Tina

This is a place to discuss how you've progressed into the artist you are today. When did you start? How did you decide that you wanted to start making graphics?

We are looking forward to hearing your stories!

madness

This is cool

I literally have the most uncool story ever. It was after I joined here and I saw really cool icons constantly and a lot of things I was fan of didn't have many and I'm too lazy to credit so I started making my own. It's only since like 2 years that they're actually looking okay.
Gifs is about the same story

Tina

Not an uncool story, Mel. That's awesome that you took the initiative to do things the way you wanted.

meraki

Thanks for starting the thread Tina

I started to make icons when I found a Swedish forum in 2005/2006. They had a Fan Art board there and I looked around and I just wanted to start making my own arts/icon So I got Photoshop Elements and started to work with it and then I just upgraded to PSC3 in 2008

room to breathe

I apologise in advance for this complicated story .

I have a friend and we have known each other since we were seven but I move around a lot so we found other ways to stay in touch. The first time I moved I was only around two hours away so could still see her, then I went a little further away which made it harder, and then she moved which put us at least five hours away so seeing each other became impossible. There were things like MSN where we could talk but she introduced me to a little thing called forums which had an added bonus of being a place where you can interact with others who love the things you love. Forums introduced me to graphics as they were pretty and used on them and I wanted to know how. Again my friend helped show me a few things and introduced me to programs which I could make some of my own. (At this point we ended up near each other again because as I said, I move around a lot ). Art, music, and writing has always been calming for me so this ended up being the same. It has become therapy for me (possibly the best) and helps to clear my mind. I started around seven years ago and just pressing buttons, using tutorials, and a desire to be better is how I progressed.


Short version: I found forums, I wanted pretties of my own .

Sweet Embrace

These stories are really interesting.

When I was 15 I was studying for some very important exams, and one of those days my brother and his friend were over. His friend does graphics and he was using photoshop. I was so intrigued that I had to give it a go. Within using it, I found it utterly gripping that you could do anything with the program, and when I wasn't studying, I was on that program. Around the same time I discovered forums so I found an outlet to show them off and have been doing it ever since. I've been on various different forums that I have grown old of, but my love for graphics didn't change.

Summer Falls

Wow awesome idea . ^ that's so sweet designing so much fun

. I don't know what made me want to do it but I use to do a lot of wallpapers back on paint of all my favourite actress and actors (keep in mind paint is very limited ) .. Than my sister got the program fireworks ( which my fave ) and I started playing around with it for fun and for my school work ( info tech I designed my own website ).. It was a serious thing until year 11 & 12 when I did VCD for school that I realise I enjoy creating in computer I learned to use photoshop a bit but I preferred fireworks so I varied between the two and I decided after year 12 to enrolee in a graphic course which I did and graduated with a degree and even though I don't want to do it as a full time job with the knowledge I learn I use I pt for this site and many boards that I love

DGSAFDMD

I liked to watch videos for shows so I searched how to do it, had movie maker back then *I was like 15* and used to do videos that way, then eventually became bored of editing video and wanted to edit pictures so I kept on using SV to color pictures and when I made a Tumblr and decided to make gifs I decided to finally use PS. Quite a meh story

Summer Falls

Wow I forgot about how I use to make videos not a lot but some took so much patience

DGSAFDMD

Too much patience, that's why I gave up tbh. If I ever try to edit a video has to be like a 1 min 30 sec tops.

Tina

All the stories are great to hear.

For me, back in 2003, I saw some CSI graphics and wanted to try and make some. I thoroughly sucked in the beginning, but as I grew, my artistic taste was better.

MyLastDayWithoutYou

I saw everyone on fanforum having these lovely icons, i decided to give it a try, and started to make my own

Tina

That's awesome.

Anyone else like to share?

albion_princess

When I started on different websites and forums I loved the icons and started wanting to make my own. I found out by accident how to make my screencaps from my DVDs, downloaded GIMP and just started seeing what I could make.

Tina

That's awesome.