What's the best way to learn photoshop?

Mo0o

Lifer
Jul 31, 2001
24,227
3
76
I've been "using" photoshop for a long time now about it's never really gone past the really simple stuff. i wanna learn how to better utilize all of photoshop's features and just learn more about graphic design principles in general. What are some good websites I can check out for well done tutorials?
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,407
39
91
There's a lot of tutorials that comes with photoshop if you just go to the help section.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,267
5,838
126
3DBuzz has some good ones, but there are many other websites that will help you. Most won't do a thorough explanation of all features, but they usually cover A-Z on how to do specific things.

You definitely want a website with an informed and active Community. 3DBuzz has a great community, although it is mostly focussed on 3D Modelling/Animation, the people there also use Photoshop.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,601
859
126
illustrator is fine if he wants to do Vector, but that's really the extend of it. Photoshop & Illustrator are 2 totally different beasts.

Phong has some good Photoshop tutorials.

I've been using Photoshop since the Dos days and I'm pretty much stuck in my bad ways with it. I'm not great with it, and what I can do in it I lol probably do incorrectly, I taught myself so my methods are not really the right ones.

I have some more bookmarked I'll post them when I get home.

 

FP

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
4,568
0
0
Originally posted by: sandorski
Originally posted by: binister
Start here

Remember... the perspective tool is for pussies.

:laugh:

That was great.

There are 10 of them... All pretty damn funny.

Some speculate he is Dane Cook. Sure sounds like him...
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,221
30,185
146
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: binister
Originally posted by: sandorski
Originally posted by: binister
Start here

Remember... the perspective tool is for pussies.

:laugh:

That was great.

There are 10 of them... All pretty damn funny.

Some speculate he is Dane Cook. Sure sounds like him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXeZ0s8DXZ0&NR=1

I think that basically confirms it

maybe he's just some guy that hates Dane Cook?
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Originally posted by: civilicious
lynda.com is a really helpful resource.
check out the photoshopTV podcast with scott kelby and friends
youTube?

I'll also vote for Lynda, though it's been a few years since I used any of their resources.

I've always been the sort of decide on something I want to do, then figure out how to do it; it's how I learned both Photoshop and Illustrator.

Set yourself a lofty PS goal, then make it happen.

You might also find something useful here.

 

Injury

Lifer
Jul 19, 2004
13,066
2
81
For me, the best way to get started was to think of what I wanted to do with it.

I can't just do mindless projects and take something away outside of "press this then this because I was told to."

I learn by having a real need to do it.
 

Mo0o

Lifer
Jul 31, 2001
24,227
3
76
Originally posted by: Injury
For me, the best way to get started was to think of what I wanted to do with it.

I can't just do mindless projects and take something away outside of "press this then this because I was told to."

I learn by having a real need to do it.

I agree but im not in graphics design or anyting remotely related so i almost nevre had a real "need" to do any of this
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
59,429
14,097
136
The entire reason I started using Photoshop nearly a decade ago was because I found out you could use it to add a cool light saber effect to pics :p
Everything else went forth from that point. I learned a lot from Deepspaceweb, but that's been shut down for a long time now.
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: Injury
For me, the best way to get started was to think of what I wanted to do with it.

I can't just do mindless projects and take something away outside of "press this then this because I was told to."

I learn by having a real need to do it.

I agree but im not in graphics design or anyting remotely related so i almost nevre had a real "need" to do any of this

After re-reading your OP, and your followup comments, I think you might be after a graphic design primer. Photoshop's just a tool, like a hammer. It's difficult to learn how to use a hammer if you don't need anything hammered. Hammering brass tacks is quite different from hammering concrete anchors - how you use the tool depends on the results you're after.
 

Injury

Lifer
Jul 19, 2004
13,066
2
81
Originally posted by: Mo0o
Originally posted by: Injury
For me, the best way to get started was to think of what I wanted to do with it.

I can't just do mindless projects and take something away outside of "press this then this because I was told to."

I learn by having a real need to do it.

I agree but im not in graphics design or anyting remotely related so i almost nevre had a real "need" to do any of this

Well, I use the word "need" loosely... adding color to and retouching one of grandpa's old war photos isn't a "need", but it was certainly something I NEEDED to learn to do if I wanted to surprise him with cleaned up versions of his deteriorating photos.

Not sure what aspect of graphic design you want to pick up, but if photo manipulation is what you are implying then there are simple things you can do to teach yourself. Start simple. Find a picture you like and try removing an object from it. Then another and another... and then get bold and maybe try removing a whole person from a group of people.

If you want to delve more in to print media then you're gonna want to learn Adobe Illustrator, too. Illustrator is vector art, Photoshop is raster. If you don't know the difference, googling "vector vs. raster" is a great starting point, followed by "CMYK vs RGB" and "print resolution".

If web design is your chosen direction, then you could start off with making a personal site and see where that takes you.
 

PieIsAwesome

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2007
4,054
1
0
I learned Photoshop from a book. It's really easy but can sometimes seem like mindlessly following instructions the book gives.
 

EGGO

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2004
5,504
1
0
Originally posted by: Flammable
well first, do you have proof of purchase? :)

No he doesn't, because I would've said RTFM and he would have no idea otherwise he wouldn't be asking this question.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: QueBert
illustrator is fine if he wants to do Vector, but that's really the extend of it. Photoshop & Illustrator are 2 totally different beasts.

Phong has some good Photoshop tutorials.

I've been using Photoshop since the Dos days and I'm pretty much stuck in my bad ways with it. I'm not great with it, and what I can do in it I lol probably do incorrectly, I taught myself so my methods are not really the right ones.

I have some more bookmarked I'll post them when I get home.

same here...I have done tutorials and classes.

best way to do PS is just doing it. If you can't figure something out google it. I would have been much better in the early days if there were things like google then.

I have the latest version in the office, but I find myself opening elements because it's faster.

At home I have PS 5 or 6, something old I was given a license for when another job no longer needed it.

we have a half dozen licenses of the whole suite just for people to make flyers because they learned it was the 'best'. Publisher would have been fine. :(
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,267
5,838
126
Originally posted by: EGGO
Originally posted by: Flammable
well first, do you have proof of purchase? :)

No he doesn't, because I would've said RTFM and he would have no idea otherwise he wouldn't be asking this question.

Manuals suck.