Photoshop Basics

Adobe Photoshop is the premiere image manipulation tool for print design, Web design, and photography. It's a must-know if you're planning to work with photos or design projects at any level.

This six-lesson course starts you off with the basics of the Photoshop interface and quickly gets you working on hands-on projects based on real-world design scenarios. You'll learn to choose and use the best tools for common Photoshop jobs including silhouetting, exposure correction, retouching, layering, setting typography, and creating image composites.

You can learn to tame this creative powerhouse of a program. Working with course developer Dr. Taz Tally's stunning high-resolution images and your own photos, you'll discover how to make high-quality selections and edits, and develop an efficient imaging workflow. Master the technical fundamentals to unleash your creativity as an artist or designer.

Course Instructor/Developer:
Taz Tally is an industry-leading author and educator in pre-press and color correction techniques ... get bio

Course Instructors:
Donald Gambino is a computer artist, consultant, educator, and trainer ... get bio

Matt Kloskowski is a writer, instructor, illustrator, and graphic designer based in Tampa, Florida ... get bio

Analyze and manipulate the dimensions and resolution of an image.

Use basic selection tools to silhouette and edit parts of an image.

Paint images and parts of an image using the Brush tool, blend modes, and gradients.

Evaluate and correct exposure and contrast problems using histograms and Levels.

Use the full range of retouching tools to correct or alter portions of an image.

Make selections with high-quality edges using specialized selection tools and Quick Masks.

Create composite images that demonstrate advanced selection and layering techniques.

Set and modify typography using the full range of type tools, the Character panel, and the Paragraph panel.

Apply special effects to typography using masks, paths, and layer styles.

Create a clear, readable typography design on a photographic background.

Apply filters that enhance the appearance of photos and give images an illustrated or artistic appearance.

Use Adobe Bridge to manage images, create contact sheets, and create PDF and Web galleries.

LESSON 1 Getting Around in Photoshop In the first lesson, you will get acquainted with the Photoshop environment, and the technical fundamentals of bitmap images. You will learn how to analyze and modify the dimensions and resolution of source images. Then you'll get rolling as you silhouette an image of a car for an advertisement using basic selection tools, removing the background of the image and cleaning up details. In your first exercise, you'll create a whole fleet of colorful taxicabs using selections, painting, gradients, and more.

LESSON 2 Photo Correction and Retouching Even the finest digital photographers need to spruce up their images in Photoshop. This lesson focuses on the different tricks and techniques Photoshop offers for correcting exposure and contrast problems as well as retouching parts of an image. You'll walk through the correction and retouching of two photos for a brochure, learning adjustment layers, Levels corrections, and retouching tools along the way. Then in the exercise, you'll use what you learned to enhance and retouch a nature scene and a portrait photograph.

LESSON 3 Advanced Layers and Selections One classic challenge for any Photoshop artist is to create "composite" images by seamlessly combining many photos into a single, convincing image. In this lesson, you'll learn how to make complex, high-quality selections using Quick Masks, Color Range , Extract, and other Photoshop features that are key to making composites look real. You'll also explore layering techniques that help you manage the components of your image effectively. Your exercise is to create a convincing composite for a real estate developer, turning a simple cabin into a relaxing bed and breakfast.

LESSON 4 Typography Letters and words make a tremendous difference in the look and feel of a Web site or printed material, and can also be a huge factor in whether a product ultimately looks amateurish or professional. In this lesson you learn about what Photoshop can do with typography, from simple setting of letters to complex tools and character settings. Additionally, you'll learn to warp type, place type on a path, make type masks, and add special effects. A special focus is the challenge of overlaying typography on graphic imagery. You'll put your type knowledge to the test in the exercise, creating an advertisement with an important message: combatting Photoshop addiction!

LESSON 5 Filters and Effects Filters are often the first stop for a new Photoshop user. Filters are known for creating wild, fun effects, but they can be used for a range of applications after you've got more fundamental techniques under your belt. In Lesson Five, you'll learn to use blurring and sharpening filters to improve digital photographs, as well as apply illustrative and artistic filters for more unique looks. As you work through the lesson you'll compare and contrast different techniques as you prepare a series of lovely shots of Guatemala for a travel brochure. In the exercise, it's time to cull your favorite travel shots and use filters to create an interesting tour booklet cover.

LESSON 6 Image Management and Creative Applications By Lesson Six, you've got quite a pile of digital photos and composites created in Photoshop... how will you manage them all? Photoshop's cousin Bridge to the rescue! You'll learn how to organize your files, tag them with important author and copyright info, and even produce contact sheets, PDFs, and Web galleries to help you share your work with clients. You'll wrap up the course by making a fun composite image to help you recap everything you've learned in the course (as well as add a few last-minute tips!), then venture into your final project: a movie or TV poster that comes straight from your imagination.

Tuition: $829 US