DES 222: Photoshop II
Take your Photoshop to new levels
How well do you know Adobe Photoshop, the industry-standard imaging app? In this advanced online Photoshop course you'll transcend your current skill set with vector illustration techniques, photo-realistic painting, high-impact typography, and professional editing methods that preserve the editability of your original images. Working with a Photoshop pro, you'll build proficiency with the Pen tool, Adobe Color, Smart Objects and Filters, and more.
Student work by Casey Fehn. Visit the Student Gallery.
About This Course
Project-Based Learning
Creative Photoshop projects include music themed concert materials, ad designs, book design, poster design, promotional poster, and album art.
What Skills Will I Develop?
Students in this course can expect to learn to:
- Draw and manipulate custom vector shapes using the Pen tool and shape tools.
- Create precise selections in low-contrast images using vector masks and paths.
- Use Smart Objects in Photoshop to non-destructively edit, link, update images.
- Sharpen, blur, and vignette images using customizable and editable Smart Filters.
- Apply professional-quality typography in Photoshop, considering leading, kerning, tracking, baseline shift, and ligatures.
- Handle type creatively by applying textures to text, pushing photographs through text and other shapes, and hiding portions of text.
- Combine multiple photographs using gradient masks, blending sliders, and displacement maps.
- Utilize blend modes, gradients, and the Select and Mask tool to combine images seamlessly.
- Retouch and alter photographs non-destructively, using faux dodging and burning, Content-Aware tools, and adjustment layers.
- Create attractive grayscale, partial grayscale, and duotone images.
- Use Adobe Color, the Swatches panel, and Color Libraries to effectively select and manage color schemes.
- Create custom brushes, use the Mixer Brush for freehand painting in Photoshop, and turn images into paintings.
What Software and Supplies Do I Need?
- Computer with Internet connection.
- Adobe Photoshop CC.
- Basic experience in the above software.
Course Outline
Drawing with Vector Tools
Vectors allow you to create intricate and beautiful work that is also infinitely scalable. We begin the course exploring how to manipulate paths and shapes to create complex and editable art. Also discussed is using vector paths to create precise selections from low-contrast images, as well as using vector masks to blend images.
Working with Smart Objects
This course focuses on creating and editing images in Photoshop non-destructively, and one way to accomplish this is by using Smart Objects. This session introduces Smart Objects and discusses linking Smart Objects for ultimate flexibility. Smart Filters also open up a world of non-destructive image editing that you'll explore.
Creating Professional Text
Creating professional, polished typography requires an attentive eye. This week's class addresses advanced type layout techniques including leading, kerning, tracking, baseline shift, and ligatures. Popping photographs through text and hiding portions of text with masks are also covered as creative ways to handle type in Photoshop.
Combining Images
Blending images to create unique composites is a hallmark of Photoshop. This week, we will discuss layer mask gradients and blending sliders as techniques to meld images. Blend modes are also introduced and defined by how each one affects the image. You will wrap up this lecture with a discussion of the Select and Mask tool to create extremely precise selections.
Advanced Photo Editing Techniques
Have portraits that need retouching? This week's class lays out methods of retouching and healing to make a photo picture-perfect (non-destructively!). You'll use faux burning and dodging to soften wrinkles and remove blemishes and use Content-Aware Fill to remove an entire area from an image. Finally, use shadow, highlight, blending, grayscale, and duotone controls are examined to create elegant imagery
Color and Painting in Photoshop
The flexibility and forgiveness of Photoshop is perfect for painting! To wrap up the course, we'll examine color theory as it applies to Photoshop tools such as Kuler, Swatches, and Color Libraries. The Mixer Brush is introduced as a method of painting a photograph or painting from scratch, and you'll learn how to customize special brushes to create unique effects and freehand art.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Do The Courses Work?
Our courses are project-based and instructor-led. In each course you’ll complete a series of lectures, projects, discussions, and critiques designed to stretch your creative skills. Weekly assignment deadlines keep you on track, and with no set-logins or Zoom meetings, you can build your studies around your schedule.
Who Are The Instructors?
Our courses are developed and taught by our industry-leading faculty of creative professionals. This means that you’ll learn in-demand skills, get feedback on your work, and build a portfolio of creative work. View our Student Gallery for featured student projects.
When Can I Start?
Classes start January, April, and August, and this course is completed in a 15-week term. College credit from this course can be applied to a range of Degree and Certificate programs at Sessions College. You can enroll in this course on an individual basis or as part of a program.
Explore our Programs: Bachelor's Degree | Associate Degree | Undergraduate Certificate
How Do I Register?
To register for a program, complete our program application. To register for this course on an individual basis, please contact our admissions team at admissions@sessions.edu. An Admissions Advisor will contact you to setup your enrollment.
| Course Tuition and Fees | |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $510/credit |
| Registration Fee* | $200 |
| Total Course Price | $1730 |
Registration fees are nonrefundable after 5 days from enrollment.
Is Sessions College accredited?
Yes. Since 2001, Sessions College has been accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).