Show off your talent
If you use CorelDRAW or are a newcomer to this excellent program you have a chance of winning prizes by entering your best work in the CorelDRAW International design contest 2011.

The contest details
All entries must be submitted as a CorelDRAW® X5 or Corel® PHOTO-PAINT^TM X5 file.

For those who do not have access to these software programs, you may download the free trial version of CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X5.
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Corel states that there are 6 categories in this competition:

* Advertising/Marketing: Flyers, brochures, logos and other designs related to advertising, ….marketing or point of purchase (POP)
* Signs/Awards/Personalization: Designs to be used in sign ….making, engraving, awards, dye sublimation and other ….related industries
* Vehicle Wraps: Designs to be used for car, truck, boat or ….other vehicle wraps
* Textile/Fashion Design: Designs for fashion, embroidery and ….direct-to-garment printing
* General Illustration & Fine Art: Artistic, creative and unique ….designs
* CorelDRAW Marketing Campaign: Create a design to be ….featured in a CorelDRAW marketing campaign. Entries can ….be of any style, and will be judged on creativity and overall ….theme

There will also be student winners selected for each of the categories.

Prizes
Each of the winners will receive various software and hardware packages from favorites such as Roland®, Wilcom®, Euro-Systems®, Digital Designware, Apple®, Digital Art Solutions, Wacom®, Canon®, HP, Seagate® and Corel®.

The total value of all prizes awarded is over $75,000 US.

One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a Roland VersaCAMM SP-300i printer valued at $13,450 USD.

General submission guidelines

* The maximum file size for each entry is 50MB
* You may submit only one entry per category (total six)
* Individuals from certain countries or regions in the U.S. are not eligible to ….participate. (See full contest rules for details)
* Your entries must be created using CorelDraw X5, Corel Photo-Paint XB or ….the trial versions of these products.
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Contest links and details
This contest has no entry fee and ends on June 30, 2011.The following links provide additional contest information:

Official Corel contest website
Complete contest rules and guidelines
Online submission form
Complete prize list
Free trial CorelDRAW Suite X5
CorelDraw gallery

Graphic design school and design software
Enrolling in graphic design school is a large step in preparing for a career in graphic design. You will learn essential skills in using the best design software and hardware in the industry.

If you are a graphic designer who wants to increase your skill level and become more proficient in design software such as CorelDraw Suite, Photoshop Suite, and other cutting edge programs, speak to a graphic design college representative to see what courses are available.

Free Studio Space in New York City
Have you ever dreamed about working in a studio of your very own in a metropolitan setting where you could create, develop, and hone your artistic and design ideas?

The Triangle Artist’s International Residency Program 2011 offers you an opportunity to do this.

What the Residency Program is About
The Triangle Arts Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of emerging international and national visual artists. TAA states:

“The International and National Residency Program was created in 2003 to fulfill the need for more studio programs in New York City.

“Artists are provided with a free spacious studio ranging from 400-800 square feet.

“Each residency session includes Open Studio weekends with mailings and publicity and the possibility of a temporary exhibition.

“In addition, Triangle organizes visits from critics, curators and other art professionals.”

Artists selected for this residency will have access to the studios 24/7 for a period of 6 months.

General Rules and Guidelines
Triangle Arts is seeking visual artists that are emerging and underrepresented. The following are some of the rules and information regarding this residency program:

* You must NOT be currently enrolled in a degree program.
* You must be 18 years or older to be eligible for this residency.
* You may work in any medium of the visual arts.
* This residency is open to all national and international artists.
* Only studio space is offered for this residency program.
* Participants must arrange for their own housing, food, transportation, etc.
* You must utilize the studios at least 15 hours per week.

Submission Guidelines
For specific details about submission rules, visit the official contest website. The following are general rules for entries:

* Work must be submitted in jpeg format.
* Maximum size of digital work must be no more than 1200X1200 pixels.
* Resolution of your images should be 72dpi.
* You may submit up to 8 pieces of art for review.

Residency Benefits
In addition to a six month expenses paid studio, accepted artists will also benefit from an Open Studio exhibition of their pieces where the general public will be invited.

Resident artists will also be visited by critics, art curators and writers. This gives aspiring visual artists the opportunity to create social networks with those who are connected to the world of art.

Contest Links and Other Information
The deadline for application is February 28, 2011. Follow these links for further information regarding this residency program.

