Create a new canvas and explore
Turn in one canvas:
Title: Last name_First initial_project.extension
(example) Smith_M_canvas.psd
Include your layers and this should be a .PSD
Go to the menu – File – new
VIDEO: Create a New Canvas: https://youtu.be/-S3ExgrdRHQ
•Explore the dialog box. Create a canvas
•Width, height, resolution: set up your canvas with the info you find above
•Note you can set up a canvas not only in inches but in pixels and a variety of other measurements.
•If you are printing out to an inkjet printer you want a resolution of 240ppi.
Most commercial labs 300ppi, online 72ppi.
•Color Mode: As photographers we work in the RGB color space.
•8 bit or 16 bit? if you are shooting .jpg you have no choice your files are processed in camera to 8bit.
•If you are shooting RAW (recommended) you can work in a 16 bit color space. More color, more color depth, more information in your file, you can push the limits of what you captured without the file falling apart as quickly. The downside your files are twice as large. You will need more storage space, more hard drives.
•Background Contents, white, black, transparent? Your choice. I asked you to open your new canvas with transparent. What do you see? A checkerboard! That indicates transparency in a layer.
•Color Profile:
•Adobe RGB(1998) If printing out to an inkjet printer this is the color space you want. This is the color space I want you to turn your work into me, in.
•SRGB, the default of your camera and Photoshop. SRGB has a smaller color gamet. (less colors available to you) most commercial labs work in this color space. Have a dialog with your lab. You want to work in the color space you are outputting to. As a photographer we do NOT work in CMYK. Let the print house convert your files. Don’t get talked into doing the conversion yourself, no one will be happy.
•Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels, we are photographers we are square. the other aspect ratios are used in video.
Cool you have a new blank canvas
If you did not do this earlier set up your color workspace and preferences now. VIDEO:Photoshop Preferences: https://youtu.be/cY8P-EfGSiA
VIDEO Marquee Tools: https://youtu.be/D2_Uy7isgg4
Next look at the Layers panel to the Left
•Create a New Layer by clicking the icon next to the trash can (6th from the left)
Your active layer is the highlighted layer. Always be aware of the layer you are working on.
•When adding a new layer it appears above your active layer
•Notice the eyeball to the left on the layer panel. After you have a few layers going and have some info on those layers see what happens when you turn the eyeball on and off. Don’t worry I will tell you when to add the layers today.
Making selections:
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/making-selections.html
Next look at the tool panel:
•Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Video: Marquee Tools: https://youtu.be/D2_Uy7isgg4
•Move your mouse over to the canvas. You will see cross hairs. Just click, hold, and drag. See what happens, try it again, a new rectangular shape. Cool…
OK
Lets add some color into that rectangular shape.
•Go to the Paint Bucket. It is hidden under the Gradient Tool in the tool panel. Make it your active tool. Click and hold on the gradient tool a flyout menu appears. Choose the Paint Bucket.
•Next go to the foreground color at the bottom of your tool panel. Click on it. Up pops the Color Picker. Choose a color, click OK.
•Move the mouse over the selection (Dancing Ants) and click color will fill the selection. (if you have no selection, color will fill the entire canvas)
•Make 2 more rectangular selections and fill with the same color. You should have 3 rectangles on your layer
•Now might be a good time to save your file - Save a File: https://youtu.be/WXd3b6MUxtM
•NOW make a new Layer.
•Under the rectangular marquee you will find the Elliptical Marquee Tool. play, explore, make 3 more shapes. add color. (click and hold on the marquee tool for the fly out menu to appear and choose the new tool option)
•Make a new Layer. VIDEO Lasso Tools: https://youtu.be/hnD7G2dKBFY
•Go to the Lasso Tool. Play, draw out any shape, add color, repeat have 3 Lasso Tool shapes on this layer.
•Make a new Layer.
•Try the Polygonal Lasso Tool .
•So Now You Have 5 layers. A transparent background and these nifty colored shape layers.
•Go to the Layers Panel. Click and hold the mouse button down on the thumbnail of the top layer, and drag that layer down in the layer stack.
Cool, what happened? What you saw in its entirety part of it may be obscured by the layers above it. Play with moving the layers around.
•Now select the Move Tool. Look and see what is your active layer now that you have been playing. With the move tool selected move the mouse over the canvas click and move see what happens.
•What if you fill the background with a color? Try it.
•New layer. What does the gradient tool do? Video: Gradient Layer: https://youtu.be/waJdKX8SC2o
One Last VIDEO - Rename, Moving Layers, and more info to complete the assignment https://youtu.be/WLKfGRIh07U
MORE FUN STUFF:
•You can change the name of a layer by double clicking on the title of the layer in the layer panel then change the name to your desired title.
•Photoshop, Layers 101 – By Colin Smith http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm
•Layer Shortcuts: http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/layer-shortcuts/
•Finding Your Way around the Layers Palette in Photoshop
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/finding-your-way-around-the-layers-palette-in-phot.html
•Adobe RGB vs sRGB vs ProPhoto RGB Explained
https://petapixel.com/2018/12/13/srgb-vs-adobe-rgb-vs-prophoto-rgb-color-spaces-explained/
Command “D” deselect
Command “Z” undo
Macintosh Keyboard PC Keyboard
Command Key = Control Key
Option Key = Alt Key
Delete Key = Backspace Key
Return Key = Enter Key
So that was pretty fun! yes!
TURN THIS IN
I will be looking to see you have a minimum of
• 5 layers
• A gradient layer
• Move those layers around
• Layers renamed
• Sized to 10×8, horizontal orientation, at 240ppi
• Saved as a .PSD
