Description

This course is an exploration of Photoshop’s Pen Toolset and Paths.  The course will cover the creation, manipulation, and many uses of vector paths within Photoshop.  Students will become familiar with using Photoshop’s Paths for a variety of real world tasks such as vector drawings, logo creation, clipping paths, cutouts and other effects that can be accomplished with Paths.  Detailed step by step instructions as well as video examples provide the means for students to take control of this powerful but intimidating tool.

Skill Level

Beginner to Intermediate

Software Requirements

• Photoshop CS or above

Hardware Requirements

• Windows or Mac capable of running Photoshop CS or above.
• Graphics tablet is helpful but not required

Course Gallery

Before Class

The Pen tool in Photoshop is one of the most avoided tools by the most Photoshop users.  It may be explored or played with while using the program, but many users find in unintuitive and cumbersome to make a part of their normal workflow.  There tends to be a strange level of intimidation regarding the Pen.  This course is meant to change that.  At the culmination of this class students should be as comfortable with the Pen as with any other tool in Photoshop.

Week One

The Pen is mightier than the sword, or the brush, or the clone stamp tool, or even the filter menu.

This week we’ll delve into what exactly the Pen does that is different than anything else in Photoshop, and why you’d want to use it.  We’ll explore the interface and get some hands on time in Path wrangling.

Week Two

Now cut that out! Remove an object from a background without the Magic Wand tool!

Remove an object from a background without the Magic Wand tool!

This week we’ll see why the Pen is the “Anti-Magic Wand” tool.  We’ll use it to cut an object out of the background of an image.  We’ll explore the techniques the pros use and develop an efficient work flow for quickly creating precise clipping paths, and discuss why that’s a good thing.

Week Three

Illustrating in Photoshop, learning to draw a logo that can be scaled to any size without smudging

Learn to create tight vector illustrations in our favorite image editor.  In a program where pixels reign supreme, the vectors tools are often forgotten.  This week we’ll dust them off and see that Photoshop can draw!

Week Four

Keeping it real, practical path projects and Professional Pen practices

This week we’ll cover some real life applications of the Pen techniques and explore some of the secret tricks of the pros.

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop
• Mastering Image Correction
• Creative Photo Effects 1
• Introduction to 3D for Photoshop
• Illustrative Image Design

Other Courses by Kirk

• Digital Painting With CS5
• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop

Description

The course will introduce the student to the principles of color theory via an exploration of color families and their associations, color variations, and an examination of the skillful distribution of color to achieve the desired impact.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Microsoft Word, Works or equivalent
• Adobe Reader, QuickTime

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of viewing PDF lessons and QuickTime video
• Mouse and keyboard input devices

Course Gallery

Before Class

Please take some time to become familiar with the navigation of the site and our classroom set-up.  Be sure to review this course syllabus and all documents uploaded to the classroom carefully.  Please take a moment to view the video on how to navigate Digital Art Academy and your classroom.

Week One

The Color Wheel: Color Families and their Associations

Week one includes a careful review of the color wheel, focusing on color families and specific types of color schemes.  There will also be a discussion of objects and emotions associated with specific colors.

Week Two

Complimentary Colors: Opposites Attract

Week two includes an examination of complimentary color schemes.  Complimentary colors are those colors that are directly across from one another on the color wheel.  There will also be a focus on the creation of neutrals derived from mixing two complimentary colors together.

Week Three

Shades, & Tints: Developing a Monochromatic Color Scheme

Week three includes a focus on the development of shades by adding black to colors, and tints by adding white to colors.  There will be an emphasis on developing monochromatic compositions.  A monochromatic color scheme is a color scheme based on one color and its derivative shades and tints.

Week Four

Distribution of Color: Balance and Rhythm

Week four includes a focus on the skillful distribution of color to achieve balanced compositions with a desired impact.   There will be an emphasis on color relationships, including a review of color families, complimentary colors, neutrals, monochromatic color schemes and the visual and emotional impact of specific colors.  There will be a focus on how to use intensity (brightness or dullness) to help balance the overall composition.

Possibly Related Courses

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• From Traditional to Digital-Painting Fundamentals
• Blogging 101
• Beginning Design
• Creative Photo Effects 1
• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop

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• Beginning Design

Description

In the next four weeks we will delve into expressionistic painting using a pastel technique.

We will take a peek at the history of traditional media pastels, some differences in the different types of pastels and how the ground, substrate, or paper will make a big difference in the look of your images. We will have the opportunity to paint three images using a pastel technique.

