Photoshop lesson 2

Tonight's lesson began where last week's left off. We worked on adding lines to the rugby header we're working on.

After some difficulty Jamie showed me how to make the lines flow. Basically use the pen tool, then the converter pen to introduced Berzier points, finally use the Direct Selection tool to broaden the shape.

We then learnt how to illuminate the lines by adding a layer and the using the filter option to access the Gaussian Blur facility.

Finally, the eraser tool was used (30%) to ensure that the faces of the players could be seen.

We then increased the canvas size and learnt how to add layer masks to the images (which increased in size when the canvas expanded).

We then cut out sections of the final jpeg, using the marquee tool, and placed them under the header we had devised.

We learnt how to colour these segments, also how to expand, contract and inverse selections.

I enjoyed this lesson but didn't feel as in control as I did for lesson one. I'll have to make sure I do some more work prior to next week (I would have before this lesson but a manic workload and illness held me back).

An interesting point Jamie made was that there is no set way on how to work in Photoshop. Two people might produce the same work yet go about it in completely different ways.

I'm going to do a mixture of disciplined photoshop work and playing around with it this week...and just see what I learn.

I'll also need to work with the Marquee tool because that was a new one on me tonight. It would also be wise if I looked at layer masks and the full capabilities of the layer pallette.