100% Photoshop: Create stunning artwork without using any photographs [Paperback]

Product Description

Just when you think (conceive) you've learned (scholarly) all that you could ever know (undergo) about working (employed) in Photoshop, digital artist (creator) and photomontage king (power) Steve Caplin comes along with yet (still) another masterful (skilled) method for creating incredible (dumbfounding) works of art (prowess) in Photoshop. This time, he'll show (exhibit) you how to create (create) complete images, from start (move) to finish, entirely (all) within the software (code) program. No source (maker) material, photographs, or existing files from other (another) software (code) packages are needed, saving (action) you valuable (priceless) time (instance) and resources. The techniques you'll learn (see) in this ground-breaking new (newborn) book will (module) help you combine (consortium) your artistic vision (exteroception) and skills with an understanding (discernment) of how to manipulate (cook) the built-in Photoshop filters to produce (display) impressive, eye-catching artwork.

Each chapter opens with a complete (rank) double page (tender) illustration, created entirely (all) in Photoshop. Then, carefully laid (ordered) out step-by-step instructions (manual) show (exhibit) you how each (apiece) element in the illustration (demo) is created, and how they are all (every) combined in the end (modify) to make (attain) a convincing (disenchanting) final image. Using Steve's proven methods for success, you'll be able (healthy) to produce (display) images that reflect (emit) a more finely (exquisitely) crafted, hand (assistance) drawn approach, whether you're an artist (creator) for your own (possess) enjoyment or a working (employed) professional looking (hunting) for a leg (handicap) up on the competition.

*The only (exclusive) book (aggregation) of its kind (category) that does not rely on any (some) external images whatsoever--each and every element (surroundings) is created directly (direct) in Photoshop

*A chapter covering (concealment) the basics (principle) of using specific (limited) filters and textures and a chapter providing a summary (unofficial) of common (ordinary) techniques and tools will (module) help you brush (applier) up on your general (generalized) Photoshop skills so you can (crapper) move through (finished) the rest of the book (aggregation) successfully

*Be sure (trusty) to visit (meet) Steve's website at www.howtocheatinphotoshop.com for even (modify) more Photoshop tips, tricks and advice

Amazon Exclusive: An Essay from Steve Caplin, Author of 100% Photoshop

Working in Photoshop is just (meet) about (most) the most fun (recreation) you can (crapper) have without breaking the law. Its power (noesis) and elegance means (effectuation) that we're limited (restricted) only (exclusive) by our imaginations: we can (crapper) combine (consortium) images to make (attain) a political (semipolitical) point, to show (exhibit) off a product, or simply (only) to create (create) a beautiful (bonny) piece of artwork.

These days, it's easier than ever to find (encounter) the images we need. The internet is awash (inundated) with royalty-free image (ikon) libraries, often (ofttimes) selling images at very (rattling) low cost--or giving (gift) them away (absent) for free. We may (haw) turn to Wikimedia, the resource (inventiveness) center of Wikipedia, to find (encounter) a specific (limited) shot; we might (strength) choose the cut (revilement) rate photographs at iStockphoto.com; or we might (strength) pick one (digit) of the thousands of free (liberated) images available (acquirable) from sites such (much) as www.morguefile.com, or the stock (have) exchange at sxc.hu, or the myriad free (liberated) surfaces at www.mayang.com/textures.

But even (modify) with the vast range (arrange) of images readily (pronto) available (acquirable) to us, we sometimes find (encounter) that the perfect (amend) shot of the ideal (saint) object simply (only) doesn't exist. Sometimes we have (hit) the physical (fleshly) object (goal) at hand (assistance) so we can (crapper) photograph it; often (ofttimes) we don't. In these cases, the only (exclusive) real option (choice) is to draw (entertainer) it ourselves.

There are several (individual) reasons we might (strength) choose to draw (entertainer) an object, or a texture, or a background, directly (direct) in Photoshop. For one (digit) thing, it means (effectuation) we can (crapper) get exactly (just) the view (analyse) we want, without having to trawl (fishnet) through (finished) a thousand (cardinal) images. But for me, the main (important) reason to draw (entertainer) directly (direct) in Photoshop is for pure, unadulterated fun.

Creating a piece (example) of artwork (graphics) entirely (all) from scratch (irritate) is hugely enjoyable--and extremely satisfying (substantial) when we get (intend) it to work (impact) out (discover) the way (artefact) we saw it in our mind's eye. 100% Photoshop contains dozens (mountain) of examples of drawn (worn) objects and textures, at a level (take) that just (meet) about (most) any Photoshop user (individual) could achieve. Along the way, we learn (see) new techniques and approaches, and hone (improve) our Photoshop skills. But mainly, drawing (art) in Photoshop gives us a level (take) of satisfaction (spirit) a mere (plain) montage can (crapper) never hope (wish) to equal.

