Do you have a graphics Degree?

[Blake Wright]

How many of you have a collage degree in graphic design or related field?

How many have worked as a apprentice?

Self taught?

[Shovelhead]

just before the MAC revolution.
Everything, including laying out type and rendering photos with a marker,
was hand-done.
That was 1988.

[WVB]

1) Associates in Commercial Art.
2) Never
3) Yes.

[OldPaint]

i have 2 yrs at PENN STATE as an art major, and was also the assitant to the art prof. he was mainly a potter and that was also one of the best things i did. but i had been drawing since age 4-5. drafting was required in high school 8-9 grade, but i took it 10, 11, 12, and then 2 yrs more after high school. worked as a draftsman for 4 yrs designing and building BUTLER metal building in maine.
NO
SIGN PAINTING, was taught to me by an old "shaky jake"
when i was 12-13, and the rest i learned on my own. have been full time in this since 1986.

[jayhawksigns]

I started the graphic design program at Pittsburg State University the year after high school. Unfortunately all of the intro classes where going over everything that I already knew and quit. I probably should of continued the program, because I am still learning new tricks that I can do with Photoshop that I might of learned there, but it was basically a waste of time for the classes that I did take.

I think that a business degree will do me more good now anyway.

[Billct2]

I also did all three.
Sign School..Butera Scholl of Art, but didn't go back for the second year, went to work instead.
Apprenticed. kinda, to several guys, but not true apprenticeship since I got paid.
Self Taught, the real education that sticks.

[Jillbeans]

I attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for six months, then got married at 19.
Never apprenticed.
100% self-taught (painting and even my stupid sign program and Corel)
But I owe almost everything I know about signs to the Letterheads.
Been at it for 21 years.
love....Jill

[Joe Madden]

I'm a self taught pinstriper, started at nine years old, i'm now sixty-two. I love paint :)

[Gino]

Want to know who can throw their weight around or not ?? :Big Laugh

Associates degree in Fine arts from an Art School and two years in Art Education. Decided I didn’t want to teach little snot noses, so I quit and went into sign making, since I had a little background in it from earlier years. Graphic Designers wasn’t even heard of, let alone an option back then. Aced all art courses I took, including pottery, OP. 3.7 cum.

Started at a sign shop as an apprentice and the guy died three weeks later. Made a choice to stay and learned by watching, because the other guy was always in a bad mood and grouchy.

Went from apprentice to journeyman, but never considered myself a master tradesman, because I’m still learning.

Self taught on many things, because that shop wasn’t full-service.

Completely self-taught in computers and software. Don’t know squat about what makes a computer tick, but I know my software programs inside/out.

Biggest help has been keeping open minded about everything around me, including the young guys in the shop. They are the future and tend to know the latest trends from color schemes to graphic designs.

:beer :beer these help a great deal, too !!

[derrickcurry]

Associate Degree in Multimedia Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. (I'm an application/web developer by trade, doing vinyl signs and stuff as a hobby) Been working with many different forms of commercial art as a hobby since I was a young kid.

[Sign One]

Except for acing art classes in High School my partner and I are self taught. He did go to school to be a neon tube bender, he is the natural artist, I am decent with software and layout.

[Derf]

#3

School!!!! What the hell is that... LOL I don't remember school!

I went into biz when I was 21 and learned quick! I took a short break to work for a huge company and as west coast Art Director I worked with Art Directors from Teleflora to Dole and learned a lot however they learned as much from me!

It don't matter where you learn as long as you learn and never stop.

[Sites&Signs]

Self Taught All The Way

[bcpop]

I lettered my first race car back in the early 70's when I was about 10 years old. I actually hand cut some vinyl back then too. I used the old shelf contact paper. Lettered signs, pinstriped at car shows, did a lot of drawing all through high school. Recieved a Scholarship from Louisiana Tech University to enter into their Graphic Design program. Due to other interest (I raced karts, sprint cars, late models, modifieds), I did not actually go into the sign business untill 1995, but it was always a side-line for extra money the whole time.

