Adobe Photoshop is the favorite program of graphic artists everywhere. This powerful software is also a favorite of amateur and professional photographers, scrapbookers, video artists, and hobbyists. Photoshop is one of the most amazing software programs ever developed. It's a fun and creative way to alter photographs and prepare them for print or the Web. This course, for the student who already knows the Photoshop toolset, explores new and better ways to create images and edit photos. The emphasis is on non-destructive editing - the features in Photoshop that let you easily re-edit and change projects long after they were originally created (and long after the Photoshop "undo" command has expired).

An image that uses layers remains easy to change. You'll learn how to save every single pixel in your original images so that you can always get them back. You'll learn how to use Layer styles, which let you add glows and shadows that you can easily change. And you'll learn all about Adjustment layers, which let you alter the exposure of your image as many times as you want. The new Smart Object feature even makes it possible to change white balance and exposure on a RAW format digital file long after the image is composited with another. You'll find out how to rotate, scale, and warp images - and remove the transformations if you don't like them. This course will help you take your images a giant leap forward in creativity and productivity. It's also a lot of fun!

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Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

After you've learned how to do basic editing in Photoshop, the most critical skill you can learn is using layers. Once you know how to edit your image in layers, you have a whole new world of opportunities. In this opening lesson, you'll learn what layers are and how to work with the Layers palette to create, view, or hide layers.

Friday - Lesson 02

Having learned a bit about layers, the next step is to start using them. Today, you'll practice moving, copying, locking, dragging and dropping layers in multiple images. As a bonus, you'll discover how to use layers to make an area of a photo pop out from the photo itself.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Today, you'll learn how to apply and alter special effects like drop shadows and embossing. You'll also get to play with some filters and learn how to structure an image project to add filters. Since CS3 has given you the ability to nondestructively filter layers if they're made into Smart Objects, you'll also get to meet Smart Objects (and Smart Filters) in this lesson.

Friday - Lesson 04

Did the dog eat grandmother's portrait? Or did time and water do that damage? No matter. Using layers makes it easier than ever before to restore some of your treasured family heritage. You'll get ample practice to help you learn how to nondestructively edit images in this lesson.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

If you use the Levels command to alter the values in an image and then decide a week later that you made the image too dark, you're stuck. Each time you edit the Levels in an image, you lose image quality. But what if there were a way to edit the Levels as much as you want and not hurt the image at all? Meet the Adjustment Layers, which let you do just that.

Friday - Lesson 06

Layer masks are another way Photoshop lets you "have your cake and eat it too." If you bring a picture of little Johnny onto a new background image and you erase all the "stuff" that was in Johnny's original background, what happens if you need the erased items later? You'd better hope you have the original image around somewhere, and then you'll still be in for a lot more work. You'll discover the benefits of layer masks in this lesson.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

To spice up the projects and help you see how far you've come, I'll introduce some compositing projects that are suitable for beginners. In today's lesson, however, you'll edit them nondestructively with some cool, new effects. If you have your own images you want to try, I'll be happy to help you with them as well.

Friday - Lesson 08

Do you like the look of double-exposed images? Would you enjoy creating a seamless composite of your vacation images? Are you into scrapbooking? This is your lesson! Up to this time, you've masked images so you can either see the image in the layer or not. Now, you'll learn how you can let the images partially show. Fun stuff!

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Photoshop has a few special layers that let you create patterns, gradients, or solid colors and change them easily any time you want. You'll see how simple it is to alter the look of a complex border or change composites at whim. You'll also learn some excellent techniques to create seamless patterns, something many students really enjoy.

Friday - Lesson 10

Now that you've learned how to move Johnny to a new background, what happens if you want to make Johnny's image a bit lighter without making the new background lighter at the same time? You could make a complex selection, of course, but there's an easier way. It's called a clipping mask, and it lets you make any changes you want. You'll meet this mask today!

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Smart Objects are the most awesome and significant Photoshop innovation since the Layers feature. In this lesson, you'll learn how to take advantage of them. One of the most exciting things you can do with a Smart Object is place a RAW format photo in it. If you take RAW digital photos, you'll be delighted by how easy it is to correct and composite a photo but still be able to go back and make changes.

Friday - Lesson 12

Today, you'll put together everything you've learned in the class and see how you can make layers larger or smaller, rotate them, or use the incredible Warp command. We'll finish up with another chance for you to use your new skills with a major project.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Sherry London.

Sherry London is a noted Photoshop and Illustrator expert, fiber artist, writer, and teacher. Her art has been featured in magazines and exhibitions. Her published works include Photoshop CS2 Gone Wild, Photoshop Magic, Photoshop Effects Magic, Photoshop In Depth, Photoshop Textures Magic, and Illustrator f/x and Design. She writes the Tips and Tricks column for Photoshop User magazine and is a two-time nominee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame. She has taught for the prestigious Thunder Lizard Photoshop Conference and the Professional Photographers of America seminars, as well as for Drexel University, Moore College of Art, and Gloucester County College. Sherry holds a Master's Degree in Information Systems and has taken doctoral level courses in curriculum design.

Requirements:

Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Windows XP or Windows Vista or Adobe Photoshop CS3 Mac and Mac OS X; Completion of Sherry London's Introduction to Photoshop CS3 or Introduction to Photoshop CS2 online course (or equivalent experience); you should have a good working knowledge of the basic tools in Photoshop and be able to make selections, use the Clone Stamp tool and Healing brushes, and do elementary color correction.

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Note: Photoshop CS3 software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins. You may take this course using Photoshop CS or CS2, but there are several activities in which you will not be able to participate.

Student Reviews:

Reviews coming soon! Please check back next month.