After working with Photoshop since version 4 in 1999, I realize that nobody knows what Photoshop can actually do. Since there’s always something new to discover it’s a great tool and a toy. The following habits can help if you want to become a Photoshop Expert.
For this article, I’m describing expertise as being able to: Mimic something from real life (e.g. how glass and water bend light, how shadows and light work, tone and space). Be aware how and when to use most of the features in Photoshop. Guess with reasonable exactness how a particular effect was created by someone else in Photos. Utilize pixels non-destructively. Work effectively through the well use of shortcuts, panels, actions, and tools. Untangle your own errors as well as someone else’s
Here are the 10 things I recommend you do if you want to be a Photoshop expert.
1) Try to Use the Updated Version of Photoshop
It’s quite hard to actually experiment with Photoshop if you don’t have your own copy at home. Having the latest version is very important too. Specially with the last two versions, CS3 and CS4, new features are added all the time. These features either make your job easier (like the Adjustments panel), or give you tools that didn’t even exist in prior updates (like some of CS4’s 3D capabilities).
I recommend you to purchase your own copy. Please don’t used unauthorized copies. If you are a teacher or student who is not using Photoshop for commercial purposes, you are allowed by Adobe to purchase the educational version for half-price. It is as fully-featured with updates as the non-educational version. You can purchase this version at college book stores, or online at sites such as creationengine.com.
You are permitted to run your Photoshop software on two machines. You can have one copy on your desktop PC and one on your laptop for travel.
2) Trial and Error
Experimentation, explore and play is the key to learning something beyond the basics. Try all kinds of tools and filters, and see what they do with different settings. You can’t destroy Photoshop. In case if you do, you can reset all the defaults by closing Photoshop, then pressing and holding the Shift+Ctrl+Alt keys (Mac: Shift+Cmd+Opt) while Photoshop restarts.
Take a bunch of photos from your camera (or online) and put them together. Observe how blend modes change generally images as layers are moved around. Try out all of the layer adjustments, and every filter combined with another filter. Don’t worry if it’s not nice. You’re exploring. And there’s always the History panel to allow you to back up several steps and try something new.
3) Attend a Class
To be frank, I had a terrible Photoshop teacher. He did beyond schedule what we were supposed to learn. I quit at one point. I learned how not to teach, and four years later I was teaching Photoshop. What a good teacher can do is give you assignments you never thought you could do (and enjoy!) Mostly, a good instructor can give you personal guidance when you don’t even realize you made a mistake, or there’s an error in the textbook, or you accidentally skipped something, and something goes wrong.
Finally, a good instructor will give you projects to do that give you physical -world scenarios and conditions. This prepares you for making good amount money with Photoshop.
4) Attend Seminars
Kelby Training provides perfectly wonderful seminars all over the United States. I have had teachers such as the astonishing Bert Monroy and Dave Cross. These seminars have increased my creativity, thoughtfulness and efficiency in Photoshop beyond belief. The day-long seminar is always fun, advance and very inspiring. If you can find these seminars and attend them, it will be a great investment in your life.
5) Refer Photoshop Magazines
Photoshop Magazine published by NAPP is the ultimate master in American Photoshop publications. It’s available for $10 at book stores, or you get an automatic subscription when you are a NAPP member. You will be needing that NAPP membership to access the tutorial files online. Each issue has a set of tutorials at all levels, news about the industry and reviews of products. The magazine serves to, designers, photographers and enthusiast similarly.
Another Magazine that can be used is Layers. Not only Photoshop users, it addresses almost all of the Adobe design products. It only has few of Photoshop tutorials per issue. If you are someone who work with Illustrator, Flash, InDesign and Dreamweaver as well, this mag’s ideal for you.
I also like to buy those really fancy ($15) imports from the U.K., like Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative. These are easily available in book stores. Unlike Photoshop User, they include a CD-ROM with every issue which provides all the resources for the tutorials, plus brushes, textures etc. Even though Magazines are expensive at first sight it’s still worth it. The tutorials are well arranged and easy to follow.
6) Refer Photoshop Books
Some Photoshop books might not be so great, but most of them are really excellent. Things to look when purchasing a Photoshop book:
Are the images really eye catching or interesting? When I evaluate the images from an old book, they are boring and ugly. Get a book that makes you feel like you can’t wait to create those images.
Is the book written to your level? It can be really irritating if the instructions are too easy or too hard for your experience level.
Does the book match your learning style? Some books use blocks of text and others make steps into bullet points. Some have more images than others. Decide what works best for you and look for books written to your style.
Here are my three specific book recommendations. Each of the books below includes good tutorials and very easy to follow.
“Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-on-One” written by Deke McClelland
“Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook: 62 Easy-to-Follow Recipes for Creating the Classic Styles of Great Artists and Photographers” by John Beardsworth
“Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature” written by Matt Kloskowski
7) Try Online Tutorials
I like online tutorials. Some great places to find Photoshop tutorials are tutorialized.com, psd.tutsplus.com and good-tutorials.com. When you refer online tutorials you can find some good tutors. Look for tutorials writers who provide with, proofread their work, enough images, and don’t leave steps. You should be able to create a result that looks much like the one promised by followed writer. With books, look for tutorials written to your skill set. But encourage your self do more than what you think you are capable of.
8) Become an Active Online Community Member
This takes many forms. I personally like to check for online Photoshop discussions and see if anybody has questions that need answers. I frequently find great ideas for myself as well. I also spend time on Twitter, and follow a huge amount of fellow graphic and Web designers. They are always providing me new links to amazing online resources. I have RSS feeds I read from my favorite design blogs, and I leave comment on all of the articles that move me. I read and refer everything by minervity.com and smashingmagazine.com.
There are offline design communities as well. I am an active member of the local group called ADAC. A few years ago, I was even a board member. Physical world design clubs are a great chance to learn all about design besides some of the commercial aspects of freelancing (ADAC once had a good discussion from an intellectual property attorney about copyright law for artists.) Importantly, you can get inspired with fresh ideas by looking at others work.
9) Explore More Adobe Programs Too
Photoshop rarely works without interacting with designers. In many occasions Photoshop project is build up by the contributions of artwork done by Illustrator, for example.
Learn how to save your work with Acrobat. Learn how to place your Photoshop files into InDesign. Learn how various Photoshop plugins can expand your design scope or make your work easier. Learn how to create vector artwork in Illustrator and import the paths into Photoshop. These are some examples. A good understanding of Photoshop includes an understanding of how well it plays with all the others.
10) Try Teaching Photoshop
I wasn’t an expert in Photoshop when I started teaching it. I am now, since I taught it. Teaching helped me to become an expert in Photoshop. When you have to explain others how Photoshop is done, automatically your brain tends to understand it well than you were learning as student by yourself. I often give my students to find something new to learn, and then make them to teach others. And when students make more mistakes while teaching each other, more they learn. Writing tutorials – and finding out if someone can understand them properly – takes this concept to next level.