[Bigdawg]

Was taught graphic design and layout (with a T-square and triangle) as well as how to spec type at 17 by a perfectionist wench. Everything had to be perfect for her. Hated her guts.... but I would bow down and kiss her feet for the good solid education she gave me. (Thanks June Elisabeth!!!!!!).
Now 26 years later I still rely on the good basics she taught me. So no, I didn't have a formal school education or a sign apprenticeship, but working under her for 2 years was pretty darn close!!!

[Geary]

Associates degree in Illustration. Attended three different art schools. Began sign work in 1971 in a silkscreen shop while attending college. Basically did everything I could get my hands on that related to commercial art since high school. Learned the hand lettering trade from a hard core union trained journeyman Signwriter. When I became a journeyman and first lived and worked in Seattle in 1980 I was certified to teach apprenticeships through the sign union shops in the craft of Sho-card writing, gold leaf techniques, truck and window lettering, and gold leaf techniques.

I also minored in Fine Art and now in the process of fulfilling my lifelong passion of becoming a full time professional artist. I paint in acrylics and oils primarily. I also am a professional photo-realistic graphite artist getting commission work on a regular basis. My first show is in one month at the local regional/county Art Center and gallery.

[Whit]

Self taught,,, still learning,,, barely scratched the surface !!!
Started when vinyl was considered upholstery material !!!
Computers of today,,, then,,, took up a house size room
and worked on punch cards and had tubes that warmed up !!!
Still open a can of paint every now n then,,, take a whiff,,,
just to remember the good ol days (hahahahaha)

[High Octane]

Degree and worked in a sign shop for 8 1/2 years.

[LaKe]

I'll be getting my degree in roughly 10mos in Information Technology/Visual Communication (basically web design with a quick study in the techie stuff) after about 12 years of a variety of colleges. Pretty much self taught with OTJT picking up the rest. Have always been drawing, painting sculpting since I can remember.

Hey SitesandSigns I'm teaching you everything you know..muhahahah..just kidding. Gonna miss the shop.

[Great Scott]

I have a BFA in Illustration from Columbus College of Art & Design. Since then I've worked as a sign designer at three different shops, ad designer at a small newspaper, and a short stint as a picture framer at Michaels.

[PGSigns]

How is this for a background for the sign business. Drafting and art in high school, 2 years of drafting and design in collage, and then a 4 years apprenticeship at NASA as an Aerospace Engineering Technician. 17 years in wind tunnels and the last bunch of years doing structures and matetials research. Learned to hand letter in the late 70's while working in a marina and never used it after that except when painting racecars. Looked like congress was going to down size me a couple of years ago so I picked something I enjoyed and decided to take up signs. Now I have 2 jobs.
Jimmy

[Great Scott]

Just remember, this is the sign biz...it ain't rocket science. :biggrin:

[THATgirl]

Went to a community college for various art classes after high school.
Learned how to sign paint after I was hired as a signpainter for a drug store for banners, sho cards and end displays
started my own business in 1976
still at it....still learning.

[Great Scott]

At two of the three shops I mentioned I worked with guys who learned actual sign painting, in apprenticeship programs. I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything, but those guys had knowledge and skills that no college could instill. Any college taught art guy should seek out and learn from the old schoolers. If nothing else, you might get great stories about going "snapping".

[JJ]

Not exactly a graphics degree but...

BSEE. Classes in AutoCAD and Solidworks is as close as I got to graphics education.

[Rich]

I was lucky enough to have been taught by a 65yr.old Master Signwriter back in the early 1970's. Taught me everything from gold leafing to screen printing. He seemed to know everything about anything. He use to kid me about being too fussy when I was hand lettering. I remember him saying "you paint signs for signpainters". I worked on and off with him for the next 15 yrs. till he died at the ripe 'ol age of 80.

Nothing like on the job training!

-Rich

[gtjet]

Degree in Agronomy, nothing related to art, design.
Self Taught. No apprenticing, that would have been nice.
Self taught on computers by necessity after college.

