Teaching Yourself Graphic Design Part 1

I've had a couple of people at church ask me about how I learned graphic design.  I've not taken any art classes since junior high;  a lot of what I know I've picked up through my previous involvement in 4-H and, more recently, reading online.  So I figured I would put together some little self-guided learning exercises to summarize my recent studies.  Hope this helps.

There are some fundamental concepts that apply to design in any medium, whether it be paper, clothing, computer graphics, paint, woodworking, macramé, etc.  These are "the rules" that you often hear about that good artists know when to break.  They are known as the elements and principles of design, and I learned them through 4-H.  I'd recommend that you start by browsing through this wikipedia article to familiarize yourself with them.

One exercise that can help you master the elements and principles of design is find a piece of art that you like and identify which elements and principles the artist or designer used.  For example, here's a dress that I like from Burdastyle (http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/tiered-flapper-dress-102014):

Image credit: Burdastyle

This dress is all the same color (that's known as monochromatic).  Monochrome can give an outfit drama but could also make it boring.  To keep it interesting, the designer varied the fabric textures.  Each layer presents something different to grab the eye, with the texture near the top being the most busy.  This draws the eye to the natural waist and away from the hips (a little camouflage trick).

The layers are fairly evenly spaced, giving the outfit a sense of repetition.  It is also symmetric from left to right.  The overall shape is squarish and slinky.  The black boots are skinny, balancing the skinny shape of the dress.  The black color is similar to the dark color of the aubergine dress, and the shiny leather texture matches the satiny layer of the bottom panel, giving a sense of repetition and overall unity.

I've done this exercise a lot (thanks to 4-H), so I've had a lot of practice.  Find examples of art you like and try identifying these principles.