Adobe Photoshop Level 1
What is Photoshop?
Photoshop is an imaging and design application that is used by professional photographers, designers, and artists. It allows you to edit, manipulate and create photos and much more.
What are some examples of careers that use photoshop?
- Photographers
- Web Designers
- Graphic Designers
- Advertisers
Get Started Learning!
Introduction to Photoshop Tutorials - Contains tutorials for basic Photoshop features
Photoshop Basics Video Tutorial - Around a 12 minute guided video tutorial of Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop Tutorials - Adobe's tutorials for beginners mainly revolving around photo editing
Photoshop Selection Tools - A quick guide on the different ways to select portions of a photo
Photoshop Essentials Tutorials - A great resource that has numerous tutorials for using Photoshop
Key Tips:
1. When inserting your first photo do not click File, open. Instead Click File, Place embedded photo. Decide where you want the photo go and then click the checkmark icon towards the top right of the screen.
2. In order to resize a photo, click and hold the Control Key and the letter T. This will activate the "Free Transform" tool. Then, click and hold the shift key when resizing your image in order to maintain its original ratios.
3. Some other shortcut keys are:
Control + A = select all
Control + D = deselect all
Control + R = open rulers
4. To duplicate any image - click and hold the Alt/Option key, then simultaneously click and drag the image you want to double.
5. Click on the eyeball next to any layer in order to hide/view it.
1. When inserting your first photo do not click File, open. Instead Click File, Place embedded photo. Decide where you want the photo go and then click the checkmark icon towards the top right of the screen.
2. In order to resize a photo, click and hold the Control Key and the letter T. This will activate the "Free Transform" tool. Then, click and hold the shift key when resizing your image in order to maintain its original ratios.
3. Some other shortcut keys are:
Control + A = select all
Control + D = deselect all
Control + R = open rulers
4. To duplicate any image - click and hold the Alt/Option key, then simultaneously click and drag the image you want to double.
5. Click on the eyeball next to any layer in order to hide/view it.
Toolbar Overview
Learning Photoshop Basics:
Assignment 1 - Layers and Cropping Introduction
1. Open a new Web Document in Adobe Photoshop.
2. Save the photo located below in your folder. Then Click File > Place Embedded File to insert the photo into your web document.
2. Save the photo located below in your folder. Then Click File > Place Embedded File to insert the photo into your web document.
fish_tank__2_.jpg | |
File Size: | 150 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
3. Place the picture where you want it and then click the checkmark button on the top toolbar which means "commit transform (enter)"
4. Save the photo located below in your folder. Then Click File > Open and open the photo in your web document. This will open the picture in a different tab.
4. Save the photo located below in your folder. Then Click File > Open and open the photo in your web document. This will open the picture in a different tab.
turtle.jpg | |
File Size: | 775 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
5. Click the Magnetic Lasso Tool located on the left toolbar in order to trace around your image.
6. Once your image is selected, hit Edit < Copy (or Control + C) and then go back to your original Fish Tank image.
7. Click Layer > New > Layer so you don't make changes to the original Background.
8. Paste the image into the new layer and then click Control + T to resize it. Your turtle will now be in the tank!
9. Use this same technique to add at least 3 other realistic images of Marine life to your image.
- If you make a mistake you can press the Delete key to backspace or press the Escape key if you need to start over.
- Make sure you connect your ending point to your starting point.
6. Once your image is selected, hit Edit < Copy (or Control + C) and then go back to your original Fish Tank image.
7. Click Layer > New > Layer so you don't make changes to the original Background.
8. Paste the image into the new layer and then click Control + T to resize it. Your turtle will now be in the tank!
9. Use this same technique to add at least 3 other realistic images of Marine life to your image.
Assignment 2 - The Magic Wand
The Magic Wand in Photoshop selects pixels based on tone and color. When you click on an area in the image with the tool, Photoshop looks at the tone and color of the area you clicked on and selects pixels that share the same color and brightness values. This makes the Magic Wand very good at selecting large areas of solid color.
You are going to learn how to replace the background of a photo by using the Magic Wand tool.