(Photo © Kate Garner)

Amazon Exclusive: Steve Caplin's Top Ten Tips for Photoshop

1. Always draw (entertainer) the basic (base) object (goal) in a mid-tone gray. Whether you then add highlights and shadows with the Dodge and Burn tools, or adjust (change) the contrast (oppositeness) with Curves, or add a metallic (antimonial) effect with Layer Styles, you only (exclusive) need be concerned (afraid) about (most) the luminosity: there's too (likewise) much opportunity (possibleness) for color (colouration) images to go haywire. Add the color (colouration) later, when the basic (base) object (goal) has been built.

2. Duplicate, duplicate, duplicate. Make copies of your layers after each (apiece) successful stage. It can (crapper) be frustrating (preventative) to get (intend) near the end (modify) and find (encounter) there was a mistake (nonachievement) early on in the process--but if you have (hit) an earlier (early) version to return (convey) to, you can (crapper) correct your errors far (farther) more easily.

3. Name each (apiece) layer as you create (create) it. If you use (ingest) a filter, consider (study) naming it with the settings you used (utilised) - such (much) as "Unsharp Mask, 2, 150, 0"--so you know (undergo) how the effect (gist) was achieved.

4. Always experiment (research) on a copy. Photoshop is ideal (saint) for tinkering and trying (disagreeable) out (discover) new (newborn) ideas--but make (attain) sure you keep (ready) a copy (double) of the original (example) before you start (move) down an unknown (uncharted) path.

5. Be creative (fictive) with filters. The Plastic Wrap filter (separate) doesn't just (meet) wrap objects in plastic, it can (crapper) be used (utilised) to create (create) liquids of all (every) sorts. The Clouds filter (separate) may (haw) produce (display) lousy clouds, but it's a great (enthusiastic) random texture generator. And give (provide) the Wave filter (separate) another (added) chance, it's better (meliorate) than it looks.

6. Don't erase (cancel) anything. Use a Layer Mask instead. That way, you can (crapper) always reveal (expose) pat of a layer (place) you'd previously hidden. Once it's erased, it's gone.

7. Rather than applying a Curves or Color Balance adjustment (fitting) to a layer, use (ingest) an Adjustment Layer instead. The effect (gist) will (module) be the same, except (eliminate) that we can (crapper) go back (backwards) and change (modify) the adjustment (fitting) at any (some) time--or copy (double) it to a new (newborn) layer.

8. Learn to use (ingest) the Pen tool. It's the single (azygos) scariest Photoshop tool, and many (some) users just (meet) give up on it. Take a day (period) to master (officer) it and you'll value (continuance) it for the rest of your life.

9. Don't forget (block) the shadows. Shadows on objects, shadows beneath objects, shadows on the wall (surround) behind objects. Once the composition (essay) is finished, it's the shadows that really (rattling) bring it to life.

10. Convert layers to Smart Objects in complex (Byzantine) compositions. Each time (instance) an object (goal) is scaled, rotated (turned) or distorted, some (whatever) quality is lost. With Smart Objects, we can (crapper) tinker as much (such) as we like (same) without losing any (some) quality. It can (crapper) be heartbreaking (sorrowful) to see (wager) an image (ikon) looking soft (fleecy) or ragged, simply (only) because we changed (denaturized) our minds one (digit) time (instance) too many.

A Look Inside 100% Photoshop

Click to Enlarge

The images below (beneath) are all (every) drawn entirely (all) in Photoshop, using no photographs.

The box (incase) uses a variety (difference) of textures and shading (graduation) techniques.The record (achievement) is a surprisingly (astonishingly) easy object (goal) to create: the shine (happen) makes this one (digit) zing, in just (meet) a couple (pair) of steps.The watch (check) seems to be a complex (Byzantine) object, but in fact it's straightforward (direct) enough for anyone to draw.

The iPod is a straightforward (direct) object (goal) to draw; the shine (happen) on the screen (concealment) brings it to life.The only (exclusive) part that takes time (instance) when drawing (art) the ruler (individual) is the tick (stitch) marks.The racquet is a complex (Byzantine) object, bending (movement) the wood (vegetation) texture around the top (crowning) and interlacing (interlocking) the strings.

Product Details:
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Focal Press (March 29, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0240814258
ISBN-13: 978-0240814254
Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds