Preserved Topic: Newb With photo 5.5 Ripping Out Hair

:cunfused:

ok here it goes i got photoshop ver. 5.5 a few weeks ago i have found some realy nicely put together tutorials on just about anythying possible or impossible but for the ajority of them they are made or intended for a diff version, here is where evryone else that has stoped pulling out there hair in a fit of fustration, and has stoped breaking key boards over there heads. I need HELP i love this stuff but am quickly getting discouraged is there a book out there that comes higly recomended? is there a web page with many ver 5.5 tutorials on it? i have looked over many posts in the Asylum which is a good name itleast for ppl like me at this rate any advice suggestion ANYTHING pleas.... well don't wanan turn this into a novel so i had better cross my fingers and post this thnx in advance for your replys..argh envasion of the "call cleo i well charge ya 10 bucks a minute to tell ya a bunch of B.S." (tele comercial/ paid program junk)

well later

One small, gentle bit of advice. You are going to be
:cunfused:
for a long time, so better get used to the feeling. If you are up for the discipline of Photoshop, you have to have a pretty level temperment. If you start breakng keyboards over the fact that you are finding tutorials that aren't explicitly for a specific version -- well, you have a long path to walk down.

Starting with the manual, there are many good books. Deke McClelland's PS Bible is a good one as far as not missing a single feature, but you'll probably find it boring. Photoshop Artistry is a good one, Real World Photoshop if you are really serious. And a trip to Borders reveals there are a million more.

But - this is going to take time. I still find useful techniques is tutorials that were written for version 2.5! New versions added stuff, they didn't throw old stuff away. They may have rearranged where things are in the menus of the tool box, but the concepts don't change much. The part that takes time is knowing enough about how to use Photoshop to be able to see what the author is doing, not just how they do it, and figure it out yourself.

So take a deep breath, get a book if you like books, replace your busted keyboard, start making pictures. Learn where the tools are. Learn what selections do, what layers do, how to select and apply colors - there's a lot to grasp but if you persist it will start to swim into a murky sort of focus. And if you get stumped on a particular technique, give another holler here.

And don't dare whine about how hard and frustrating Photoshop is. Everyone reading this topic at the Asylum knows the "pain" AND knows it is both voluntary and self-inflicted!!

~stands up and applauds steve's lovely speech~

Thnx for the reply and i am sure ya knew that i meant the keyboard hting as a figure of speach becuase my dad wanted me to make a logo for his freinds web site and has been pushing me to come up with one i have a vague idea of what he would like but not a clue on hw to do it....even thou all of this he won't let me boroow the manual he keeps it at work or probably lost under a million and a half papers... and i am definelty going to try and pick up those books when i get some cash seems no one at all is hireing in my area not even burger king that woulda sucked anyways... and if i may ask i am seeing all these cool fonts filled with a chrome gradeint i figured out how to make the gradient from a tut. but not how to apply it to my text and or spehers etc any advice or suggestions and thnx again for the reply and not makeing it a short 2 word one.... but i gotta run 1 am almsot and i have a full day tomorow

A find a good way to learn various effect is to download some actions.

Just download them. Unzip in needed them and load them using load actions from the action menu. (Note most actions are not downword compatable, ie. made in 6.0 going to 5.5. )

I you go to the Acton options panel you can select select step by step, this will walk you through each command one by one.

You can also expand the action tree to see the individule setting for each command.

To find a huge library of actions go to www.actionxchange.com

jstuartj

[This message has been edited by jstuartj (edited 01-18-2001).]

[This message has been edited by jstuartj (edited 01-18-2001).]

what exactly do actions do? i always wondered that.

basically a macro type thing.
you can make your own.
say you like to select the stuff on one layer, then gaussian blur at 8 then 4 then 2 than 1, then deselect, and blur at 1.
well, make a new action, and do it!
this is something i really havent spent that much time on....

Personally, the only book I typically recommend is the "Classroom in a Book" series from Adobe Press. They don't spend ages and ages on all the "sexy" and "coolest" techniques, but what they do teach is how to use layers, channels and masks. Once you know that, you can do *anything*, and all the tutorials will now make sense! My 2 centavos, anyway.

