Hello CoffeeCup:

I'd like to expand my skills and actually create graphics. I like the icons and graphics the folks at CoffeeCup create. I was wondering if one of the CoffeeCup designers would offer advice on courses (on-line) or books that would teach how to do what they do?

I have Flash and can create some simple stuff. But, I'm a fan of learning. Rather than plugging away I'm pretty sure there are courses and books. But so far I haven't been successful in locating them. I mean, If you go looking for books on HTML or CSS you can find a range from beginner on up. But, graphics? I must be using the wrong search words.


So, what does everyone suggest?


Thanks.

bye


eric

Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Try photoshop and some photoshop tutorials?

these are a good start:

http://www.insidegraphics.com

http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/

http://www.graphictutorials.net/

I learned most of my photoshop skills just by googling things like photoshop techniques. You get a lot of people's personal sites who do a good job giving examples of their graphic's work.

Thanks for the replies.

To Fe Pixie - Photoshop. Hmm.. I was thinking of drawing programs like Illustrator or CorelDraw.
Is Photoshop what you used to create the image you use in this forum?
I think of Photoshop more as photo manipulation than graphic creation. Wow, was I wrong. Just back from some examples.
Thank you for pointing me in another direction.


To Stephen - thank you for the links. I've found lots of on-line tutorials and web sites but somehow missed those three. I just gave them a quick glance but they have tons of information and will keep me busy for some time. Thank you!
Oh, What did you use to create your "Flight of the Conchords"?



And to my namesake, Eric. thank you as well for the pointer to PhotoShop. (I like the warm feel of your website.)

Well, I'm looking at Photoshop and PhotoShop Elements. heck of a price difference. They seem similar so I'll start small and learn and upgrade later.


bye


eric

I have used elements for years and never needed the more expensive version.

Thanks for the advice Eric.


For the lurkers,

Adobe Photoshop Elements v8 is NOTHING like Adobe Photoshop CS4.
It is unfortunate they used similar names. The menus and functions are totally different.

Second, "free" similar versions to Photoshop CS4 include Paint.Net (that's its name not its address) and an opensource GimpShop which is a hack of GIMP designed to make it look like Photoshop.


bye

eric

Yeah, those sites will keep you busy for a while, and send you off in lots of directions, too. I like to browse through sites like that for ideas, but mostly use the 'guess and by golly method' when working with graphic stuff. I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8, one of the last versions before Corel 'aquired' the brand. Its a sort of a poor man's Photoshop, but I like it.

Lest I be mistaken for having a shred of graphic talent, the Conchordes avatar is not my original work, just heavily altered from the original and probably worse for wear and tear at that. In the original, Brett doesn't look like he's wearing lipstick!

BTW, still snowin' in the Hat? <said smugly from sunny Okanagan >

<chuckle> Nope. Snow left a month ago. Tulips are about to burst. Bees swarmed the pussy willow about two weeks ago. I just came back from a bicycle ride in shorts of course.


I'm being cocky 'cause we're enjoying an extra early spring this year.
Looking at the weather in the Okanagan area I'd say we're having about the same.

But thanks for asking.

As for "sunny Okanagan" did you know Medicine Hat is the sunniest city in Canada? (Most hours of sunlight.)

You must be an ex-Hatter to call it The Hat?


bye


eric

It was a mild winter, wasn't it? You're right, you do get more sunshine than us. It can get quite gray here in the winter ............. but its a warm gray!

Although not a Hatter, I am an old Prairie dog, but left for Lotus Land many, many years ago. I did leave quite a few brain cells in the Hat back in the seventies. Have you seen them?

have fun with the graphics work.