Triangle Arts Residency Webpage
Triangle Arts Mission Statement and Purpose
Submission Page / Entry Form for Artists
History of Triangle Arts Association
Contact Information
Triangle Arts Workshop Schedule

They’ve Got You Covered
The Tx Style Design Challenge, sponsored by Mannington Commercial, wants design entries from interior designers and architects for its new carpet products.

Six finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. Entries will be evaluated upon creativity, aesthetics, manufacturability and public reaction to the design.

What to Submit
All entries must be in digital format. According to the contest rules, the sponsors would like to see:

* A sketch or graphic design illustrating a carpet that you would like Mannington Commercial to consider for a new product line. A maximum of five (5) concepts can be submitted.

* An “Inspiration Board” or other type of graphic illustration(s) that serves as your creative stimulus for the proposed carpet design. Examples include images or samples from fashion, art, culture, nature, etc.

* Optional: Images or renderings of any product you designed prior to the start of this competition. ….The product can be purely conceptual, in development or fully realized/produced. It does not ….necessarily have to be a flooring product.

Prizes
Finalists (6) — Each of the six finalists will receive $3,000, be featured in a national advertising campaign, plus a trip to NeoCon 2011.

Grand Prize Winners (2) - Each Grand Prize winner will receive a full floor covering collection of their design, $6,000, and a trip to the Maison & Objet show in Paris, France.

Other Information and Contest Links
In order to be eligible for this contest you must be a practicing interior designer or architect. Students are not eligible.

Maximum file size for uploaded images is 1024KB. Artwork should be in jpg format.

All entries must be uploaded. No mailed submissions will be accepted for this contest. You must register to participate in this competition. The deadline for this contest is February 16, 2011.

There are no entry fees for this contest.

The following links provide more contest details:

Official Contest Website
Contest Overview Information
Terms and Conditions
Registration Form

When Pop Culture Becomes Fashionable
Do you have a favorite movie? Who is your favorite singer or band? What is your favorite fast-food chain?

Regardless of how you responded, there is a high likelihood that you wear or have worn a t-shirt that reflects an aspect of popular culture.
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Pop Culture and What You Learn at Graphic Design School
Television shows, movie characters, food products, and virtually everything under the sun have been emblazoned upon the fronts and backs of t-shirts at one time or another.

They are given away as premiums, used to advertise, and worn to make social statements.

Pop culture is a good way to glean ideas for your graphic design ideas whether it’s for t-shirt designs or a multimillion dollar ad campaign.

Graphic design colleges provide the career training to become a good designer; you supply the creativity by observing the world around you.

In our concluding article of Pop Culture Graphic Design and Funny T-Shirts we’ll show that famous people or things can serve as good subject material for t-shirts. Click on each image for more info on the designs.

Are You Psyched Up?
If you have ever attended a psychology class in school you are familiar with the work of Sigmund Freud. Freud was responsible for several new theories in human behavioral study and developed the clinical technique of psychoanalysis to help his patients overcome various anxieties and fears.

One of his major theories on how humans develop was based upon the mother-son relationship and how strongly this tie influences the future behavior of children and confidence levels even through adulthood.

One graphic designer used this idea to highlight this specific concept while having a little fun with pop culture vernacular.

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It’s So Surreal
Salvador Dali influenced the modern art movement by turning everyday scenes and familiar images into surrealistic art. Not only was he an exceptional artist, he also had a very eccentric personality and flair.

His trademark mustache seemed to serve as a visual statement about the artist’s perception of the world and his love of the offbeat.

One artist has made Dali the surreal subject of her t-shirt design. In this case, the artist has become the art. Dali would have been pleased.

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The “Invisible” T-Shirt
We’ve saved the best one for last in this article. Graphic designers should especially like this one.

If you’ve used Photoshop, you have undoubtedly used the little eraser to touch up your images or remove unwanted details for a quick fix.

But as all PS users know, by erasing part of the image, you get a checkerboard pattern in its place, which tells you that you need to fill the “empty” void with something.

Try wearing this t-shirt while walking around town. The ones who smile at you are the Photoshop users.

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T-shirts and Real Life
The lowly t-shirt serves as a reminder to all designers that our work permeates through all levels of society. In this series we’ve demonstrated that popular culture can be a viable source of inspiration for graphic designers and artists.

Your education at a graphic design school or college is important but your personal talent and eye for detail is crucial for being successful as a designer.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this series.

So until next time, keep on designing!

Funny is in the Eye of the Beholder
In this series of Pop Culture, Graphic Design, and Funny T-Shirts we’ve seen how modern media influences t-shirt fashion in a humorous way. We continue in part two with more examples.