My son is a natural at art but he is going in to mechanical engineering

Pearl is a High School Science teacher but she can really put thing together design wise, I just can not get her out here enough.

[Great Scott]

Hey gtjet, where exactly is WyoBraska? I'm just curious because I was born and raised in Wyoming (Casper to be specific). It's always good to see other survivors of the wind worn prairie.

[The dude]

I went to college for Hotel & Rest. Mang. went out and worked for a food broker in N.Y. Left there and went into the service got out in 3 years a 1st Lieutenant then opened my 1st resturant in up state N.Y. then bought a Hotel in up state N.Y. sold it and of course went to Fl. then managed a Hotel in Fl. went into another business sold it and bought a convenience store in Ar. (that state is terrible). Then moved to N.M. a great place to live..After Ar. my brain was dead so I tried to find something to do and my wife brought:signs101: home a sign for my birthday, I loved it and then went into the business not hoping to get rich and do just what I want, if I don't want to do a job I just tell them I don't want to do it. This is one of the best business I have ever done.

[OldPaint]

gino 3.75 here.....sorry! hehehehehe as the asst to the art prof, when he wasnt there for class, i taught, also we did con ed classes in the evening in the surround community.
we taught the people who started this pottery place.
http://www.newgeneva.com/heritage.htm
also iam a computer builder and iam the guy you call when youres dont work.(self taught)was introduced to computer in 1972, U.S.A.F.........IBM 1050-2, one of those card reader/card punch/2000 sq ft computer room. input was thru IBM daisey wheel typewriters.....

[iSign]

self taught

[geedub]

got my degree from google.com and f1 state.

Took some webmastering classes back in high school, they taught fireworks and flash. Then went to community college and took some more web classes, and a photoshop class. Started reproducing certain documents to see if it was possible. Found I was very good at this. Moved back to my home town 3 years ago and started working as an all around employee for a small sign shop (6 employees at the time). I was weeding/transfering/laying vinyl, then they hired someone and I was to teach myself how to layout and design all signs. I did that for a year and a half or so, till we moved to a larger shop. I'm the Digital Manager now and our shop has expanded in my direction 100 fold. When I started we weren't doing a whole lot of digital printing (even though we have an HP designjet 5500uv) because no one really know how to run it and design for it. I was forced to teach myself everything I could learn about digital printing and design, so that's what I did and that's what I do to this day, learn more every day. Now 75% of everything that comes through our shop is digitally printed. And we have 30 employees and bring in ~8mil a year.

[ovrcafnatd]

hehe I sleep with a signman! ;)

Self taught - and it's one major learning curve when you have to know a little
bit about everything (metal fab., carpentry, design/layout etc.)
My husband on the other hand has been making signs for about 18 years now I guess. He's a fabricator by trade.

I went to Rutgers for Psychology...got my degree, and then did a bit of grad work. Started working for a photographer (yeah,,,that degree really got some use ;) in NY to make some money to pay for that friggin degree and just stuck with it for about 6 -7 years.

Have done production/styling/assisting...we traveled around shooting portfolios for Hotels (www.loewshotels.com is one comp) with a group from a design firm...so basically an entire crew. It was FUN, but too much for me as I got older. OOOh getting long here....long story short, John (husband) always wanted to start his own side biz (already had a plotter)
Then one day the photographer and I got in a fight (think bros/sis relationship) - and now we have that biz for about 6 years, and John doesn't even know our customers anymore LOL
He will fabricate/install/pinstripe and I do the rest.
Sign message boards and every magazine and book I could get my hands on helped me out tremendously in the beginning, for John got pretty sick of me calling his cell all day asking him stupid questions LOL
uhmmmm what is 'contour' or 'trim'

:Coffee:

[vid]

Started with working on a BS in Marketing at Northern Iowa, then a blizzard and three days at a truck stop made me retink my life's choices. Moved to a warmer climate and finished college with a BFA/Drawing from Ariizona State...

First job as a graphic designer was as an undergrad working for the Chemistry Department at ASU drawing pictures of molecules. I was hired in '87 to work on a book celebrating the department's acheivements for the school's cenntenial in '86... LOL ....and I flunked Chemistry in High School.


