Art 102: Photoshop
Introduction
About This Manual
Welcome! This STS Manual is meant to serve as a reference guide for Art 102 students needing help learning the many Photoshop tools and techniques available. Simply click on any topic listed within the table of contents above to go directly to that topic’s short video tutorial!
Regardless of your Photoshop skill level, please first review the videos found within The Essentials section below to ensure you have a solid understanding of image basics and the current Photoshop interface.
Project 1 – Topics To Review
There are a lot of topics covered and it might be a bit overwhelming! To help make navigating this manual a bit more manageable, below we have listed out which topics may be most useful to review for your Art 102 Photoshop Project 1:
- The Essentials
- Opening a Single Image
- Saving as a Photoshop File or PDF File
- Exporting as an Image (JPEG or PNG)
- Working Between Documents
- The Crop Tool
- Transform Tools
- Healing Brush Tools
- Adjustment Layers
The Essentials (Required)
The videos below cover important information about what raster images are, the importance of considering their size and resolution, and a few videos covering Photoshop essentials before diving into any of the specific tools or techniques.
Pre-Photoshop: Image Basics
Photoshop: Interface and Navigation
Photoshop: Important Keyboard Shortcuts
- Undo: Command Z (Mac) or Control Z (Windows)
- Redo: Shift Command Z or Shift Control Z
- Zoom-In/Out: Command +/- or Control +/-
- Pan (move around your project): Spacebar
- Save: Command S or Control S
- Resizing Brush Tool: [ ]
- Modifier Keys: Shift Key and Option/Alt (depending on what tool you are selected on, these keys let you do additional tasks. Videos below will reference when to use these.)
Photoshop: Understanding Selections
Many of the edits you’ll want to make in Photoshop require selections. Watch this video below to get a better understanding of what selections are and examples of the most common types.
Photoshop: Understanding Brushes
Whether it’s for selecting or coloring in, understanding how to use and adjust brushes will help us tremendously as we work on our Photoshop project!
Photoshop: The Layers Panel Basics
Every image, adjustment , and effect we add to our project results an additional layers. Learn more about the Layers Panel below to help you hide, lock, move, rename, duplicate, select, and group layers as you need to while working on your project.
Starting a New Project
Creating a New Project (Document Set-Up)
Opening a Single Image
How to Import Images (Place Embedded)
Guides, Grids, and Rulers
Saving as a Photoshop File or PDF
Exporting as an Image
Selection Options
Quick Selection Tool
Object Selection Tool
Magic Wand Tool
Combining Selections
Cropping Images
The Crop Tool (Best for Single-Image Projects)
Please note that the Crop Tool adjusts the size of the entire canvas of a Photoshop project and is often only used for Photoshop projects containing a single image. If you use the Crop Tool for a project with multiple images, it will adjust the size of your entire canvas rather than a single image on your canvas.
Cropping with Frames and Layer Masks (Best for Multi-Image Projects)
Cropping with Clipping Masks
Want an image to take on the shape or text of another layer? Use a Clipping Mask!
Image Transformations (Resize, Rotate, Perspective, Warp) and Making Copies
Image Transform Tools
Making Copies of Images
Example of Cropping and Transforming An Image:
Cleaning Up an Image (Removing Imperfections)
Healing Brush Tools
Removing Objects/Subjects with the Content-Aware Fill
Changing Color, Brightness, and Texture
Adjustment Layers: Introduction and the Light Adjustment Layer
Color and Vibrance
Curves
Levels
Hue and Saturation
Color Balance
Blend Modes
Blend modes allow us to change how layers interact with one another, making it a great option to add more texture to our Photoshop projects!