Directions:
Step 1:
Download and save the photo below in your folder. Then open it in Photoshop by clicking File < Place Embedded Photo.
Sky Image | |
File Size: | 62 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Step 2:
You are going to replace the sky in this photo. In order to do this you need to select the existing sky. Click on the magic wand tool which can be found on the left toolbar:
You are going to replace the sky in this photo. In order to do this you need to select the existing sky. Click on the magic wand tool which can be found on the left toolbar:
Click near the top left of the photo with your cursor. You will notice that only part of the sky has been selected. This is because the sky changes from a lighter shade to a darker one as it gets closer to the building.
The Magic Wand has the option to add to existing selections, which means you can keep the selection you've started with and add more.
To add to a selection, hold down the Shift key and click in the area you need to add. You'll see a small plus sign (+) appear in the bottom left of the Magic Wand's cursor icon letting you know you're about to add to the selection. Then click somewhere inside the sky that wasn't included in the selection initially.
The entire sky should now be selected.
Step 3:
Go up to the Select menu at the top of the screen and choose Inverse.
This will invert the selection, meaning it will select everything that wasn't selected (everything below the sky) and deselect everything that was. We need to do this because we have to keep the section of the photo below the sky.
Step 4:
Next, Press Ctrl+J to quickly copy the area you're keeping to a new layer in the Layers panel. It should look like this:
Go up to the Select menu at the top of the screen and choose Inverse.
This will invert the selection, meaning it will select everything that wasn't selected (everything below the sky) and deselect everything that was. We need to do this because we have to keep the section of the photo below the sky.
Step 4:
Next, Press Ctrl+J to quickly copy the area you're keeping to a new layer in the Layers panel. It should look like this:
Step 5:
Find an image online to replace the original sky photo and save it to your folder.
Step 6:
Open the file by clicking File > Open. Press Ctrl+A to quickly select the entire image, then Ctrl+C to copy it to the clipboard.
Step 7:
Switch back to the original image and click on the Background layer in the Layers panel to select it.
Press Ctrl+V to paste the new image into the document. It should appear as Layer 2.
You have now officially used the Magic Wand tool to replace the sky in a photo! Now try using this tool with an image of your choice.
Find an image online to replace the original sky photo and save it to your folder.
Step 6:
Open the file by clicking File > Open. Press Ctrl+A to quickly select the entire image, then Ctrl+C to copy it to the clipboard.
Step 7:
Switch back to the original image and click on the Background layer in the Layers panel to select it.
Press Ctrl+V to paste the new image into the document. It should appear as Layer 2.
You have now officially used the Magic Wand tool to replace the sky in a photo! Now try using this tool with an image of your choice.
Here is another example of a way you can use the magic wand tool to select parts of a photo:
Assignment 3 - Layering Masks
Part 1: Create an image that contains a layer mask.
If you would like to follow a tutorial please click here.
If you would like to follow a tutorial please click here.
What is a layer mask?
A layer mask allows you to control a layer's level of transparency. It will allow you to make part or all of the layer visible.
In order to add a layer mask, make sure the layer you want to add the mask to is above the background layer. It should be selected in the Layer's Palette.
Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal all.
After adding a layer mask to a layer, a layer mask thumbnail will appear to the right of the layer's preview thumbnail.
It should look something like this:
"Layer masks use only white, black, and all the shades of gray in between, and they use these colors to control the transparency of a layer. White in a layer mask means 100% visible. Black in a layer mask means 100% transparent.
When the mask is filled with white, the contents of that layer are 100% visible in the document, and when the mask is filled with black, the contents of the layer are 100% transparent - hidden from view but not deleted"
(taken from photoshopessentials.com)
Select the eraser tool and make sure it is on the color you want. Then begin hiding or revealing part of your layer.
Here is an example of a way you can use the layer mask tool to make a cloudy sky visible instead of a clear one:
Part 2: Create an image where the head from one photo is mixed with the body from another!
Step 1: Select a photo of a person/animal and open it in Photoshop by clicking File > Place Embedded Photo.