Self taught on computers though.... still don't know anything about them.

[Jackpine]

B.S. in Art Education, M.S. in Art. 4 Years as Art Director Public non-profit art center...the second best job I've had. 4 years public school teaching. Self taught sign painter/screen printer started in 1972 after the army. Painted signs (best job ever) while I went to college and worked fulltime. Self taught computers and software.

[Gene@mpls]

Started in tech school for electronics- loved computers- took a year of programming (think fortran / bitran- ancient 1966 languages)- started a sign
shop with my daughter with no experiance at all in 1997- and never looked back. I love this business and it has been very good to us. Gene:cool1:

FRED- I FOR ONE AM LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR BACKGROUND??

[jenrood]

Talk about no training, my husband bought a cutter plotter to advertise his pressure washing company. He worked in a sign company for a short time. We out grew the cutter very quickly, we ordered a roland pc-60 I hope it serves us well until we can afford something better. We still have alot to learn but we are making money and having fun wlile we learn. What more can you want.:cool1:

[2NinerNiner2]

Self-taught. My first 'real' sign job was when I was about 12 or 13 years old. It was to correct a spelling error that the local sign painter had made on one of my late father's buildings :) ... see the other current thread on this topic :)

[gerald]

Combination of self taught and working as apprentice. The guy I started learning from quit about 2 months after I came to the company. After that I was on my own. I had worked with programs like Photoshop, Fireworks, A.I., and an few others. This was my intro to Flexi-Sign, ArtCam and AutoCad.

[Pro Image]

Self made Signillare..........I made my 1st MILLION in just 60 days and now I cant teach you how too, Just send me 1000.00 and you'll get my book and video...........ACT NOW don't let this get away................order now and receive a GOLD SQUEEGEE worth it's weight in REAL GOLD as a bonus just for ordering...............:thumb:


:Big Laugh :Big Laugh :Big Laugh


Associate in Drafting and Design(techincal design) .......Worked and worked to become the best that I can mostly on my own with a little(well alot) from a OLD BRUSH DOG......................Been after them MILLIONS for over 10 years now.....................:thumb:

[Craig Sjoquist]

Went to St Paul Voc. Tech taught by Mike Le Haune wow learned alot of hand lettering basics and layout& design he was a great teacher that was 1975 but started on my own a year before that and since learned every thing else on my own and still am with computers ... besides no shops gonna teach a 30 yr vet how to now lol .....THANK YOU & ENJOY LIFE

[mark in tx]

20 years in the school of hard knocks.
I started on my associates in graphic design a few months ago.

[Former member]

BFA from The School of the Art Institute Of Chicago. Focused on Painting, Lithography and Intaglio Etching with a Little Graphic Design. Iwas pretty anti-computer in college way back in '94 :). But bought my first Mac in 96 and taught myself photoshop & illustrator and the light went on. BS'ed my way into a graphic design postiton at an ad agency but hated the cubicle and constant deadlines. But I loved doing the graphic design work...

As far as signs go... self taught and still learning every day

[OldPaint]

Started in tech school for electronics- loved computers- took a year of programming (think fortran / bitran- ancient 1966 languages)- started a sign
shop with my daughter with no experiance at all in 1997- and never looked back. I love this business and it has been very good to us. Gene:cool1:

FRED- I FOR ONE AM LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR BACKGROUND??
fred is in the witness protection program and hidin out from GINO'S FAMILY......hahahahahahahahahaah

[kazoosigns]

Took some graphic design classes in college, but focused more on lithography. Got a BA in Art and then worked at a newspaper doing ads. After a year, got my first sign job, which was a complete eye-opener. College classes may teach you how to layout designs for print and such, but there's a whole different mentality when it comes to signs hanging 10 feet up on a 35mph street that they just never tell you about.

[Blackberry Jam]

2 degrees-- Associate of Art, and a BA with a Graphic Design emphasis

apprentice to an old signpainter who taught me how to pull a brush

self taught or self maintained in many areas.

