Meet Qui

How old are you, and how many siblings do you have?

I am 15 years old and I have three younger brothers. 

What are your interests?

Pffffft, you think I could list all of them? I like blogging (a lot), all things nerdy, Harry Potter, Disney Movies, writing, blog designing, reading...etc. 

Favorite Subject in School?

Lunch. ;) Though, I'm home schooled so it doesn't make much of a difference. 

What got you interested in graphic design?

I'm one of those people that wants to try everything I see. Sometimes I'm really good at it, sometimes I fail epically. Thankfully graphic design doesn't seem to be falling in the latter category. Over the past month or so, I've found it's really fun and it relaxes me!

What am I looking forward to most about being part of this community? 

Advice!!! I needs it.

Fav program for designing?

GIMP and Microsoft publisher. 

Mac or PC?

I wish I had a mac. *sigh*

http://wearcapefly.blogspot.com/ (personal)

http://dandyblogdesigns.blogspot.com/

Photoshop vs. Gimp

I downloaded a free 30 day trial to Photoshop CS5 Extended. So, I am going to compare Gimp and Photoshop.

Price- Well, I would have to say Gimp's price is way better. On Amazon, Photoshop CS5 Extended is $999(ouch.). On the Gimp website Gimp is free.

Ease of Use- Gimp definitely has a learning curve. Sorry, but so does Photoshop. But, the good news is that Photoshop has tutorials on how to use it. Personally I have not watched any of these tutorials because its was easy enough to switch from Gimp to Photoshop. I would say Photoshop and Gimp have about the same Ease of Use although Photoshop would be easier to start out using because of the tutorials.

Look-

Photoshop

{via Google Images}

Gimp

{via Google Images}

I think the look of Photoshop is more professional but really personally the look doesn't really matter it is the program itself that matters.

Cool thing Photoshop has that Gimp doesn't- When using Photoshop you have the option to "Add to Swatches". Basically that means you can save certain colors you want. Which in my opinion is really helpful when you are designing. You can even name your swatches!

Overall thought- Get Gimp! Although I really enjoy using Photoshop CS5 Extended I would defiantly say it is not worth paying nearly $1000 for. Gimp is free. Seriously, the price difference is jaw dropping. The only reason I would buy Photoshop CS5 Extended is if I were opening a business. I would rate Photoshop CS5 Extended 3.5/5 Stars because of the price. 

Meet Gracie

How old are you, and how many siblings do you have?

I'm am 13 years old and I have 2 younger brothers (one is my twin!) and 1 younger sister.

What are your interests?

well, I love lots of things! but some of my main interests are photography, blog designing, singing, and acting.

When did you become interested in graphic design?

Um, about nine months ago. I was reading a friend's blog and saw the ".blogspot.com" in her URL, and I decided to check out this "blogspot.com" and i discovered that my mom had set up a blogger account back in '06. I asked my mom if I could play around with it, and voila! my blog was born. :) 

over the past nine months i went from knowing nothing about designing to changing my design every few weeks!

What are you looking forward to the most in being a part of this community?

Learning and sharing. Totally. I decided to join this little community to share what I know and learn more about designing from others.

What's your favorite program to use when designing?

Photoshop Elements 8

Do you have a personal blog we can connect with you on? 

 of course! you can find me over at my main blog, Lollipops and Cupcakes

Meet Sky

how old are you, and how many siblings do you have?
I have two younger siblings - plus a bunch of close friends that I call my unbiological family. :) If you divide 2 into 30, you'll have my age. ;)

what are your interests?
Lots of things! I love music, designing (obviously), writing novels, IMing friends, and talking on the phone (what teenage girl doesn't?). And of course, I love my Savior Jesus. I also take an interest in many things vintage or retro, and I like to wear Converse with anything.

favorite hobbies?
Pretty much all of the above. Writing and reading are two of the biggest. Plus, blogging. And designing. For me, designing is more of a hobby than anything else.
favorite subject in school?
Writing. :P And history. Those two are my favorites. As for Math and Science, well... not so much. :P

when did you become interested in graphic design?
Oh, goodness. A loooong time ago. Probably 2006 or 2007? Around the time I started blogging, definitely. I've been making graphics for all my numerous projects for quite a while.

biggest goal for this year?
To fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus.

what are you looking forward to the most in being a part of this community?
Learning new things, as well as being able to share what I know!

what's your favorite program to use when designing?
Adobe Photoshop, although my laptop is currently broken, so I haven't designed in quite a while. :( I miss it.

the big question - mac or pc?
(hint - if you answer "mac" you might be out of favor with me. ;) naw, just kidding.)
PC! I doubt my dad would ever let me get a mac. xD

do you have a personal blog we can connect with you on?

I have several! You can find me most often at my main blog, Further Up and Further In.

