An Introduction to Photoshop CC
This activity involved a virtual game where students worked in pairs to edit an image emailed back and forth. Once each partner had three serves the final image was uploaded and shared to the discussion forum.
Discussion
I replied to Christian Frost's forum post requesting a partner and knowing of my interest in Egyptian culture he presented me with a range of images. I selected a slightly faded Sphinx and Khufu Pyramid with a light blue sky and afternoon shadow. I had some experience in Photoshop CS, but we were both new to Photoshop CC and terms like adjustment layers, smart objects and linked library items. After a few tutorials the game commenced and I re-coloured the image, touched up the existing sky, and Christian removed the distracting people and vehicles recommending we replace the sky. He presented me with a range of alternate images, and I selected one which he then enhanced with Adobe Lightroom.
In the next round I inserted the new sky, improved colours to add depth and clarity to the pyramid, and selected 3 sample fonts. Initially I discussed a postcard design with a few alternative texts and Christian offered the title 'The Magic of Egypt' selecting the best of the sample fonts. During the next round we tidied up the design, Christian used a tilt shift blur on the top and bottom of the sky for realism and applied healing on unnatural surfaces. I detailed the centre structure where vehicles had been removed, inserted the text and improved the colour. If time permitted Christian offered to superimpose hieroglyphs in round 3 but decided to apply an outer glow to accentuate the structures and horizon. I softened this glow to tone down the vivid yellow colour blend and added ufos using motion path blur. The final image was resized to 700px wide at 72dpi as requested.
Results
Initial Image |
Final Image |
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Conclusion
This task allowed me to increase my skill set on the Adobe Photoshop CC platform. I previously understood masking though Photoshop CS and Flash CS4 and quickly picked up adjustable layers and smart objects both enabling non-destructive image editing. This was essential so the Photoshop PSD file transferred during the game, where possible, allowed the next player to make alterations based on their style and taste. Various tutorials helped me understand the graphic library and using links on repeating objects. I became aware of the new art board and how many mock-ups of a design can be altered by editing a single image. Techniques such as camera raw, path motion blur, and liquify were experimented with as well as instructions in printing keyboard shortcuts, a history log, duel view mode for editing, and colour workspaces. I believe this task has given me a firm grounding in Photoshop CC.
Extension
- Added 3D extrusion
- Added cloud rendered background