Skill Level

This class is a beginner to intermediate skill level class. For best results the student must be familiar with the Corel Painter user interface, be able to import an image into Photoshop and Corel Painter, select brushes, and save files.

Software Requirements

The software required for this class is Corel Painter 9 or newer, and either Photoshop CS2 or newer or PS Elements 7 or newer.

Hardware Requirements

Your computer that will work with your version of PS and Corel Painter.

Week four we will be printing out an image and laying down some traditional media pastels as an embellishment. You will need your own printer and a few sheets of water color paper to print out on. If you don’t have a printer that can do that you can use a local  printer to help you out.

If neither of those are available you can use our partner and sponsor for speaking tours, Allied Photo at http://www.alliedphoto.com/ or call them at 616-452-3941/800-368-6113

Other Requirements

As mentioned we will apply some traditional media pastels to a printed image in week four.  There will be an alternative assignment for those that do not want to go through with that project. If you do want to participate, you will need some pastels. Go to your local art/craft store and purchase some pastel pencils. Below is the complete list of supplies for the class IF you want to embellish a print.

• 1-2 sheets of water color paper that will go through your printer (or a lab/studio in town to print for you)

• 2-Spray fixative to seal your image after printing and before applying pastels

• 3-Pastels of some sort to use for your embellishment

Course Gallery

Before Class

There are a few things that will help you get a jump on this class. In the fourth week we will print one of the images from the first three weeks and embellish it with pastels. You will want to have on hand a few sheets of water color paper for your printer or find someone locally to print an image for you if you want to participate in that portion of the assignment. The other thing is that you will want some pastels to embellish with. If you are new to pastels I would suggest pencil pastels or soft chalk pastels. Purchase them at your local art supply store or a big box hobby store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Pastels are expensive. There is no requirement that you have to buy these for the class. There is an alternative assignment. Invest in the material if you desire to pursue pastels further.

To save you time here are a few online sources:

You can get a starter set of soft pastels or pencils at Dick Blicks or Cheap Joes for roughly $50.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/sennelier-soft-pastel-sets/

http://www.dickblick.com/products/stabilo-carbothello-pastel-pencil-sets/

http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supplies/4598_pastel-supplies.asp

http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supply/132230_5247_sennelier-soft-pastel-set-assorted-half-stick-colors.asp

The other thing needed is a fixative.  Sealing your paper will allow you to use your pastels on the print without rubbing off the emulsion. Here are some easy rattle can spray fixatives NOTE: DO NOT USE THESE SPRAY FIXATIVES IN AN ENCLOSED AREA.

The other thing to keep in mind about embellishment is that a lot of testing  needs to take place for your particular printer/ink/paper combination. Your setup will differ from mine. My recommendation is test, test, test. I have ruined many prints because the combination I was tying to use would not work. I have used Breathing color, and Golden Artist Colors  Varnishes as well as premier art sprays with good success but please don’t expect to have great results on the first try with your paper printer combo. It could happen but most likely will not.

http://www.cheapjoes.com/art-supply/3044913_5286_winsor-newton-artists-workable-fixative-spray.asp

This is an article written by my friend Michael Townsend. Mike is a super-tech from Golden Artist Colors. It tells you a bit about the importance of sealing images from a ink jet printer.

http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/jp14article3.php

Week One

Brush Research

Watch the brush research video or read the Brush Research PDF.

Start by experimenting and see how each type of brush specific to pastels reacts to your stroke and how you can make various changes in the brushes.

Watch the Pastel technique video to get an idea of one method of creating a pastel emulation.

The first assignment is to create a loose piece based on a photo of a sphere, the file to use is located in the resource area  for week one. There are no rules, you can do anything you want with the image. The emphasis will be on using the brushes from your research to emulate a pastel drawing.

As points of interest there are a few other documents that are released in week one. A PDF file on the history of Pastels, A PDF document with various books on traditional media pastels and a PDF document with other pastel resources.

Week Two

Paper Color and Texture

Watch the Video or read the document on paper color and texture.

Experiment with paper texture combinations. Come up with three version that you like.

Use one of  these combinations to create your second pastel image of an overall landscape scene with a horse and rider. The image can be found in the Week two resource area.

Share your work.

Week Three

Read the PDF file on the differences in traditional pastel media.

Create your next digital pastel painting using the dancer reference image located in the Week Three resource area.

Week Four

Embellishment of Your Digital Pastel Image

Read the PDF file on embellishment.

Read the Pastel accessory document.