As far as graphic designs a little humor, if used properly, can help a piece be memorable instead of forgettable.

If this premise seems doubtful, try to remember a recent advertisement on television. Usually, the funny ones tend to stick with you.

And now, we present part two.

Enjoy! (And hopefully laugh too.)
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“I’ll Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse”
Humor sometimes is based upon tragedy or misfortune. Why? Because everyone can relate to those situations. We’ve all had days where things don’t always work out.

The phrase above is from the movie, The Godfather. Here we see a graphic designer’s interpretation of what could happen if a barber had the ultimate “bad day” with Don Corleone, the boss of the powerful Corleone crime family.
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The Aliens are Coming!
Or perhaps we should say they’ve already arrived. In 1978 a stand-up arcade video game named Space Invaders swept the world and became an international phenomenon.

Millions of people fed millions of quarters into the coin slots of this game for a chance to shoot down the fast moving aliens.

The game was simple but addictive. And to this day, it is still played by gamers in its various iterations.

The movement of the little aliens was predictable and if you had quick reflexes, you could play for a long time.

The repeatable movement of the aliens had one graphic designer wonder, “What would a meeting of these aliens look like during a strategy session?” Here is the result:
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The Mummy’s Predicament
In pop movie culture there are films that define the monster-horror category. Movies such as Frankenstein, the Alien series, Friday the 13^th, the Twilight saga, and The Mummy are familiar to most movie fans of this genre.

In the case of the Mummy, tragedy hits home as the Mummy contemplates what to do to get out of a particularly embarrassing situation.
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Next Time…
We continue our quest to show you the humor of artists and graphic designers in t-shirt designs. Be sure to come back and laugh along with us.

Until next time, keep on designing!

Be Prepared
This phrase is the motto of the Girl and Boy Scouts. This is also good advice if you are applying for grants or scholarships to help you finance your education at a graphic design school or college.

In this article we’ll offer some tips regarding the logistics of applying, where to find funding, and how you can increase the odds in your favor for successful submissions.

Details, Details, and More Details
The good news is that there are funds out there for you to apply for. The bad news is there are funds out there for you to apply for. In other words, if you hate paper work and applications, this will definitely be a challenging experience.

Make sure you fill out all forms completely, accurately, and neatly. This will make the job of screening your application much easier for the person in charge of scholarship reviews. So always “be prepared.”

Here is some advice on the process of applying for scholarships:
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Does the Scholarship Apply to You?
Make sure that the specific grant or scholarship you are applying for is geared towards your specific needs. If you are seeking financial help for your career training at a graphic design college, applying for a science scholarship makes no sense. Do your research to be certain you fit the scholarship category.

Keep Your Grades Up
A good deal of scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better. In some instances, a 2.5 or higher is acceptable. If you want scholarship money, your GPA scores are one of the first qualifying prerequisites that will be looked at.

Get Letters of Recommendation from Your Teachers
Anyone can say they’re great, but backing this up with facts is another matter. If you are exemplary in your scholastic abilities, talents or other positive qualities that fulfill the requirements for a scholarship, ask your teachers to put in a good word for you by writing a letter of recommendation.

Don’t Skimp on the Details
You will probably be asked to submit a written essay on the reasons why you are a good candidate for the scholarship. You need to emphasize your strengths and not shy away from making your case. Make sure to list any awards, activities or personal achievements that demonstrate your expertise in your field of graphic design.

Keep at It
Filling out scholarship applications can be tedious and tiring. But according to those who are in the know, they understand that the rewards can be worth all the work.

Where to Start
Now that you know the “how,” the next step is knowing the “where” of scholarships.

The following Internet links are filled with valuable information and strategies on scholarships and grants:
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CollegeAnswer.com
You’ll find a wealth of information pertaining to funding, selection of colleges, and college related topics. There is plenty of good advice and resources here.

FedMoney.org
This website describes itself as, “Your FREE Guide to All U.S. Government Grants and Loans Benefiting Students!” This website has an easy to use interface that can narrow down your search for government scholarships and grants.

Schoolgrantsblog.com
This blog was mentioned by Time magazine. This resource lists various grants that are available to students as well as listing the specific grant categories.

Next Time…
What are the specific scholarships available to you? Who runs them? What are the pitfalls in applying for scholarships? These questions and more will be answered in Graphic Design Scholarship Basics and You - Part III.

Until then, keep on designing!
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