High End artwork question.....

[XG Print]

We are constantly doing the standard 1,2, and 3 color spot jobs as schools are our major customers but I am starting to get some requests for higher end stuff like what I see Brandt and some of you other guys on here doing.  (Yall's stuff is incredible by the way and I love seeing everyone's work in the What have you printed lately tab.)  I have a lot of shops and guys who run dirt track and such that I talk to quite frequently.  Anyway I am pretty good with Corel as it is all I have ever used but I have an itch to either learn PS or AI and learn to do some of the higher end stuff I see you all doing.  I know this is not an over night thing but where could I learn to do this type of art and would you guys go with the AI platform or the PS platform for this?  We are PC based shop if that matters.  Thanks for any suggestions you guys may have..

[Sbrem]

there are a ton of vids on Photoshop and Illustrator. Adobe's website has tutorials, Lynda.com has some as well. You want to learn to use the tools pretty much the same way you do in Corel. Though I'm not a Corel user, all Mac, it is fully capable of producing high end art. Check out Advanced Artist, a great Corel resource, as far as I know anyway, I don't use it.

Steve

[GraphicDisorder]

Thanks for the compliments. We use high end PC's and we use Adobe products. I am sure it could be done with Corel but for what its worth and this may just be a coincidence but every thing we've ever gotten from a Corel user to print done in similar style is always less detailed and less "put together". Just something I noticed over the years.

[3Deep]

I will say whatever program you are more comfortable with will work, I've seen some killer work done in corel as well as Illy/photoshop, I prefer Illy/photoshop because that is what I learn first.  Your skill level on either platform is going to determine your final product, yeah like Brandt side, maybe not in detail for me but I don't like the colors in corel but that's just me.

[Wildcard]

I'd say keep the challenge focused on your goal. Don't try learn new software at the same time as trying out new art techniques.

[Homer]

Totally possible in Corel. Check out Joe Diaz. That guy can put many photoshop guys to shame...it's all done in corel.


I would check out Advanced Artist's stuff, his plug-ins are really useful....the program is just a tool, it doesn't do the work for you so don't think once you learn photshop you'll be spitting out crazy "high end" stuff...

[Frog]

The OP is also bringing up another issue. Raster vs. Vector. "I have an itch to either learn PS or AI"
Both brands have both type of programs. Though Adobe's Photoshop is the standard of raster based graphics programs, CorelDRAW's included Photopaint, in the right hands can produce similar magic. Same can be said of the vector based Illy vs. DRAW.

[aauusa]

we use corel and PS for our artwork.  I have AI but hate it and never use it if I can get away with it.    all of our full dye jersey work is done in corel and they are detailed.  But if you are good at corel and just looking to do color seps the look at Advanced artist as others have said.  his program is good but if I have to do complex seps then I design in corel and save as eps to PS and there I separate using T-seps.   this method work great for us.

[Prince Art]

I can't speak to what's best for high end art, just my take on the applications: I started with Corel about 10+ years ago. I liked Draw well enough, but kept finding myself using an old copy of Photoshop Elements to deal with raster images. I just thought it was more intuitive than PhotoPaint. Then I switched to AI & PS for real, and definitely found the same thing. Adobe had just laid things out so well, especially in PS. And taking images back & forth between PS & AI has always felt smooth, too.

Of course, an experienced user can do great things with either. But my preference is Adobe; for me, for what I do, easier to use, more intuitive. (And a larger community for support, so easier to get questions answered on the fly with a quick web search.)

One thing I miss from CorelDraw- the manual kerning options for text were a lot easier to use than AI. But that's seriously the only thing I noticed lacking after switching.

[Dottonedan]

I can't speak to what's best for high end art, just my take on the applications: I started with Corel about 10+ years ago. I liked Draw well enough, but kept finding myself using an old copy of Photoshop Elements to deal with raster images. I just thought it was more intuitive than PhotoPaint. Then I switched to AI & PS for real, and definitely found the same thing. Adobe had just laid things out so well, especially in PS. And taking images back & forth between PS & AI has always felt smooth, too.

Of course, an experienced user can do great things with either. But my preference is Adobe; for me, for what I do, easier to use, more intuitive. (And a larger community for support, so easier to get questions answered on the fly with a quick web search.)

One thing I miss from CorelDraw- the manual kerning options for text were a lot easier to use than AI. But that's seriously the only thing I noticed lacking after switching.

Take I-beam and click inbetween two letters. Hold down alt/option key...use and click left or right arrows.

[tse1990]

there are a ton of vids on Photoshop and Illustrator. Adobe's website has tutorials, Lynda.com has some as well. You want to learn to use the tools pretty much the same way you do in Corel. Though I'm not a Corel user, all Mac, it is fully capable of producing high end art. Check out Advanced Artist, a great Corel resource, as far as I know anyway, I don't use it.

Steve

I'm currently running through some Lynda videos on AI made by Deke McClelland. I started on Corel but after a week of these videos, I am shifting entirely to AI for creating art. Intuitive flexible tools and dynamic work space plus the streamlined import process from PS for sim sep jobs makes AI a valuable program for creating and handling high end art.

Lynda is doing a 10 day free trial so you can get a taste for the material before pulling out your wallet.

[Prince Art]

I can't speak to what's best for high end art, just my take on the applications: I started with Corel about 10+ years ago. I liked Draw well enough, but kept finding myself using an old copy of Photoshop Elements to deal with raster images. I just thought it was more intuitive than PhotoPaint. Then I switched to AI & PS for real, and definitely found the same thing. Adobe had just laid things out so well, especially in PS. And taking images back & forth between PS & AI has always felt smooth, too.

Of course, an experienced user can do great things with either. But my preference is Adobe; for me, for what I do, easier to use, more intuitive. (And a larger community for support, so easier to get questions answered on the fly with a quick web search.)

One thing I miss from CorelDraw- the manual kerning options for text were a lot easier to use than AI. But that's seriously the only thing I noticed lacking after switching.

Take I-beam and click inbetween two letters. Hold down alt/option key...use and click left or right arrows.

Nice! Thanks!
That's what kills me about ALL of these applications: there's so much functionality packed in that there's always more they can do  - no one user has learned it all. (Certainly not this user.) 

[Sbrem]

After you get your feet on the ground, then check out what people who design for web and print (paper) do, and learn their techniques. Then you can sep in Photoshop or Illy if you set it up correctly. Learning outside of your wheelhouse can really change the way you think about what you already know how to do, and improve.

Steve

[lemorris]

I'd say, time in craft.

There's no "easy". You just gotta get down on it.

Art is a journey. It's not a button on your keyboard.

many have pointed to youtube and I concur.  Folks like me are setting up webinars though.  If you really wanna learn....hop on the train.  We'll get you there.  In the meantime...pencil-paper.  Learn there then apply digital.  there are no shortcuts.....Time in craft.

[starchild]

I'd say, time in craft.

There's no "easy". You just gotta get down on it.

Art is a journey. It's not a button on your keyboard.

many have pointed to youtube and I concur.  Folks like me are setting up webinars though.  If you really wanna learn....hop on the train.  We'll get you there.  In the meantime...pencil-paper.  Learn there then apply digital.  there are no shortcuts.....Time in craft.

I'm about 18 months now, getting it in.. I know the softwares well but never drew before that.. Never drew on paper either.. But I can now go from a concept to a full composition..

Art is a journey and what you learn along the way is it's language..







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