A plea from a hopeful contributor

[Wingz017]

Hey all, rare poster, long time lurker here,

I've spent more hours on these boards than I can even begin to count, and I've enjoyed every minutes of seeing peoples concepts and takes on identities. However, I'm at that point where I'm beginning to become less and less thrilled by onlooking and desperately want to be getting in on the action as well. Logo design and sports fashion has always been a huge passion of mine, but I was always presented with a problem whenever I wanted to pursue it any further, I have absolutely no drawing/photoshop skills and have literally no idea as to how to construct a logo.

So since this board seems to love constructive criticism, I was hoping you guys might have a few tips or hints to help get aspiring artists like myself the boost they need. Who knows, maybe we can get this thread stickied to promote even more "under-privileged" artists to contribute to this great community

Thanks in advance!

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Hey all, rare poster, long time lurker here,

I've spent more hours on these boards than I can even begin to count, and I've enjoyed every minutes of seeing peoples concepts and takes on identities. However, I'm at that point where I'm beginning to become less and less thrilled by onlooking and desperately want to be getting in on the action as well. Logo design and sports fashion has always been a huge passion of mine, but I was always presented with a problem whenever I wanted to pursue it any further, I have absolutely no drawing/photoshop skills and have literally no idea as to how to construct a logo.

So since this board seems to love constructive criticism, I was hoping you guys might have a few tips or hints to help get aspiring artists like myself the boost they need. Who knows, maybe we can get this thread stickied to promote even more "under-privileged" artists to contribute to this great community

Thanks in advance!

i don't do any concepts or logos or anything like that mainly because i don't have any artistry skills. it really takes a degree of artistry skills to be a logo designer on top of lots and lots of practice. it also takes referencing several sources and looking at the depth, shading and where the light hits the subject. Then translating that in to a passible logo. best method is to keep it simple. you have to look to see if it looks good on several sources and from a distance. Alot of logos, pro logos at that, look good upclose but look like from afar. best thing to do is study everyone's work and see what works and don't work. incorporate basic art skills that you learn in art class and let the community evolve the concept. thats about all i can suggest.

[Davidson]

unfortunately, design is one of those things you just have to practice until you get good.

its like trying to teach someone how to ride a bike. people can give you all the advice and tips in

the world, but until you actually try it, its all academic.

it can take a while too. in my mind any sort of illustration or drawing is intrinsically linked to your

ability to draw. if you cant draw, then its not going to be straight forward, there arent shortcuts im afraid.

so the best advice i could give you is just start, pencil and paper have a crack. post what you come up with

then do exactly what i tell you to do. ha. but seriously just see what people say, if you think they have a point,

make the changes.

nb. remember you cant please everyone and design by committee is a pointless exercise, so just do what you think

looks right.

[9erssteve]

Yup, I'm with Davidson on this one, just get yourself a box of pencils and a BIG pad of paper and get to it. There really is NO point in shelling out for Photoshop (not the best tool anyway to be honest) or Illustrator (by far the best tool) if you find you cant get your ideas out on paper first.

People seem to have this misconstrued idea that drawing on a computer is easier than it is on paper, and I think I speak for most people when I say that just isn't the case. By the very nature of the fact you have to use differing tools to create different shapes it is a much longer and involved process to artwork up an idea on screen. On paper you use one pencil and are as free to make as many different marks or shapes as you can think of immediately. What often happens is that people go to the computer to soon and an idea they have is pulled in the direction of what the tools they are using will allow them to create, rather than them controlling the tools, so frustration grows as the logos never come out "quite right" and then they lose interest.

Learn to draw first, then move onto the computer, and before you say "I cant draw", you couldn't write before you went to school I'll bet but you can now, and it's the same principle, you're just learning to make marks on paper, but rather than the marks reading as letters they'll read as what ever you want them to be! Once you are confident on paper the move to the computer will be much simpler and the results far superior.

Good luck, most importantly HAVE FUN, and keep us all posted, scans or digi photo's of sketches are great and you'll get exactly the same type of feedback as you'd get on digital design.

9erssteve

[Wingz017]

Thanks a bunch guys, I should've figured the answer would've been "just draw more" haha

If anyone wants to, feel free to contribute