The Hidden Power Of Blend Modes In Adobe Photoshop

This definitive resource on using Adobe Photoshop blend modes, features dozens of hands-on examples to give you an edge in technical, personal, and commercial projects Blend modes are an essential, if somewhat mysterious, tool for photographers and digital artists. They can be used to for a wide range of imaging effects and challenges, such as noise reduction, working with high dynamic range (HDR) images, compositing, graphic design, and digital painting. Although blend modes can be easy to use, they aren’t always easy to understand. Scott Valentine translates the technical elements into every day language and demonstrates techniques using real-world examples. Whether you’re a professional or hobbyist, there’s something here for you. Beginning and intermediate users of Photoshop will learn how blend modes work and get up to speed on the most common techniques. The book will also feature power tips and blend mode techniques from industry experts, including Katrin Eismann, Matt Kloskowski, and RC Concepcion. Advanced and technical users will find indispensable references along with powerful enhancements and corrections. More than just a collection of effects and recipes, The Hidden Power of Blend Modes explains why the techniques work and how to tune them for your own specific needs.

The Hidden Power of Adobe Photoshop for Photographers is about mastering your tools as a path towards mastering your art. Renowned Photoshop teacher Scott Valentine combines expert recipes and instructions with insightful technical and philosophical discussions that help you experiment and expand your knowledge, so you’re no longer dependent on specific settings or cookbook-style presentations. Now revamped to focus specifically on digital photography, this edition contains dozens of hands-on examples and projects designed to give you an edge in technical, personal, and commercial projects – as well as indispensable advanced techniques for image enhancement and correction. Valentine offers expert insights and approaches for using blending modes and adjustment layers, and using special effects, compositing, and illustration techniques more creatively. If you crave deeper understanding, greater flexibility, and more effective workflows – and you don’t just want to simulate someone else’s work – this is the Photoshop guide you’ve been searching for.

Photoshop’s adjustment and fill layers give you an amazing level of control and are the building blocks of innumerable techniques. In this definitive resource, Scott Valentine demonstrates how to use these simple but powerful tools through approachable hands-on examples, and he calls on other Photoshop experts to share their techniques. Whether you’re a professional or hobbyist, you’ll learn techniques that give you an edge in technical, personal, and commercial projects. Beginning and intermediate users of Photoshop will learn how adjustment and fill layers work and get up to speed on the most common techniques. Advanced users will find indispensable reference material in addition to speedy solutions to vexing problems. More than just a collection of effects and recipes, The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop explains why the techniques work and how to tune them for your specific needs. Powerful tips and techniques from industry experts, including Katrin Eismann, Pete Collins, and Corey Barker Straightforward teaching style from a veteran Photoshop user Richly illustrated with examples of over two-dozen techniques covering photography, compositing, and illustration Quick-reference guide to every fill and adjustment layer with before-and-after images for easy comparison Downloadable reference files and actions to explore and enhance your creativity (on the companion website)

Demonstrates how to use blend modes in Adobe Photoshop, covering such topics as photographic manipulation, compositing, design, and painting, and offering a reference to every blend mode and more than fifty techniques.

MasterPhotoshop CS4 with this visual, hands-on guide to using layers, under the expert guidance of digital imaging specialist Richard Lynch. Layers, Photoshop's most powerful feature, is the core of a nondestructive image-editing workflow. Step-by-step instructions and practical examples illustrate how to. * Polish: correct and enhance color, fix composition problems, and repair damage or flaws * Manipulate: isolate image areas for changes, adjustments and experimental concepts * Understand: use all forms of layer blending, including transparency, clipping masks, opacity/fill, layer masks, layer modes, channel targeting, Blend If, and Effects/Styles The accompanying DVD comes complete with a generous library of practical actions based on techniques from the book that add functional power to Photoshop, along with practice images for all the exercises in the book. This focused, highly accurate, comprehensive, and practical guide offers invaluable advice for all users of Adobe Photoshop CS4.

In Bret Malley’s world, a father is suspended in the air among his baby’s collection of toys . . . a big-box store and parking lot can be transformed into a scene of reclaimed nature . . . and an ordinary person can sculpt fire with his bare hands. And in Adobe Master Class: Advanced Compositing in Photoshop, Bret shares the techniques he uses to elevate an image from the everyday to the extraordinary, showing you how to make seemingly impossible scenarios come to life. Starting with an overview of the Adobe Photoshop interface that focuses on the hidden tools you need to know to create stunning composite imagery, this fun yet informative guide walks through all the necessary stages–from the first planning sketches to the final finishing touches–of making all kinds of unique creations. Beyond the orientation of tools, layers, adjustments and more, Bret uses step-by-step tutorials to break down a wide variety of his Photoshop artworks. Additional detailed project walkthroughs offer tips on everything from creating a superhuman to compositing an epic fantasy landscape. And interviews and spreads featuring various established and emerging artists provide a range of inspirational imagery, creative insight, and professional know-how. • Features an engaging, writing style that makes learning advanced Photoshop techniques fun • Provides detailed, step-by-step examples, walking through complex compositing projects from start to finish • Includes “Visual Masters” spreads that highlight beautiful and innovative work by current digital artists to inspire you to bring what’s in your imagination–the wildly impossible–to reality • Includes access to downloadable resource files so you can work through the projects along with the author Bret Malley is an award-winning digital artist and full-time college instructor living in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Erin, and new baby boy, Kellen. He has an MFA in Computer Art from Syracuse University and teaches photography, design, and Adobe Photoshop to university and college students of all levels and backgrounds. As a computer artist, he is crazy about digital tools and art-making of all kinds, and especially enjoys working in Photoshop, his ultimate favorite of all applications.

Photoshop CS6 is truly amazing, but it can also be overwhelming if you’re just getting started. This book makes learning Photoshop a breeze by explaining things in a friendly, conversational style—without technical jargon. After a thorough introduction to the program, you’ll delve deep into Photoshop’s secrets with expert tips and practical advice you can use every day. The important stuff you need to know: Learn your way around. Get a guided tour of Photoshop’s beautiful new workspace. Unlock the magic. Discover the most practical ways to use layers, channels, masks, paths, and other tools. Fine-tune your images. Learn techniques for cropping, retouching, and combining photos. Play with color. Drain, change, and add color; and create gorgeous black-and-whites and duotones. Be artistic. Create original illustrations and paintings, use text and filters effectively, and edit video clips. Share your work. Produce great-looking images for print and the Web. Work smarter and faster. Automate common chores and install plug-ins for complex tasks.

Photoshop CC is truly amazing, but it can also be overwhelming if you’re just getting started. This book makes learning Photoshop as easy as possible by explaining things in a friendly, conversational style—without technical jargon. After a thorough introduction to the program, you’ll delve deep into Photoshop’s secrets with expert tips and practical editing advice you can use every day. The important stuff you need to know: Learn your way around. Take a tour of Photoshop’s workspace and learn how to customize it. Unlock the magic. Use layers, masks, and Smart Objects to safely edit your images. Perfect your photos. Learn techniques for cropping, color-correcting, retouching, and combining photos. Master color. Drain, change, and add color; create gorgeous black-and-whites, partial-color effects, and duotones. Be artistic. Create illustrations, paintings, and pro-level text; use filters effectively, edit video, and create 3D art. Share your work. Produce great-looking images for print, presentations, and the Web. Work smarter and faster. Automate common chores and install plug-ins for complex tasks.