great guideline for a beginner. It will be a great help if you can state some great websites that could help a beginners. Thanks for sharing.
Kaplang - August 7th, 2009
interesting, I am just starting out on my own right now, so I will try and use some of these tips but some I have already been using.
8 Steps to Get Into Graphic Arts « ???? - August 12th, 2009
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Joshua - August 13th, 2009
Great list, but at this point in time, I’d say the single most important thing on that list is a portfolio or resume. It’s ridiculously difficult to find work at the moment, and a good portfolio may be the only thing to save you.
paul - August 16th, 2009
very nice article! an inspiration to progression on the way up! nice tips and advice, many thanks.