Photoshop Master Course: From Beginner to Photoshop Pro
- 7.5 hours on-demand video
- 6 downloadable resources
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of Completion
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Try Udemy for Business- What Photoshop is & how to get into it!
- This course is perfect for beginners "Never used photoshop before"
- Customize the programs layout & feel comfortable
- Understand all photoshop basics & tools
- Understand layers & it's panels
- Understand masks & how to use them
- Understand adjustment layers how to use them
- Working with the pen tool, liquify & puppet warp tool
- Understand setting color profiles, save PSD files & web files
- Working with brush tool, the clone stamp tool & healing brush
- Understand cutting objects out, fixing skin & manipulation
- ... and much, much more!
- You only need a photoshop "Any Version" Best to Have CS6, CC2018, CC2019
- Absolutely no experience is required. We start with the Basics!
- The course shows you exactly how to work with photoshop & become an expert!
- Exercise Files and Study Guides are provided! Download the videos for traveling!
*** New Classes Updated 05 November 2019 ***
Great for Photoshop beginners "Making Photoshop Fun & Easy"
No prior knowledge or experience with Photoshop is required "Guaranteed"
Full lifetime access to the complete course & updates.
Bonus lectures towards the end of the course.
All Photoshop Work files (PSD Files) are available under the resource section.
My approach is:
One thing I have learned through all the years of working with Adobe Photoshop is that knowing and understanding the essentials of adobe photoshop is just as fundamental as the heavier and trickier Photoshop techniques when it comes to honing your craft.
This Photoshop Beginner course is multifaceted. You do not need any previous knowledge of Photoshop, Design or Photography. We start by going through the essentials of Photoshop.
A step-by-step guide on photoshop workspace, every single tool and its function(s). After we've established the essentials, we can now build on our foundation. In the next part of the photoshop course, we head into a basic Photoshop Portrait Retouching Course. From here the following lectures will deal with the more advanced photoshop techniques to really improve your Photoshop skills and the pace at which you work.
I've added a bonus lecture towards the end of the course. That focuses on what & how when it comes to using a Wacom tablet in photoshop. I've also added a bonus lecture that focuses on the next steps. Where to find more free photoshop lectures and how to progress with your photoshop workflow.
You'll learn
What Photoshop is & how to get into it.
Customize the photoshop workspaces and feel comfortable.
Understand all photoshop basics and tools.
Understand layers and photoshop work panels.
Understand masks and how to use them.
Understand adjustment layers on how to use them.
Working with the pen tool, liquify & puppet warp tool.
Understand setting, color profiles and how to save Photoshop files & web files.
Working with the brush tool, the clone stamp tool & healing brush.
Understand cutting objects out, fixing skin & manipulation.
... and much, much more!
What sets this course apart:
I will teach you how to get into photoshop, so don't worry if you don't have prior experience with photoshop. We start slow and then build our way up.
Receive all work material (Raw's & Photoshop files) from the start and work along.
Many techniques, exercises, and work challenges.
The idea is to make photoshop fun and easy! "Great to work along"
Instructor support within 24 Hours. "I do my best to answer every question"
One final note: My goal is to teach you photoshop, so don't stress about not having worked in photoshop before. "I do my best to make it simple & fun"
Thank you!
- This course is perfect for beginners "Never used photoshop before"
- This course is great for understanding photoshop basics & tools
- This course is great for understanding layers & it's panels
- This course is great for understanding masks and how to use them
- Working with the pen tool, liquify & puppet warp tool
- Great for understand setting color profiles, save PSD files & web files
- Working with brush tool, the clone stamp tool & healing brush
- Understand cutting objects out, fixing skin & manipulation
Welcome to the photoshop master course
Understanding Layout
This is literally the absolute start of Photoshop. This lesson will focus on setting up Photoshop and your layout, including color themes. This is, of course, essential in easing your workflow. By navigating to the "Window" dropdown menu, you will find all the essential menus that you need to set up your layout. Among the most essentials, you'll find options, tools and workspace panels.
Application frame link to adobe:
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/troubleshoot-application-frame-document-window.html
Modifying Workspace / Full Screen Mode / Application Frame
This is where I'll focus on the workspace and the tool panel. I'lll discuss why we use the panels the way we do in order for you to understand our workspace. Here we discuss:
- The History panel, which is like a big undo button.
- The Character Box, for all the Text Tools.
- The Info Box, for specific colour ranges.
- Adjustments help to speedup your workflow.
- Navigator is very helpful when you start out with Photoshop.
- Then we have the layers palette, which is essentially one of the most important because you'll always use layers.
- Channels is important for working with colours. Paths become very handy once you've become more comfortable with the pen tool
Photoshop Menu Run Through
In this section we'll talk about the Photoshop menu. We'll focus on why we have the menu and what is available in the menu. The menu bar is located in the top of the screen. You adjust and set your keyboard shortcuts through the edit menu. Once you get to know the different menu options it will speed up your workflow This is just a brief overview of the menu and you'll become more familiar with the menu bar as the course progresses.
