How to become a Graphic Designer

Whilst thinking about what to do with my future after recently having been let down by employers. I have stumbled across this interesting link


Makes you think maybe I should look at things differently I have done the agency thing working for small and large organisations. Surely there is no better feeling than working for ones self. But how do I get more clients. Having tried to cover all avenues having a twitter, flickr, website, blog accounts. Is there anything else I can try to generate more traffic and hopefully paid jobs. Surely when it comes down to brass tags that's what people are striving for. I have the talent and the knowledge and want to use it for some goal and along the way improve the presence of a client whether thats online or in print.

New Photogaphy

Here is one of my newest photography experiments just found a new way of editing the background on images when the models have wavy or flaming hair this allows you to get all the hair strands that are normally cut off works really well.

Well here is the second in a series of character festive illustrations there are more to come robin/polar bear/elf not sure about the elf part. It was just a thought whilst I was watching elf last night.

Still looking for a full time job or to be honest anything whether full time/ part time/ freelance. Not the best of times to be looking but registered on a website that seems to offer one of the best resources for freelance work. Used all my 10 free credits and sods law that as soon as you use them up the better jobs or jobs your more suited to start to appear.

http://www.peopleperhour.com/

Check it out very good well lets see what comes of it hopefully a great deal of work to keep me busy. On another subject we had some photo's taken recently by a local photographer not the best so I thought I would put my twist on them as they were put on a CD. Seeing as there of my nephews child thought what better source of research as to look at the images of Anne Geddes. Love the ones of the babies in watering cans, also the one of the model holding the baby. With that in mind this is what I came up with (look at the top of this blog in grey)

On the second image seeing as scarlet had really blue eyes it seemed only natural that I enhance her already blue eyes (sepia image of same portrait)

Sunday Tuts

Well its been a full week since since I was unemployed and got to say i'm not liking it. There is nothing to beat that feeling of getting up ready to tackle the tasks ahead. Not knowing what is waiting for you at work and more importantly that pay check at the end of the month. What a bad time to be out of work two weeks before christmas, well if nothing else it has made me see how some companies work. I can honestly say I have never worked in a place so false and nasty as Scott Dawson Advertising everyone calls one another there is more back stabbing than a high security jail. Taking people on for three months then once you have what you need from them ie three months of work you get rid of them. Never known a place that has such a massive staff turn round, surely that can't be good for generating businss. If a problem arouse to a job last year then surely you have had 12 months to make sure the problem doesn't arise again or have things in place to solve the problem. Not to carry on the bad organisation so that you put all the blame on the new starter. Its wrong and shouldn't happen.

There are some really good, genuine companies out there but Scott Dawson Advertising is not one of them.

Anyway on another note the feastive season is almost amongst us so seeing as I have some time on me I will be uploading some visaul on here thanks from http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/.



I have to say there are some brilliant tuts by spoonfed and a fatastic source of inspiration.

Hot Hot Hot

New Inspirational websites chilli design love this one its ace some really good designs.

Check This Out

peopleperhour.com Graphic Designer, Illustrator

Looking to increase my traffic and hopefully get some more work

Onwards and Upwards

Well back to looking for a new job. My work with Scott Dawson Advertising has come to an end. Never a good time to be unemployed but this has but to be the worst. Kids don't let up at this time of year, but there is going to be ssome sad faces christmas morning me thinks. On a better note though I am going over to see a friend of mine on friday.......... well tomorrow.
He works for a design agency that I have had my name down for many years but never really had the chance to use him to help hopefully find something out there. A little bit apprehensive seeing as people have promised me things in the past but never delivered, but he seems a genuine guy so 'in for a penny' and all that. Need to get some more of my work printed out not got a great deal you get stuck in a rut when you work for someone. Got to say my taste of working within an agency really did open my eyes to how much crap there is out there. Also how much crap they feed there customers never seen so much kiss ass in my life enough to make you sick. Although there were people there who I admire on a artistic level, but there is more to life than work surely and wouldn't that make you more of a rounded an interesting individual if you have other interest away from work. Maybe thats just me............

Anyway got a few irons in the fire I just hope I don't get burned. One job that has come up on the radar is for a Karate coach yes you heard it something I have been involved with almost all my life can be a paid job. This had to be investigated further so I have been intouch with a guy called ryan and set up an interview with him on tuesday........so watch this space.

Other than that hear are a few projects I have been involved with more from my fiances shop and also a badge design for my friends microwave testing website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-H0uIH5HHQ&feature=player_embedded

Now thats what `i call music

SDA week3

Well its week 3 at my new job and all I can say is wow. Never worked anywhere so busy there just isn't enough hours in the day. Whether its a web site design or a logo, brand identity, POS, mailshot, newsletter sign designs, stationery, brochures, catalogue. The work is ace and the people too but rush, rush if you stand still you'll get run over. But the work i'm getting through and the quality speak for itself, they seem pleased so far. Not even had chance to go through some of the new tutorials on tuts yet but will try to go through some this week and upload some of Redbrocks as well. Redbrock has been keeping me busy at night even been lending my hand to some shop window painting something really simple but the customers seemed overwhelmed with it will show some pictures tomorrow. Chic Boutique my fiances shop has also been keeping me busy with some new poster designs and flyers (pictures to follow).

