Graphic Design
This speaker has his own website.
Find his portfolio and more information about graphic design there!
The speaker chose this profession because he has loved to draw ever since he was youngBoth of his parents were also artists.
His Education/ Career Path
Pierce College (Woodland Hills, CA) and Cal Lutheran University (CLU) (Thousand Oaks)
- Went straight to JR College from High School
- Obtained Associate of Arts degree (AA) and starting working night-shift on overflow work from major defense contractors during the aerospace surge
- Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) later at CLU ADEP (an adult degree program)
Other educational backgrounds: Brooks Photography (Santa Barbara-Closed now) and Art Center (Pasadena, CA)
Possible Majors
Graphic design
Technical illustration
Business
Related Careers
- Animation
- Gaming
- Photography
- Vehicle graphics
- Signage
- and many more
Classes to take
Drafting
Commercial art
Technical illustration
Life drawing
Anatomy
Airbrush
Perspective illustration
Fontology
Watercolor painting
Advice
- Explore all your educational options and get a feel for what you like to do and specialize in
- Know some computer programming, have some photography, animation and film editing skills
- expand your skill set.
- Learn the basics of design and drawing
- Get a 4-year degree early on and then explore your career options
- most companies prefer a degree in a related field.
- If you like what you do, it's much easier to work at it full time.
Required/Recommended Skills
Qualifications
Have a broad spectrum of skills. Know the basics of illustration, perspective, color usage in addition to digital skills.
Education
Formal training and a 4-year degree seems to be a major plus these days
Internships
Highly recommend internship experience to get a feel of what kind of industry you want to work in.
His experience
- Worked at one location for 37 years
- Learned many skills on the job
- Experienced the transition from traditional graphics (hand drawing, pen & Ink, airbrush, etc.) to digital graphics.
Daily/Weekly Routine
- Seems most jobs are 8-5. Being self employed allows for more flexibility but without the benefits of working for established companies.
- Works with coworkers and internal customers. Customers are from all levels within the company
- try to treat everyone equally and provide the best service possible.
50/50 in terms of a routine schedule
- The stress and pressure varies, but the digital graphics world makes it easier.
Pros and Cons
Rewards = a satisfied customer or client
Challenges = learning new skills or software, sometimes under a short time frame.
Pro: great to work with others
Con: constantly working with others
Common Misconceptions
The time it takes to do some of the projects
- Customers may wait until the last minute to make the request and think it can be done immediately.
The digital evolution from traditional graphics was huge. Software is always getting better and making our job easier and more creative at the same time.
Helpful Information/Videos
This video covers basic art principles that are used in graphic design and how they may be applied to the work.
This video goes over the typical work done as a graphic design artist and shows how careers can be changed.
College Grad has a lot of great information that goes into depth about the graphic design industry and the pathway to get there.
Fremont College lists many careers that incorporate graphic design.