Photoshop CC
File
Edit
Image
Layer
Type
Select
Filter
3D
View
Window
Help
Getting Started
We'll cover opening an existing and creating a new document in both Photoshop CS6 and CC. Creating a new document allows you to adjust your new canvas as well as save the presets. These include canvas size, resolution, colour mode, etc. You can also adjust your colour profile. To open an existing document you can simply drop it into photoshop or the icon at the bottom of your screen. Your image information is displayed at the top of each canvas.
Tools & Foreground Colours
In this section I explain the most important tools to keep or use in your toolbar. Some of the most important tools I use in my work file is:
- Move Tool
- Brush Tool
- Clone Tool
- Healing Brush
- Pen Tool
- Quick Selection Tool
- Foreground Colours
Different Working Techniques
Here I discuss the different working techniques that we use. Some are quicker than others, other is not as constructive while others are conducive to the workflow. This segment focuses on the importance of working with the layers and how you can access these layers from different areas to create the same effect.
What are layers & the different type of layers (Smart Object)
Layers is essentially the backbone of the image you're constructing. All play an important role, depending on what you want to do, to create different effects. Creating layers also offers the choice of different blending options to add different effects. You can also adjust the opacity. As the name would suggest, layers imply stacking of layers on top of each other. The top layer is what you'll see, depending if it's active or not. The different layers are:
- Pixel Layer
- Background Layer
- Adjustment Layer
- Type Layer
- Shape Layer
- Smart Objects
- Layer Group
- Layer Colour
Layer Styles and Modes
Blending modes allow you to set how the different layers react to each other. Stacking the layers on-top of each other will block out the layers underneath. Changing the blending mode will create a different effect with how the top and bottom layers react. The different blending options:
Normal
Dissolve
Darken
Multiply
Colour Burn
Linear Brun
Darker Colour
Lighten
Screen
Colour Dodge
Linear Dodge
Lighter Colour
Overlay
Soft Light
Hard Light
Vivid Light
Linear Light
Pin Light
Hard Mix
Difference
Exclusion
Subtract
Divide
Hue
Saturation
Colour
Luminosity
Blending Options
Opening up your normal pixel layer gives you a variety of choices of layer styles. All the effects you choose will be visible under your layer. Here you will find:
Blending options to set your layer.
Different styles to enhance layer
Refinement tool
Layer Masks
Masks are simple pixel areas that are visible or hidden on certain layers. For example; if you've applied a layer with a certain effect and you either want to reduce the effect or only reveal a certain part of the layer, applying a mask makes this possible. There are many technique using tools to create effects before or after applying a mask. Two simple way to use masks:
Applying a mask keeps the effect visible and areas can be brushed out.
Inverting the mask hides the effect and areas can be brushed in.
Adjustment Layers
Adjustment layers are layers where you can apply different effects to your image. There are several different adjustment layers that adjust various aspects of your image, for example, colour, brightness, colour balance, etc. The different adjustment layers are:
Brightness/Contrast
Levels
Curves
Exposure
Vibrance
Hue/Saturation
Colour Balance
Black & White
Photo Filter
Channel Mixer
Colour Lookup
Invert
Posterize
Threshold
Selective Colour
Gradient Map
More Panels
Before I move over the next chapter I'll just cover some of the other panels that form part of my workflow. Here I'll look at:
- History Panel
- Adjustments panel
- Navigator Panel
- channels
- Paths
- Info
Lasso Tool
The Lasso Tool is also a selection tool. Selection is unrestricted, unlike the Marquee tool. The Magnetic Lasso Tool works a bit differently as it chooses between contrasts to make a selection.
Eyedropper tool, Colour Sample Tool and Red Eye Tool
These are very good tools for the beginner. The Eye Dropper Tool is good for sampling colour tones. The Colour Sample Tool is used to select different spots to get the exact tone. The Red Eye Tool is used for removing red eyes.
Brush Tool and Pen Tool
Your brush Tool is probably the most important tool. Versatile and with a bunch of settings in the options menu, the brush is essential for almost every step of your retouching. The Pen tool works pretty much the same as the Brush Tool, it just comes with different presets.
Eraser, Blur and Smudge tool
The Eraser Tool consists of three presets, namely Eraser, Magic Eraser and Background Eraser. It's essentially a brush that deletes or erases pixels on your image. The Blur Tool blurs out areas on the image while the Smudge Tool almost performs the same effect, but it also drags out the pixels.
Path Selection and Shape Tool
The Path Tool makes it easier to select different paths if you have multiple selections. The Shape Tool is used more designing, but it it quite helpful to know how to use it. You can use it to apply simple geometric shapes or custom shape designs to your image
Final Tools
The Hand tool is used to move around the complete canvas. The Zoom tool allows you to zoom in and out of your image. The Colour Panel allows you to change your foreground and background colours. The Quick Selection Mask also allows you to make selections.
In this lesson, I've added the complete adobe photoshop handbook for keyboard shortcuts & commands. Go ahead and study the following pages for the beginning. You do not need to know every single page right now, just study the pages I've listed down below in the bulletpoints!
2 - Tool Shortcuts
3 - Tool Shortcuts
6 - Keys for Vanishing Point
I've also added the complete list to the download section, so feel free to download the PDF file, print it and hang it up on the wall. This might make your life a bit easier when learning!