[Inkfish Graphics]

17 years of hands on.

[GraphixCALC]

I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology and have worked in Aerospace most of my "career" life. Beyond college I also have taken classes in Excel and Unigraphics. I've used several design programs such as AutoCAD, CaiCE, MicroStation, SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Unigraphics and a little CATIA. However, all of my "sign" training has been self taught after some fear of downsizing in Aerospace. I went full-time in my sign business for most of last year, but have recently went back to Aerospace...hopefully temporarily. I owe a lot to this forum and others similar to it. I've made some good friends 'round these parts and look forward to learning lots more as I go.

[Mark Fair]

2 years, University of Alabama, Commercial art.
Started toying with sign painting at age 14.
Worked 10 years as a billboard painter.
My own business started 1986.

I learned more about sign painting and pictorial art working in outdoor advertising.

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Self taught, (pre computers), the school of hard knocks, and letterheads taught!

[SirSlarty]

Associate's degree but the school was worthless except for one techer so I was basically self taught but can't officialy claim it..

[kgirl]

married into it

[tyans1]

Started as a Technical Illustrator in aerospace. Spent a year producing one of the first 4-color magazines from the Windows platform. A couple of years working for Micrografx software company showing the PC could do what the MAC could do. A few years putting it all to use as a PC prepress specialist and 9 years producing the first bus wraps for Greyhound. Now I am starting my own company producing anything I possibly can. Guess I became middle-aged and over qualified somewhere along the line.

[technowolf]

Did 1 year in sign shop.....then took courses(photosop,illustrator,flash,dreamweever.... ) the reste is all hands on, books, and sign101.com :)

[markz]

i not one to bring attention to myself.....but i happen to sport a Phd in the sign business-post hole-digger !
self taught & still learning, just over 30 years....dang !
vid, i love your avatar, we have a maltese but i use yours to send pics on e-mails thankz! Z

[Just Another Sign Guy]

i have a couple stamps on my a$$ my first was in graphic design and commercial art, but in all honesty i learned more actually working in our family sign shop and my own, but i was also very immature at the time and did not take complete advantage of the education i was offered, young and dumb.

I returned to college and studied marketing and business a few years later which helped me in my own business much more than my previous study of commercial art.

i personally believe that if you truly have the desire to learn you can learn as much on your own by challenging yourself to constantly learn something new, especially in areas that you have deficiencies in.

[signsbydale]

Degrees in machine shop, welding, & sheetmetal. course work in Photography and art. BS degree in Computer Science and Mathmatics. Masters in teaching Mathmatics started (the college closed). Don't like teaching high school but Jr. college is OK.

Learned sign making from my kid brother who was self taught since he was 6 years old. I had to learn a lot on my own but he was there to answer questions for me.

[stip]

No degree either. I've always been interested in the carnival business and never had the talent to paint rides. So I bought a vinyl machine and a cargo trailer and took my business on the road.

[RubberDuckyDecals]

1. nope
2. nope
3. you betcha! Did my first pro job in 1985. Used to use a copier, an exacto, and a bottle of whiteout to do my typesetting because I couldn't afford letraset type sheets lol. The logo I did in 1985 is still proudly used even after 4 different owners of that business over the years. btw, I was 15 when I did that and i'm still doing pro work today.

[Mardi]

2 year degree from grapic arts school with major in photography.

go figure....

[gtjet]

Great Scott, we live in Scottsbluff about 18 miles from the Wyoming border. Jackie Neubauer (Longnecker) and her husband Jim are our kids godparents, she is from Casper and her father taught at the High School. Pearl and I were both at UW and I that is where I graduated from. Have a lot of friends in Wyoming, it is truely an American Hidden Gem if you know where to gol.

[graphixtogo]

i have 2 yrs at PENN STATE... Are you sure you don't mean STATE PEN???

he was mainly a potter and that was also one of the best things i did... Is this a typo or a THC induced slip-of-the-finger????



Sorry OP... Couldn't help it! It just seemed too easy!


