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Start by trying to understand the CSS and HTML on the sites you like going to. If you haven't already, become familiar with the F12 developer tools each browser provides. You'll want to get comfortable with them all because early on you will want to discover why your pages aren't looking the same in one browser to the next. Using the dev tools in the browser you can actually change the way the page is styled by literally changing the CSS in the developer tools. Or you can add styles as well which is GREAT when modifying your own site so you dont have to go back and republish it each time you make a change. IE's dev tools are actually pretty great. You can also simulate older browsers by changing the document/browser mode in the Emulation tab (this isn't perfect btw, but works well for the most part)

Next start using JSFiddle.net or CodePen.io and try to recreate some elements on a site you like. Do this daily, and do not get frustrated. By using the dev tools you can see how they used CSS to get the style you like, and the surrounding divs/spans/p/etc around it. You can also right click on the page and select "inspect element".

Codecademy is GREAT but one thing it doesn't do well is using real world tools since you are using their environment. You will learn far more by manipulating the dom in F12 or using JSFiddle/CodePen. Plus you can post a page you are working on in JSFiddle/CodePen to a forum like this one for help with what you are working on for a lot better discussion.

Another good site to keep in your toolbox is Can I use. This will help you with understanding which CSS can and can't be used for your specific browser support needs. One example that comes to mind is wanting to use text-shadow which isn't supported in IE9.

Because this is a post in a CSS sub, I'm not sure if you are going down the web developer route, but if you are, then continue reading. Otherwise, feel free to skip to the last paragraph.

Next you will want to move on to the final tool in your front end development toolbox you will want to master and that is JavaScript. Learn straight JavaScript first, and avoid mixing in jQuery until you feel like you have a great understanding of how JS works on its own. I believe the JS tutorial on Codecademy mixes jQuery early on, and if you are just starting out you may not realize the difference. Don't get me wrong, learning jQuery is almost as important as learning JavaScript, it's just important to understand it is a library for JavaScript, and as a framework has its uses and limitations. I really liked the JavaScript tutorial on Code School, so that would be a great place to start. It's not free, but I believe they have a free trial. Otherwise everyone will tell you JavaScript: the Good Parts and Eloquent JavaScript (which is online and free) are required reading.

After that you'll want to learn some of the more popular libraries and frameworks for CSS & JS, such as LESS, Sass, jQuery, AJAX, node.js, backbone.js, and Bootstrap to name a few.

After this, then you'll need to decide if you prefer to lean more to the designer side or the back-end developer side. Front-end developers are usually the bridge between the designer and back-end developer.

In my experience though, you fall in to either being an all-in-one or the designer who does front-end work. Learning designer tools like Illustrator and Photoshop will be helpful if you are asked to or need to create your assets. I actually prefer Fireworks (though I hear it is being discontinued) for creating quick assets I couldn't create with CSS instead of Illustrator because its a little less robust and for someone new its much easier to learn. Otherwise if you are going the back-end route you'll probably want to research which server-side language you want to start with like PHP, Ruby, Python, .NET, etc and then what database such as MySQL, MSSQL, etc.

The best advice I can give you though, is don't be a "master of none" web developer. Become a master at CSS before you move to JavaScript. Then become a master at JavaScript before you move to another language, or whichever language you choose next. When I started out I tried to learn CSS, JavaScript, ASP, PHP, jQuery, C#, AJAX, SQL, and a few others because I wanted to get started quickly...along with pressure from the company I worked at. You will get overwhelmed, burnt out, and start making mistakes, or even worse, not get to the bread and butter of the language you are trying to learn.

I started with Spring Into HTML and CSS and just when I thought I actually learned something, I started learning from a friend. We're colleagues at work now.


Sure, you start off from something, but later on the best resource is your own experience. Keep constantly comparing your solutions with other people's solutions. Don't just compare with those who are more experienced than you, it's often a trap. Compare yourself with pretty much everything you run into.

Also, as /u/jlengstorf mentioned, CSS-Tricks is a great everyday supply.

The bible is very much Lea Verou's CSS Secrets - give that a read!

When you learn JS you learn super basic stuff like variables, loops, and functions, and then everything from that moment on is just learning all the first and 3rd-party APIs - treat CSS the same way. Lots of functionality in CSS is locked behind attribute-pairs, and so that's a good way to approach it.

For example, super basic - you want to change height/width? You need to unlock those properties with display: block; because display: inline; by its nature doesn't support it. Once you've got that you've unlocked margins, padding etc. If you want to move an element about then you need to specify position first, because that's what top, left, bottom, right, and z-index are hidden behind etc etc.

You've been doing this for a decade, and you're coming from a technical background - so all you need to do is approach CSS in a similar way - that is, procedurally! Hit me up if you want a more solid step-by-step on a good learning order.

Html & css:
https://www.amazon.com/HTML-CSS-Design-Build-Websites/dp/1118008189

Also I assume you mean Javascript? Otherwise that's a pretty odd combo. A good Javascript book is this one by the same author:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1118531647

Used both of these for school. Very easy to read and surprisingly comprehensive. Very pretty as well

PS: people don't generally call html and css programming languages

I think it's good to balance practice and theory so I'd recommend making room for reading up/studying.

I used Cascading Style Sheets, The Definitive Guide, but it's pretty old now.

I do not get from what you say what your level of css is . Read : css in depth , manning publications . I do not think you need something more than that in CSS . svg and canvas has nothing to do with css . For canvas you have to read books specific to HTML5 canvas . Same for svg . Although svg is a little different story since it would be stupid to code an svg by hand , you have to use tools like inkscape to draw svgs . A big book into svg that I have spend some time with is this (just skim through it). A good book into inkscape is this .

You can check this book is awesome CSS in Depth

If you want some really good textbooks, check these out:

http://www.amazon.com/Bulletproof-Web-Design-flexibility-protecting/dp/0321509021/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

http://www.amazon.com/Handcrafted-CSS-Bulletproof-Edition-Essentials/dp/0321658531

http://www.amazon.com/Transcending-CSS-The-Fine-Design/dp/0321410971/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333849421&sr=1-1

Sass and Compass for Designers is really good book to understand sass and compass. http://www.amazon.com/Sass-Compass-Designers-Ben-Frain/dp/1849694540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371351264&sr=8-1&keywords=Sass+compass

No worries! We were all in your shoes once. It's always great to have help instead of spending hours trying to figure out what you did wrong.

There's a lot of good resources for learning html/css

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS
  
• http://www.codecademy.com/courses/css-coding-with-style/0/1
  
• http://learnlayout.com/
  
• http://www.amazon.com/HTML-CSS-Design-Build-Websites/dp/1118008189
  
• http://webdevrefinery.com
  

I highly recommend "Smashing CSS" by Eric Meyer:

http://www.amazon.com/Smashing-CSS-Professional-Techniques-Modern/dp/047068416X

I actually recommend a book. I got this on one of the Humble Bundle sales for cheap.

​

https://www.amazon.com/CSS-Definitive-Guide-Eric-Meyer/dp/0596527330

Pragmatic guide to Sass:

http://www.amazon.ca/Pragmatic-Guide-Sass-Hampton-Catlin/dp/1934356840

It's helped me do quite a bit!

Here's a link for the lazy.

https://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams-ebook/dp/B00125MJYM/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=