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

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• 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

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

Description

Prepare to immerse yourself in a whole new world of digital art. Leave pixels behind and discover vector illustration using the industry standard application. In Illustrator I, learn the tools and interface of Adobe Illustrator CS3 in a friendly environment and at your own pace.

Skill Level

This course is designed for complete beginners.

Software Requirements

• Microsoft^® Windows^® XP, Microsoft^® Windows^® Vista or Apple^® Mac OS^® X operating system
• Adobe^® Illustrator^® 10* or above

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of running Adobe Illustrator
• Mouse and keyboard input devices
• Wacom or comparible tablet is recommended, but not required

*While this course is designed for Adobe Illustrator CS3 (version 13), most of the materials covered are standard as far back as version 10 of the software. If attending with any version below 13, please be aware that some of the features of the software covered in the course may not apply to your version and that no substitute materials will be offered.

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

If you have not already ran a trial of Adobe Illustrator CS4 on your computer, a free 30-day trial may be downloaded from Adobe’s Illustrator page. If choosing this option, please do not install Illustrator until the course begins to avoid your trial expiring before the end of the course.

Week One

Basic Shapes

Explore the Illustrator interface and create a basic illustration with primitive shapes like circles, rectangles and triangles. The lesson is designed to familiarize the student with the very basic commands of Illustrator.

Week Two

Complex Shapes

Expand from simple shapes into complex shapes using the Pen tool, Pencil tool and the Pathfinder panel.

Week Three

Working with Text

Learn to work with text inside of Illustrator. Also, see text in a whole new light as it is used as a graphic element to create photo frames.

Week Four

Special Effects

Explore the Effects menu and gradient mesh to add realism to your Illustrator projects.

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop
• Introduction to Photoshop One
• Digital Print Embellishment
• Introduction to Corel Painter 11

Other Courses by Chris

• No courses found.

Description

Adobe® Photoshop® is the industry standard image manipulation tool used for many tasks, from photo retouching to creating posters. One of the most versatile and powerful programs available to the designer, it is essential for a professional finish.

This is true not only because Photoshop is available on a wide array of platforms ranging from Mac to Windows to UNIX, but because after four generations of development, Adobe Photoshop has the most intuitive user interface, the most complete set of tools, and the largest number of reference books around.

Photoshop is widely used to color correct and sharpen scans. It gives us the ability to make great looking reproductions of not-so-great looking photographs and even to repair badly damaged photos. It lets us create whatever we want, from scratch and come out with amazing results.

In this first class, you will receive a complete introductioon to the basics of the program. You will learn how to use the tools, manipulate them, and enhance their output. You will learn how to get around and feel comfortable with the program and, in the process, learn how to do some magic stuff…

Skill Level

• Anyone with an interest in learning Photoshop

Software 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: Download the Photoshop CS4 Trial

Hardware Requirements

• A PC or MAC capable of running Photoshop

Course Gallery

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Be sure to check out the syllabus to see what we’ll be covering each week. Please introduce yourself so we’ll know a little bit more about you than your name. Let me know if you’ve ever worked with Photoshop before.

Week One

• Introduction
• The Toolbox
• The Palettes
• Creating a New File
• Using the Paint Brushes and Beginning Layers
• Layers Sets
• Saving Files
• Modes and Images
• Selections
• Working with Images

Week Two

• Colorizing and Modifying Selections Using a Quick Mask
• More on Layers
• Moving and Image into another Image and Creating a New Layer
• Understanding Transparency
• Working with Type
• Layer Styles
• Contours
• Shapes

Week Three

• Brushes
• Filters
• Blend Modes

Week Four

• The Clone Stamp
• Pattern Stamp
• Healing Brush Tool
• The Patch Tool
• Color Replacement Tool
• Photoshop How-to’s
• Creating your own brushes and editing brush presets
• Creating your own custom shapes
• Creating Warped Text
• Actions and creating your own
• Applying Textures to Selections
• Saving for the Web
• Making Navigation Tabs

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop
• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction to 3D for Photoshop
• Illustrative Image Design
• Introduction to Adobe Illustrator

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• Introduction to 3D for Photoshop
• Introduction to Photoshop Two

Description

One of the fastest growing movements in the digital art world is the embellishment of digital prints, using acrylic gels and paints. Embellishment can add a new dimension to your artwork, combining some of the techniques of traditional art with a digital print. In the Digital Print Embellishment Course, you will learn how to turn your digital print into a one of a kind work of art with added texture and color. You will see what a difference adding painted highlights, coloring shadows, or simply adding texture with gels can make. This class will get you away from the computer monitor, and get your hands messy! No previous traditional art experience is required – the process is easier than you might think. The course will include lessons on sealing your digital print, choosing brushes, acrylic gels and paints, embellishing with gel and paint, and finishing off your print. Included in the course is close to 90 minutes of video from the DVD “Finishings – A Basic Guide to Digital Print Embellishment”, along with a written lesson and supplemental files (such as using markers in embellishment) for each week.

