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MAT 110 - Digital Imaging 1: Adobe Photoshop

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Class Schedule

Week 1 (8/20)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Introduction to the class
  • Introduction to digital imaging and Photoshop
  • What does it mean to go digital?
  • What's a pixel?
  • The Photoshop interface: tools, panels, and menus
  • Customizing your workspace
  • The breadth and depth of Photoshop: How many ways to zoom?

Required Assignments + Tasks

Recommended or OPTIONAL Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

PBS Off Book Video

Adobe Photoshop - Inspirational Ad

Digital Imaging and Photoshop - Week #1 - Instructor Tutorials

Photoshop Basics from Adobe

Photoshop is now over 30 years old. Here's a look back. (optional)

Tutoring + Academic support + Open Labs

MiraCosta has a number of tutoring and support services available to you, including the ability to make in-person or zoom appointments with tutors or work in our open labs. For hours and more information, see Tutoring and Student Support Services.

LINKS + Resources

The Software

Adobe Photoshop Resources

Books

  • Digital Artistry and Special Effects with Photoshop by Jill Malone. Digital version available free through our Canvas course website.
  • Visual Alchemy: The Fine Art of Digital Montage by Catherine McIntyre. Digital version available for free through Safari Books Online.
  • The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques by Glyn Dewis. Digital version available for free through Safari Books Online.

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 2 (8/27)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Image Size, Canvas Size, and Resolution
  • Cropping, Sizing, and Straightening Imagery
  • The Photoshop Toolbox (continued)
  • Image and Tonal Range Adjustments
  • Understanding the Histogram
  • Levels, Curves, Brightness and Contrast
  • Image Transformations: Scale, Rotation, Distortion
  • Dodging and Burning
  • Shadow/Highlight Adjustments
  • Adjustment Layers and Smart Objects for Non-Destructive Editing

Required Assignments + Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

Photoshop - Week #2 Instructor Tutorials (required)

Cropping, Straightening, and Sizing

  1. Cropping Images for Size and Composition (18:57)
  2. Straightening Images (Crop, Ruler, and Content Aware) (9:41)
  3. Image Size, Canvas Size, and Resolution (20:52)
  4. Cropping and Sizing for Project #1 (14:32)

Tonal Range and Contrast Adjustments

  1. Understanding Tonal Range, the Histogram, and Color Modes (16:00)
  2. Levels Adjustments, Corrected Tonal Range, and Adjustment Layers (18:44)
  3. Curves Adjustments (13:13)
  4. Shadows and Highlights Adjustments, Dodging and Burning (11:37)
  5. Image Transformations and Review of Exercise #1 (20:59)

Recommended Online Video Tutorials (not required, but useful supplements on specific topics of your choice)

  • Adobe Photoshop (2015) CC - Learn by Video - Chapter 1 Topics
    Available for free through Safari Books Online

Exercise #1: Tonal Range Collage (DUE 9/3)

As demonstrated in the video tutorials above, create a photo-collage containing six to eight versions of one image, varying the tonal range of each version. Begin by finding a black and white photo or using one of the sample photos provided (you can convert a color photo to Black and White by using IMAGE > MODE > GRAYSCALE). Copy the photo into (at least) six layers. Adjust and manipulate the tonal range of the photo to create six different versions. Explore the image adjustment capabilities in Photoshop (including IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > LEVELS and IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > CURVES).

You should at least include: 1) the original image, 2) the image with a corrected tonal range, 3) a high-contrast version, 4) a low-contrast version, 5) a posterized or threshold version, 6) a version wherein you creatively manipulate the curves.

Resize or "transform the scale" of each image so that all six will fit onto a single canvas no larger than 1920 x 1080 at 72 ppi. In other words, at least six versions of one image should be collaged together into one image (like in this example).

Finally, save the file, name it with your FirstLastName + -e1 + .psd (ie "karlcleveland-e1.psd"). Then, create a .jpg version of this file (using File > Export > Export As and choosing "JPG" as the Format and 80% as the Quality setting. Submit these files (both the .psd and .jpg) via Canvas as per the Assignment Submission Guidelines.

Tutoring + Academic support + Open Labs

MiraCosta has a number of tutoring and support services available to you, including the ability to make in-person or zoom appointments with tutors or work in our open labs. For hours and more information, see Tutoring and Student Support Services.