Read the document Common Pastel Mistakes.

Print out or have printed one of your images from the first three weeks and use your pastels to create a unique original mixed media piece.

If you don’t want to embellish one of your images then create a fourth digital pastel using one of your files or the file provided in the Week Four resource area.

Possibly Related Courses

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• Portrait Painting #2

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• Blogging 101

Description

Whether you are just starting out on your wonderful digital photo adventure or you have already ‘dipped your toes’ in the digital pool and now want to throw abandon to the wind and jump feet first into the creative pond, this course will give you a rock solid foundation!

One of the most common questions asked by fresh, keen image makers when faced with their first picture in Photoshop is “So, now what do I do?”. This course will answer that question and many more. From first opening your camera or imported image; to saving it as a fully corrected and clean digital file ready for more advanced work; this course will guide you through the various steps required in an easy to learn way.

Skill Level

Beginner

Software Requirements

• Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista or Apple Mac OS X operating system
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS3* or above (Many of the methods taught can be applied to other earlier versions of Photoshop and other software.)

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop
• Mouse and keyboard input devices

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Knowledge of the standard Adobe graphical user interface.

Week One

Getting started

• Digital Images-Vector or Raster
• Image “Modes”
• Bitmap
• Grayscale
• Bit Depth
• Why is Bit-Depth Important?

Week Two

Getting to work

• Opening an Image in Photoshop
• File formats
• Which format to use?
• Analyzing the Image
• The Info Palette
• Assessing Tones and Colors
• The Eyedropper Tool
• Color Samplers
• Histograms
• What is It?
• Analyzing images with the Histogram
• Assessing Exposure
• Assessing Image “Mood”
• Lost Tones and Posterization

Week Three

Preparing a New Image

• The Rotate Canvas command
• The Ruler tool
• The Crop Tool
• Cropping with Perspective
• Blemishes and Artifacts
• Types of Blemishes
• The Editing Tools
• Spot Healing Brush
• Healing Brush
• Clone Stamp Tool

Week Four

Saving a Clean Image

• Choosing the right file format for saving
• Adjustment Layers and Layer Masks
• Dodge and Burn tools
• Hue and Saturation
• Replace Color
• Making Selections
• Color Editing
• Localized Editing

Possibly Related Courses

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• Creative Photo Effects 1
• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction to 3D for Photoshop
• Illustrative Image Design
• From Traditional to Digital-Painting Fundamentals

Other Courses by Les

• Creative Photo Effects 1

Description

Examples of solarisation and hand-colouring (from bw original)

This course will introduce you to a collection of fascinating photo/image techniques used by experienced photographers and fine art print makers. With this set of creative photo effects you will discover and enjoy an exciting new journey of self-expression.

With digital technology, image manipulation has never been easier and this course will open the way to self-expression by giving you the confidence to enhance your own photographs and elevate them to the realm of ‘fine art’.

Each easy to follow technique will be clearly explained so that you can understand the background behind the process and not just blindly follow a step-by-step process. In this way, your imagination will be stimulated and at each stage you will be encouraged to explore your creative impulses.

The techniques are fully supported by video tutorials to make the learning experience more enjoyable.

Skill Level

Beginner to intermediate.

Since this is a creative techniques course, I will be assuming everyone has some prior knowledge of and hands-on experience with a mouse (clicking, dragging etc) and the computer’s operating system e.g folders and files management.

I will also assume some basic knowledge of Photoshop BUT will explain in detail virtually everything you need to complete the course. Those of you with good expertise in Photoshop should forgive me if at times it seems I am ‘teaching my grandmother to suck eggs’ since there will be others with less expertise! Have patience!

All the techniques have been prepared in PS CS3 but should still be workable in most previous versions and CS4 as I have tried to avoid CS3 specific features in favour of a more general approach.

Software Requirements

• Adobe Photoshop  – windows or mac version.

Hardware Requirements

• Any computer capable of running Adobe Photoshop
• A graphics tablet makes life a lot easier but a mouse will do the job

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

I recommend you read the ‘How to get the most from your course’ information. Then open your mind to creative input and output!

Week One

Any colour you like as long as it isn’t black!

Week one will be all about adding colour to images. We will deal with a variety of methods for replicating the traditional ‘darkroom toning’ of an image and also explore hand-colouring; another highly effective and popular technique for adding your personal touch to a photo image.

Week Two

Beyond the range of the eye and into the infra-red!

Week two will deal with adding pseudo 3D effects to an image based on the traditional darkroom methods and an exploration into replicating the astonishing visual effect of infra-red black and white film.

