I know there are budding artists out there that are only restricted by their technical know-how when it comes to Photoshop. I'm happy to offer help/tutorials to members who are stuck or looking for advice on how to achieve certain results. If I can't help, I'll say so, but it's not a mystical science, it's just a very complex industry based piece of software.

Any takers? <think>

I can only help with Photoshop and not other art software as there are far too many nuances across the various different platforms and I don't use them due to Photoshop being head and shoulders above them in terms of ability.

Yes mate I'd love to know how to use it.... <dunce> though i'm quite a slow learner <blush>

Actually there is a lot of potential there if I learn to use it too <think>

It would be great <thumbsup>
My previous attempts at trying to use it have ended up with lots of frustration and very little success. I gave up on it finally. But it would be great to get a hang of it.
I'm worried about what Ricky would use it for, though <yikes>
<roflmao>

Doesn't one use it to shop for photos? <dunce>

<doh>
But I suspect its been used extensively on the photos you shop for.
<roflmao>

OK.

So I'll leave this poll open a little while longer but it looks like I have some takers.

I'm wondering where to start as everyone has different skill levels and knowledge. If there is something you want to know how to do or an effect you can't acheive, post something here and I can make it a topic of the tutorials.....

<blush> Really? <unsure>

well I'll admit that i'm a complete novice...if you start with the basic dumb down version and gradually increase the lvl then people can join in where they feel comfortable...also I'm sure some users who use photoshop can add little hints and tricks they've also learned along the way. <wine>

I'm definitely interested Hobbes. My creative designing is restricted to the drawing board (literally) and if I could learn how to use it and tie it in with my videos then I could create an eye-catching video for the board if need be

Okies,

Looks like I'll be sharing my limited knowledge and putting down some words on this then <think>


Anyone have a burning question or subject they want covered in particular? <think>

Yes I have this terrible pain down... oh no erm..... sorry <blush>

I think you should start at the basics and work your way up/

The most important think for graphical work is the subject of color management. Explain all about color spaces and color gamut’s and how to calibrate you monitor and other outputs to represent your real colors. ICM profiles should be included in this.

The adobe gamma software (available with CS windows only)) and how to use it would be another good basic for people wanting to learn Photoshop, ot will adjust your gamma and set up an ICC profile.

Of course you can include that windows default white point is 6500k (or D65) commonly know as DAYLIGHT, though if you are using a mac, it is 9300K or D93 (Cool White).

NOw I am colorblind, but only on a couple of colors, so even I know the most important part of installing Photoshop is to get you color profile set up correctly.

Of course I already know all about this and how to do it, I only brought it up as :-

1/ Im trying to be a clever s__t

2/ I have had a few glasses of wine.

3/ Amateurs rarely ever venture into color managemen, you can spread the good word.

Thanks for the hints Saint, I was thinking of starting more with basic layer manipulation, as colour balance can always be corrected later, new-comers would probably have a greater desire to 'create' something rather than tweak the colours of an existing piece, thou I am not dismissing the importance of what you are saying.

The point I was making (though a little tipsy on wine when I posted it), it the most basic fundamental, which EVERYONE misses. I wont hold that against you, as people do not like to spend the time doing the boring stuff, rather the press a button and then wham bang thank you m'am!

But if anyone is going to use Photoshop at a business level (and I am currently trying to sell it (and the whole design suite) to my managers), first they must know how to set it up.

For the bells and whistles folk, layers, masks, gradients on a layer mask, actions and fine tuning the filters are probably where they are going to have the most fun.

I know what you are saying Saint, and I wasn't disregarding your advice. I just don't really think that anyone who would use my tutorials were considering a career or similar in Photoshop. Anyone wanting indepth advice or help would be far better off with one of the many excellent books available. I was more aiming this at the 'casual tinkerer' not the serious designer wannabe.

Sounds like a good idea. If you have a youtube account may i suggest recording your actions such as how the hell do you convincingly alter photos so when you put your head on the body of a famous film poster it looks in context.
Its asking too much but a page of instructions can be better understood in a five minute recording of what you actually do. Many times i get shown how to do something and will duplicate it merryly all day. A fortnight later and i know what the PC can do but cannot remember which mulitple dropdown comands i went through to acheive what i want.

I get your point steelstallions, I was thinking of a step by step kinda guide with thumbnail screengrabs of the pertinant operations. For me the best way to learn photoshop is to tinker and play. (Could be said of so many things <dunce> )

Head removal/replacement is a common thing to fiddle with as a newbie, it's one of the most obvious and 'fun' applications of a graphics package. Getting it right and making it look convincing is the hard bit.


Perhaps thats the first tutorial? <think>

The other week I successfully managed to use the clone stamp to get rid of some irritating person wearing a hi-viz jacket off the lineside of one of my pics. I ws convinced I'd never get it right in the past, but 5-10 mins of tinkering was all it took to get rid of him and also make the grass that was formerly obscured by him look like it hadn't been picked up from elsewhere......

<thumbsup>

Next week I'll try and learn how to take better pics in the first place...!

<roflmao>

first rule of good picture taking.....

take your eye FROM the camera and look at the scene with the naked eye

you would have spotted the goon straight away

I spotted him ages before I took the picture - there was no way of cropping him out whatsoever, I just had to live with it.....

HOW TO DRAW BART SIMPSON IN PHOTOSHOP!


Detailed instructions....

This makes the assumptions that you're flash enough to have a tablet.....!

<roflmao>

Well I thought it was funny!