How to be good at Photoshop...

[BNB]

I just got Photoshop CS6. I guess it's the newest one, idk.

I find it extremely hard to use though. How can I learn how to make cool shit like this:

 

[nvanprooyen]

I am still using CS5, but have been using Photoshop for about 15 years. If you are completely unfamiliar with it, I would recommend going through some beginner level tutorials and advancing as appropriate. There is a lot of stuff out there for free. Over time, you will pick up a variety of techniques / understand all the tools and that's when you can begin to get really creative. These guys have a lot of good ones - http://psd.tutsplus.com/ . I will poke around and see if there is a good beginner series for you to start with.

 

[nvanprooyen]

This looks like a decent place to start - http://psd.tutsplus.com/sessions/photoshop-tutorials-for-beginners/ . Some of this might be a little different in CS6, but a few searches in Google should get you on the right path if you get stuck.

 

[nvanprooyen]

There is also always Lynda, which isn't free..but pretty cheap considering the amount of material (they have a free trial I think too). Or you can probably download the videos somewhere else if you are resourceful.

http://www.lynda.com/Photoshop-training-tutorials/279-0.html

 

[BNB]

I am still using CS5, but have been using Photoshop for about 15 years. If you are completely unfamiliar with it, I would recommend going through some beginner level tutorials and advancing as appropriate. There is a lot of stuff out there for free. Over time, you will pick up a variety of techniques / understand all the tools and that's when you can begin to get really creative. These guys have a lot of good ones - http://psd.tutsplus.com/ . I will poke around and see if there is a good beginner series for you to start with.

Thanks man! I'll give the links a look.

I'm familiar with some very basic tools that they have because some of the free editing sites out there have essentially the same ones.

But after those, I'm completely clueless when it comes to Photoshop.

 

[nvanprooyen]

There is a lot to learn. Hell, I still discover new stuff from time to time...and I've been using it forever. But you can get fairly competent quickly once you understand the most basic stuff (what all the tools do, selections, layers etc).

 

[X]

anyway I can get an older version free w/out going to pirate bay or somewhere like that? someone pm me

 

[Crystallas]

The only thing that I can suggest you get used to, at an early stage, is using layers.

Be generous with your layer usage, and everything begins to get easier.

 

[BNB]

Yeah, layers is actually something I was really trying to figure out. That seems pretty confusing to me at this point. I'm about to look at Nvan's links to see if it says anything about them.

 

[nwfisch]

Photoshop me with your avatar

 

[Crystallas]

Yeah, layers is actually something I was really trying to figure out. That seems pretty confusing to me at this point. I'm about to look at Nvan's links to see if it says anything about them.

All you gotta know about layers.

• They can be dragged and dropped to change order, also renamed to help you organize the picture.
• Select the one you are working with, use the eye icon to hide the layers from visibility.
• Layers can have exclusive effects and opaqueness to them that you can adjust.
• Layers can be merged and or or flattened so you can useless layers, after having a bunch.

Oh and another photoshop tip, as someone(among many) who has seen everything done with stock and the more popular filters, learn to photoshop without filters. Most filter usages are a sign of n00bness and they are overdone. That's why layers are always better, because you can add unique effects, one layer at a time, and never use the shitty filters that make a 2012 picture, look like it was made in 1995 by some wannabe artist.