Your pal, -doc-

I second the Classroom in a Book series. Sheesh, can't believe I overlooked them in my post. I learned a whole lot from them - they are excellent.

Hows about this: instead of asking a really broad question, try to tighten up the question and ask again. Like: "how can I apply a chrome gradient to text". Post an example of you can. That gives us all a concrete starting point. Then you'll get loads of responses that deal directly with an issue. If your question is too broad nobody knows where to begin.

"Photoshop Channel Chops" by Biedny,Monroy, and Moody. published by New Riders. ($39.99 Yank, $56.95 Canuckish, und 36.50 Great British Pounds.. soon to be Euros) lol...

enjoy it!

*drools* and immediately mops.. heh

~Vp~

EDIT: darn .. just read your post Steve and cant believe you havent got or havent read PS Channel Chops? hmmm
maybe its hard core to be suggesting to a newbie?... hmmm
EDIT AGAIN: Happy 1400th to me!!! do I need to get out a bit more or what? lol.. I need a weekend pass Doc!
[This message has been edited by vogonpoet (edited 01-19-2001).]

[This message has been edited by vogonpoet (edited 01-19-2001).]

thnx again everyoe for all the replys perhaps this well turn into a newb string or something of that sort, and as one opf ya asked for me to narrow my question down well that is one of the things i didn't knwo where to start....but something i can ask specifica;ly is what you mentioned about apply chrome etc gradients to text and other shapes i just can't get it to work perhaps someone can tell me and then i well be abl;e to get it ....... sorry for being so short but i gotta run

Alrighty ppl, perhpas i just have horribe luck with the web, i don't knwo where to look, or i am just to tired when i am looking i need some help for "masks" the way i am doing it takes forever and it doesn't come out well at all...i wanna use themn to apply gradeints to shapes text blah blah any hints tips prayers?

I've always made a habit of keeping all the shapes, text, etc... on seperate layers... so if I want to add a gradient to a shape, I just check the 'preserve transparency' box and go at it. As long as your shapes have not been merged with other shapes or backgrounds only the shape that is on the layer you are working with will be effected.

You may have checked this tutorial out alreay, but if not I would encourage you to do so... it says it 'higher learning' but I personally think it should be one of the first thing anyone learns...

http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/backdoors.html

-D

Don't bother ever trying to learn 3DSMAX if you are having this much difficulty with Photoshop. It would be sheer suicidal in your case!

Here are a couple of good places for some easy tuts to get started..
http://www.designsbymark.com http://www.teamphotoshop.com http://www.wastedyouth.com http://www.photoshopclub.com http://www.adobe.com http://www.phong.com

There are some good starting points. I know when I first started Mark's tuts were a agreat help and also use Doc's lighting effects tutorials at http://www.handson.nu

Good luck!

lol Boudga perhaps you are rite but perhaps i well find something that intrests me more then photoshop down the line perhaps i well become to busy with work how knows, but this is fun and fustrateing for the time being and i enjoy it ....and thnx everyone for the replys i well check up on all the links when i have more of a break

ok ppl i am back and now i have a job after many many filed apps. now is the time where i need everyone to put there 2 cents in for any and all photshop 5.5 books they knwo of or hve herd of a few of you guys have alrdy recomended a few but i would like to know more becuase money is tight i wnana get the biggest and best bang for my buck ya know ya know also i well be posting my first semi finshed logo in the next few days and i well need a few critics to lemme knwo how i did what i shouda done etc etc

ok fellas and gals i have another incredibley dumb question that i am sure has been awsereed somewhere and is hiding rite under my nose, how do i get it to post my sig and link pics to my whatchama call it my post?

thnx

http://www.OzoneAsylum.com/ubbcode.html

read this specifically the part of using UBB for linking images.. then when you understand it, go and edit your profile here at the asylum and add the relevent UBB code for the image you want to use as a sig ..

Thnx that was a insta bookmark link and i dunno i am just bored i guess.... ya guys wouldn't belive it pleas recomend some books etc but it may be a few more weeks tell i can finaly get one becuase last night after i had droped off my freinds GF about an hour outta town the drive shaft in my car fell off....oh well so much for my "first relaible csource of transporation" i almsot wish it was enough to put the poor thing permently outta comission naywyas cya later