Week Three

Move over Hockney, Warhol and Man Ray!

Week three will deal with posterisation and the ‘pop art’ look followed by another very popular darkroom ‘arty’ technique; pseudo-solarisation. These two techniques can produce very stylish, graphic images.

Week Four

Lith it here, lith it there! SX-70 it everywhere!

Week four will explore a real favourite amongst traditional fine-art photographers known as the ‘lith printing’ technique. This is a technique capaple of producing beautiful and unusual images. We will complete the course by learning to simulate digitally one of the truly unique techniques ‘discovered’ by art photographers when Polaroid introduced their SX-70 instant film and cameras. The digital Polaroid SX-70 technique, like the original method, is capable of producing quite individual and beautiful results.

Possibly Related Courses

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• Mastering Image Correction
• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction To Color Theory
• Introduction to 3D for Photoshop
• Illustrative Image Design

Other Courses by Les

• Mastering Image Correction

Description

This class covers creative advanced  techniques using Painter’s Auto-Painting palettes. The student will cover the basics of the palettes and discover advanced techniques using the various palettes.

Video presentation will accompany the written lesson. The course is appropriate for the digital artist and photographer seeking new ways to apply the Auto-Painting palettes to their creative process.  All video is produced in QuickTime format and can be saved on your computer for future reference. This is a self study course with limited instructor support. All lessons are available to the student upon successful registration.

Skill Level

Intermediate

Software Requirements

• ®Corel Painter X or higher
• Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista or Apple Mac OS X operating system

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of running ®Corel Painter
• Wacom or comparable tablet is highly recommended. With a mouse you may suffer frustration and not be able to take full advantage of the new features that ®Painter 11 offers.

Course Gallery

Before Class

Students should have a solid foundation of the ®Painter interface.

• Create a new layer
• Create a Layer Mask
• Familiar with the Clone and Quick Clone
• Know how to Open the Brush Controls and Brush Creator
• Know how to Create a Custom Palette
• Be open to experimenting with new ideas and concepts

Week One

Reviewing the Auto-Painting palettes

In part One of your lesson you will be reviewing the Auto-Painting palettes to ensure that you understand the basics of using the palettes. We will practice some basic skills.

Week Two

Experimenting with new techniques and ideas

This week we will have some fun and experiment with several new techniques. The Auto-Painting Palette is really where your creativity can take flight. It is a place where imagination can transform and ordinary image into an extraordinary image.

Week Three

Having some fun with brush dabs and working with Clone Sources

This week you will learn about the importance of using great photos to achieve great image. You will learn how to make basic and advanced corrections to get the most out of your images before the Auto-painting process. You will design your own brush stroke and use it to create backgrounds quickly. You will experiment with the Effects menu to enhance your final image. Students will continue with another project and learn how to work with different saturation values as they Auto-paint. Emphasis this week will be on Auto-Painting using the Smart Stroke option.

Week Four

Creative Effects and Final Image

This week you will continue experimenting with various effects including the Posterize Effect. Emphasis will be on developing your final image for review.

Possibly Related Courses

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• A Journey Called Collage
• Creative Collage: Scrap Techniques with Corel Painter
• Introduction to Photoshop Two
• Portrait Painting #2
• Corel Painter and the Amateur Photographer

Other Courses by Karen

• A Journey Called Collage

Description

Jump in and get your feet wet. This “little sister” version of big brother Photoshop has tons of hidden tricks up her sleeve. In this class, we’ll cover getting started with Quick as well as Guided Edit options. Never fear, there are still many things  you can do with this inexpensive photo editing software you never thought possible! Join us for this introductory class at a special rate!

Super-duper possibilities:

•shortcut keys to save you time & effort

•variations – version 8.

•Correct color – fix wrong color balance
& skin tones

•Correct contrast – save highlight &
shadow details!

•Make Blue skies & colors pop

•Remove Red Eyes, touching up
blemishes

•Critical info on saving your photos!

•Sharpening – overdoing it is easy.
Subtle is key!

•quick selection tool – breaking it down!

•recompose tool & scene cleaner -
version 8 – these will totally knock your
socks off! So worth the price of
admission!

•Web photo galleries

Skill Level

Beginner
New or occasional user. This class is an introduction to digital photo editing but includes some VERY cool tools & amazingly eye-popping editing capabilities.

