Ah, Photoshop. Over the years Adobe Photoshop has become more than its roots as a professional image processing studio to an artistic medium and source of entertainment. The word "Photoshopped" has entered our lexicon of terms; meaning an image has been altered using image processing tools (such as Photoshop).
However in recent years the concept of the image macro, "cheezeburger" cats, and other memes have emerged from the bowels of the internet, powered by the same tool that was once merely a handy way to batch resize a folder full of images all at once.
While I have no formal training in the usage of Photoshop, I spent several years touching up images as part of my work, and I gradually taught myself how to do some basic image editing as part of the process. Due to this, my "style" is clunky, slow and unconventional, but on occasion I do like to 'shop up a photo for kicks now and then.
While I don't consider what I do "art" by any means, I figured this would be the best place to put a post like this. How many other people out there are users of Photoshop?
I use Photoshop. I used to use it exclusively, but now I use Paint Tool Sai a lot too. Generally sketching and doing lineart in Sai, and coloring in Photoshop.
I used to use it a lot more back when "photoshopping" was becoming prevalent. I even have a DA gallery with some photo-manipulation based works. These days I just don't have the time or energy to really drill into it any more, and I've got new side projects I hunt after.
We were taught Photoshop for basic manipulation of images and such in journalism school, and I use it pretty much steadily at work for image stuff. I've also done some coloring of black-and-white images with it over the years.. nothing recently, though - I should get back into it someday.
Here's a photo of me hard at work at my easel. It really needs a pretty little tree in the corner...
(http://www.bcfurries.com/forum/Themes/default/images/OttRoss.jpg)
I've taught myself and taken courses with photoshop.
It is the best thing for photomanips. (hehe Boss Ross)
I personally, use SAI for my artwork these days and then for any effects use photoshop after, as SAI doesnt have them. But thats about it.
Maybe I should have a look at SAI if everyone likes it so much :)
Oh, for my animated GIFs I use Microsoft GIF Animator, nothing fancy. I'm sure I would have a much easier time if I switched to something more professional, but I'm just used to it.
I would second SAI, mostly because it's so much more lightweight than Photoshop CS3, and I feel like it's less clunky. I used to use a mix between the two, but then I moved over to using SAI almost exclusively. Maybe it's because I haven't spent a lot of time with Photoshop to master it's intricacies, bit I feel the vector system SAI uses for lineart is much cleaner and simple to use, and the short cuts work well with my tablets, better than with Photoshop. SAI is certainly worth it's 60 dollar price tag.
As a graphic designer I spend several hours a day in Photoshop. I've been working in Photoshop for over 15 years now, and started in Photoshop 3, and fluent all the way up to CS5. I actually teach Photoshop classes as part of the continuing studies programs at UFV in Abbotsford. I've given sessions on comics & photoshop at various conventions in the past.
Regardless, I'm CONSTANTLY refining and learning new things about Photoshop as the program is just so vast there is not one, but seven ways to do any little thing and there's always techniques and tricks that can be learned and applied to digital art.
While Photoshop is still one of the most powerful tools in my artistic arsenal, when it comes to digitally illustration, I never draw in it. Why? Because frankly compared to other options it sucks for drawing. I prefer MangaStudio or Sai over Photoshop to draw any day. However when it comes to special effects and certain coloring options (particularly those based around layer styles and effects), Photoshop can't be beat. It also tends to handle text better than most other art programs, if that's an issue. ( for me it is because I do comics).
If anyone has specific questions about Photoshop, I'm happy to answer them. I'm very well versed in the program, but if I think what you are trying to do could be accomplished better in another program, I'll tell you that too. While I'm a Photoshop Hero, I'm not an evangelist.
: ShadowsMyst August 05, 2011, 06:22:54 -06:00I've been working in Photoshop for over 15 years now, and started in Photoshop 3, and fluent all the way up to CS5.
*nods* I have been using it since version 4.0 (that is what the high school had) and I have used every version up until now and I am still learning new things about it. I am discovering it all on my own too! It is fun learning new things about it.