Does a Graphic Designer Need Drawing Skills?
Watch this video from a renowned designer in the “material” section and decide what the answer should be.
Do I Need to Know how to Draw to be a Graphic Designer?
Graphic design is one of the most growing fields of study. It allows you more creative freedom than virtually any other job. It comes with the potential for a high salary and plenty of room for career advancement. It is also one of the most in-demand skills around the globe. So, it really makes no surprise that more and more people exploring becoming graphic designers.
If you feel you have artistic talent in creating images, photos, and videos, you probably want to know more about what a graphic designer’s job includes and how to become a pro graphic designer. One of the most frequently asked questions about graphic design is whether you need to be a good drawer to be a great graphic designer.
Drawing & Graphic Design
Should I Learn how to Draw?
While not necessary, knowing how to draw can be an advantage in graphic design. You may not use drawings in your work but they can help you better express your ideas while you are still in the creative phase of a project.
Many graphic designers are reluctant to give drawing a try because they believe that you are either simply born talented or you can never know how to draw. This is a common misconception about drawing. Learning how to draw is not complicated; it just requires a lot of practice. On the other hand, once you immerse yourself in drawing, you will realize just how educational and fun it can be.
Becoming a Graphic Designer with Teens Computer School
If you want to become a professional graphic designer, we can help you turn that dream into reality. With our Graphic Design program, you will learn all there is about graphic design, photoshop, desktop publishing, and even web design basics.
By working on projects and building your portfolio throughout the duration of your studies, you will also be fully prepared to join a digital media company as soon as you receive your Certificate or Diploma.
You don’t need to be a fine artist to be a graphic designer. While the ability to draw, paint, or create in any of the other traditional artistic ways can help your graphic design career, they’re not requirements.
Graphic design is more about combining elements such as type, photos, illustrations, and color to create effective messages. You don’t have to create these elements yourself.
In many cases, an artist will be hired to create a painting, illustration, or drawing for a project; these works are then handed off to the graphic designer to incorporate into the piece.
Where Artistic Talent May Help a Graphic Designer
In some cases, you might create your own illustrations, drawings, and paintings, but it is not considered an essential part of a designer’s skill set. These capabilities can set you apart from other graphic designers, however, helping you to land jobs and move up the pay scale.
What you do need is an understanding of the artwork that may be incorporated into your work. Creativity to bring it together with other elements effectively is important, too. Lastly but most importantly, your understanding of color, shapes, lines and other design elements is crucial to developing a piece that conveys the client’s message.
This all leads to the reason designers are often considered creatives rather than artists: You must be creative in your job, but you don’t necessarily have to create art. This group in the advertising industry also includes art directors, photographers, videographers, and other professionals that you might be working with.
Illustrators vs. Graphic Designers
The commercial artists who do need artistic talents are the illustrators. As a graphic designer, you’ll likely be asked to work with them for your designs. Some graphic designers also illustrate, and some illustrators also dabble in graphic design. The two specialties are related, sometimes intertwined, but not necessary for success in either type of work.
Illustrators are tasked with creating original pieces of art for use in graphic designs. Quite often, these are larger projects for which the budget allows this extra (and usually, considerable) expense. For instance, illustrators often work on album or book covers, and many regularly work for magazines. The New Yorker is a perfect example of a publication that regularly features illustrations by very talented artists.
Quite often, illustrators work through agents that help them get work. Depending on the types of projects you work on, it may serve you well as a freelance graphic designer to get to know some illustrators or agents. Just as you may have your go-to offset printer or photographer whom you recommend to clients, knowing an illustrator or two will be a useful addition to your network.
