Photoshop: Basics

 Today we were taught some of the key tools and functions in Adobe Photoshop, learning how to use: clipping masks, eraser tools, layer adjustments, blending modes, move tools, scale tools and rotation tools. By using pre-made Photoshop files and being taught the tools and their functions live.

Move Tools:

We started by learning the 'move', 'scale', and 'rotation' tools by editing a Photoshop file with three misplaced cupcakes of all different sizes and placements, on different layers, sitting below a plate. The first cupcake on the left was already the right size and rotation so all we had to do was use the 'move tool' which is a white arrow (Control+V) that allows the user to simply move a layers image around the screen. The second cupcake was too small and needed to be sized up to match the first cupcake, to do this we used the 'transform' tool (Control+T) and using the points on either corner of the square surrounding the cupcake, scaled the cupcake larger. Then moved the cupcake to the plate whilst the 'transform' tool was still active and selected the tickbox on the bar above the workspace to complete the selection (can also use 'Enter' key). The third and final cupcake was both too small and upside down, so again using the 'transform' tool scaled the image and then rotated the image by hovering the cursor just outside of the square made by the tool and clicked and dragged the curved arrow symbol whilst holding (Shift) on the keyboard, to rotate the image neatly. Then, moved it to the plate and pressed (Enter) to finish the tutorial.

Image Adjustments:

Next up was learning how to use adjustment layers for image editing. Which was fairly straight forward, there are two methods for applying adjustments the first is to select the image and edit it directly by going to the 'image' tab and select 'adjustments', then applying the changes to the image. However, it's not great practise to edit an image directly and there is a method to go around this, all you have to do is select the image you'd like to adjust in the 'layers' section then click on the circle that's half white, half black below the layers. Which opens a drop box and from there you can select changes like hue and saturation and brightness and Photoshop creates a layer above the image that you can adjust accordingly. Which is better because it means you don't run the risk of making a change you don't like and can't remove and you can hide the effects at any time whilst working. For this I worked with an image of a Gorilla and Chameleon, on the Gorilla I increased the brightness and lowered the contrast and for the Chameleon I changed the hues and saturations. Using the second method. When adjusting an image your automatically preset to adjust the entire image however, if you click the hand icon within the adjustments tab you can eyedrop a specific colour then, Photoshop will only adjust the parts of the image with the colour you selected beforehand. This feature was especially helpful when editing the Chameleon.

Before:

After:

Clipping Masks/ Eraser Tools/ Blending Modes:

The last thing we worked on today was clipping masks and different eraser tools and functions. We started with blank shoes on the screen one drawn, the other a normal JPEG. Starting with the drawn shoe, we used the 'magic eraser', to remove all the white around the shoe so we were left with just the shoe on the screen and black space around it. Then we imported a pattern from a pre-made folder and made it so the pattern covered the shoe completely and was on the layer above. After positioning the pattern we right clicked the layer containing the pattern and selected 'create clipping mask', which made the pattern completely cover just the shoe on the layer underneath. Then whilst still on the pattern layer changed the blending mode so you could see the shoes design through the pattern; to do this we selected a tab within the layers tab labelled 'normal' and chose a different blending mode from the drop down list that allowed the shoe underneath to be clearly visible through the pattern. The second shoe was edited using the exact same method except when using the magic eraser we had to change a setting along the top bar in the workspace called 'tolerance' and lower it from the default to around 4. So that the 'magic eraser' tool could determine what was part of the shoe and what was the background more clearly. As otherwise, it not only removed the outline but also, the mid section of the shoe as it is a very similar white to the background white.