Originally Posted by SliceOfWatermelon Well clearly practice is what needs to be done. But I would like to know the best way to practice. If I spent six hours a day doing tutorials, I'd know how to do a lot of neat tricks but wouldn't know how to put anything together.

make up dummy briefs.

make a brochure/web site for an animal clinic. make something for a school. think of different types of clients that would want clearly different images - tattoo parlour will not want the same images as an elementary school.

that's half of what going to school for design is, is learning how to interpret and execute design briefings.