Skill Level

Beginner

Material Requirements

• Several prints on inkjet canvas for practice – 8 x 10 is fine. You can either order these from a printer (www.easyonlineprints.com is a good source – 8 x 10 prints are $13), or print them at home. Office Depot carries a good inkjet canvas that is only about $1 a sheet.
• An assortment of brushes, acrylic gels, and acrylic paints. If you like, you can use the pre-filled order form for Dick Blick on my website.

Hardware Requirements

• n/a
• n/a

Course Gallery

Before Class

Materials required for the course:

1) Several prints on inkjet canvas for practice – 8 x 10 is fine. You can either order these from a printer (www.easyonlineprints.com is a good source – 8 x 10 prints are $13), or print them at home. Office Depot carries a good inkjet canvas that is only about $1 a sheet.

2) An assortment of brushes, acrylic gels, and acrylic paints. If you like, you can use the pre-filled order form for Dick Blick on my website.

http://www.cadmiumdreams.com/Resources.html

It lists the products that we will be using…feel free to adapt it for yourself.

• Essential Supplies: Archival Varnish

• Soft Gel -Gloss

• White Acrylic Paint

• Assortment of Brushes

Week One

Organizing your materials

• Organizing materials
• Canvas preparation
• Testing your canvas
• Sealing the canvas
• Brush Selections

Week Two

Embellishing with Gels

• Learning about the different types of Gel mediums
• Getting comfortable with painting with gels
• Color mixing

Week Three

Painting Techniques

• Let’s paint
• Brush technique
• Making the right choices

Week Four

Your final print

• Drying and sealing
• Embellishing with markers

Possibly Related Courses

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• Introduction to Digital Painting in Photoshop
• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Introduction To Color Theory
• From Traditional to Digital-Painting Fundamentals
• Introduction to Adobe Illustrator

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Description

This course is a beginner level course designed to acquaint the student with the most common used features of Corel^® Painter^™ 11. The participants will experience first-hand Corel Painter’s ingenious drawing tools, realistic brushes and customizable features. At least one work will be created each week designed to take you through the basics of Painter 11.

The complete course will be presented in three parts and you must complete this course before moving on to Corel Painter: Beyond the Basics, unless prior appoval is given from the instructor.

Skill Level

This class is intended for the beginner Painter user and is intended to foster a solid skill set, or for those who want to familiarize themselves with the new features in Corel Painter 11.

Students should have basic knowledge and understanding of their operating system. The class is appropriate for Painter X users as well, however you will suffer some frustration as many of the brushes that are used in exercises are using Painter 11 brush variants. Consider downloading the 30 day free trial of Corel Painter 11. Do not download the software until classes begin.

Software Requirements

• Microsoft^® Windows^® XP, Microsoft^® Windows^® Vista or Apple^® Mac OS^® X operating system
• Corel Painter 11

Hardware Requirements

• A computer capable of running Corel Painter.
• Wacom Intuos, Cintiq 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

[View with PicLens]

 

Before Class

Before you use Corel Painter with your Wacom Intuos tablet on the Mac OS, you need to ensure that the Wacom Intuos driver you’ve installed is optimized for use with Corel Painter. To do this, access the Mac OS System Preferences, and choose the Wacom Tablet command. Choose Functions from the Tool area, and then click the Touch Strip button that appears. In the Touch Strip area, make sure that the left and right Touch Strip functions are both set to Scroll.

The mouse mode option in the Wacom controls panel, which causes a stylus to behave like a mouse, is not compatible with Corel Painter. Always use pen mode when painting with an Intuos tablet and pen.

If you are a Painter X user be sure to let your instructor know before class begins.

Week One

Getting to know Painter

• The Welcome Screen
• Brush Tracking
• Opening and closing files
• Saving your documents
• Getting to know the Workspace
• The Menu Bar
• The Brush Selector
• Color Palettes
• Learning Painter by creating an abstract
• Creating a Brush Sampler for reference

Week Two

Using a photographic reference with cloning

• Introduction to Layers
• Using Photographic reference
• Learning about Clone Color
• Introduction to “scratch drawing”

Week Three

Auto Painting, a powerful feature of Corel Painter

• Discover the Underpainting palettes
• Discover the Auto-painting palettes
• Learning to enhance your reference photos
• Discover the layers Composite Methods

Week Four

Putting it all together and then some

• Color Set Palette
• Mixer Pad
• Creating your first painting based on the skills you have learned

Possibly Related Courses

Automatically generated.

• Corel Painter: Beyond the Basics
• A Journey Called Collage
• Painter 3- Advanced Techniques-Selections, Channels and Masks
• Introduction to the Pen Tool
• Painter-Getting Started with Auto-Painting

Other Courses by Skip

• Painter 3- Advanced Techniques-Selections, Channels and Masks
• Corel Painter: Beyond the Basics