The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

by Glyn Dewis
Released December 2014
Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
ISBN: 9780134008516

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Book description

Master the Photoshop techniques used by professionals to create captivating composites, special effects, and more!

The Photoshop Workbook¿reveals the creative skills that photographer and retoucher Glyn Dewis uses for his global clients. In this guide you will learn not only his step-by-step Photoshop techniques, but how and when to apply them so that you, too, can take your images to a whole new level.

Glyn starts by covering the individual Photoshop skills that are the essential building blocks of his process: mastering selections and cutouts; dodging and burning and using the “power of gray” for composites; applying lighting effects; creating special effects; and turning day into night using a nondestructive workflow.

It’s one thing to learn the techniques, but to master them you need to understand when to apply them and in what order. In the second part of the book, Glyn brings everything together with his real-world projects. He covers six complete, start-to-finish projects–including all the images for you to download and follow along–that show you how to apply the techniques to a variety of scenarios.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. About the Author
  6. Contents
  7. Foreword
  8. Introduction
  9. About This Book
    1. How to Use This Book
  10. Part 1: Techniques
    1. Chapter 1. Selections and Cutouts
      1. Quick Selection Tool and Refine Edge
      2. Improving Cutouts with Layer Styles
      3. How to Remove the Annoying Outline
      4. Quick Mask
      5. Faking Cutouts: Part 1
      6. Faking Cutouts: Part 2
      7. Advanced Blending
      8. Color Range
      9. The Pen Tool
      10. Channels for Selections
    2. Chapter 2. The Power of Gray
      1. Blend Mode Compositing
      2. Textures, Textures, Textures
      3. Smart Dodging and Burning
      4. Transforming a Location
      5. Adding Dents and Damage
      6. Instant Six-Pack
      7. Photoshop Lens Flares
      8. Make Eyes Pop
    3. Chapter 3. Lighting Effects
      1. The World’s Simplest Lighting Effect
      2. The Never-ending Lighting Rig
      3. Gradient Lighting: Part 1
      4. Gradient Lighting: Part 2
      5. Light Beams
      6. Horizon Light
      7. Fake Rim Lighting
      8. Reflected Light
      9. Shadows
    4. Chapter 4. Special Effects
      1. Turning Day into Night
      2. The Cartoon or Painterly Effect
      3. Debris and Dust
      4. Creating a Snow Scene
      5. Rain
      6. The Wet Look
      7. Black and White Conversion
      8. Adding Fake Blood
      9. Adding Swelling
      10. The Details Effect
    5. Chapter 5. Compositing Quick Tips
      1. Creating a Horizon Line
      2. Compositing into Grass
      3. Shadows
      4. Matching Color #1
      5. Matching Color #2
  11. Part 2: Projects
    1. Chapter 6. Character Portrait
      1. RAW Conversion and Retouch
      2. Nondestructive Retouching in Photoshop
      3. Adding Color to the Background
      4. Adding a Spotlight
      5. Matching Background and Foreground Color
      6. Lighting the Cigar
      7. The Painterly Textured Effect
    2. Chapter 7. Tough Guy
      1. RAW Conversion and Retouch
      2. Nondestructive Retouching in Photoshop
      3. Creating a New Background Using Textures
      4. Adding Shadows
      5. Using the World’s Simplest Lighting Effect
    3. Chapter 8. Rhino Composite
      1. Creating the Landscape
      2. Adding the Rhino
      3. Creating the Dust
      4. Finishing Touches
    4. Chapter 9. Fairytale Scene
      1. Behind the Scenes
      2. The Miniature Room
      3. Adding the Toys
      4. Adding the Shadows
      5. Adding the Children
      6. Turning Day into Night
      7. The Wardrobe Light
      8. Finishing Touches
    5. Chapter 10. Retouching a Landscape
      1. Using Camera Raw
    6. Chapter 11. Assassin
      1. Lighting Setup
      2. Camera Raw
      3. Composition
      4. Selecting the Model
      5. Dodging and Burning
      6. Retouching the Jacket
      7. Adding the Background
      8. Add a Moveable Vignette
      9. The Glasses
      10. Finishing Touches
  12. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
  • Author(s): Glyn Dewis
  • Release date: December 2014
  • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
  • ISBN: 9780134008516