Looking for a good graphics/photoshop course

willy wonka wrote: »

I am from an architecture background. I really want to improve my graphic skills and I have fairly good photoshop skills (better than basic anyway!) but really want to improve them and learn about graphic design, layout, etc.

I cant go back to college fulltime but want to do an evening/part time course in something related to this, basically a good photoshop course geared more towards graphics/layouts rather than photography solely.

If anyone knows of any courses starting in the Dublin area, please let me know
Thank you


PS. Please don't suggest I download/look up tutorials - I have done this already and want a real life tutor to help me.

I have the same problem in relation to language courses. The recent trend in night classes has been towards psychology, sociology and vague ecologocal discourse so I have given up on institutions and now join in discussions on the Internet where interested people share ideas.

Flickr is invaluable and the groups listed here could be one place to start:

http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/flickr-groups-for-designers/

For help with fonts, this might be somewhere to start:

http://www.3point7designs.com/blog/2008/05/08/8-fonts-you-probably-dont-use-in-css-but-should/

If you do find a good course or teacher, it would be great to know about it, please.

@mood- you don't think you would have benefitted from software classes then?

Hiya WW I just finished the HND in Multimedia in Ballyfermot and start 3rd yr AV in Tallaght on Monday. I know you said you can't do full time so I'll ask my former course co-ordinator in Ballyer if she can recommend something P/T.

What I wanted to say though was a tutor/class environment is NOT a waste of time. I went into Ballyfermot with 9+ years experience self/web taught with PS and web design, thinking there would be little they could show me. Totally not the case. And graphic design is more geared toward Adobe Illustrator and its ilk these days anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed the two years and learned a cr*p load.

I'll PM you if I get anything useful

sineadw wrote: »

@mood- you don't think you would have benefitted from software classes then?

Hiya WW I just finished the HND in Multimedia in Ballyfermot and start 3rd yr AV in Tallaght on Monday. I know you said you can't do full time so I'll ask my former course co-ordinator in Ballyer if she can recommend something P/T.

What I wanted to say though was a tutor/class environment is NOT a waste of time. I went into Ballyfermot with 9+ years experience self/web taught with PS and web design, thinking there would be little they could show me. Totally not the case. And graphic design is more geared toward Adobe Illustrator and its ilk these days anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed the two years and learned a cr*p load.

I'll PM you if I get anything useful

No. Class time was spent on concept development, critiques etc. We developed skill that made us designer. Learning software doesn't. I learned software in my own time so I didn't loose out.

On a positive note a architecture background would possible be the most closely related discipline.

On a negative note there are a lot of graphic designer out of work and you will be up against these if applying for jobs.

There are so many good graphic sites on the net, it might be worth sharing here:

http://www.afp.com/afpcom/en/taglibrary/know-how/graphics

http://leelouis.com/photography

Also, joining the Irish Webmasters Forum is helpful:

http://www.irishwebmasterforum.com/

Many people here are self taught and the photography forum has a lot of technical information.

laniepow wrote: »

If you wanted to be able to design simple adverts on tiff etc what would you need to do?

I don't know the answer to this.

However, there are two good design communities that might be able to help:

http://www.behance.net/

http://designrelated.com/