Now you can ‘fill’ this new layer with your foreground color several ways in which I teach. For now go to Edit: Fill and choose the default foreground color and press OK.
This will fill the layer with the new color you have chosen from the eyedropper tool.
Select the original copy you made in the layers palette which should be above the fill layer. Now click on the new layer mask icon.
What you are going to do is simply ‘hide’ pixels by using the layer mask; they’re still there just hidden. By hiding some of the pixels on this layer you can let the layer beneath blend into this layer.
Grab your gradient tool with black as the foerground color and choose foreground to transparent as
shown.
Now simply drag up with the gradient tool from the bottom at a slight angle towards the top (about 3 screen inches worth). Because you are on the layer mask, these pixels will now be hidden.
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can help you master Photoshop. It’s got tons of video tutorials in an easy-to-learn style.
In case you didn’t know it you are now learning my secret weapon (gradient layer masking). This is the #1 technique that professionals use in graphic design. It’s used in 90% of all movie posters (so that should say something). Any beginner can create professional results by mastering this process.
Go to the channels palette and view the grayscale layer mask. Once again you can see the black area is the area that you have masked or hidden and the white is the area that is left. The red you see is the rubylith. You can click on and off with the \ key. Or you can turn the eye off in the channels palette to turn the rubylith on and off.
When you are done looking in the channels palette make sure that you reselect the RGB image composite to keep working on the document and layer.
When you right click on the layer mask you have many options to choose from. Try disable layer mask. This will turn it off with an X in the icon and will bring all your hidden/blended pixels back. This is so much better than erasing (using the layer mask).
Remember that when using layer masks, if you want to keep hiding pixels you must make sure that the layer mask icon itself is highlighted in the layer. Other-wise you’ll think you’re hiding pixels and instead you’re on the layer itself instead of the layer MASK. It will take plenty of experience to get used to this.
In the Basic Photoshop DVD training tutorials. I go through dozens of tutori-als in which I am practically using the layer mask because I feel it is one of the most important things to master as Photoshop designer.
Right click again and you can re-enable it.
Choose a darker spot with your eyedropper tool.
Now select the fill layer in the layers palette to make it the ‘active’ layer. Press alt backspace to fill this layer with your new chosen color.
Now we’re getting into design which I’m trying to keep strictly for photoshopdesigner.com and photo-shopdesign.net but by combining different techniques here you can get a feel for how easy it is to create some nice work (where you’re headed).
Grab your type tool and just enter some complimentary text that you think would fit with the image you’ve chosen. I have 100’s of images from Photos.com that are personal picks (being a visual per-son) and are of the highest quality.
I highly recommend a subscrip-tion to Photos.com
Combining a few more things here, go to the Shapes tool (U) and choose a shape.
You can also use the flyout menu to add All and then choose append. This will ‘load’ all of the default shapes for you to choose from.
In the video tutorials I also show you how to create your own custom shapes or ‘vectors’.
You can have all kinds of fun play-ing around with these shapes but it’s really cool when you deliberately start to put together a ‘design’. It’s then that the individual components start ‘adding up’.
After appending, you can see all of the options.
To make things simple, just keep the option on shape layers. Now drag across with your chosen shape to the size you think it should be.
Remember that it will fill with your foreground color. If you want to change the color of the shape layer just click the color picker on the upper right in the options bar.
Remember that you have lots of tools at your disposal. Go to Edit: Free Transform. Now hold the Ctrl key and angle your object in to the center as shown.
To add some more pizazz to your shape layer you can go to the blending op-tions/layer effects and do smoe fun stuff. Try a gra-dient overlay and choose one that is close to your color theme. You can also change the angle or scale of the gradient which will apply to the layer.
You can also create your own custom gradients. I teach this in some of the other tutorials and in the videos. Here I’ve chosen a custom made gradient.
Here is the shortcut to getting the gradient overlay effect.
Here is the result of just a few of these basic Pho-toshop skills put together. The fun has only just begin. It gets exciting when YOU start harnessing all of the Power that lies in Photoshop with your creativity and new knowledge of Photoshop. Just wait until you see what you can do!
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Here is my first entry to the contest. I have been learning to restore old family photos to go with my genealogy research. Your lessons have been amazing! By learning to use the Lasso, and other selection tools properly, as well as the Healing brush, Layer Effects and Masking, I am able to bring my ancestors back to “life” through their photographs to preserve them for generations to come.
I would have never believed that I could have done
anything like this in Photoshop- never thought I was smart enough! You have taught me well, and I will always draw upon that knowledge as I get better and better!!!
This is my second entry, as you see, I am continuing to restore and improve damaged and faded photographs.
Some that are over 100 years old now look like they were made yesterday! I cannot tell you how much it means to me to see the faces come alive, and only through your wonderful lessons and teaching was I able to do it.
Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart!
Wendy Madison
[email protected] Fellow Photoshop aficionado,
*Are you overwhelmed by the scope and complexity of Photoshop?
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If so, then keep reading to discover how to handle all that Photoshop has in store for
you! You don’t need to look any further...
Keep reading to find out more! Throughout this presentation you will see examples of students who have purchased the Basic Photo-shop training and those who have submitted entries or left comments on the BasicphotoPhoto-shop.com site
“I am almost sixty years old,Brasilian(S.Luis-Ma) .I am very novice at Photoshop, I like to thank you for all the tutorials that you are sharing with us. They are easy to understand even my english is not to good.God bless you.
You are the best. “ Sincerely yours, Maria dos Santos [email protected]
Welcome to the exciting world of Adobe Photoshop; the world’s #1 image editing standard! You have embarked on (what should be) a fun and enjoyable learning experience and journey. Basic Photoshop Training is a perfect Introduction for beginners. I hope you’ve enjoyed these free tutorials on PDF.
Hi, I’m Orion Williams, webmaster of PhotoshopDesign.NET, and Adobe Certified Expert, Photoshop CS. I believe you’re here for a reason...you want to simply LEARN how to use and apply Photoshop. You have definitely come to the right place especially if you’re a Photoshop beginner, you’ll love these video tutorials which I’m going to introduce.