LINKS + Resources

Tutoring + Support

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 3 (9/3)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Photo Retouching and Repair Techniques
  • The Clone Stamp Tool
  • Healing Brushes
  • The Patch Tool
  • Painting and Drawing in Photoshop
  • Raster vs. Vector graphics
  • Layer Basics
  • Working with Brushes
  • Editing and Customizing Brushes
  • Working with Color

Required Assignments + Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

Photoshop - Week #3 Instructor Tutorials (required)

Painting and Drawing in Photoshop

  1. Working with Layers and Color Basics (17:25)
  2. Working with Brushes (Size, Hardness, and Options) (17:42)
  3. Brush Settings and Customization (15:27)
  4. Raster vs. Vector Graphics (18:14)
  5. Digital Painting Exercise Review + Color Swatches and Sampling (11:36)

Photo Retouching and Repair

  1. The Clone Stamp and Clone Source Options (16:42)
  2. The Healing Brush and Spot Healing Brush (15:12)
  3. The Patch Tool (12:22)
  4. The Remove Tool for Object Removal, Retouching, and Repair (6:05)

Recommended Online Video Tutorials (not required, but useful supplements on specific topics of your choice)

Exercise #2: Digital Painting (Due 9/10)

Exploring the topics listed and demonstrated in the video tutorials above, use Photoshop to create a simple digital painting. Your painting can be abstract or representational. Explore the brush tools and customizing brushes, working with colors, working with layers, and other tools/techniques as demonstrated. Use the type tool to add your name to the bottom right corner of the painting. The dimensions of your digital creation should be set to 1600 x 900 at 200 ppi.

Save your Photoshop file and name it with your FirstLastName + -e2 + .psd (ie "karlcleveland-e2.psd"). Then, create a .jpg version of this file (using File > Export > Export As and choosing "JPG" as the Format and '6' or around 80% as the Quality setting. Submit these files via Canvas as per the Assignment Submission Guidelines.

  1. Sample of a digital painting (representational)
  2. Sample of a digital painting (abstract)

LINKS + Resources

Free Photoshop Brushes

Tutoring + Support

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 4 (9/10)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Photo Retouching and Repair Techniques (continued)
  • Red Eye Removal and Color Replacement
  • Content Aware Fill and Move
  • Applying Retouching Techniques to Project #1
  • Understanding Color
  • RGB vs. CMYK
  • Additive vs. Subtractive Color
  • Correcting and Manipulating Color
  • Color Balance and Hue/Saturation
  • Removing Color Casts
  • Photo Filters
  • Colorization Techniques
  • Blending Modes and Colorization
  • More Layer Basics
  • Adjustment Layers

Required Assignments + Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

Photoshop - Week #4 Instructor Tutorials (required)

Understanding Color

  1. Understanding Color, Part 1: Properties, Terminology (12:58)
  2. Understanding Color, Part 2: RGB v. CMYK, Color Gamuts (17:08)

Color Correction and Manipulation

  1. Color Adjustments and Removing Color Casts with Levels (13:54)
  2. Color Manipulation with Curves (6:35)
  3. Color Balance Adjustments (9:43)
  4. Hue, Saturation and Brightness Adjustments, Vibrance (6:37)
  5. Photo Filters, Blend Modes, and Colorization Techniques (16:48)
  6. Red Eye Removal and Color Replacement (9:06)

Photo Retouching and Repair Techniques Applied on Project #1

  1. Project #1 Techniques: Tonal Range Adjustments (15:51)
  2. Project #1 Techniques: Retouching and Repair (24:18)
  3. Project #1 Techniques: Colorization (21:39)

Submitting Your Projects

  1. How to Submit Project #1 and Your Other Projects (12:19)

Recommended Online Video Tutorials (not required, but useful supplements on specific topics of your choice)

Tutoring + Academic support + OPEN LABS

MiraCosta has a number of tutoring and support services available to you, including in-person or zoom appointments with tutors or the ability to work in our open labs. For hours and more information, see Tutoring and Student Support Services.

