Adobe Photoshop for Beginners

A course to give students the confidence to use the industry standard photo-manipulation and computer graphics programme.

ENROL at Totton College

About the Course

Adobe Photoshop is used in design studios everywhere for its powerful image manipulation. Knowledge of this huge programme is an essential and enjoyable requirement for all aspiring designers.

This course will include techniques used in the design and reprographic trade.

Totton College uses Windows XP but we are Mac friendly - all techniques will be valid for both platforms.

There is no formal exam for this course, work produced during the course will help at interviews for employment or college applications. You will need to build a portfolio of work for assessment for the qualification.

Course Aims

To be able to undertake the following activities in Photoshop:

- Retouch images
- Work in layers
- Add text to images
- Create special effects

What are the entry requirements?

Basic Computer Skills on Windows PC or Mac.

How is the course assessed?

Tutorial feedback and assessment.

Are there any resources to obtain?

Blank CDs or a USB memory stick - discuss with tutor.

What facilities can be used on this course?

Computer Graphics PC site.
The use of appropriate software, printers and paper.

What next?

Further study and/or employment.

Week 1: 27th Sep 2005
Compositing or 'photo-montage'. Using the move tool to drag the contents of one image across to add to a second, creating a new layer on the way. Removing the background using the eraser, magic eraser or magic wand tools. Using the zoom tool to enlarge the area of the image you are working on and then to quickly reduce the image size double click the hand tool to fit the image to your screen or double click the zoom tool to view at 100%. Introduction to using layer masks.

Week 2: 4th Oct 2005
More on layer masks. Dragging a layer to the new layer icon to duplicate it. Using the 'hue and saturation' option (Ctrl U) to shift colours, or using an adjustment layer instead for more flexibility later. Layer styles and lots more...

Stuff to come includes: saving in a format optimised for the Web. Retouching old images or removing blemishes from new ones using the clone and patch tools. Many ways of selecting the area you wish to alter. Animating images using Imageready. Using liquify and the other filters... let me know what you want to learn and I will try to fit it all in.

13th December 2005
Creating a border around an image by extending the canvas size (Image > Canvas Size) and choosing an appropriate 'background colour'. Users of Photoshop earlier than version CS note that you have to choose this colour BEFORE choosing Image > Canvas Size. We can use the same approach to extend the background in just one direction, very handy to add the back to a greetings card. A quick look at creating a vignette effect.

3rd January 2006
postponed (Jed sick)

10th January 2006
Animation using Adobe Imageready

17th January 2006
Panoramas using File - Automate - Photomerge... Virtual Reality examples made using RealViz Stitcher at World Heritage Tour and Bridges. About making the examples

24th January 2006
7.30pm - 8.30pm Student Union Cards in Refectory (50p and a passport photo).

31st January 2006
tbc

7th February 2006
tbc

13th February - Friday 17 February
Half-term

Tuesday 21 March
6.00-8.00pm Adult Course Information, Advice and Guidance Event

Friday 31 March
Last day of term for students

Spring Term 2006
Tuesday 18 April
Start of term

Photoshop links

Official Adobe Photoshop site

Student prices on Photoshop and the Creative Suite from Pugh

Clipping paths using the pentool

Adjustment layers from CreativePro

External links are of course subject to change.
Jednet cannot be held responsible for other people's sites.
If any of these links are broken or lead to unsuitable content please contact jednet@mac.com