Monday, March 29, 2010

Photoshop Freelancer Tips To Making Money Online

There are several Ways on How You Can Make Money with Adobe Photoshop…
Are you a college student looking for a way to make some extra cash? Are you finding a great hobby after office hours where you will be able to make some extra money? Are you stuck for cash right now and looking for a way to earn money by working from home? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to become a Photoshop freelancer.
So, just what exactly is a Photoshop freelancer?Basically, a Photoshop freelancer is a person who uses Adobe Photoshop to make some extra cash. If you are already familiar with Adobe Photoshop, then you know that this is an image and photo editing software where you will be able to create new images and even edit photos to make it look like it was taken by a professional. There are also quite a lot of cool effects that you can add to photographs and images.
So, just how exactly can you make extra cash as a Photoshop freelancer?
You may not know it but there are quite a lot of Photoshop freelancers today that makes quite a significant amount of cash. In fact, when you search for them in the internet, you will even be able to find numerous websites that advertises their services.
If you want to become a Photoshop freelancer, then you first need to know the basics in Photoshop. You need to first learn how to use the different tools in the software in order for you to know how you will be able to turn amateur photographs to look something like it was taken by a professional.
You will see that these things are possible to do with Adobe Photoshop. It doesn’t really take very long to learn. Just try experimenting and read the tutorials. Once you get the hang of it, then you will now be ready to take on small photo editing jobs.
For example, if someone wants a photograph restored, then you can do so with Adobe photoshop. This is a simple process where all you need are the basic tools used in Adobe Photoshop. All you need is a scanner, a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed, and a high quality color printer as well as a lot of photo paper.
Another way to edit images is by removing red-eye. We all know that the red-eye phenomenon is something that can eventually ruin a perfect photograph. With Adobe Photoshop, you will be able to remove the red-eye.
Some people will also want to edit some of the photos they took. For example, there will be some people who want to remove other people from the photograph they took. This is also possible to do with Adobe Photoshop but it will require some time and also quite a bit more work. Other people will want to change the background of the photo. Again, this is also possible to do with Adobe Photoshop but it will also require more skills and you need to have plenty of time to do these kinds of jobs.
Almost everything is possible with Adobe Photoshop. In fact, professional photographers use this software for the so-called air brushing where they remove imperfections from the bodies or faces of their models.
By becoming a Photoshop freelancer, you will be able to make some extra cash out of it and really make amateur looking photos in to professional looking ones. By mastering Adobe Photoshop, you will see that there are quite a lot more ways on how you will be able to make money out of this software.
Just be creative and get this “Adobe Photoshop” FREE report and discover our totally unique step-by-step video training system, designed to make any newbie user completely competent in record time by visiting www.LearnPhotoshopNow.com

