After working with Photoshop since version 4 in 1999, I realize that nobody really knows every thing that Photoshop can do. This makes it a great toy and tool, because there's always something new to discover. But you can learn most of it and keep learning. I recommend the following habits if you want to become a Photoshop Expert.
For this article, I'm defining expertise as being able to:
Here are the 10 things I recommend you do if you want to be a Photoshop expert. #1: Own the latest version of Photoshop It's pretty hard to really experiment with Photoshop if you don't have your own copy at home. Having the latest version is important too. Particularly with the last two versions, CS3 and CS4, new features are added all the time. These features usually either make your job easier (like the Adjustments panel), or give you tools that didn't even exist in prior versions (like some of CS4's 3D capabilities). I do recommend you purchase your own copy. Please don't used pirated stuff. If you are a teacher or student who is not using Photoshop for commercial purposes, you are allowed by Adobe to purchase the educational version at about half-price. It is as fully-featured as the non-educational version. You can usually buy this version at college book stores, or online at sites such as creationengine.com. You are allowed to run your Photoshop software on two machines. I have one copy on my desktop PC and one on my laptop for travel. #2: Play and Make Mistakes Experimentation and play is the key to learning something beyond the basics. Try out all kinds of tools and filters, and see what they do with different settings. You can't really ruin Photoshop. And if you do, you can reset all the defaults by closing Photoshop, then pressing and holding the Shift+Ctrl+Alt keys (Mac: Shift+Cmd+Opt) while Photoshop restarts. Take a bunch of photos from your camera (or online) and throw them together. See how blend modes change an overall image as layers are moved around. Try all of the layer adjustments, and every filter combined with another filter. Don't worry if it's ugly. You're learning. And there's always the History panel to allow you to back up several steps and try something else. #3: Take a Class To be honest, I had an awful Photoshop teacher. He did little beyond schedule what we were supposed to complete in the textbook. I stopped going at one point. I had learned how not to teach, and four years later I was teaching Photoshop. What a good teacher can do is give you assignments you never dreamed you could do (and enjoy!) More importantly, a good instructor can give you personal guidance when you don't even realize you made a mistake, or there's a typo in the textbook, or you accidentally skipped something, and something goes wrong. Finally, a good instructor will give you projects to do that give you real-world scenarios and specifications. This prepares you for making real money with Photoshop. #4: Go to Seminars Kelby Training provides absolutely fantastic seminars all over the United States. I have had teachers such as the amazing Bert Monroy and Dave Cross. These seminars have increased my creativity and efficiency in Photoshop beyond belief. The day-long seminar is always fun and very inspiring. Go to one of these seminars if you can, or find something comparable in your area. A common question asked by many - what is the difference between traditional design and digital design? Branding and design experts offer their explanation on the matter:
In the strict sense, traditional design refers to print based creative. Graphic design initially revolved around print advertising and editorial. Designers where charged with hand crafting all work before sending to print companies who would re-create the work on plates ready to be printed. The advent of the personalised computer changed everything as design packages were created, allowing designers to form pieces on screen and send artwork digitally. Everything really changed when the internet was born, giving way to a completely new arena for design and advertising. Digital design came in to play for the first time, as the web designers started getting to grips with the new media. Since then, the possibilities within digital design have blossomed and enlarged beyond comparison. Digital design not only covers web design, which in itself is hugely varied, but many other forms of marketing such as email campaigns, viral advertising, flash animations, games, banners and social media marketing. The other day a friend came over for a Doodling Session with me. Instead of calling it Visual Journaling which is what I usually call these sessions my clever friend called it "doodling". You see she was very much aware of the power of words. They have the power to intimidate or to inspire. It's as simple as that. If we change our language something which you might find daunting can take on a new look....the look which has you saying "Say! I can do that!"
Change your Language Change your Life! So by changing Visual Journaling into Doodling it made the process that much more fun and less intimidating. How clever eh? It makes sense when you really think about it. It's akin to talking to yourself in the language that motivates you. For example, you're talking to yourself about making a mistake. Your inner dialogue goes something like this, "You Stupid idiot!! You never do anything right! You may as well quit now since you'll just screw it up again!" Now imagine the difference in this inner dialogue scenario, "Well you know, you were simply trying on different ways of doing things! Did you know that Edison had many so-called failures before coming up with his inventions? Everything that you do that is not quite right in your mind gets you closer to where you want to be!" Can you imagine having a kind parent inside your head talking to you like this all the time? You would never fear attempting something new because you would not be tormented by the fear of failure. It could be summed up in one phrase that the kids say "It's all good!" Ebooks are replacing the traditional books at a fast space, owing to their easy accessibility. With the help of modern devices like smart phones, eBook readers and tablets, ebooks can be read anywhere and anytime. These are eco friendly in nature and can be availed by any of the prominent eBook stores at discounted rates. As ebooks acquire very less disc space, these can be conveniently stored in huge numbers in any of the electronic gadgets. Digital Art Ebooks like Mechanika, Decoding Design, Digital Art Wonderland, DragonWorld, Digital Expressions and The Future of Art in a Digital Age are the interesting reads for children as well as adults. Issues in Curating, Contemporary Art and Performance, Allegorical Images: Tableau, Time and Gesture in the Cinema of Werner Schroeter, Digital Visual Culture: Theory and Practice and Media Archaeology are some of the other digital art ebooks that art lovers must read. Digital Painting Tricks & Techniques, authored by Gary Tonge, is extremely popular among the art enthusiasts. Through this book, author is explaining basics like special effects, matte painting and working with layers. The book helps in learning digital painting process through progressive steps, demonstrations and illustrative art work. This digital art eBook aids in sharpening the skills of the artist at all levels. DragonWorld, written by Pamela Wissman, compiles the work of 49 international artists. In this book, the famous mythological creatures are illustrated in 120 types. This dragon art work is engrossing for children as the artists demonstrate their interpretations in an interesting manner. Digital Art Wonderland is another popular eBook depicting digital adventure. The book takes the reader into an unforgettable visual journey with interesting art works by the author Angi Sullins. The book contains unique ideas of the art lovers in the form of illustrations and design concepts. Eight tutorials are illustrated in the book along with tricks and techniques, so that an intermediate Adobe Photoshop user is able to create finest digital art work. Thus, Digital Art Wonderland is preferred and recommended by artists as well as art lovers.
Decoding Design by Maggie Macnab aids in understanding design work and decoding squares, circles, triangles and other common shapes in the design. Decoding Design by Maggie Macnab elaborates how one can communicate a complex idea through logos and sample designs. Author combines other disciplines like physics, maths and philosophy, which assists in presenting the ideas in a holistic manner. All these features make Decoding Design by Maggie Macnab a must read for an upcoming or practising artist. Author Bio: We're so glad you want to know more about us. Let's see... first thing about us - we love reading! We noticed that the world was moving towards a more Eco-friendly, digital way of reading - the world of Ebooks. That's where we came in. OnlineBookPlace.com- Your Community Ebook Store. Our vision: to bring together people who love reading and provide them with an affordable, convenient and intuitive way to discuss and buy Ebooks Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stefan_Collini/1294360 |
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