Okay, so I’m always amazed then I go to DA gallery where every piece art is cohesive. The artist has a definite style that is set in stone, their concept of color translates between all of their works, common themes… I MEAN FOR GOD’S SAKE THEY PAGES AND PAGES OF ART THAT LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME!

Then I go to my gallery. Anime here, realism here, surrealism there, a portrait in the corner, over there is a logo, peppered with 3d renderings..? Sometime I wonder if visitors think I’m schizophrenic.

So what the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I get it together as an artist? I mean the aforementioned artists with their shit together, do you want to know how old they are? Like 18-25! And here I am on the end of that spectrum and I still have no idea of who I am as an artist.

One week I want to do comics, the next I want to do photorealistic. One day I’m all about purple, the next poka dots. One hour it’s super smooth airbrush, the next it’s grunge all the way!!

There are some explanations, a lot of my gallery right now is school work, and each assignment had to meet a set of requirements. The graphic design is obviously my profession, and you can’t make it as a one trick pony in graphic design….

The simple answer. Yes, I am schizophrenic. I love super cute anime and dark gothic rock. I love black and white photos, and “hurt-your-eyes” rainbow colors, I want to be a hippie-punk,-goth lolita-geek chic chick. I like shinny happy web 2.0 designs and grungy “I just threw it in a greasy paper bag and shook it” designs. My radio has 2 preset buttons, hard rock and public jazz radio. I have a pollyamours relationship with both Photoshop and Illustrator. And when I sit down to draw I’m not necessarily thinking, “Okay, time to make another installment in my series.” I’m thinking “Okay, how can I best get out that wacky thought that’s been playing in my head like a broken record.”

I have an underlying style. I usually handle the framework of eyes, noses, mouths, and basic body structures the same, but the facades change from piece to piece.

Some would say that makes me a bad artist, I tend to think I’m… flexible. It’s something I was taught to be as a graphic designer. Before I went to school I did have a set style I never deviated from.

But maybe I should just crank out anime fan art mindlessly. Put a few more HAJIxSAYA romantic “will they or wont they?” pics in there. I mean that’s all that is popular in my gallery. At least that’s what the numbers tell me -_- (and don’t get me wrong I love doing fan art like any one else, it’s a guilty pleasure, but sometimes I do have thoughts while not looking at the TV you know)

I’m an artistic ninja. You’ll never know where I’ll be.

The Good, The Bad, And the Ungrateful: one graphic designer to her clients

There will come a time, after you’ve been in the design biz a while, that you will discover some truths behind the designer-client relationship. It isn’t all roses, they will not always respect you, and they will probably not understand what the heck it is that you are doing.

Here a few helpful tips so you can understand you friendly neighborhood graphic designer.

1: WE ARE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: This may come as a shock, but graphic designers, on the whole, design graphics!

We are not IT people/programmers/developers/code writers.

If you come to me wanting a site like HULU, understand I can design the logos, graphics, the way the pages will be laid out, ect. But I can’t write the lines and lines of code to make a site do all that… SHIT!

2: WE CHARGE: Us designers may love what we do, but we do it for the pay. We don’t do it JUST because we want to share our talent, or because it helps people, or because we have some calling by God….

If we wanted to be artists for free we’d all be starving street painters

3: WHAT WE DO IS NOT EASY! It is a common perception that graphic designers sit around all day and draw pretty pictures on the computer *blank face*

That is actually… kinda….a little… true. But in the way that the statement “surgeons just stand around all day poking people with sharp sticks” is true.

Bottom line: treat your graphic designer with care and understanding. Our world would look a lot different without them.

So, life after college in the “real world.” It’s something I used to be excited about, and terrified of . . .

Now it’s been nearly one year since I graduated and started at my first graphic design job. So was it all worth it?

Well, I wish I could tell you I’m making a ton of money, that I have a bunch of freelance jobs, or I’m head of the company, but I’m not.

But all in all life is pretty good right now. Sure, there were times when I first started this job I wonder why I even wanted to be a graphic designer. The constant deadlines, the bosses yelling at you, the lowest of the low assignments. Like: “Design this 1” x 1” B&W newspaper ad for this guy who sells used car batteries.” Ohhhh thrilling. . .

But after months of working hard, taking on much more than I could manage (and managing to get it done) I’m starting to come into my own.

I recently got my very own assistant, just for me *squishy face* I mostly design websites for our company, or for hire. Plus I do whatever designs my company needs: Business cards, logos, websites, flyers, postcards, bookmarks, CD covers, DVD covers, web graphics, brochures, the list goes on.

It’s not a bad place to be really. Since I’m lead of the design department I can pretty much do as I please as long as the work gets done, my bosses actually listen to my opinions, and I don’t get much supervision. The pay defiantly isn’t where it should be, but in this economy I’m just glad to have a job to go to everyday.

I have done some freelance jobs, mostly through my connections at my old college.

I’ve finally learned how to relax when I go home, not take work home with me, and my creative side that had been eking for a while now is coming back.

So that’s me, a graphic designer a year after graduation. I guess I can’t complain about my position since I keep seeing my classmates at jobs they are way too talented for, (i.e. fast food joints)

So, Mr./Mrs. Graphic design student, what do I have to say to you? I can tell you I know how you feel, you’re so uncertain about graduating, leaving the nest. You want to get that diploma so bad, and at the same time you don’t want to ever leave school.

**10 THINGS I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME BEFORE GRADUATION**

1.) Be excited about going to work but don’t romanticize the workplace.