How To Apply Airbrush To Facial Images

This is one of the most used techniques for Digital Photographers. In fact you can alter your facial image so much by using this technique… It’s really quite amazing. When you see all the front page covers of all the glossy magazines this is the technique they use and it’s so simple to do. So let’s get started.
Firstly, you need to open the facial images you are going to use, and I must stress that this technique only works best for facial images.
You need to duplicate your layer and then put this into a group, and the shortcuts for these are Ctrl +J (Duplicate) and Ctrl + G (Group). Now it’s up to you what you call your group name, but in this example the group was called “Airbrush” and also give your duplicated layer a new name.
Next you need to “Select your Duplicated Layer” and “Select your Surface Blur Filter”. The reason we are using this filter is because it retains the edge details. See images below
photoshop
We are trying to get your facial image to look something like you see in the image below, but if it’s not, you need to redo your Surface Blur Filter and alter your settings.
photoshop
If you are happy with your settings just “Press OK”. Next you need to create a new layer, but you must move it above the last layer you just created. Now you need to select this layer and change the blend mode on it to “Hard Light”. You are going to use this layer to add a slight texture to the skin.
Next you need to make sure you have the new layer selected. Once it’s selected you need to Select > Edit > Fill. In this example the following settings were used. See image below.
photoshop
Next we need to add the noise filter, and to do this you need to Select > Filter > Noise Menu. Again in this example the following settings were used. See image below.
photoshop
After you have done that you need to Select > Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Again in this example the following settings were used. See image below.
photoshop
If you have done this you now need to temporarily tint the colour of this layer. The simplest way to do this is to Select > Eye Dropper Tool, and this can be found in your “Tool Box”. You now need to sample an area of the skin in your photo. Once you have done this you need to click on the flyout dialog box and select the HSB sliders, which are on the right hand side.
Now you need to open your “Hue/Saturation Tool” and to do this you need to Select Image > Adjustments >Hue/Saturation. Make sure you have a check in the “Colourize Option”. Then you can adjust the “Hue, Saturation and Lightness”, but you need to alter them the same as you did before, so make a note of them when you are using them to sample the skin. See image below
photoshop
Once you have done this you need to select the group you created before, and you’ll find this in the Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All. What happens now is that this layer will create a layer mask, which is filled with the black colour and it will hide the group.
Next you need to “Press D” on your keyboard and this will set the background to your default colours, which are black and white. Then select the “Brush Tool” and apply the settings below.
photoshop
When you are doing this it’s best if you zoom in to around 100% and then paint over the skin in your facial image. You will find that some of the skin tone on your facial image doesn’t look right, but don’t worry about this, as the reason it doesn’t look right is because you didn’t choose the correct colour when you applied the “Hue/Saturation” to tint in one of your layers.
You will have to change your brush size and the best way to go about doing this is with the shortcuts. Decrease brush size: [ , Increase brush size: ], Decrease brush softness by 25%: Shift + [ and Increase brush softness by 25%: Shift + ]. See image below.
photoshop
Once you have finished and you’re happy you’ll notice that your layer mask will have the skin areas in the white and the skin from your image should be smooth.
In your next step you are going to fix back the colour and the tone of the skin. To do this you need to select that layer and then select “Hue/Saturation”. Now we need to apply the natural skin tone. Hue needs to be set around 10, Saturation needs to be set around – 56 and lightness needs to be set around -8, but you will have to alter the settings to fit your image. What you are looking for here is a more natural skin tone.
Your last step is to restore the skin details. To do this you need to Select > Image > Apply Image. In this example the following settings were used. See image below.
photoshop
As you can see in the before and after images this airbrush technique gives you an amazing smooth skin tone finish!
photoshop

