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Photoshop for Beginners: Photo Editing, Illustration, and Beyond

Before each live online session, Tech Training will provide a Zoom link for live online classes, along with any required class materials.

This beginning-level course will teach you everything you need to know to correct photos, composite images, and illustrate in Adobe Photoshop. You will learn to navigate the software, apply tools and filters, and easily manipulate pixels.

In this four-part beginning-level course, you will learn how to do the following in Adobe Photoshop:

  1. Navigating the software, organizing layers, and editing in Camera Raw. 
  2. Retouching photos, using adjustment layers and masks, and applying effects.
  3. Creating digital drawings and paintings.
  4. Manipulating photos using the liquify, puppet warp, and distort tools.

Each course will have demonstrations and fun projects, including productivity tips and workflow advice.

This course is a demonstrative lecture with no activity submission requirements. There will be requests for participation and discussion, and handouts will be provided. Note-taking and questions are encouraged.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Modify photographs for your desired or required results.
  • Determine the best exposure, color balance, and filters to apply to your image.
  • Analyze drawing tool settings for customization.
  • Apply the best tools for retouching, blending, replacing, and eliminating objects.
  • Contrast the effectiveness of AI vs. hand-made adjustments and composites.
  • Identify the Photoshop tools and commands locations and functionality.
Topic Outline

Class 1:

  • Document Setup
  • Navigation
  • Workspace
  • Selecting
  • Layers (Intro)
  • Libraries
  • Camera Raw

Class 2:

  • Retouching
  • Adjustment Layers
  • Layer Masks
  • Gradients
  • Fx

Class 3

  • Shapes
  • Drawing Tools
  • Brushes
  • Painting
  • Filters

Class 4

  • Liquify
  • Distort
  • Puppet Warp
  • Exporting
Prerequisites

None. This course welcomes beginning learners.

Custom training workshops are available for this program

Technology training sessions structured around individual or group learning objectives. Learn more about custom training

University IT Technology Training sessions are available to a wide range of participants, including Stanford University staff, faculty, students, and employees of Stanford Hospitals & Clinics, such as Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Stanford Medicine Partners, and Stanford Medicine Children's Health.

Additionally, some of these programs are open to interested individuals not affiliated with Stanford, allowing for broader community engagement and learning opportunities.