Photoshop User?

[sd111760]

Hi!
Any one a photoshop user?
I'd like to learn more about Photoshop and maybe share some Photoshop Goodies!!

[Lord of the Rings]

Photoshop has some 'reasonable' learning files in its own program program folder. Some are advanced techniques of using the program. Check the tutorials there.
... oh .. just checked .. the more recent version Photoshop doesn't seem to have such entailed tutorials. They do link from URL page however so that's probably how they do it now I guess.

The Adobe site used to have pages for both tutorials & examples of work. I haven't checked in a long time as to whether they still exist.

Personally I was self taught, but later studied Photoshop at university (was exempted for early part) as a part of a multimedia graphics course. I spent much of my time helping others. lol

[sd111760]

Thanks for the info! :}
I'm self teaching myself for the last 6 mos. or so..:!
Having a hard time learning actions at this time!!!:]
Was hoping to find a learning cd/dvd to help with the harder stuff!! ;]

[Lord of the Rings]

Actions you can record yourself. If you have a lot of files that need identical formatting/processing then they are ideal to use either individually as needed or batch process. Recording actions is not hard, just need to know you are doing the right things each time (can always go back & edit the action if needed by adding or removing a particular process.)

Click the Actions palette, then click the small arrow at top right of the palette & a drop down menu will appear. There you can create a new Action & then start to record all the processes you do until finished (then press stop recording), else experiment with the included ones. I think you will find some sites around that offer extra actions to download & use.

Keep in mind how much you wish the action to do itself. Be it just processing or create a new document & process it from scratch. Can go right through to saving the document in a particular format. As mentioned above, you can create sub versions of a particular action of variations are needed.

Actions can save a lot of personal processing time & personal time, particularly if the actions are complex processing that would normally take a long time, concentration & finesse to do yourself.

If you experiment with the sample ones, watch how they work you will get a better idea. Also open the little arrows to see each specific process, this is where they can be customised too. From memory a process can be changed in order or added reasonably easily if editing the action.

[sd111760]

If I have an action I want to use, do I use a tool or a brush sized to what I want to use an action on?
Yes I'm totaly lost to actions!!!!!

[Lord of the Rings]

Hmm not for drawing per se ... after rechecking myself. But it good for processing ready images such as photos or other. Sorry I got that earlier point wrong. (Although you can set brush size in actions, it will not paint itself.)

Just a quick example below about the initial steps. The actual actions I used were a little rubbishy but just to show a few types of things that can be done. Processing I guess you might say is the main purpose, rather than creation. But then depends on how it's used, such as opening particular files, cut n paste, working with layers, etc.

I might have an actions or actions section of an early photoshop learning CD I had from many years back.

[sd111760]

What I'm tring to use is a "Soft Skin" action to touch up a photo of my daughter in law for her Christmas present!!
Also some other family pics too!!
I watched a vid on Youtube and still a lil confused.. (most vids I've watched on the subject is for those that have more knowledge of photoshop than I have, not for beginers)

[Lord of the Rings]

For a start, work with effects layers, never work directly on the image itself. In the Layer menu you can create an adjustment layer & then choose which type of effect you wish to use. Adjustment layers can always be adjusted or deleted as long as the document has not been Flattened as you would do just before printing to save computer memory & time sending to printer. You can add other types of layers too. Using layers allows you to process effects, also duplicate original image layer.

I'll see what I can come up for you as a guide. Sounds like some masking would be appropriate though not necessary.

[sd111760]

Thanks for the info/help....
I know this forum was'nt for Photoshop help, but I just thought I give it a try!!!
All I've really learned to do was erase background-add pic to another pic and to make animated .gif files....
Some cloning too! and that's about it!!!
Retouching is my new lesson!!! :}