Graphics design...

Hey everyone,

As you can see by my post count, I'm new here, however I am really impressed by what I see in the way of some of the graphics work done by a lot of you around here. I am what I call a "web 2.0 style" designer, but let's not get in to the argument as to what that is exactly. I am not bad at making website designs with simple gradients and whatnot for affect, but when it comes to anything super detailed I just fail epically (logos, banners, etc).

An example about what I'm talking about
A website I designed is http://www.geeklayer.net/ - I made the design, but a different guy made the logo, live chat image, and the "Want a VPS that SCREAMS" banner.

My question to you is: How did you get started learning your graphics design techniques, and where do you get your inspiration?

Thanks!

Started learning mostly from reading Photoshop tutorials on the internet and following them to learn how all the tools in PS work ect. - get my inspiration from almost anything, websites, design magazines, movies, artwork ect.

I started learning my skills by playing with the tools, I then read/wrote some tutorials, experimented with other applications, and most importantly I found my style. As far as inspiration, just look around, the world is full of it.

Try and look for online designing magazine sites and blogs. They have lots of resources and inspirational articles and stuff..

One that I go to every now and then is http://smashingmagazine.com

with photoshop, i just learned from tutorials on the web as well as books. for design ideas like logos, i tend to sketch them out in a sketchbook and once satisfactory, i translate it into photoshop.

I started young and was inspired by other websites. Just playing around with free tools on geocities/yahoo and then I started using WYSIWYG editors..then the more I surfed the more I started to getting into photoshop and notepad.

Many of my image creations (not styles) purely came from motivation in creating bulletin board images which the backbone of all my creations are down to experimenting and perseverance. Starting out using free applications shortly migrating to mid range commercial software and ended in using the software I've been using for nearly 3 years which is photoshop.

my inspiration came from a lazy, sarcastic designer who I still look up to this day which he unknowningly has embedded the way I create my designs even to this day.

I looked at other peoples templates and tried to copy them. I was always fascinated in designing and how amazing graphics can be created. Im still in the learning process but ive learned all the basic techniques

I started when I was around 14, when I was in to Wrestling and E-Federations. I always wanted my own signatures and graphics for my roleplays so thats what started it.

Then I went on to create sites for my friends who also wanted their own 'federation'

I loved it. Self taught by just having an idea then seeing how it was possible, tutorials can teach you everything. As can playing around.

yea i learn alot of photoshop from tuts. but you have to have some kind fo creative view or else ull just be making the tutorial all over again.