graphic designers...

[HandsomeJake]

artistj (not to say i like the man from what i know of him so far, buuuuttt...) pointed this website out to me.

baddesignkills.com

now, i don't like the website very much, but, in it's mission statement, it does have a good point. basically it says that anybody with clipart thinks they're a graphic designer. now, artistj was basically saying that i was one of those types of people, but that's kinda irrelevant.

so i believe that we should really strive for graphic art to be more thought over than just random premade art that was given to us by microsoft for cheesey powerpoints.

buuuut, on the other hand, i think many graphic designers who are proficient in photoshop and illustrator are just pumping out the same cheesey pepsi-esque logos for gross amounts of money. it's basically the same thing with clipart, just add in a fancy graphic designer degree.

it all really makes me uneasy,

anyone else have an opinion on graphic art?

[secretman1]

At 11/21/06 03:55 AM, HandsomeJake wrote:

anyone else have an opinion on graphic art?

Uh.... You have a boner for it.

[ArtistJ]

just because there are a few Chuck Anderson's who win the graphic design lottery by getting lucky at age 20 with no talent or education to speak of...

dude's just riding a trend, and when Pepsi realizes his designs were just a fad and that his messages dont communicate or help sales, he'll never work again.

Doesnt mean clipart is bad. It's just a bad thing when clipart is used indiscriminately. You can get clipart as an .eps vector and save a lot of time by starting where someone ended, and customizing that art to fit the message by adding and removing things. not everyone can have as great of illustration skills as myself and make all their shit from scratch. If I wasnt a caffeine fiend I sure wouldnt have the time.

And as a designer, you need to be FAST. good, but faster. even mediocre, as long as thats faster than good, unfortunately.

It's just a bad thing when clipart is used

[ArtistJ]

At 11/21/06 03:55 AM, HandsomeJake wrote: so i believe that we should really strive for graphic art to be more thought over than just random premade art that was given to us by microsoft for cheesey powerpoints.

High school freshmen can be proficient in photoshop and Illustrator these days.
Hell, I know I was.

Flash, Indesign, Quark, Maya, Final cut, Aftereffects...
PHP and Action scripting.

That's where its at.

oh, and even though you'll argue clients over why their board presentation should be done in flash and not PowerPoint, they wont be pursuaded or willing to pay flash prices, and PowerPoint is still a good skill to have under your belt when work is scarce and you need a solid dollar for a minimal investment. Besides, it's graphic desiggners and illustrators that made that "microsoft clipart" your so worried about.

[HandsomeJake]

you have no idea what i was talking about when i said pepsi. i meant logos that look like the pepsi circle logo. they're lame. i actually really like this guy. he's creative! shocking, no? guh, you'll never fucking get what i'm saying. it's graphic art, not graphic production, okay? sure, without speed, networking, and basic knowledge, it's hard to have longevity, but without passion or creativity, it's fucking NOTHING!o

[ArtistJ]

At 11/21/06 04:20 AM, HandsomeJake wrote: you have no idea what i was talking about when i said pepsi. i meant logos that look like the pepsi circle logo. they're lame. i actually really like this guy. he's creative! shocking, no? guh, you'll never fucking get what i'm saying. it's graphic art, not graphic production, okay? sure, without speed, networking, and basic knowledge, it's hard to have longevity, but without passion or creativity, it's fucking NOTHING!o

What do you think were painting emotional pictures of fairies here?
logos are about creating identity and instantly communicating something about the product, distinguishing it from competing products. There’s a reason coke uses a signature and pepsi uses a san's serif. its not just passion, because you'll get burnt out, and sometimes the most standard default idea works best. Like black text on a white background is a default, but it's still the most legible. Yes, it takes Lateral thinking, but once you’ve got a few lateral ideas, developing them vertically is just as important.

[HandsomeJake]

well, i understand that a simple logo can be important, but if there's no expansion, than people aren't just using lateral ideas, they're just taking naps on them. i know that there are basics, but the fact that you don't see this chuck anderson as a talented man makes me second guess your talent...and i haven't even seen it yet. and i'm not counting your flash, by the way, because you don't want me to

[ArtistJ]

At 11/21/06 04:38 AM, HandsomeJake wrote: the fact that you don't see this chuck anderson as a talented man makes me second guess your talent...and i haven't even seen it yet.

Yeah, because a few threshold images are worthy of a less than jake album, give me a break. Lets just use clouds and stenciled spray-paint to solve all our problems. Look, I was homeless in Chuck Anderson's hometown.

(Tinley park, a wealthy southside Chicago suburb)

I drank in his kitchen and watched his mommy and daddy pay for his supplies. I saw him speak to a packed auditorium at my college, and saw my professors laugh at how he'll be washed up by 25, unless he learns how to be a real designer.

[HandsomeJake]

and we all know how correct profs are. they sure are ahead of the curve. i don't give a fuck if he's rich and you're poor. i don't believe darwinism, but maybe what you just said should prove something to me. but aren't you supposed to be the starving artist doing what you love but not making enough to get by while he just does what everyone wants him to?

[SardonicSamurai]

I wish I knew how to make good websites... I'd rather it be a hobby then a job though. I'd make my own website with some of my stuff on it.

[HandsomeJake]

At 11/21/06 04:54 AM, SardonicSamurai wrote: I wish I knew how to make good websites... I'd rather it be a hobby then a job though. I'd make my own website with some of my stuff on it.

good, keep it a hobby. there are too many "pros" anyways.

[Alphabit]

I'd say that most graphics are just a copy of someone else's work that's been altered a bit.
At first graphic design can be fun and challenging, but eventually it becomes boring and repetitive... All for the money.

It depends what you do though... Designing logos gets boring quite fast, but you could move on to designing desktop wallpapers for large companies or interfaces for games etc... It's a pretty broad skill.

Concerning the site... I would NEVER use #FF0000 as my main color... Dark red can be very nice though. I don't really like the look of that site either.