Saving Your Work
In this lesson I'll show you how to save in different formats.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources.
The first lesson will focus on the planning. Planning involves a variety of different elements that come together in the end to capture the perfect image in camera. Some of the elements we explore in this lesson is, of course, the setup, which includes the best light setup, the right color backdrop and the best pose for the model. The model on the other hand forms the other part of the planning. We take a lot of time to consider the perfect model for the Pro Tutorial.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources.
In-depth Light Setup & Diagram
This lesson is a very comprehensive look at the light setup we used for the shoot. When you shoot something like the Foxy Hipster it is important to get a perfect exposure all around. This doesn’t just involve a perfectly exposed model, but an evenly exposed backdrop as well. For this shoot, we used a four light setup with lights and modifiers directed at both the model and backdrops. We also used poly boards around the subject to make sure we capture that even exposure.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Preparations & Raw Conversions
In our first retouching lesson, we will concentrate on our basic adjustments in camera raw and import our raw image into Photoshop. This process helps us to pre-adjust the contrast, exposure, image pop and subtle sharpening.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Help Layers & Notes
For this lesson, we will put the techniques on hold and create a new help layer in order to point out all the retouching steps. This helps us to stay focused during the retouching process. This is not an obligation, but it does help during the retouching process since you can always fall back on it and remind yourself of what still needs to be done.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Basic Retouching & Cleaning
Now that we have a basic understanding of what we want to retouch, we will concentrate on cleaning up our background and subject. This is not a major obstacle, even thought it might seem labour-intensive. What’s important to remember is that the more time you invest into cleaning, the better your image will look. It involves a few steps, such as healing, cloning and refining the background dust marks
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Comprehensive Hair Retouching
Now that we’ve finished the basic retouching, we’re going to focus a bit more on the hair, as it draws you into the image. We will only be working in selected areas. We’ll need to fill in color in some areas, working some fill color, and then making sure to have an even exposure over the hair by using adjustment layers like the Curves Adjustment Layer.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Comprehensive Hair Retouching - Part 2
Now that we’ve finished the basic retouching, we’re going to focus a bit more on the hair, as it draws you into the image. We will only be working in selected areas. We’ll need to fill in color in some areas, working some fill color, and then making sure to have an even exposure over the hair by using adjustment layers like the Curves Adjustment Layer.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Comprehensive Hair Retouching - Part 3
Now that we’ve finished the basic retouching, we’re going to focus a bit more on the hair, as it draws you into the image. We will only be working in selected areas. We’ll need to fill in color in some areas, working some fill color, and then making sure to have an even exposure over the hair by using adjustment layers like the Curves Adjustment Layer.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Liquefying & Image Adjustments
It’s important to understand that the Liquify Tool helps to refine an image. The idea is not to create a different person. The changes we implement are very subtle and only done with the intention to create a perfect picture.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Comprehensive Skin Retouching
This is a very important part of the retouching process. Just as with cleaning and healing it might appear to be labour intensive, but the more effort you apply the better your image will look. Here we will apply lots of techniques to ensure that we get that smooth silky skin. This section will involve working with both the High Pass Filter and the Gaussian Blur, but a little bit different to what you might be used to. These will basically be applied in the reverse effect – The High Pass will blur while the Gaussian Blur will sharpen.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Colour & Light Control Adjustments
Now that we’ve adjusted our color the way we want it, we will start working on the light control. This will mostly involve using a Curves Adjustment to add a touch of contrast to the image as well as a Selective Color Adjustment Layer to adjust our colours. We’ll also apply a Hue and Saturation Adjustment layer and work in the red tones. For the light control, we’ll start off by using the marque tool to create a circular selection around our subject. We then feather the selection and apply a Curves Adjustment Layer, which we’ll use to create a vignette effect as well as adding a light pop to the subject.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Dodge & Burn
In this section, we will be working with our famous Dodge & Burn technique. The main thing about dodging and burning means we are going to dodge the highlights and burn the shadows. This will allow us to emphasise the highlights and shadows in our image. (We have an excellent Free Tutorial on this technique – Find it here).
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Fixing Sunglass Reflections
Another aspect of this image is the props. Our model wore a pair of sunglasses and the reflections from the strobes are quite apparent. The process will involve creating two new layers, one for each lens of the sunglasses. We then use the pen tool to make a circular selection of each lens. Make sure when you make your selection that the feathering is set to zero. We then use the Gradient Tool, Noise filters and masks to create the perfect and realistic look.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Crop & Final Adjustments
Now that we’ve done most of our retouching, we will add our final adjustments. Here we’ll be working with the Selective Color Adjustment Layer to create or to add that extra flare of color to the image. We’ll also crop the image down to the perfect size.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.
Final Color Adjustments & Retouch
For the final lesson, we’ll work with adding a bit of color to the selected areas that might otherwise appear a bit bland compared to the rest of the image. For this we’ll be using Solid Color layers, layer masks and Hue and Saturation Adjustment layers to add color to selected areas.
Find the Photoshop (PSD Files) under the resources in Lecture 1.