Photoshop - An Introduction

To date you have already learned a lot about the image-editing application, Adobe Photoshop CS6. Congratulations! You have done a great job! You have learned the importance of working with layers in Photoshop. With Photoshop you can create original digital artwork, or edit existing images, adding filters, changing colors, adding images or shapes, retouching photographs, etc. You also learned to use "Blending Options" by going to the "Layer Style" window, double-clicking the right side of your layers. You can use Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, Outer Glow, Bevel/Emboss, etc.

What is Photoshop? It is and extremely powerful application (with a wealth of tools and commands) used to enhance and manipulate photos and create original digital art work. It is also used to touch-up photos and create high quality graphics. You can use it for almost any kind of image editing. Many professional photographers and designers use Photoshop. Watch: Video (click link). Find more information online and add it in your notebooks.

Remember: It is essential to have your Tools and Layers showing in Photoshop. If you do not see these, please go to Window (on the Menu Bar) > Workspace and click "Reset Essentials."

Layers:

Layers in Photoshop are like individual sheets of clear plastic that are in a stack. When you select a layer in the Layers Palette (or Panel), that layer is "active." Only one layer can be active at a time. The name of the active layer appears in the title bar of the image window. Changes affect only the "active layer" even though you view the whole image in the image window. You may find it useful to hide layers while working in Photoshop. All you have to do is click on the "Visibility Icon" or eye on the left side of the layer. You can also rearrange your layers and change their names. You can also create folders to add groups of layers and organize the Layers Panel better. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR LAYERS AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE SELECTING THE RIGHT ONE.

Pixels: 
Pixel is short for “picture element.” A pixel is the smallest element in a bitmap image such as a scan. If you zoom in on an image in Photoshop, you will start to see the individual pixels that make up the image. When working in Photoshop, you are editing pixels, changing their color, shade and brightness.

Bitmaps:

Digital images. An object in a bitmap images consists of a rectangular grid or raster of pixels – like a mosaic. When editing a bitmap image, it is the color values of individual pixels or groups of pixels that are modified.

Filters (in the Menu Bar):

Filters provide a quick and easy way to change the overall appearance of your image.

First tools to learn in Photoshop:

Move Tool - The Move tool is used to move selections, layers and guides.
Magnetic Lasso Tool - Used to select images.

Crop Tool - Used to crop/trim images. 

Brush Tool - Paints brushstrokes.

Paint Bucket Tool - Fills areas with the Foreground Color. 

Rectangular/Elliptical Marquee Tools -  To make rectangular or elliptical selections.

Eraser Tool - Erases pixels and restores parts of an image to its previously saved state. 

Eye Dropper Tool - Samples colors in an image.  
Text or Type Tool - To insert text (create "type" on an image).
Custom Shape Tool - Makes customizes shapes selected from a custom shape list.

Find other tools here: Photoshop Tools and Photoshop Tools 2 (click links) 

Design Tools video: Video (you may not be able to see this video in school, so please 
check it at home).

First Keyboard-Shortcuts to learn:

Command-O (open a document)
Command-A (to select ALL, if you need to quickly select an entire image)
Command-C (to copy something in Photoshop and other applications)

Command-V (to paste something in Photoshop and other applications)

Command-J (create a layer)
Command-N (to create a new Photoshop document)

Command-S (save)

Command-Z (undo)

Command-T (called "Free-Transform," to resize objects - enlarge or shrink images, press the Shift Key so you don't change the proportions of an image)

Command-D (deselect - after making a selection with the magnetic lasso tool, get rid of selection, the small intermittent lines surrounding the image)

Command-U (Hue/Saturation window, to change colors, saturation and lightness)
Command-R (to view the ruler)

Command-Shift-U (desaturate - to change a picture or layer to black and white)
Command-Plus (+) (to enlarge an entire image/picture without adding pixels)
Command-Minus (-) (to minimize an image/picture without deleting pixels) 

Also remember:

[  Open Bracket (to decrease Brush or Eraser size) — Quickly decrease your brush size (or the eraser size) to get into those tighter spots, when working with the Brush or Eraser Tools.

]  Close Bracket (to increase Brush or Eraser size) — Quickly increase your brush size (or the eraser size) for the larger areas, when working with the Brush or Eraser Tools.

Please write this information in your notebooks. The Commands will be included on the test you will have on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. You must also know how to define Photoshop, what are layers and why they're important in Photoshop, and the terms mentioned here (bitmaps, pixels, filters, etc.) and on the previous blog entry (discussed in class). The PowerPoint on Graphic Design will also be included. Any questions, please ask Mrs. Feld.

Welcome to the Digital Art & Graphic Design Class

This course will introduce you to the general graphic design processes and techniques used by commercial and visual artists, including the principles of design, layout, color theory, composition and typography, using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. You will learn to be creative and will produce digital works of art and interesting publications (like flyers, advertisements, magazine covers, book covers, brochures, etc.). A basic understanding of computer applications is expected.

We will start learning some important terms: digital, art, design, graphic design, graphic designer, aesthetics, composition, Web design, branding. We will also learn the six principles of a visual composition: balance, proximity, alignment, contrast, white space and keeping it simple.

There are mainly three different kinds of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial. I need you to understand the difference between the three. I will show you a PowerPoint explaining most of the terms mentioned here, which I also downloaded on your computers.

Check some of the links under "My Favorite Links" on the right side.

Class assignment - Go to Google images and check interesting designs by searching: Architect Thomas Heatherwick, Gothic architecture, Dubai buildings, Eco buildings, modern buildings, Rococo buildings, Gaudi (Antoni Gaudi from Barcelona, Spain), interesting architectural buildings, 50 most amazing buildings (click link), strange buildings, funny buildings and other (to your liking). Which designs do you like the best? Why? Which ones do you dislike? Why? Discuss with your classmates.

I hope you enjoy this class!