Looking for a good graphics/photoshop course

willy wonka

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.

Moromaster

willy wonka wrote: »

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

A real life tutor is an absolute waste of time and money. If you don't like reading, try Youtube.

Anouilh

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.

Anouilh

I've just found this site about free font downloads:

http://www.unionroom.com/blog/21-fonts-that-shouldnt-be-free-but-are/

willy wonka

Hi, thanks for the suggestions. I have done all the downloaded tutorials and message boards and all that before and while I did learn a lot from the tutorials I would like to have a proper grounding in graphics.

I am looking into doing a part time Graphics course in Colaiste Dhulaigh. Its a 20 week course covering Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark Express.

mood

A Graphic Design course and photoshop course are totally different things. I have a Degree in Graphic Design and in my four year course we had to learn all software on our own and never had a software class. Software is only a tool. And learning it will not make you a Graphic Designer.

sineadw

@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

bonzer1again

look at the adobe courses, such as adobe photoshop
more info here

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/partnerportal/index.cfm?event=partnerfinder&showtab=training&

and here
http://www.adobe.com/training/

look for someone that can offer certification
like this crowd do
http://www.proskills.ie

hope that helps

mood

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.

willy wonka

mood wrote: »

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.

Hi, I'm hoping my architecture background will help me out here, having walked the long, frustrating road of concepts and crits

I know they are completely different design disciplines but I had a look at a book recommended to me by a graphic designer and it was reassuring to know that the basic design disciplines are the same for all design: form, line, colour, pattern, etc.

sineadw Thank you for that. Much appreciated.
And thanks for the links bonzer

mood

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.

laniepow

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

Anouilh

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.

Anouilh

mood wrote: »

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.

Thinking positively, if what you are doing fits in with a project, there may be more work than one might think.

I am a hobbist photographer but I was approached some time back to allow a photo to be used as a book cover.

http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com/2009/09/alan-glynn-in-which-our-discontent-gets.html

The book is "Winterland" by Alan Glynn, who already has an enthusiastic band of followers as his neo noir literary thriller "The Dark Fields" is highly regarded.

This has revealed an astonishing world of publishing activity. Web sites with fine graphic design are on the increase.

Perhaps if you also join the photography forum, a wider field of opportunity may appear.

Anouilh

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/

Anouilh

Although this discussion is over two years old, it is still very useful and has links to some of Ireland's most insightful bloggers:

http://www.primalsneeze.com/?p=118

Many people spend a fortune on design when, in fact, there is a vast body of knowledge already on the Internet and many of us can master the basics.

I took forever to make sense of templates, but in time I hope to design my own.