Help me teach advanced Photoshop techniques

September 10, 2008 9:37 AM

What else should I be teaching my students to help them become Photoshop masters?

I teach a digital media course at the grade 10-12 level. I cover Photoshop fairly extensively, but I am always looking for more tricks and techniques to introduce to my students. I am more or less self taught in Photoshop, so I worry that I am missing things that might be obvious to those with more formal training.

Here is what I do with them now:
Various types of masking (lasso, magic wand, quick mask) - I'll have them put people in different backgrounds or play with scale.
Clone Stamp - making objects dissappear from backgrounds.
Selective filtering - Combine with quick mask to make part of an image black and white, for example
Airbrushing - gets into layers and layer modes in order to do standard photoshop airbrushing (but there is certainly more I could know about layers)

Other tools are introduced on an "as needed" basis (when they ask "how do I make it look like..."

I actually answered a similar question a while back that dealt more with projects over technique. I don't have too much trouble coming up with the big picture stuff - I just don't know how to get from A to B in some cases.

What I would love to hear about are any of the "standard" photoshop assignments or tools/techniques I should be working with.

I use Photoshop CS3 in a PC environment.

posted by davey_darling to computers & internet (16 comments total)

If you're teaching, you can get access to Lynda.com at a student/educator rate. Take a look at the video training there, and see what you're leaving out. If you're self taught, a lot of their teaching will introduce you to new and useful things that you never knew.

The surest sign of a self-taught Photoshop user (aside from excessive filter use) is someone who pokes through the menus to get work done, mousing everything and and using no automation. Teach them how to use the keyboard to control Photoshop tools and how to use actions and especially scripts to build powerful image processing toolchains. I teach this stuff in private lessons, (and use it professionally in game development and personally in art) and I've yet to meet a student who couldn't grok and benefit from actions and scripts. Actions are often as simple as recording what you did and playing it back, simple and intuitive.
posted by fake at 9:49 AM on September 10, 2008

I'm self-taught as well and stay away from standard type things, but I hope this helps: Keyboard shortcuts for sure, for much-used things like create new layer, copy layer, deselect, all the tools, quick mask, etc., etc., should never be done with a button, always with a keyboard. Actions for sure - especially with batch processing. Spend lots of time on the stamp tool and the pen tool. Learn about the new illustrator-like vector tools. Nested layers are a good thing. Naming layers obvious things might not seem obvious, but people don't do it and then spend untold amounts of time later on trying to reverse engineer their graphic (or even worse, someone else's).

Standard operating BS: Scan a photo and "disappear" someone from it. Create a copy of a building (or part of a building) where there was no building before. Turn someone's eyes a different color. Scan a brochure or some ad copy and change some specific words - match the type, logos, etc., without being too obvious. Pick a website / ad / video and try to duplicate its "style" in a Photoshop project.

The best way I've personally learned Photoshop (and most things) is to tackle an actual project. Most books I've seen just take you through "here's the lasso..here's the marquee..here's the levels dialog..here are layers, colors, etc., - now go forth and multiply" without any serious in-depth step-by-step practical examples.
posted by ostranenie at 10:14 AM on September 10, 2008

I think a big one in photoshop is to break the mindset of letting your tools determine your results. People have difficulty figuring out how to do something they want to do, and so they change the task into something different that the default settings and filters make easy to do. This leads to bad work and insular skills that don't progress. Teach the mindset that Photoshop provides the tools to produce anything, so you must not compromise on your vision - find a way to do it, because there is a way, if not several. (As pros, time might greatly limit what you can typically do, but you don't get to that level if you get in the rut of letting the tools decide what you can and can't do in your work, instead of you being in the driver's seat and bending the tools to your needs)
posted by -harlequin- at 10:22 AM on September 10, 2008

I think one of the key skills is doing things in editable/non-destructive ways where possible using masking, vector shapes, Smart Objects, adjustment layers, keeping text as text, layer styles, etc. Finding someone has flattened a key design element into a single layer, or worked at too low a resolution, is very frustrating and shouldn't happen with the tools PS now makes available.

Also cover sensible layer naming & grouping, that's incredibly important when working with others.
posted by malevolent at 10:25 AM on September 10, 2008

Tool-wise: Channel operations. Smart Objects. The perspective tools that came in with CS2. Levels and curves. Removing color casting on photos. Fixing red-eye.

Workflow-wise: How to make a PSD that someone else can immediately open and work with-- sensible layer names, layer grouping, colored labels. How to make your own keyboard shortcuts. Batch processing.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:36 AM on September 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

Others have said it, but I think it bears repeating. The most important thing that I learned from my photoshop teachers was learning the keyboard shortcuts. Learning them has made me much more productive and made it less frustrating to approach difficult assignments. Finding the right tool can get frustrating when you are new to PS, but if you know where all of the tools are (via shortcuts) you can focus on the task at hand.
posted by mintymike at 10:42 AM on September 10, 2008

I think that basic color correction would be something useful for anyone who would be using Photoshop, especially considering how many people have digital cameras these days and how much photography is being done, especially by amateurs. Anyone going into graphic or web design will be using photos throughout their careers, too. Lynda.com has some great tutorials on photo retouching that feature some useful basic techniques such as setting the white point, improving contrast and tone and color correcting skin "by the numbers," if you're looking for examples.

