Very often while browsing various forums and other sites, looking to pick up tricks and techniques for graphics (Photoshop, Maya, 3ds, Zbrush,.. whichever) I seem to almost always come to the phrases "tutorial for beginners", "Keep practising", "Self-Learning is the best way" etc.

I can say this can even further apply to other fields like Networking, Programming, hacking, modding...

However, this raises a dilemma in my mind. The point of self-learning is that the individual learns the basics on their own and then apply advanced techniques. However, I notice that most people seem to take a very different approach to this.

Now to my mind, learning the basics can only come 1> Reading books about the subject, 2> Finding information relating to the basics on the internet.

But I note that this doesn't seem to happen often. I've seen many newbies starting photoshop by reading tutorials. There are very many tutorials available on the internet. They range from beginners to advanced.

Now though I speak for PS, Maya and other graphics tools, I can similarly point out tutorials for setting up a Router network etc.

However, tuts to me are the worst thing which can happen to someone at learning stage....they drive you to take everything as aprocess rather then thinking about why the tutor did that particular thing in the tut.So u  become process driven...and ur mind stops working to think creatively....

so when u face another situation, u start looking for another tut again.. Now imagine making a portfolio or a showreel or a project. Usings tuts will give you good portfolio, but.... put the person in a different stage whr conditions are different, you can guess the results.