Most likely you will NOT go to work in a big glass building with modern furnishings and be surrounded by witty dry humored co-workers. And no, you will probably not be designing things like those big artsy projects you made in college, at least not at first.

Your first job will probably be in a small company, or you will be a very small fish in a very big pond. You’ll get the shi*tty assignments at first.

HOLD OUT! Prove yourself and you will be given the better assignments. Don’t let the sh*t jobs kill your creativity, do what you can with what you have and better things will come around.

2.) You may be the top of your class, but the guy on the other side of the interview table may not see it. Remember, they don’t know you from Adam. Enter interviews with confidence. Don’t be cocky, but show you know what you’re doing. Go on as many interviews as you can, and don’t always jump on the first job offer.

3.) If you are paid by the hour you will not be paid for work you do at home, duh! It may seem obvious, but it’s a mistake we all make. We get an idea for a design and can’t wait to start. If you do it too much you may start doing more work at home than at work! Believe me, it will KILL your free time and your creativity. When you go home, relax. You are a professional, and should be paid for what you do.

4.) Don’t stop designing what you love. If you love to make logos but are paid to color correct photos, continue to make logos in your spare time. It doesn’t even have to be a real logo, just make up a company and do a logo! It will keep you on your design toes, and it could potentially be included in your portfolio.

5.) Don’t go off the grid! Even if you are paid enough that you don’t need freelance work, continue to get your name out there. Hand out business cards, let people know you are a designer. Network. Network online. Get a website and TELL PEOPLE TO GO THERE! Keep in touch with your teachers and classmates, they may bring you work one day.

6.) Never stop being a student. Keep updated on the latest technology used in your field or else some “young punk” will come up to you and ask if you’re up on CS 20!!!!

Look into other forms of design too. If you are a mostly print designer, look into web graphics. . .

7.) Sink most of that graduation cash into clothes. Pajamas may have been College chic, but your interviewer or new boss does not need to know you have duckie boxers.

Get clothes that are work appropriate for both liberal and conservative offices. Not all design jobs are in artsy companies, many jobs are to be had in traditional conservative companies.

You are a Creative, and people may forgive a little bit of excess in your wardrobe, but wearing a “HIM” t-shirt to an interview won’t fly no matter how trendy-artsy-emo-techy you are.

8.) Everything about school you used to hate, you are going to miss. There will be an emotional fall out once you graduate. It’s a fact, get used to it. Get everyone phone number now because people WILL scatter fast.

9.) Working with co-workers is different then classmates. Office politics exist in every job. Learn about everyone personality and their relation to each other discreetly but quickly. Lean to play the game as soon as you can.

I’m not saying be manipulative, just smart. Example: you immediately trust the woman in the next cubical because she has that “warm grandmother look.” Your boss yells at you about a deadline and you go looking for her comforting motherly advice. The next day the boss knows exactly what you think about him. Don’t let this happen to you, be smart!

10.) Never lose your passion for design. Never stop looking at design. Never stop feeling proud to be a graphic designer. Never stop feeling like one of those “special artsy persons.” Never lose confidence that you are a good designer.

NEVER FALL OUT OF LOVE



okay, you’re probably scared now. DON’T BE! It’s fun out here!! Not every day is a blast, but when it’s good, its goooood. Get thought the sh*tty parts. Yes there will be some, this is work after all. Live for what you love when it comes around.

Graphic designers have the best job in the world, we are paid to play around and create stuff all day!! If you’re good at it you tent to get promoted FAST, and you have the potential to make a lot of money after you’ve established yourself. I now a guy who got paid $20,000 to design a logo, just the logo!!! And it probably took him a few weeks of planning, and 15 minuets of computer work. Work hard enough and you’ll someday price gouge people like that too: D

DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE COMING INTO YOUR OWN BABY!!

Hi everyone. Hope the holiday were wonderful to you. I don’t know what it is about a new year that makes you want to update... but anyways.

I know it seems I've dropped off the face off the earth, but believe it or not I'm still here. I feel like I've been really really busy, but then again I'm screaming at myself that I don’t have more to show for it. Go figure.

It's been crazy here, which might explain my absence. Everything from mundane work, to being displaced from my apartment while a leak was fixed, to both my printer, scanner, and tablet going dead AT THE SAME TIME!!!!

The above reason explains why I have so many hand drawn charcoal pics going up this update, and also because 'tis the season where I get a lot of requests for them. This holiday I did a B&W zebra for commission, a portrait for a friend, a portrait for my boss (which I sadly do not have a copy of,) and a portrait of a woman’s pregnant belly (a first for me.)

I also have an awesome new logo to unveil that I designed for a record lable, you know how I love my logo’s. Been doing a few websites, including my own finally. Check it out at [link].

I did get a new scanner/printer and tablet for x-mas, and believe me I’ve been testing it out on some sketches I’ve had laying around ever since my scanner went dead! More to see later.

Yes that's right. I have the paper to prove it even!

Long story short, I've graduate with an A.A.B in Business, Majoring in Graphic Design.

I have my first job working at a newspaper. My jobs there are many, from laying out text, to ad creation and matinence, and a lot of web design.

I'll also be available for freelance.

Some of you may have been redirected here from my new website. My website is now strictly to promote my Graphic Design career, personal art will not be featured there anymore as it was in the past. For now, this will be the place to see my personal art. A few sites are still in existence as archives, such as the Nefret and Enid projects.

Much of the older art featured on my old website will not appear here, and will no longer be available. Sorry to any of you looking for those. They just needed to go.

So that's my speal. See you all in the future