Also, nthing nondestructive editing and keyboard shortcuts.
posted by bristolcat at 11:10 AM on September 10, 2008

As someone who does a lot of Photoshop work for print projects, my first lesson would be:
Photoshop is NOT a page-layout tool. Never, under any circumstances, use Photoshop to set text.

It curdles the mind to see 8.5x11 brochures chock-full of 10-point text set in Photoshop. Seriously. It happens. It isn't pretty.

Also... CMYK=Print RGB=Web
posted by Thorzdad at 11:17 AM on September 10, 2008

- I would teach layer masks over quickmasks, it's non-destructive and therefore more editable.
- Adjustment layers over adjustments (nondestructive and re-editable)
- Smart objects, as noted up thread, are very useful (and nondestructive) and likely to become more so.
- How to print properly in a color managed workflow (and color management in general).
- How to use paths for masking and for creating shape layers.
- Using curves (as opposed to levels)

Thorzdad, I agree , except that, if it's the only program you have access to, it's going to be your layout program too. So beating them up over doing what they can with what they have isn't very productive.

Also, keep it fun and remember that experimenting is the best way to learn for a lot of people. I would avoid static projects that are all technique and no creativity.
posted by doctor_negative at 11:48 AM on September 10, 2008

It really depends on whether you're focusing more on photo editing or the graphic design aspect. For the photo editing, you'll want everyone to be able to open a photo, level the horizon, fix the exposure, fix the color, clean up the noise, crop it and save it. And they should be able to do that all quickly and efficiently. For more advanced lessons you can get into removing redeye, swapping heads & bodies, changing colors, etc.

If you're into the graphic design end, you'll want to learn more of the layout and nondestructive workflow stuff that's been covered pretty well here already.

I don't think you can adequately cover both at once. You might be able to do a semester on each. In my mind, they're two very separate areas and it's best to address them separately. Once someone is very comfortable with both, you can put the two together.
posted by echo target at 12:05 PM on September 10, 2008

Also... CMYK=Print RGB=Web
Oh god please yes. Please please please please please.

Keyboard shortcuts have already been mentioned, but it bears repeating.

Color correction has already been mentioned, but it segues into another interesting realm. The LAB color mode is an immensely useful tool for image manipulation. Maybe not entirely suitable for novices, but a passing introduction would be good, and would lead to a discussion of different colorspaces and their uses. For example... CMYK=Print, RGB=Web.

Color correction: Levels=good. Curves=best.

I can't recommend familiarity with the pen tool enough. It's used in every Adobe design application, especially Illustrator. Most people are turned off by it because the learning curve starts off pretty steep since it has no real-world analog, but, once again, an immensely useful tool.

Layers are, of course, the backbone of Photoshop, but never underestimate the potential of the Channels palette. This is essentially a set of layers where the emphasis in on color rather than image, and they play a huge, huge, huge role in preparing files for print. Spot channels, spot colors, masks, monotones, duotones, multichannel images...

Lastly, if you want them to truly be masters, teach them about appropriate file formats for different end uses, and the functionality supported by the different formats. For instance, an EPS file can contain fonts* without the need to flatten or rasterize them; this is important because the fonts will appear smooth and crisp rather than jagged and crappy when printed. An EPS will also support clipping paths. A DCS file will support spot colors. A PNG will support transparency on the web much, much better than a GIF.

Also... CMYK=Print RGB=Web


*As Thorzdad says, Photoshop is a really poor tool for setting type. That said, it can be done if absolutely necessary. But please don't.
posted by lekvar at 12:07 PM on September 10, 2008

I would also suggest that you avoid filters*. I've found that nothing stunts a student's progress like getting hung up with the filters. Suggest that they try to achieve their desired effect without resorting to any filter.

*other than Gaussian Blur. That's another really useful tool I forgot to mention in my previous rant.
posted by lekvar at 12:12 PM on September 10, 2008

One of my favorite techniques (of teaching) was to take a fark photoshop, a somethingawful goldmine, or a Worth 1000 contest. It's a great challenge, lots of fun, and gives them something specific as a 'goal'

Also, taking a photo and using a variety of retouching techniques. How unreal can you get someone to be?
posted by filmgeek at 12:28 PM on September 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

Non-destructive editing is, in my opinion, the most important skill for advanced PS users. Adjustment layers, fill layers, layer styles, and layer masks really simplify complex tasks, and make it so that it’s easy to come back and make small revisions later.

Professional users must be capable of working in any color space. Channel operations, Levels and Curves, can be difficult to wrap one’s head around, but are very useful for manipulating digital photos, and are essential for print work with spot colors.

Google “Kai's Power Tips and Tricks for Photoshop” for a dated, but still interesting collection of advanced techniques.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 12:58 PM on September 10, 2008

Harlequin made the point I was coming to make. I don't want to denigrate your course or anything, but it would do the world a great service if the studens realized that learning "Photoshop" is like learning "Hammers."

I'd emphasize that anything you do in Photoshop you could also do with 100 other tools, and try to keep steering the lessons back to goal, process, solution... with "technique" being only the last quarter of the sessions. Really, once you have figured out what you want to do, and why, the how can usually be solved with a good book.

I've worked with a lot of faux graphic artists who were really just Photoshop technicians, as it turned out. Disappointment all around.

(I have taught graphic design courses. It shows.)
posted by rokusan at 4:02 PM on September 10, 2008

Lekvar is right about Curves, too. Few people use Curves well, because they're tricky, and instead end up resorting to cruder Brightness/Contrast or HSV hackery.
posted by rokusan at 4:06 PM on September 10, 2008