Software Requirements

This class will be using Photoshop Elements 8 with all sorts of new tricks & options. You can download a 30 day trial of this version if you do not yet own it by going to Adobe
Photoshop Elements download

Hardware Requirements

Windows for version 8: 1 GB RAM, 2 GB Hard disk space, Windows Vista or Windows 7 w/1.6GHz processor
Mac version 8: Intel processor! Mac 10.4.11 or newer.

Course Gallery

Before Class

You can download a 30 day trial of this version if you do not yet own it by going to Adobe Photoshop Elements homepage Students may use a previous version if they already own one but may not have some of the latest options available to them. It will be beneficial to download a current trial version.

Week One

Getting to know Elements.

• Exploring the interface.

• Ingesting images.

• Critical info when saving images.

• Quick & guided interface.

• Quick Fixes: whiter teeth, bluer sky, better crop,…

• Crop & Straighten

Week Two

Tools & shortcuts

• Quick & guided tools & their shortcuts

• Variations – color, brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows

• Histogram – lighting, exposure, contrast

• Breaking it down: Quick selection

Week Three

Eye-Popping Features

• Sharpening

• Blemishes, Red Eye

• Recompose

• Scene Cleaner

• Other way cool tools & tricks!

Week Four

Share! & Review

• Saving for web

• Web photo galleries

• Photo Collage

Possibly Related Courses

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• No courses found.

Description

What’s hot in business marketing today?  If you pay attention to the media or trade publications you have heard, viral marketing, video technology, pod casting, squidoo, article marketing, blogging and a host of other tools that brand weird names. Have you been hearing the buzz?  Have you wondered if there is any merit to utilizing any of theses social media opportunities?  Can a blog, for example, really help my business?

Over the last few years I’ve created over 15 blogs using various software platforms.  That process has allowed me to unearth many of the pitfalls to using blogging for business or personal ventures.
Enroll now in Blogging and you’ll get a crystal clear picture of how blogging could help your business grow.

Creating a blog may not be for everyone – no matter what hype exists in the market place. Is a blog right for you?

In this course you will discover;

• What is a blog anyway?

• How much time will it take to be effective.

• How to select the web hosting and software that is right for you.

• Exactly what you need to set up your blog.

• What a permalink is and the crucial part they play in your business.

• 7 different ways to make a blog work 24/7 for your business.

• How a blog can BOOST customer satisfaction.

• Why a blog is a powerful marketing tool.

• How much will it cost to set up and maintain my blog. The answer may surprise you.

• Why you should not waste your time learning HTML design, Front Page, or any other technical skill … and what you should concentrate on instead.

And more…….

Skill Level

The person taking this course will need to have basic computer skills and know how to use a word processor like MS Word or Word Perfect, and how to play videos on there computer. This is an entry-level class.

Software Requirements

• Word Perfect, Microsoft Word or comparable
• QuickTime

Hardware Requirements

• Mac or PC with adequate processing speed  (much less than what one would need for painting or photo manipulation). This is a video class with a book so your computer must be able to play video’s from a download link. A thumb drive may be helpful but not mandatory.

Course Gallery

Before Class

In this course you will discover;
What is a blog anyway?

• How much time will it take to be effective.

• How to select the webhosting and software that is right for you.

• Exactly what you need to set up your blog.

• What a permalink is and the crucial part they play in your business.

• 7 different ways to make a blog work 24/7 for your business.

• How a blog can BOOST customer satisfaction.

• Why a blog is a powerful marketing tool.

• How much will it cost to set up and maintain my blog. The answer may surprise you.

• Why you should not waste your time learning HTML design, Front Page, or any other technical skill … and what you should concentrate on instead.

And more…….
Learn how to save time and money. This course will provide you the information you need to make an informed decision on whether blogging is right for you and your business.
There is a Video Guide with 10 videos and an ebook included with this course.

Week One

Setting Up Your Domain Name

• Hosting and Domain Names
• Installing Wordpress software
• Using the Freebie area of Wordpress
• Your Word Press Blog Dashboard Overview

Week Two

Applying Your New Theme

• Adding a New Theme or Template to your Blog
• Modifying Your Permalinks
• Modifying Your Default Blogroll

Week Three

Setting up Categories

• Setting up Relevant Categories
• Configuring your Pinglist

Week Four

Adding Essential Plugin Enhancements

• Adding Essential Plugins
• Posting New Content

Possibly Related Courses

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• Introduction To Color Theory
• From Traditional to Digital-Painting Fundamentals
• Illustrative Image Design

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• Introduction to Digital Pastels

Description

The course will introduce the student to techniques used to create sound compositions via an exploration of the design principles of balance, unity and variety, rhythm, and focal point.

