Composition etc..

Hi,

I've been using using photoshop for about 2 years now and I have a good understanding about how all the effects and filters work etc... but I have one big problem :

I never had an education as a graphics-artist, so I don't know much about composition, colors (what colors look good with that color etc...).

Currently I'm employed as computer programmer and I can't just quit my job and start studying at an art-academy (unless someone pays my bills ;) ).

My question:

Are there any good books out there that can teach you this stuff ? I really want to learn all this stuff too...

Thanks in advance,

Jeroen

PS : feel free to check out my site at http://toxic101.deviantart.com

There really isn't a need to go to an art school to get a formal education. Most of us (well... some of us which still go to High School like me) will start off just learning how the tools work and then create a style of our own. I guess what helps is to look at other people's work for inspiration, see if you can recreate it, not necessarily stealing parts of it and claiming it's your work, just solely for the purpose of experimenting.

Personally, I never found books that much of help (I never bought one so that might be the reason why), but other people here will prove me wrong because that's how they learned.

Overall, if you're not willing -- or just plain unable -- to go to an art class, it's best for you to start playing around in Photoshop whenever you get the time. Instead of relying on results you get from tutorials, try to do something halfway and then alter a step here and there and you might get a result you like. You just have to remember you have to do this while enjoying it, else you will never become good at it in a limited amount of time.

http://www.liquisoft.com/

He has some interesting views on color. Click on Color Theory

Well, I went to Art School and recived a B.A in Graphic Design, but... you can learn composition and color by looking & studying great design. Look at magazines like "Communication Arts", "How". Look at the pieces and see what they have in common, color combinations etc. I learned a lot about design on my own.
Hope this helps.