How to Become Professional Graphic Artist in Nigeria

Deciding to become a professional graphic artist or designer is a great step in life. It is a decision that will change your life for good. Professional graphic artistry or designing is the process of visual communication.

Graphic design is a problem-solving effort that involves using one or more of typography, photography as well as an illustration to achieve a purpose. Graphic design is one of the computer programmes that many people need. If you want to learn how to become a professional in the graphic design, you are on the right path to success in life.

Steps To Becoming A Professional Graphic Artist In Nigeria

There are two ways in which you can learn and become a professional graphic artist. You can either learn this online or at a local center where people are being taught professional graphic design. If it is online, you can visit some websites where there are experts in the field of professional graphic design. While learning, you need to know the following concepts in the graphic design world:

Learning Shape, Texture, and Rhythm:

It is important to know the concept of color and how to use them. The color can make areas of a design pop off the page or ebb the background. In terms of texture, its use can improve the feel of a design. If the color is used effectively, there will be a good image.

Design Process/Tools

Before you can design on your PC, you must have installed the necessary soft wares that will enhance your graphics work.  In this process, make sure you can create thumbnails, refine sketches, and determine visual solutions in programmes. Each subset of design may have some slightly different procedures. So, ensure that your working methodology gives you uniqueness.

Professional Graphics Tools and Packages

Some of the soft wares you need for graphic design are:

Adobe Photoshop:

Although Adobe Photoshop is one of the software that is good for the beginners, the professional graphic designers can also make use of it. This can serve as a revision for some of the things that you have learned or will learn in the graphic designing class.  Remember that you can do some following in Adobe Photoshop:

1. Basic: This means you can do cropping, straightening, flipping as well as image rotation.
2. Blemish Removal.
3. Slide control to enhance the colors of the image.
4. Auto-fix.
5. Image rendering.
6. RAW photo support etc.

GIMP/GNU

This can be called a perfect alternative programme to Adobe Photoshop. This has a very strong support for the graphics packages community. If you commence your training with GIMP, it will certainly achieve the pedestal of being your main publishing tool.

Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is good for you if you want to use vector art to create logos, sketches, typography, icons, as well as complex illustration for videos or mobile. Illustrator is the best tool for you to perform those functions.

Inkscape

This is another tool to use to do some professional graphic designs. Inkscape is an alternative to Adobe Illustrator. This tool is good for Windows, Linux, OS, as well as Mac. This programme can come with awesome features like:

1. Keys to move the screen pixels
2. Ability to directly edit the source code
3. Fill paint-bucket with one click
4. Ability to edit clones on the canvas

Academic Certification Requirements to become Graphic Artist in Nigeria

The formal training, in school, requires you to pass at least O’level certificate. This means getting Senior School Certificate Examination Certificate either through West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO). The exam is compulsory for those who wish to get formal training.

After the O’level certificate, you need to pass Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to get admission into a high institution either polytechnic or university. If you are admitted to university or polytechnic, you must belong to the department of Computer Science, faculty of technology.

You must have chosen this department while filling your UTME form. If you do not have the chance of getting your training in the high institution, you can also enroll yourself in a technical college and be in the computer department. This formal training required rigorous reading throughout the period of training and you must be academically intelligent.

During your training in school, you will be permitted to go for an internship for about six months. This internship will arm you with more practical knowledge beyond what you learned in the class.

Things You Need to Start Learning Professional Graphic Design

Before you can become a professional graphic artist, you must have the following things:

A Personal Computer:

To be able to function well as a professional, you must have your own personal computer that will enhance your learning. It is important to own a computer because you need to practice what you have learned every time before you can become a professional.

Enough Fund:

Money is an essential ingredient of acquisition of knowledge. You need some amount of money to pay for your training, buy your personal computer. Sometimes, you will need money to buy some software and go online to do certain graphic designs works.

Benefits of Becoming A Professional Graphic Artist

There are so many benefits attached to learning graphic design, especially how to become a professional in the system. The following are some of the advantages of becoming a professional graphic artist:

1. Ability to Express your Imagination: This is a good computer programme that will enhance your creative intelligence. You will be able to turn your imagination into a reality.
2. Opportunity to Work with Reputable Companies: After your training, you will have the ability to work with the reputable companies. This opportunity will fetch you honor and money.
3. Opportunity to Meet Other Graphic Designers: While you are doing your training, you will have the chance to meet other graphic designers who are more efficient than you do. Meeting them will give you the opportunity to learn from them.
4. Ability to Freelance: You can freelance with some companies online and charge them for the services you render.

Summary

Becoming a professional graphic artist is very interesting. This is a business that can fetch you good money. It will make companies demand your services. If you want to learn computer graphics, you can go to traditional school or learn at a computer training center in your area. It is good to learn from a cosmopolitan city or town like Lagos or Uyo, where you can compete with some experienced graphic designers.

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