The Photoshop Layers and Selections Workshop

The Photoshop Layers and Selections Workshop

by Glyn Dewis
Released May 2021
Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
ISBN: 9781681987330

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Book description

Learn to harness the full power of layers and selections in Photoshop—and let your creativity soar!

Learning the basics of Photoshop is an admirable feat. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where most people end their Photoshop journey—with a fundamental appreciation of the program and the ability to execute a few helpful techniques. But without a full understanding of and capability with layers and selections—arguably Photoshop’s most powerful tools—you’re leaving the vast majority of Photoshop’s power and potential untapped.

Photographer and author Glyn Dewis’s new book, The Photoshop Layers and Selections Workshop, is here to change all that. The author of the bestselling The Photoshop Toolbox, Photograph Like a Thief, and The Photoshop Workbook, Glyn focuses on layers and selections in this book, knowing that if you can learn and master these two features, you’ll have everything you need to maximize Photoshop’s potential, bring out the best in your work, and harness your full creativity.

In this book, you will:

    • Start off with a detailed breakdown of the Photoshop workspace and how best to set it up for your workflow
    • Learn everything you need to know to work like a pro with layers
    • Conquer selections and cutouts, whether you’re working with the Magic Wand Tool, Quick Selection Tool, Pen Tool, Select Subject feature, Color Range feature, or Vector Masks
    • Dive into additional techniques to improve your skillset: color correction, composite blending, removing reddening in portraits, using Content Aware Fill to perfection, and more

Finally, in the last chapter, Glyn works through a start-to-finish project that brings all of the concepts together to show how they work in a real-world scenario.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Photoshop Workspace
Chapter 2: Layers
Chapter 3: Selections and Cut Outs
Chapter 4: Additional Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
Chapter 5: Complete Project

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Contents
  7. Chapter 1: The Photoshop Workspace
    1. The Home Screen
    2. Create a New Document
    3. Setting Up the Photoshop Workspace
      1. Rearranging the Workspace
      2. Saving a Custom Workspace
      3. Resetting the Workspace
      4. Deleting a Workspace
    4. Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus
    5. Toolbar
    6. Options Bar
    7. And Finally . . . Screen Modes
  8. Chapter 2: Layers
    1. Layer Basics
    2. Creating a New Layer
    3. Repositioning Layer Contents
    4. Copying the Contents of a Layer
    5. Layer Groups
    6. Changing the Order of Layers
    7. Opacity
    8. Merging Layers
    9. Layers Panel Options
    10. Displaying Specific Layers
    11. Blend Modes
    12. Layer Masks
    13. Fill
    14. Clipping Masks
    15. Title Bar
  9. Chapter 3: Selections 101
    1. Selection Basics
    2. Repositioning a Selection
      1. Shift Key – Constrain Proportions
      2. Space Bar – Drag Selection
      3. Alt/Option Key – Grow Selection from Center
    3. Adding To and Creating More Selections
      1. Shift Key – Add to Selection
      2. Alt/Option Key – Reduce or Remove Parts of Selection
      3. So Where Would I Use This?
    4. Applying an Adjustment Layer to a Selection
    5. Feathering a Selection
    6. Hiding a Selection
      1. Why Would I Use This?
    7. Resizing a Selection
    8. Saving Selections
    9. Anti-Alias
    10. Quick Mask
  10. Chapter 4: Selection Tools
    1. The Magic Wand Tool
    2. The Quick Selection Tool
      1. Shift and Alt/Option
    3. The Object Selection Tool
      1. Enhance Edge
      2. Object Subtract
      3. Sample All Layers (and Select Subject)
    4. Quick Mask
      1. Quick Mask Extras
    5. Channel Pull
    6. Color Range
    7. Focus Area
    8. Single Row and Single Column Marquee Tools
    9. Polygonal Lasso and Magnetic Lasso Tools
  11. Chapter 5: The Pen Tool and Vector Masks
    1. Doing It Wrong
    2. Doing It Right
    3. Command (Mac)/Ctrl (PC) Key
    4. Option (Mac)/Alt (PC) Key
    5. Escape Key
    6. Paths Panel
    7. Adding (More) Anchor Points
    8. Turning a Path Into a Selection
    9. Pen Tool Extras
    10. Pen Tool Workflow
    11. Vector Masks
  12. Chapter 6: Select and Mask
    1. Global Refinements
    2. Output Settings
    3. Output To
    4. View Mode
    5. Outputting the Selection
  13. Chapter 7: Sky Replacement
    1. Sky
    2. Shift Edge
    3. Fade Edge
    4. Sky Adjustments
      1. Brightness
      2. Temperature
      3. Scale
      4. Flip
    5. Foreground Adjustments
      1. Lighting Mode
      2. Lighting Adjustment
      3. Color Adjustment
    6. Output
      1. New Layers
      2. Duplicate Layer
    7. Sky Brush
    8. Using Your Own Replacement Skies
    9. Tip for Best Results
  14. Chapter 8: Cleaning Up Selections
    1. Removing Halos
      1. Technique 1
      2. Technique 2
    2. Select > Modify
    3. Overlay Blend Mode
      1. Technique 1
      2. Technique 2
  15. Chapter 9: Selection Workflows
    1. Workflow 1
    2. Workflow 2
    3. Workflow 3
    4. Workflow 4: Selecting Hair—Faking It!
      1. Technique 1: Hair Brushes
      2. Technique 2: Use Hair from Another Person
  16. Chapter 10: Bonus Content
    1. Facebook Image Settings
    2. Adding Depth and Dimension
    3. Photoshop BIG
    4. Pinch
    5. Auto Blend Layers
    6. Onwards and Upwards . . .

Product information

  • Title: The Photoshop Layers and Selections Workshop
  • Author(s): Glyn Dewis
  • Release date: May 2021
  • Publisher(s): Rocky Nook
  • ISBN: 9781681987330