graphic design classes
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- studderine
"Drawing of letterforms with focus on proportion and structure. Introduces letterform nomenclature and classifications. 6 hours a week."
I'm scared. I have no drawing exp. No art exp. Just science, math, and tech background. Uh oh...looks like its gonna be a loooooong fall semester. Any suggestions on how to prepare for this class before it kicks me in the ass?
Sidenote: I'm a Junior. This would be my first GD class, I had to get an override to take it.
- Jaline0
chin up
- version30
start by not being such a bitch about it
oh no pencil to paper! whatever are you going to do!
the only way to do it wrong is not to do it.
so get over yourself
- studderine0
get over myself? im saying this class looks hard...im 21 with not art exp. trying to acquire a GD minor. I'm just asking for some helpful tips to obtain some drawing skills before the class starts.
- Mimio0
Buy a few templates, french curves, scales.
- studderine0
templates?
- nocomply0
Dude you are drawing letters, not painting the mona lisa! Chill....and let the pen tool become your friend.
- version30
skills aren't like code man, you have to learn what makes your style yours, if you get yourself all worked up thinking you are actually going to "draw wrong" you are going to fuck up
do you have any balls when it comes to girls or do you psyche yourself out and never talk to them, it's the same thing
so seriously, get over yourself and start sketching instead of asking for help
trying will get you further than wondering everytime
- Mimio0
Like circle templates, drafting tools. You'll find them art supply/drafting supply stores.
- nocomply0
also if you are math minded as you say...sketch everything with the grid on..or if you're not working on a computer use graph paper. there is actually a lot of math involved in the correct proportions of letters.
I've always been fascinated with the relationship between math and design, and also math and color.
try approaching the class da vinci code style with that golden number stuff. your professor will be inpressed and you will get an A.
- blastofv0
sounds like an into to typography class, and any book at the bookstore or library or online with 'basic typography' covered will help out
or maybe you know what your textbook will be already? why not pick that up and pre-study?
and it sounds like it might not be your thing to pursue a minor in Graphic Design if you have never drawn before – it's a totally different beast when compared to programming, science, math
although most of the typography you study will have heavy mathamatical structure behind the design
like they said, relax and dive in. no one will expect brilliance from an intro-to-design student
- Bluejam0
graphic designers cant draw anyway.
you'll be fine.
- Sven_sk0
if its anything like the hand lettering classes i took at art school, we would set the phrase in the computer in the specified font and print it then just go over the output with graphite or ink or whatever medium you are lettering supposed to be using for the assignment.
don't get me wrong if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself. i can hand letter like no one's business, that shit just took too long, i had better things to do with my time and other more pressing projects that needed my attention.
its all about priorities.
- blastofv0
are you ggoing to school in Phoenix? ASU? Art Center?
- Sven_sk0
university of phoenix online?
LOL.
- gramme0
buy some tracing paper & pencils, trace typography that you like from magazines, books, posters, whatever...then try to reproduce those forms freehand. DO it over and over.
If you get into graphic design chances are you won't be drawing many typefaces unless you specifically choose to get into type design. The point of teaching you to draw letterforms is to develop your understanding of type–what makes one typeface good, what makes another bad, understanding negative/positive spaces, etc...
- version30
if you like tracing letters, when you move up to making sites i suggest you just view source and work off someone elses effort
why put any effort into anything you do?
- gramme0
if you like tracing letters, when you move up to making sites i suggest you just view source and work off someone elses effort
why put any effort into anything you do?
version3
(Jun 1 06, 09:43)v3, you missed my point. The point of tracing letters is to exercise aesthetic understanding. I'm not talking about copying anyone's typography and passing it off as one's own. that should have been obvious from my post. This kid is in school. I'm trying to give him pointers on understanding letterforms. By all means, if/when he creates anything in terms of typography or design work, it should be original. That goes without saying.
- blastofv0
come on, we all traced typography and other interesting sh** when we were learning to draw...it's a great way to ease into typography, and def. not a fair comparison to ripping someones code
- version30
i never traced a letter to make the fonts i made, either, i build a grid in corel and work off that or i sketch on paper
sorry, not "all" of us traced our way up the scale