Catch up with you all tomorrow where I can show you what i've been up to.

New Job

Hoora,

Well as from Monday I will the next employee of Scot Dawson Advertising. Looking forward to start work don't like this being out of work lark it doesn't suit me. Wendy's shop is doing ok so and theres always things to do down there will be mostly putting brackets up for televisions, and putting together the new signs hand painted by myself so that should be interesting.

Will upload some pictures of the shop how it was and how it looks now.

Create a Holiday Display: Ideas for Dressing a Window With a Winter Theme

Create a Holiday Display: Ideas for Dressing a Window With a Winter Theme

I'm officially unemployed

Well what can I say I have been layed off no more working for Kay Jay Print. I feel lost not getting up in the morning and driving to North Yorkshire. Getting there for 8.30 but what am I to do other than get busy with that CV. There's never a good time but lately statistics say it harder to get work than its ever been. But there no point getting down in the mouth yu just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start again.

Anyone looking for any design work out there contact me on:

d.brocklesby1973@gmail.com

anything will do what ever job small or large turn things round prety quick as well.

Workshop Idea

Well its Monday the 2nd August in this year 2010. Always wanted to put that sounds like one of those apocolyptical films that you watch set in the future. Anyway this weekend was an odd one in terms of ideas and the like. Did some design work at home and got some more work to do today, well tonight of my own. Had a really good chat on saturday with a web designer who works next door to my fiancee and we both thought about maybe putting together a saturday morning workshop for all those amateur photographers out there who are using photoshop. Or better still giving people an insight into photoshop seeing as I think i'm pretty clued up with the software. Its something I think people will be interested in learning. There is even where my fiancee has her shop, there is a room that can be hired by the hour for such a thing. Not got back to us about a price as yet but i'm sure they will let us know asap seeing as its empty at the minute and has been since its completion. So watch this space, obviously there is a lot of things to go through the most important being what are we going to show and for how long. My first thought would be a possible 10 week course maybe Basic, Advance and Intermediate. Each course would be put on a USB with the appropriate files and folders. A detailed print out and maybe a page on our own website that shows them there progress. As it is an introduction and we both don't having teaching qualifications there will be no qualifications or certificates at the end. (We both need to look into this a bit more).

Also looking to book a venue for my wedding next year finally I feel as though im getting some where well we both do seeing as we had to put it off due to financial restraints. 

Will fill you in tomorrow about anything thing else I get chance to get done!

Boutique website cont final......

Arrogant Cat - This is above all one of my favourite sites its not only bold and is different from most of the rest. Probably one of the selling points that Arrogant Cat is famous for is there cat suits. The colours used in the site run throughout and work really well as they are neutral. Using greys make the products stand out the use of cream for the navigation menu works well especially the milk logo. I take it this is a play on words for the Cat the got the cream. Putting Three main navigation buttons on the front for the online magazine, spring collection, blog.

Boutique websites cont......

 

The Women's Society - This just the sort of website i can invisage chic boutique looking like. It looks exclusive and very much a bespoke site. The colours work well and gives it a strong identity. The first image show the website although a bit long and I am not sure whether people could be bothered to scroll down. But I think it is that interesting that they will do that and see what else The Women's Society boutique ha to offer. Always nice to see the shop somewhere on there I think this gives it a bit more appeal. Makes people think there is an actual shop there and not just a website. Gives it more of a personal feel. The second image show the Loading screen, something I think I will be looking to do purely because if you are looking to generate a cirtain amount of traffic through the site then quality images of the products being sold are essential. These will cause the site to be bigger and require a loading screen to bring the images in. However a still loading screen is a no no for me as there needs to be more than just a bar going across showing progress. So there needs to be a little more research over that one.

More to follow:

Kiki's - The Women's boutique website seems to appeal to the younger women with the fun pastelly colours and the ages of the models. There are some good elements of the design the pastel colours will appeal to the 18-25's bracket. Having apps attached to the site that connect you through to the social networks is a good thing. But not sure whether the diary is a useful area think that could be open to abuse. The thing you want to see is people calling one another on there. One of its downfalls for me is the amount of information on there. There must be above 19 pages to navigate to do you need so many. Seems to much like a social site as apposed to a Women's Boutique.

Artigiano - Spirito

A much more condensed site with a view to the older 30's - 40's generation of women.  Much better use of font but that could be because of the age range. Not the most interesting of sites and maybe more information than you need. The images themselves look better on the white background as your not selling the model it should be the clothes or accessories that are the most important. I think more could be done with the title headings ie blouses, skirt etc.

