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Minahitnir

Joined: 08 Mar 2010
Posts: 15

PS Version: CS4
OS: Windows7 Professional

PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:21 pm    Post subject: Hello everybody! Reply with quote

Hello guys, what's up? I hope you're all having a great time.

I'm a freshly new user who would like to learn to use photoshop, so after having browsed tons of tuts on the interwebz (however pretty specific and not really comprehensive about the whole program) I smartly reached the conclusion that maybe it would have been a good idea to ask for help to more experienced people, and here I am.

So, a little about me: I am currently a chemistry student who enjoys spending his free time drawing (although, only on paper) and doing other stuff on photoshop, like photo retouching, wallpaper creations, web layouts and that kind of stuff. What I am looking for is to learn to use PS in its every single bit, or better, to be able to create or edit whatever I want without having to browse google and youtube typying "How to blablablabla?"... well maybe they're basically the same thing. My idea is to maybe make this become my job in the future, if I do not succeed as a scientist, or as my hobby if I do. I love art and would not drop it for anything.
However, what I would like to learn the most is to draw, paint and color in PS. Since I was a child I always spent a lot of time drawing stuff, from your classic wildstyle graffitis to more specific subjects as WoW characters or other fantasy stuff... however, I never evolved into digital drawing, mostly because I didn't know how, and so I always sticked to my dear pencil and sheet of paper. I have some drawings that I'd like to digitalize, but I seriously don't know how to do it.

Anyway, I'm not completely new to PS, however I am not that skilled too. You could say I'm just right after the "beginner" level.
Also, I know that if I want to draw I will have to buy a graphic tabled, how's that called, wacom right?

So I'm asking you, what books, videos, tutorials, w/e would you suggest me, to learn PS at best? Also, is there any graphic tablet not pretty expensive that I could buy to get started?

Thanks in advance,
yours, Minah

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thehermit

Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK


PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi and welcome to the forum Minahitnir.

You know what they say, "Jack of all trades, master of none", there are some that rise above the rest, but their talent is prodigious and rare. Nonetheless, no reason why you can't join the pantheon. I would however suggest that you ground yourself in the fundamentals of Photoshop, learn about the colour space, tools, blend modes adjustment layers, why, when you put a difference blend mode onto a overlay blend it does what it does?

After learning the fundamentals, I steer away from the term basic as many *cough* designers don't know the fundamentals even though they might know how to produce a certain out of the box effect.

Learn why you are doing what you are doing, not just the technique that is useless in itself.

You have a head start to most in that you say you can draw, that puts you up in probably the 10% of 'designers' on the web now. Again I would suggest that you pursue something that you enjoy, rather than trying to be all things to all people (if you get my drift).

I will/can suggest books, but it would help if you could tie it down somewhat, it seems like you are done with a basic tutorial of 'How To' and now need to know 'Why?'.

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Minahitnir

Joined: 08 Mar 2010
Posts: 15

PS Version: CS4
OS: Windows7 Professional

PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You got exactly my point. I was kind of bored of step by step "How to"s, without understanding what I was actually doing there. I felt like a child who's given the recipe for some funny chemistry reactions and does not need to understand what happens, as long as it's shiny and funny.

What I'd like to learn now is "why I do this? and what should I do to achieve that?", to be able to apply my future knowledge to any work I'll be into, and not just only a specific image taken for that tutorial.

About the topic of the "Jack of all trades, master of none", I got what you mean.
So well, as I said previously, I'd like to "digitalize" my works (and also create something new directly from the PC), in the end, I'd really like to learn how to draw and paint in PS. I think that's probably the most appealing thing to me.

Thanks, Minah.

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thehermit

Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK


PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a few websites to pique your interest,

www.imaginefx.com/ a magazine that concentrates on digital and traditional media.

www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials an all round website that has many natural and digital media tutorials

If your desire is photographic restoration/retouching, then you could do a lot worse than get Katrin Eismanns book, 'Photoshop Restoration & Retouching, 3rd edition' ( I have the 1st edition but then I am a little older and Photoshop a little newer!)

Anything by Dan Margulis: www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&q=dan+margulis&meta=&aq=&oq=dan+margulis&fp=62a05b16394d8ccd

Free (Check individual details) Stock Exchange: www.sxc.hu/

Explore yourself and you will come to know your preferences and leanings.

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Minahitnir

Joined: 08 Mar 2010
Posts: 15

PS Version: CS4
OS: Windows7 Professional

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool thanks! And what about a graphic tablet? Can you suggest me a quite good and not so expensive one I could use to get started without spending tons of bucks? Or there isn't any?
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Matt
VIP

Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 3515
Location: Haverhill, UK
PS Version: Lightroom 5, CS4 & Elements 11
OS: Windows 8.1

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Minahitnir
Welcome to the Forums!

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Patrick
Administrator
Administrator

Joined: 14 Feb 2003
Posts: 11945
Location: Harbinger, NC, U.S.A.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the community, Minahitnir. :) Nice to have you.

Patrick

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