Skill Level

Beginning – there are no prerequisites for this course.

Software Requirements

• Microsoft® Word or Works
• Adobe Reader
• QuickTime ( for viewing video).

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of viewing PDF lesson and QuickTime Video
• Mouse and keyboard input devices

Course Gallery

Before Class

Please take some time to become familiar with the navigation of the site and our classroom set-up.  Be sure to review this course syllabus and all documents uploaded to the classroom carefully.

Week One

Balance: Symmetry and Asymmetry

Week one includes a careful review of the design principle of balance, focusing on symmetrical, or formal balance, and asymmetrical, or informal balance.

Week Two

Unity and Variety: Bringing it Together and Spicing it Up

Week two includes an examination of the design principles of unity and variety.  There will be a focus on creating unified compositions with visual interest achieved by variations of visual elements.

Week Three

Rhythm:  Repetition for Visual Fluidity

Week three includes a focus on the development of visual rhythm via the repetition of visual elements such as line, color, texture, value contrast, shape and size.

Week Four

Focal Point: Creating a Center of Interest

Week four will address focal point, or the main area of interest in a composition, via the use of such visual elements as: directional lines and contrasts in value, color intensity, size, shape, and texture.  There will also be a discussion of psychological and emotional content and how that content serves to focus a viewer’s attention within a composition.

Possibly Related Courses

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• Introduction To Color Theory

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• Introduction To Color Theory

Description

This course is a beginner level course that presents the basics of digital painting with Photoshop. It’s a hands-on exploration of tools, theory, and technique designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of creating painted artwork within Photoshop. By the end of the course, students should be comfortable using the painting tools and have a solid understanding of the workflow involved in producing a painting of their own.

Skill Level

Beginner to Intermediate

Software Requirements

• ®Photoshop 7 or higher
• ®Photoshop Elements 6 or higher

Hardware Requirements

• Adobe® Photoshop® – CS and above – if you have an earlier version, you can still benefit from this class as it covers the basics which haven’t changed. There would be some activities you wouldn’t be able to participate in because depending on your version, you might not have access. That would be the exception more than the rule.
• You can download a trial version of Photoshop CS4 Extended if you don’t have Photoshop. It’s only good for 30 days. Then, after taking the class and the program, by all means purchase it so you can take the follow-on class and learn even more about the program. It’s the best graphics program you can find, so it’s an investment well worth making. If you want to try the 30 day trial, give it a shot: Photoshop CS4 Trial Download

Course Gallery

Before Class

You can download a trial version of Photoshop CS4 Extended if you don’t have Photoshop. It’s only good for 30 days. Then, after taking the class and the program, by all means purchase it so you can take the follow-on class and learn even more about the program. It’s the best graphics program you can find, so it’s an investment well worth making. If you want to try the 30 day trial, give it a shot: Photoshop CS4 Trial Download

Week One

Meet and greet with basic tools

• What version of Photoshop are you using? What version should you be using?Week one text.
• To Wacom or not to Wacom? Let’s have the tablet discussion.
• Brushes palette: dos and don’ts
• Color palettes, how to make sense of them.
• The Layer palette, your new best friend.
• Behold the Blending Modes
• Wise selections, learning the selection tools
• Halo! We’re the Adjustment Layers! And we’re here to help you.
• Using masks: the smart way to erase.
• Getting a grip on gradients

Week Two

Method behind the madness: a bit of Art Theory

• Sketching, how to start.
• Using a reference photo
• The rule of thirds
• Composition and focal points
• How to keep things in perspective
• Develop a color study
• Lighting, what a bright idea
• Colors in harmony, still searching for melody
• Setting the mood
• Directing viewer’s eye with color and contrast

Week Three

Getting ready to paint

• What goes where? The basic layer setup
• I’m a background, fill me in
• Blocking in the basic color
• Establishing light and shadows
• Reflected light
• Dodge and burn techniques
• Details, details

Week Four

Other techniques and effects

• Using custom brushes
• Remedy for not-so-steady hand
• Drawing paths with the Pen Tool
• Brush strokes on paths
• Gradient and easy shading
• Filters
• Textures: bring in grunge
• Smudging

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction to Photoshop One
• Digital Print Embellishment
• Introduction To Color Theory
• From Traditional to Digital-Painting Fundamentals

Other Courses by Kirk

• Digital Painting With CS5
• Introduction to the Pen Tool