LINKS + Resources

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 5 (9/17)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Working with Selections
  • Adjusting Selections
  • Feathering Selections
  • Saving and Loading Selections
  • Refining Selection Edges (Refine Edge)
  • Quick Mask Mode and Painting Selections

Required Assignments + Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

Photoshop - Week #5 Instructor Tutorials (required)

Submitting Your Projects

  1. How to Submit Project #1 and Your Other Projects (12:19)

Working with Selections

  1. Introduction to Selection Tools and Selective Editing (11:05)
  2. Selection Basics: Selecting, Deselecting, Hiding, Adding, Subtracting, and More (17:45)
  3. Selections: Magic Wand, Tolerance, and Selecting Based on Color Range (14:37)
  4. Selections: Lasso Tools and Freehand Selection, Object Selection, Quick Selection (15:07)
  5. Selections: Painting and Refining Selections with Quick Mask, Saving and Loading Selections (17:54)
  6. Selections: Feathering, Modifying, and Refining Using Select and Mask (15:46)

Recommended Online Video Tutorials (not required, but useful supplements on specific topics of your choice)

Tutoring + Academic support + OPEN LABS

MiraCosta has a number of tutoring and support services available to you, including in-person or zoom appointments with tutors or the ability to work in our open labs. For hours and more information, see Tutoring and Student Support Services.

LINKS + Resources

Class Project + Submission Guidelines

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 6 (9/24)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Working with Layers (continued)
  • Locking, Linking, and Merging layers
  • Adjustment Layers
  • Compositing in Photoshop
  • Working with and Arranging Multiple Documents/Images
  • Working with Masks and Channels
  • Creating and Manipulating Layer Masks
  • Selections vs. Layer Masks
  • Understanding Channels
  • Converting Selections to Masks
  • Quick Masks
  • Gradient Masks
  • Vector Masks

Required Assignments + Tasks

Videos + Tutorials

Photoshop - Week #6 Instructor Tutorials (required)

Introduction to Project #2

  1. Introduction to and Overview of the Photo Puzzle Project (11:25)

Compositing with Layer Masks and Exercise #3

  1. Working with Multiple Documents, Arranging Tiles and Tabs, Exploring Screen Modes (11:06)
  2. Duplicating Layers, Copying Across Documents, and Placing Images into a Composite (13:05)
  3. Color Correction on the Base Layer (6:17)
  4. Introducing Layer Masks, Creating Layer Masks (14:08)
  5. Viewing, Editing, and Refining Layer Masks (17:27)
  6. Refining Layer Masks with Select and Mask, Linking and Moving Masks (16:15)
  7. Additional Examples and Mask Refinement Continued (10:37)
  8. Layer Linking, Grouping, Adjustments, and Clipping Masks (18:34)
  9. Finalizing Adjustments and the Exercise, Merging Layers, and Flattening (20:01)

Recommended Online Video Tutorials (not required, but useful supplements on specific topics of your choice)

Exercise #3: Compositing with Layer Masks (Due 10/3)

Exploring the topics listed above and demonstrated in the tutorials, use Photoshop to create a composite image using layer masking. Select at least 3 photographs and combine them into one image collage. You can use the underwater photos from the demo available in this .zip file (right click and save link as to download) or your own photos. Use one of the photos as the primary background or base layer. Then add additional objects/photos to the base photo by masking out elements from at least two other photos and bringing them in as layer masks into your main document. In other words, remove elements out of their original context and re-contextualize them in your new scene. You will then need to match the colors, tonal range, and lighting of your photos to fit within your new scene using levels, curves, color balance, or other methods.

The dimensions of your digital composite should be set to 800 x 600 at 72 ppi.

Save your Photoshop file and name it with your FirstLastName + -e3 + .psd (ie "karlcleveland-e3.psd"). Then, create a .jpg version of this file (using File > Export > Export As and choosing "JPG" as the Format and 80% as the Quality setting. Submit these files via Canvas as per the Assignment Submission Guidelines.

LINKS + Resources

Featured Artist of the Week

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Week 7 (10/1)

Topics + Learning Objectives

  • Picture Puzzle Project Demos and Image Editing Techniques
  • Photoshop Compositing Techniques continued
  • Working with Masks and Channels continued
  • Correcting and Enhancing Photographs
  • Correcting Distortion and Adjusting Perspective
  • Adjustment Layers continued
  • Layer Styles
  • Content Aware Fill and Scale
  • Generative AI : Generative Expand and FIll
  • Photomerge

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