Step 2: Next, select the second photo (the one you want to take the head from) and insert it by again choosing File > Place Embedded Photo.
Here is an example of two photos you could use:
Step 3: Use the Free Transform Tool (Ctrl +T) to resize size the image and rotate it so that it fits well on the body.
Step 4: Add a layermask to the layer with the head either by choosing Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All or by clicking on the Add layer mask icon on the Layers window.
Remember, using a black brush hides the image on the layer while a white brush will reveal it. You can increase and decrease the brush size to accurately reveal what you need.
You can also use the Dodge & Burn tools to adjust the lighting to the head area.
If you need to sharpen the image to match the background go to Filter >Sharpen > Sharpen.
Step 5: Add any objects to your photo that fit with your theme. In this case a crown was added.
In order to make the crown fit two tools were used:
Edit > Transform > Perspective and
Edit > Transform > Warp
Example of a finished product:
(that certainly is a cute dog...any guesses whose it is?)
Assignment 4 - Create a Collage
Use the skills you have learned so far to create a collage in Photoshop.
Topic ideas:
- Sports (ex: baseball, football, soccer, hockey)
- Hobbies (swimming, hiking, reading, video games)
- Movies/ TV Shows
- Nature
- Careers
Directions:
1. Start with a new document and select a background image for your collage. Place this image by selecting File < Place Embedded image.
2. Select the photos you want to use and open them in separate tabs by clicking File < Open.
3. Crop the photos using the Magnetic Lasso Tool and then copy them into your collage.
4. Arrange the photos by using the move tool and Free Transform Tool (Control + T) to resize them.
5. Optional: Add text to your collage by using the Horizontal Text Tool. You can customize the look of your text by using the options on the top toolbar or by right clicking the layer and clicking "Blending Options."
Your collage should contain at least 7 photos!
Collage Examples
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/04/how-to-make-a-photoshop-montage/
Assignment 5 - Travel Poster
The holidays and the start of travel season are approaching....if you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
Your assignment is to create a poster using Photoshop that advertises a travel destination.
- Do some research on your destination and find out some of the top things to do there.
- Create a new document and insert at least 3 real photos to give the reader a sense of what it is like at your location.
- Add text with details about why your destination is a great place to visit.
- Make your poster stand out by creating a clipping mask with the name of your location. A clipping mask involves placing an image into text.
Here is an example of a finished poster below:
Directions to create a clipping mask:
1. Find a photo of your location and insert it into a new document by clicking File > Place Embedded.
2. Create a new blank layer and place it underneath your photo layer.
3. Select the "horizontal type tool" from your left-side toolbar.
4. Type in the name of your location in black.
5. Change the font to something thick and bold like "Impact" and change the font size to fit across the picture.
6. Move the photo layer so it is above the text layer.
1. Find a photo of your location and insert it into a new document by clicking File > Place Embedded.
2. Create a new blank layer and place it underneath your photo layer.
3. Select the "horizontal type tool" from your left-side toolbar.
4. Type in the name of your location in black.
5. Change the font to something thick and bold like "Impact" and change the font size to fit across the picture.
6. Move the photo layer so it is above the text layer.
7. Select the photo layer and right click, then choose the "create clipping mask" option.
8. Move your photo to place it in the best position.
9. When you are finished, select all of the layers by clicking on the first layer, holding shift, and then clicking on the last layer.
10. Go to the top toolbar and click filter, then "convert for smart filters." This will group all of your layers together into one.
11. Next, select the magic wand tool and click in the white background. Go to the select tab on the top toolbar and click inverse. Your text can now be copied into your poster file.
Here is an example of what a finished clipping mask will look like:
Finish editing your poster then save it as a JPEG file and submit to Engrade.
INTRODUCTION TO PHOTO EDITING
Assignments 6-8 can be found below:
Click here to begin learning how to edit photos to enhance their quality and appearance.
Assignment 9 - Learn how to easily remove objects from photos
Please watch the following tutorial video up until 6 minutes and 15 seconds by clicking here
Then select your own photo (or use the attached one below) and remove objects in the photo using EACH of these three tools:
*Be sure to save a copy of your work as a PSD file so a teacher can check your edits.