:Big Laugh:Big Laugh:Big Laugh:Big Laugh:Big Laugh:Big Laugh

[ATXsigns]

BSEE, 14yrs in semiconductors. Self taught with graphics apps, have a vinyl cutter and heat press. Merging this with my pool hobby to offer pool-theme shirts, team signs, decals etc on the side while tuning in my skills as a backup if my job is pushed to Malaysia, which is pretty likely. :P

[jiarby]

I was an music major then and IT guy for about 15yrs, the morphed into websites (& bitmap graphics) and last year we bought this shop and I was thrust into vectors. Mostly the same, files are bigger.

None of my customers ever asked me if I have a degree. Just like a music degree... you either have the chops or you don't.

A graphics design degree is probably more valuable than a music degree, there is alot of mechanical & technical things about design that you can learn from reading/practicing. But, at the end, you either have it or you don't.

I have learned that I don't.... but I am a great mockingbird.

[petepaz]

took commercial art at morris county technical school 1987 1 year
and graphic and commercial art at joe kubert cartoon and graphic art school 1990 1 class at night
and back then they where not teaching any computer stuff
self taught in that department

[digitalgraffiti]

No degree but several years taking course relavent to industry.

Took a four year apprenticeship program in what was one of the top ten printing companies in the country in New England-at the time.

Apprenticeship taught, taught by very skilled people interested in producing quality product and self taught (if you aren't going to increase your knowledge about your field, why are you in it?)

[blackicefx]

went to school for a year for Computer Animation and Graphics. Years later, went for a year and a half focusing on Business Graphics (combo of Business and Graphic Design). The rest is self taught or undercover surveillance of other designers :Big Laugh

Matthew
BlackIceFX

[Ken]

I can never understand how anyone could presume to teach "art". In any form.
WE can look at what was done before, by other "artists" and emulate (copy) their style.
It's like white Rappers in Canada...how lame is that?
Graphic artist of all time.. Maurits Cornelis Escher...but even he "studied" art.

"The rest is self taught or undercover surveillance of other designers"

Ken

[Dave Drane]

Why do people drag up these ancient posts???? ya must be bored outa ya brains finding this old ****e!!!

[Pat Whatley]

It also goes to show you that teaching art, or going to school for art have nothing to do with whether you have any talent or not.

[KR3signguy]

Associates in graphic design &
BFA, Massachusetts College of Art
& never ending on the job learning.

I want to go back for a masters but my little girl needs her daddy more.
Maybe in 10 years...

[Graphics.Atl]

I have an associates degree in the engineering field, worked with computers since I was 5 or 6. Self taught Flexi-sign Pro and still learning as I go, been in it for 3+ years and loving it, just made it my full time gig.

[Rollie]

Sign and Graphics degree with a business major from the School of Hard Knocks.

Seft taught but I ended up teaching a Corel Draw course at a local community college.

[flyinhawaiian968]

Wow! Glad I'm not the only one here who's an old **** in the field! Some of y'all make me feel young!!!

Me? Started on a Mac IIcx in '88 under the wing of a somewhat known graphic artist in Honolulu. Moved on to typesetting at a local printshop, was also taught me to run that POS ABDick 360 with a T head! A year later I got a break and went to work at a service bureau doing traditional camera work (linescreens, negs, 4 color seps, etc). That's where I picked up the PC side (owner ran the mac side, hated pc's!), running jobs for CorelDraw 2 and 3 clients!

I did t-shirt designs for 3 years, then moved to the mainland. Ran a small print shop in Des Moines, IA, then went to work for a sign shop there.

Moved away and did web design, hated it. Got a job at a local newspaper company in SoCal, then joined up with a publishing company. Worked there for 7 years, leaving as the senior graphic artist (as well as the temporary network admin for 2 years since nobody was able to keep it going and kept getting fired!).

Finally decided to go back to school at Portland State, but with the market dying and me runnin' out of money, said screw it and went back to sign work.

Opened my biz in '05 and haven't looked back! Mostly self-taught, with a lot of college time (but never finished my BA)

Chris