Fonts

Fonts. Something designers are constantly using. If your design is going to say anything, what font are you going to use to say it? Some of the fonts that I have found most common in the blog design world are the following:

There's nothing wrong with these fonts. They're all beautiful, but when you choose the fonts you're going to use in a design do you want a common one? Or one that will stand out as different? 

Granted, simple fonts like Century Gothic and Arial are great for the main text on a web page. In fact, I encourage you to use a simple and common one like that for the majority of the text. Why? Because it is easy to read and, I for one, don't like to be distracted by the font when I'm trying to focus on the content. 

When designing headers, buttons, banners, and other things that are meant to be eye catching, I think it is a great idea to use special fonts. I have found that when using more than one font for a design, opposites look best together. For example:

This is a combination that I find myself using most of the time. Personally, that is because I really like cursive fonts and all caps. =) Here are a few design examples.



Another combination is a unique & quirky font with a simple font.

This combination is more common, I think, because everyone wants a unique font. One that is different from anybody else's.

Wondering where to find fonts?
I've downloaded fonts from the following sites: dafont, fontsy, and Kevin & Amanda. These are all free font sites. (I would be careful with downloading from any site you're not familiar with. These three sites I haven't had any issue with, but still be careful. You don't want a virus or anything!)

There are so many fonts, how to decide which one to use?

I don't believe this is a life or death decision, I wouldn't spend hours contemplating it. =P  The most important thing is that your design reflects you. The fonts you choose are a part of the design, and therefore should reflect you. For example I came across a font that is really similar to my signature, so I use it for my blog post signature.

Kevin & Amanda also has a wonderful tutorial on how to use a cute font for your blogger post titles. The only thing I did differently when following her tutorial is my hosting site. I use Bravenet as my hosting site instead of Webs because it is sooo much faster.


Do you have any favorite fonts? font combinations? font sites?

Meet me, Emily Grace

How old are you, and how many siblings do you have?
I am sixteen, and the oldest of five kids. I have two younger brothers and two younger sisters. It is never boring around here! =D

When did you become interested in graphic design?
When I first started blogging, April 2010. I didn't actually create my own design until about September though. Since then I have learned a lot more than I ever knew was possible to create in a blog design. =)

What are you looking forward to the most in being a part of this community?
Learning. Learning from others, experience, and practice.

What are some designs you have created?
I designed both my blogs, a life worthy of the Lord and my photography blog. Go to my page [here] to see a list of other blogs that were designed by me.

 What's your favorite program to use when designing?
I personally use GIMP. I've never had an issue with it. =) (well, aside from misplacing the toolbox...but that's another story for another time...=P)

The big question - mac or pc?
I have a pc. I recently used my friend's macbook pro and LOVED it though...especially the mousepad. =P I'm very familiar with my pc and I have a feeling that I would be extreamly lost using a mac...

Do you have a personal blog we can connect with you on?
I have two.
 

You can always contact me via email too. [alifeworthyofthelord(at)gmail(dot)com]


In Christ,
Emily Grace

Hello!

Who are you?

Hi! My name is Emilie! I have been designing for under a year but have already learned so much! I hope to increase my knowledge through this blog by reading other peoples posts and contributing some of my own.

When did you start designing?

In October of 2010[or maybe it was November, I can't remember] I completed my first ever blog design. It took me eight hours. Although, I didn't care, I had done it! I have been hooked ever since.

Do you have a design blog?

Yes and no. No because I don't actually design other peoples blogs. I do custom design giveaways but I don't actually officially design for other people. Yes because I do have a design related blog. Sunshine Designs has tutorials, digital paper packs, digital elements, and a couple of other things. 

What program do you use to design?

Gimp. I would love PhotoShop but for now I use Gimp. I really like it. I am hoping to get PhotoShop soon but it is really expensive and Gimp works just fine for me.

Well, hopefully now you know a little bit about me.

Emilie

Welcome!

First post in the designer’s area…yes, it’s taken me a while. =D Now, I created this section of the site so that all the other talented designers out there could learn and teach others about designing. This is for you guys – any and all aspiring and experienced designers. We can all learn from each other.

So, because this is for you and about you, I’m going to turn it over to you. Any designers that want to can email me at beautyblogdesigns@live.com, and I’ll send you an invitation to have publishing rights just on this blog. If you have tips, questions, or just want to start a conversation you’ll be able to. The forums, though similar to this, will be more of an area for introductions and any questions/answers that can be quickly scrolled through by viewers. The blog will hopefully make things more personal, and be better for longer posts. (Plus, I think it’s just more fun to write blog posts than it is to write in the forums. ;))

Okay, now – if you’re interested in blog or website design, want to connect with other designers, and are willing to learn and help others learn, I’d encourage you to email me and receive publishing rights to this blog! =)

Using this and the forums will hopefully be a great help to you all, and be a way to connect with others on a personal and graphic design basis.

Can’t wait to hear from you all!