I really want to get into graphic design (without paying billions of dollars for a program)...I've been trying to use Blender, but it keeps doing crazy stuff and I can't find the answer to the problem and have to quit in the middle of my project quite often...very annoying.
So my question is, if there's anyone on here that does graphic design, what do you use? Do you know of any other free (or affordable) programs for this purpose?

P.S. I also wanna be able to do animations and possibly even make games after I learn how to mod/render stuff, so if it could do that too, that'd be even more awesomer.

Unfortunately Blender is the best of the best as far as freeware goes in animation.
It takes a lot to learn it, you would probably have to spend three or four years just learning the program well enough to do anything with it. Plus to make anything big you would need a much better computer than what people normally buy.

Thanks for the reply. I was afraid of that...not the experience part, I sort of expected that. But it seems like I'm on my own for the latest version since most tutorials are outdated, and a lot of the up-to-date ones are for windows...I'm using a macbook pro...when I get my own computer I want to get a macbook pro 15-inch, those are pretty powerful, hopefully powerful enough to do what I want to do...till then I'll just have to keep using it and trying to get past the bugs. *sigh*

I'm not sure why it crashes on you. Does it give you an error message or anything?

I found the system requirements for Blender http://www.blender.org/features-gallery/requirements/

Oh, sorry, it doesn't really crash, and might not even really have 'bugs', but a lot of times when I'm trying to do something, even following a video tutorial, I lose the ability to enter 'edit mode'. And since that is the next step, and all I find online is for the older versions or Windows...it's not very often that I can continue on and I get frustrated...but I don't think I'll give up, I am on blenderartists forum, and that's helped a lot before, I'll just have to keep using that for help I guess.

My brother uses Blender a lot (like, literally, a lot. all self taught too) he has an account on here (Welt somethingorother, just look for Welt) if his email is on his profile, drop him a note I'm not sure how much time he'd have to help you, but he'd probably be able to point you to where he learned everything he knows about Blender. If it doesn't have his email let me know and I'll see what I can do (send me a PM, I wouldn't send him a PM as he doesn't really get on here much and isn't likely to check).


Added note: Graphic design is quite different from what you're asking you're looking at animation and game design. Graphic design is using 2D programs such as GIMP, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. If you ever need help with any of those last three, let me know

Ok, thanks, I will!



Ah, well...oops. I just figured: Graphics+Designing=Graphic design...

Oh, and I just might get in touch with you about that sort of thing someday...sounds like something else I might try.

I sent him an email, the subject is Blender...will he open it or just decide it's spam?

I'm not looking over his shoulder, but as he chatted me about the email I'm assuming he's opened it (if anything, he knows its from someone on HW and is about learning Blender )

Good, that's the gist of it! If he's busy, tell him not to worry about it, at least not a lengthy explanation or anything... I do have a forum I should use more that is all about blender, but sometimes I don't get the right answer there. But I'm sure it would help, so no pressure to...your brother, Welt.