Count Down

Although this is a nice looking website overall not sure whether you need the products to come up straight away. I would look at the fonts used as well as they seem a little dated to me. 

Well this time next week all the new computers and hopefully a new system of working will be in place. Can't wait to get stuck in my first project will be to redesign the company website. I have some great ideas that need to be implemented. Then also starting to design Chic Boutiques website think this will be not as complex but might also include some online ordering but need to look into that a little further. Done some research into what other Boutiques are doing and there's some really nice stuff out there and some really nasty stuff as well. The next blog shows you the sort of websites I like and I think work and those that to me don't work!

Karate Kid - Kung Fu Kid

Went to see the new Karate Kid at weekend with my daughter mia, well what can I say had a lot to stand up to as watched all the original ones. Must admit as do most sequels the first for me was the best. Until I so this new one this weekend. Beeing a martial artist myself and training in Karate for many years gave me a good understand where the film was coming from and how accurate or americanised it was. I too was bullied when I was at school and took up martial arts at a fairly similar age to young dray in the new film. I have to say it started me on a journey that I never thought would happen and meeting new people with the same passion as my own enabled me to grow internally as a person. Made me appreciate the simple things in life also and start on a whole new way of thinking that would encompass every part of my being. Seems a bit deep but martial arts to me was and still is more than just the moves of which you take a life time to perfect is the whole theory behind the moves. Why you move in a cirtain way and to get from A to B you must first understand what A and B are doing there.

The film itself is good at this and has many branches first its a boy who is bullied then discovers a new passage through Kung Fu. Even though the film uses a totally different form of Martial Arts from the old film of the same name. As in many forms there is cross over, this doesn't mater of course  there is the over the top ending it is an american film after all so you should expect this. More important my daughter loved it and asked loads of questions like:

Why is he doing that with his jacket?

Why doesn't Mr Han (Jackie Chan) hit them boys?

So for me this film gets the thumbs up and i will be buying it when it comes out on DVD.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

New Chic Boutique Stuff

Here are the new designs for Chic Boutique looking at putting together an email banner that can be added to all out going mail.  Also a new Party Pack for Chic Boutiques house parties which will include a Poster/Personal Invite/Voucher and free gift. As advertising is the key in this business will be looking to design a range of flyers that will change every 2 months including new offers and sale items.

Wednesday

Here are a few new images I have been working on:

Welcome to happy hump day the middle of the weeks installments of Redbrocks designs. Today I am adding some new images to my blog that I have been working on. Some new single colour flyers for my fiancees shop. I can tell you getting back to basics and getting out there and handing out flyers really does work and does bring in the general public. Looking to put together some new designs for Chic Boutiques Party Packs. Each will have a poster, personal invites, vouchers for the host to use in the shop and maybe a free gift. As for my own work I am looking to put together my own website and also one for Chic Boutique. Being busy keep me well oiled stop you from being to complacent. 

I particulary like the vector wine glass as it has given new ways of creating refections in illustrator.

New Illustrator Experiments

Well here are a few new designs that i'll be adding to my portfolio like the technique that have been used. One of my achilles heels when designing a logo that uses a text style to simulate a chrome. So after a few failures this is what I have come up with.

Looking at also using some new illustrator effects to give less clunky typical digital brush effects for a still life.

Hope you all have a good weekend there are more illustrations to follow.

New Web Design

New website design for multimedia company I love the clouds on this they look ace. Will difinately be usingthis again.

Seeing My Daughters

Well its wednesday and I'm seeing my daughters, love seeing them and catching up with what they have been up to. Even though they never seem to know what there doing from one day to the next. Having 2 step children keeps me on my toes but there always seems to be something missing when my daughters aren't there. I am so proud of how there becoming kind considerate and helpful kids. you want your children to excede in all they do. I have early signs into there chosen carriers I think Hollie-may my oldest will be a teacher or nursey nurse. Whereas my youngest daughter looks as though she might be following in my boots and become an Arty person. Although she does love her sport and has just been picked for her girls football team.

If only I could get enough work to work from home no more long journeys to work through the hussle and bustle traffic!

Almost Weekend

Well for some reason even though England are out no suprise there, i'm looking forward to this weekend.  Looking to try and drum up some more work for myself got some logo's and tickets to design this weekend so its coming in slowly.

New addition to the postcard design for Chic Boutique A6 with opening times on.

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

Blogger Buzz: Blogger integrates with Amazon Associates

New Designs

New design for an up and coming event in a local gym. Tickets, Posters and flyers the boxes underneath are left blank until all sponsorship logo's have been recieved.

Chic Boutique Branding

Here is the stationery pack design1 for chic boutique flyer letterhead, business cards and envelope. I have tried to retain the uniqueness and used the floral pattern as my main source of inspiration. Using the floral pattern using a William Morris pattern is easily recognisable but isn't in your face as the main selling point is the Chic Boutique name. 

Chic Boutique Branding

Here is the Branding design for Chic Boutique:

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