[If you don’t want to read through this (little bit of text) then head straight to this link for a whole bunch of images to help you get the idea:
LOADS OF AWESOME EXAMPLES]

I’ve noticed that quite a few members are a bit befuddled by what falls into the category of Graphic Arts – so I’m going to have a bash at explaining (with a few pretty pictures of course!)

Graphic arts is a term applied historically to the art of printmaking and drawing. In contemporary usage it refers to the applied trade-skills of a graphic designer or print technician. The term can include the trades of lithography, serigraphy (screen printing) and bindery, among others. Graphic arts as a trade can be traced back to the first instances of the stamped image or word. (Wikipedia )

LITHOGRAPHY, SERIGRAPHY (SCREENPRINTING), TYPOGRAPHY, VECTOR GRAPHICS, LETTERPRESS, MIMEOGRAPHY, FLEXOGRAPHY, PHOTOCOPY, GRAVURE, FOIL STAMPING, EMBOSSING, ETCHING, WOODCUT, HALFTONE, INTAGLIO, STENCIL, DRYPOINT, to name but a few…

I guess the most important distinction between graphic art and other disciplines is the approach: A graphic designer (also known as a graphic artist and communication designer) is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and advertising. They are also sometimes responsible for typesetting, illustration and web design…A core responsibility of the designer’s job is to present information in a way that is both accessible and aesthetic.

So think of all the different printing processes out there – they don’t exclude the use of photography or illustration etc – but they instead utilise them in a new design piece. These are beautiful and artistic in their own right, and that is what this group is trying to celebrate. We don’t necessarily want to see the branding design you created for your local butcher, but a cool poster for your local theatre company might be just the ticket.

If you ask any graphic designer/artist if their friends and family could explain what they do – most would reply “Not really”. Which explains why books such as What is Graphic Design For? by Alice Tremlow are rather handy. Heck, I didn’t even know what Graphic Arts was when I started studying (or even when I finished really) – it’s a broad and complex topic. So don’t worry if you haven’t quite grasped it yet!

Here are a few more examples of what we’re looking for:

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LOADS OF AWESOME EXAMPLES
Take the time to look around and get a feel for what it’s all about. I really look forward to seeing your designs for the first challenge.

Remember to PLEASE LOOK AT THE CRITERIA before you add! BubbleMail me if you have any more questions or want to check that your design is right.

J

Crazy isn’t it!