Photoshop Introduction

Hours: 32 / Access Length: 7 Weeks / Delivery: Monthly, Mentor Supported
Retail Price: $375.00

Course Overview:

This class will introduce the new user to the basics of working with Photoshop for retouching images and drawing. Students will be able to use various techniques for selecting in order to edit and retouch images. Students will be able to prepare images for including in a web site or for including in printed documents. Students will be able to edit images using the painting tools, clone stamp and drawing tools. Students will be able to create new images using the pen tool and the drawing and painting tools. Students will be able to create and edit images using layers.

Students will need a copy of the Adobe Photoshop CC software in order to do coursework.

Students will:

• get to know the Photoshop interface and do some basic photo corrections.
• use the selection tools to select parts of an image and manage layers.
• use Photoshop's correction tools to correct and enhance photographs.
• create masks for hiding parts of a layer and add text
• use the vector drawing tools to create paths.
• layer features to create composite images.
• prepare their images for print and for the web.
• paint with the mixer brush.
• explore 3D and video editing features of Photoshop
• create a final project using what they learned in this course

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Getting Started

When people think of Photoshop they think about taking their digital images and getting the red-eye out, making everything the right color and improving the overall appearance of the image. While that is not ALL Photoshop will do, it is certainly very good at it! In this lesson, we are going to introduce you to the Photoshop environment and some of the basic skills you will need to be able to do anything you want to do with Photoshop. We will also explore a collection of tools that will get you started with your photo correction and editing. Although you will not use these tools on every picture, these will be the ones you turn to most often.

Lesson 2: Selections and Layers

Having knowledge of all of the selection tools available in Photoshop is an important skill to acquire while learning the program. In this lesson, participants will be introduced to the Selection tools (and in future lessons have an opportunity to use and apply those tools to an image). Once the Selections tools have been reviewed, Layers will be the next feature of Photoshop on deck to learn. Layers allow you to break up your editing into parts to create the final image. In some cases, you may put parts of an image or draw onto layers so that you can edit it separately. In other cases, you may make changes to an image on a layer so you can go back and change your mind later.

Lesson 3: Correcting and Enhancing Digital Photographs

In this lesson, students will explore ways we can improve our images in Photoshop CC. We'll start by looking at the Camera Raw features for improving the overall appearance of the image. Other topics of review include reviewing tools that can be used in Photoshop for fixing highlights and shadows, removing red-eye, fixing distortion and combining images. This chapter highlights one of the most powerful functions of the software with respect to photographic editing.

Lesson 4: Masks, Channels, and Type

In this lesson, will gain comprehension with respect to how masks, channels, and type can enhance graphics and images created within Photoshop CC. Masks allow us to hide parts of an image without affecting the image itself. This can be a handy way to crop an image or combine parts of several different images. This feature is helpful because is 'non-destructive' and one can always go back and adjust the masking if I need to. The next part of the lesson reviews the concept of channels and text type. Channels are like layers in that different pieces of information are stored in each channel, but they contain the color information for the overall image. Channels should be used to create a selection in order to create a shadow. Finally, students will be working with text. We'll add point, path and paragraph text to our project and look at how to format the text and use it for special effects.

Lesson 5: Vector Drawing

Up until now, the focus has been on Photoshop bitmap tools, selection tools, paintbrushes, and editing tools which work with individual bits (or pieces) of an image. This lesson explores the vector side of Photoshop CC and powerful tools it provides users to create even more stunning results. The Pen Tool is not the only vector creation tool in Photoshop. Any of the shape tools can also create vector shapes. The vector shapes can be used to create selections, masks or paths. Even text can be converted to a vector shape. Keep in mind that although you may create a shape using a vector tool, the shape will become a bitmap when you are finished. Ultimately Photoshop is a bitmap editing tool. For vector editing, you will need to use a different tool like Adobe Illustrator. While the web uses mostly bitmap graphics, there is still a need for vector graphics in design work. We will take a look at the differences between the two formats and why you might choose one format over the other. Note that the pen tool is used to create paths and can be used to create selections or shapes. It may take some practice to get comfortable with it, but it's well worth the time investment.

Lesson 6: Layering and Compositing

The sixth lesson of the course will have students explore the concept of working with layers and image conditioning. As part of this lesson, one will become familiar with adjustment layers, filters, and building images from multiple pieces. An additional part of the lesson will focus on adjusting picture quality from an image that is small into one that is larger without sacrificing quality. This lesson is an important one to master to strengthen one's skill set in this program and others that are similarly related.

Lesson 7: Producing Output

The net result of anything created within Photoshop CC is an output. Thus, students will focus on how to export images, photos, and other media produced within the software title. We will first look at slicing our Photoshop images and saving them to be used as a web page. next, students will see how to save a simple image to be included in a web page or emailed to a friend. Once that has been mastered, printable outputs are next for review and comprehension. Finally, students will at how we may need to adjust the image to CMYK format and what issues we may encounter. We will also look at the Print command and options.

Lesson 8: Painting with the Mixer Brush

In the eighth lesson of the course, students will take a look at Photoshop as a painting tool. We will look at the mixer brush for creating paintings in Photoshop and look at how we can turn a photograph into a painting. This is an interesting skill to have in one's back pocket as it greatly expands the capabilities of what one can do with graphics provided to them.

Lesson 9: Advanced Uses of Photoshop CC

The second to last lesson of the course looks at advanced uses Photoshop CC can be used for. Most users assume that the program can only be used for images. On the contrary. Photoshop is far more powerful than one can imagine. The focus here includes using Photoshop to edit videos as well as print out three-dimension (3D) objects.

Note: Depending on what type of computer one is using for the lesson, some computers cannot run 3D features or will run this part of the program very slowly. Feel free to skim the chapter on 3D.

Lesson 10: Putting it All Together

You made it! You have now had a chance to work with most of the tools Photoshop offers. Now it will be up to you to practice what you have learned and apply it to the work you plan to do with Photoshop, whether it is photo retouching or creating original works of art. The final lesson provides an opportunity for students to use all the information they have learned up to this point and apply it to creating graphics that use the tools learned in the lesson. Students are encouraged to adjust at least two (2) graphics and one simple video for this lesson.

This lesson will allow you to use the tools you have learned in this class to create a project of your own. You can fix a photo or create art of any kind. I cannot wait to see what you create!

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.