I love Graphic Design with all my heart but I seriously can't draw I'm trying to teach myself any ideas? Does anyone know of any books that really help or should I just trace a lot? I was told that tracing teaches your mind the type of shapes to draw to get a finished project so yah just wondering any input wud be great thanks!

PRACTICE! DRAW ALL THE TIME!

That is the biggest piece of advice I can give.

I used to draw all the time, but as soon as I was introduced to a computer my skills faded. Now I barely draw at all. However with a bit of continual practice I believe I could get up scratch again.

Tracing can help, but copying a picture instead of tracing will help you more as you learn to see how an image is composed.

Keep a sketchbook handy at all times or a camera so you can draw from photos.

thanks I appreciate it I needed some encouragement

Not a problem, glad I could help. Post some of your drawings we'd love to see them.

ya i always keep a sketchpad with me.......as a kid think about all the things you had to practice before you got good at them.......then think about all the things you have never even tried to draw. i found that i try and draw one thing a billion times until i am good at drawing say doors. and then i work on something else
everything is made up of different elements, and it just takes a lot of practice...

Right on, draw as much as you can. If you are looking to draw figures then I suggest a couple books by Burne Hogarth, Dynamic Anatomy and Dynamic Figure Drawing. Study as much as you can and practice, especially perspective. If you can take some classes with a professional even better.

Definately a good book.

I have this encyclopedia from the KONEMANN series and I can highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Human-Anatomy-A ... 466&sr=8-1

Seriously you guys are amazing thanks for the help! My graphic design teacher wasn't even this much help thanks so much!

The one thing i can say that has helped me tremendously throughout my career so far is that about 2 years ago I took an art class. Throughout the full class we spent the majority of the time learning about shading and shadows. How to accomplish a realistic drawing without using lines.. just shades. It was annoying as heck!!! BUT... sooooo worth it. Now when i draw or work on a piece i am confident with shadows and shading and lighting.

You don't have to be able to draw to work this type of career, but it certainly can help.

I just finished my drawing I class. It was amazing. I learned so much. One of the books we used, my favourite one was HOW TO DRAW WHAT YOU SEE by DE REYNA. I would highly reccomend you to get it!

You don't need to know how to draw to be a graphic designer. There are tons of really good designers out there that don't draw and they do just fine. It's nice to have that skill but unless you are trying to be an illustrator it's just not a necessary.

Anytime that illustration work is absolutely needed in a project you just collaborate with an artist that works in the style of illustration you need.

Drawing, like any other form of creative expression, is a great way to broaden your talents as a designer. If you have a passion for drawing I'd recommend you dive in.

All that said, I agree with Burn Creative: knowing how to draw is not a necessity to be a successful designer, although it couldn't hurt. I've never taken any formal drawing course, and in all of my years of being a designer I've never needed to draw anything for a client. Instead, I've just hired illustrators to take my vision and draw it for me. If I learned to draw better it would probably save me some time and money - I guess I'd just rather invest my time elsewhere.

What I've found that often makes the difference between a successful designer and one that does just okay is the ability to market and sell her/his services. It's crazy, but I've seen designers who weren't as creatively gifted do quite well because they were able to effectively target and sell to people. Anyway, just my take.

jeremy
http://beingastarvingartistsucks.typepad.com

Sketching is a skill that you would want to keep fine tuned. It is certainly an asset to your skill set and could reap some benefits in the future. Most of the people I know that sketch turn out to be very good illustrators. Ever heard of a Wacom Tablet its a piece of hardware that would be ideal for you. I say continue to keep those skills fresh and intact.

i honestly think that your ability to draw has LITTLE to NOTHING to do with graphic design. i never make sketches of the graphic im going to design, i just open up photoshop and design it. im ok when it comes to drawing but it doesnt in anyway affect my graphic designing abilities.

when you draw with a pen and paper, or paint and a canvas, it is a completely different type of art then when you're using your mouse and a graphic program.

if you cant draw, DO NOT GIVE UP. no matter what people say. you can still be an awesome graphic design artist.
i think if you're that good at drawing, you should stick to painting and sketching and not so much computer graphics.

I am glad you asked this question. I wondered the same thing!; and I am actually working on a thesis project for an Imaging Major. My project addresses the effect that the computer has had on art and design, and the concepts which allow people to learn hand drawing techniques. I plan to design an online instructional guide to drawing/sketching using a graphical interface; which hopefully will allow for universal application.

I believe that the computer is great for speed, reproduction and a clean professional feel. However I feel that drawing by hand is definitely a necessity which should be the foundation of any design project. I am often guilty of designing on the computer without sketching first....but I know that when I sketch out ideas first, my project is always better, because i could always look back at my original idea and understand what it was, that I was trying to accomplish initially. Sketching allows for quick changes and gives you a way to express something fast so that you don't forget your idea while trying to play around with filters and effects and searching through menus and multiple windows.