Hi, I have a question for those who are graphically inclined.
I have the macromedia suite of products which includes Flash, Fireworks, and Freehand.
Here's the question, with these tools I'm sure anything is possible, but I don't think I am using them to their fullest extent.
I see people's graphics they are putting on the more modern websites these days, usually with a very well designed graphic at the top that boasts of very intriguing lighting, effects and shapes. To me it looks like a job for photoshop and some great photos, but I can't budget photoshop and I don't knowwhere to find photos...
So I am using Flash to design almost all of my graphics and exporting them into fireworks to optimize, this is good for some things, but often my designs look a bit cartoonish, pretty good, but cartoonish. So now I am trying to force myself to use Freehand more, or at least Fireworks.
The tutorials are long and boring, and I'm not even sure if they will be very helpful.
Here's one very important question, is Freehand even any good at all? It seems like it handles sloppily (altough I understand the why vector graphics are good, I use flash for em), I mean, I want to understand the benefits of trying to use it, and I don't see any yet. It just seems like a waste compared to other graphics programs..
Also, is fireworks any good for anything other than optimizing graphics? I have create some stuff with it, but find it less intuitive than photoshop (which I can't spend the money on now)- grr, I am in a design slump and looking at some of these incredible graphics some people up here are posting on the website reviews and template offers is beginning to discourage me. Any ideas designers?
I want to accomplish three things that I have trouble doing graphically- repeating perfect geometric shapes in patterns, making highly effected and effective looking blending techie graphics (seems like a job for photoshop), and using my tools to the fullest extent.
TIA

well dont underestimate Fireworks, it is a great program.....and far easier to use than Photoshop......

I would be happy to give you some help in Fireworks if you want.....I can also show you examples that I have done in Fireworks, and others that I have done in Photoshop......
If you are interested, just drop me a line.

cheers

MCP, your site is awesome!

Don't want to get into web site reviewing, but yes, I love it!

I really appreciate that encouragement. I just want to advance my skills so I can be known as one of the big boys (you know 2advanced, pixelbrick, etc etc)
I need to develop my style more and foster some more vision so I can get those really impressive graphics for the page headers on my sites and original table placement and color schemes for the content areas.

Maybe you should try Paing Shop Pro. It seems like a popular choice among many web designers.

I say this often, but look online for secondhand copies of photoshop version 5. Unless you're addicted to actions version 5 will do everything you need and then some. I only recently upgraded from 5 and the newer versions don't offer *that* much that a bit of time and effort will take care of. The basic tools are still the same.

The manual that comes with photoshop is enough to give you a solid education in what the program does. From there it's more artistic ability than anything else.

While I don't doubt some people find Fireworks easier to use, I'm not one of them. I'm like you and find it a very large optimizer and not much else. Anything else and I sit there stumped.

If cash is tight this might interest you as far as illustration software goes instead of Freehand:
http://www.zoner.com/
Version 3 is free and ver 4 is pretty cheap.

Greg Moore