Then select your own photo (or use the attached one below) and remove objects in the photo using EACH of these three tools:
- Content aware fill
- Patch tool
- Clone stamp tool
*Be sure to save a copy of your work as a PSD file so a teacher can check your edits.
venice.jpg | |
File Size: | 199 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Assignment 10- Create A Motion Effect
Step 1: Begin by choosing a photo of a car that is in still motion.
Step 2: Use the magnetic lasso tool or another tool of your choice (see a teacher for help with the quick selection tool) to select your entire object.
Step 3: Create a new layer with your selection by pressing Control + J.
Step 4: Select the background layer and then go to the top toolbar and click the Filter Tab. From there, go down to Blur Gallery and then select Motion Blur. A bar will come up allowing you to choose the intensity of your blur.
Step 5: Next, we want to black out the windows to make the motion look more realistic and hide the fact that there is not a driver. You can do this by using the quick selection tool to select the window and then painting it with a soft black brush.
Step 6: In order to blur the wheels so they look like they are in motion, go to the Filter tab and select Blur Gallery > Spin Blur. You will see a circle appear that you can drag over the tire and resize so it fits it perfectly. Then, click the white line to adjust the intensity of the spin on the tires.
Before Photo Example:
After Photo Example:
BONUS ASSIGNMENT: Select another photo of a still object such as a plane, boat, person jogging, etc. and put it into motion.
Assignment 11 - Make a Photo Look like its a Comic
Step 1: Select a photo and open it by choosing File < Place Embedded. Then duplicate the background layer twice by clicking Ctrl + J two times. You will now have two new layers.
Step 2: Group these 2 layers together. Select them both, right click, and then choose Group from Layers, or you can hit Ctrl + G for Group.
Step 3: Select the top layer in the group and change the Layer Blending Mode to Hard Mix.
Step 4: Reduce the Opacity to around 40%. Notice as you change opacity it starts to reduce the amount of colors in the photo, and that gives it a comic book look.
Step 5: Next, right click on the group and choose convert to a Smart Object. We will be adding pop dots to the photo to make it look like it's on a printed page.
Step 6: Go to Filter >Pixelize >Color Halftone. The maximum radius is set to 8 pixels. You can experiment with using somewhere between 6-8 pixels to get small dots. This may take a few tries so use the history tool to go back if you need to change the number of pixels.
Step 7: Go to the small smart filter in the Layers panel. Double click on it, then bring down the opacity to around 42%. Click OK.
Step 8: Select the background layer (the layer on the bottom) and duplicate it by pressing Control + J. Drag this layer to the top of your layers panel.
Step 9: We want to add outlines that define the detail of the superhero photo. In order to do this go to Filter < Stylize < Find Edges.
Step 10: Go to the Layer Blend Mode and select Overlay. You will now have a comic book effect on your image!
Examples of before and after:
Assignment 12 - Text Effects
Open an image of your choice in Photoshop and then label/caption it by creating one of the following text effects:
Donut Text
Wire Frame
Metal
Gold
Assignment 13 -Photo Challenge #1!
Download the picture below and make edits to it using the skills you have learned.
Possible ideas:
- Crop out the main part of the photo into a new background
- Add images to the photo
- Alter the background
Whatever you choose to do, be creative!
flyingdog.jpg | |
File Size: | 448 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Assignment 14 - Photo Challenge #2!
Download the picture below and make edits to it using the skills you have learned.
Possible ideas:
- Create a stormy sky
- Make it rain (tutorial can be found here)
- Add objects/images
- Use adjustment filters to alter the image
BE CREATIVE!
cloudysky.jpg | |
File Size: | 6686 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
(inspired by The Pioneer Woman, who took these photos and used them for challenges)
Assignment 15 - Create a Surreal Photo
Create a photo that doesn't exist in reality, like the one above. Be as creative as you can!
Here are two tutorials if you need an idea to get started:
https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-surreal-photo-manipulation-in-adobe-photoshop--cms-24017
https://speckyboy.com/30-breathtaking-surreal-photoshop-tutorials/