Learn Photoshop CS4 - How To Virtual Weight Loss

In this tutorial we are going to be looking at Virtual Weight Loss. We’ll be using a variety of tools in this Photoshop CS4 tutorial, but the main tool we’ll be using is the “Liquify Tool” and we’ll also be covering the “Healing Brush Tools”, “Patch Tool” and the “Clone Stamp Tool”.
photoshop
The first thing we’ll be covering is the “Liquify Tool”, so you’ll need to head to the top and Select > Filter > Liquify. You’ll now notice the “Liquify Dialog Box” and another box on the right handside. The first thing you need to select is “Forward Warp Tool” then go over to the right handside and select your “Brush Settings”.
The two things we’ll be focusing on, will be “Brush Size” and “Brush Pressure”. Now you need to zoom in on the backside of this image. See image below.
photoshop
Now we are going to bring in her sides. So very simply just hold your mouse button down then click and drag. Do the same on the left handside. See image below.
photoshop
I also mentioned the “Brush Pressure” option before, it works like this. The higher the setting the more of a sharper result you’ll get.
The settings that were used in this tutorial are: “Brush Pressure - 90”.
The next thing you need to do is work your way up and down her body and pull in the areas you think need pulling in. What we are looking for her is a base result, something to start working with.
After you have finished that you’ll need to shrink her bottom. To do this you’ll need to use the “Pucker Tool”, this can be found on the left handside. You’ll need a big brush for this. Now just click a few times on the middle of her bottom, which will make her bottom shrink, again use your “Forward Warp Tool” just to move her thighs in a little bit. See image below.
photoshop
Like I said this is just a base result. Make sure you save your results. Now zoom in on the back once again and we are going to take care of the roll, as you can see this adds a lot of bulk to her body.
For this you are going to need the “Patch Tool”. All you need to do now is make a selection around the area you are wanting to get rid of, to do this just click and drag your mouse around the roll. See image below.
photoshop
Now just click and drag to a smooth area you want to replace it with and then let go. You’ll notice it will sample the area you dragged on top of and replaced it with the selection, this effect makes it look really natural. See image below.
photoshop
Next we’ll be focusing on the “Clone Stamp Tool”. For this you’ll need to get the correct brush size. For this to work you need to “Hold Down Alt or Option” to sample an area. What we are looking for here is a smooth area, then click and brush, that’s it.
As you can see in the image below the roll has nearly gone. I’ve spent seconds doing this and as you can see it’s looking pretty good so far, make sure you spend more time altering the finer details.
photoshop Next we are going to go back into the “Liquify Tool” and make some very minor adjustments by bringing her body in. We are looking at the small changes here. These are the ones which make the biggest differences to your images.
Check the before and after images below for the finished result.
photoshop

Adobe Photoshop Video Tutorials Explore The Variety of Ways You Can Edit Your Photos Using Adobe Photoshop Software

The goal of a professional photographer is to do everything you can to make the conditions for taking pictures perfect. Ideally you would place your subject in perfect lighting and do everything you can in order to eliminate red eye or other things that can ruin the picture. This is where Photoshop comes in, and the more important Adobe Photoshop video tutorials.
With today’s technology, even amateur photographers can take an ordinary photograph and make it look extraordinary. How is this possible? With the power of Adobe Photoshop anyone can turn an ordinary photo into a professional looking one. As a matter of fact, most professional photographers turn to Adobe Photoshop to air brush out so called imperfections in the pictures they took with their SLR camera.
One of the very helpful things you can do with Photoshop is to remove items you’re your photos. For instance, you may have a plane flying overhead that you would like to eliminate for that perfect, clear blue sky appearance. You can also easily remove imperfections in your photos, such as scars, wrinkles and even pimples. And say goodbye forever to red-eye. These techniques are used by studio photographers who want to make their subjects look perfect.
In fact, the joy of Photoshop is that you can make your Aunt Edna look like Angelina Jolie (albeit with a bit of work on your part). Such is the magic of Adobe Photoshop. With this photo editing software, anything is possible, once you have viewed step by step adobe Photoshop video tutorials.
You also needn’t worry about not having the latest and greatest digital camera on the market. With an everyday 4 megapixel camera, you are able to studio quality photos with a few clicks of the mouse. You can even take a washed out photo and change it into something incredibly vibrant.
As I mentioned earlier, we have all had the red eye syndrome which can completely ruin a great photo, now these can be edited. No more worrying about red eyes on your subjects as Adobe Photoshop is able to remove them. The lighting tool enhances dark pictures. Simply adjust the brightness of the picture as well as the contrast and it will look like you took the photo in a perfect lighting environment. Back lighted pictures are no longer a problem with Adobe Photoshop.
One of the best things about this program is that it is relatively easy to use. Be warned that it may take some time to become familiar with the tools in Photoshop, but after you are comfortable with the program you will be able to edit pictures like a professional.
Hopefully by now you are aware that you don’t need a digital photo studio in order to make your dull pictures look a little bit better. Photoshop makes the pictures you take look as if it was taken by a professional. Even using an ordinary digital camera, you can be sure that you will be able to take great pictures with the help of Photoshop.
So, if you want to improve how the pictures you take look, then Adobe Photoshop will be able to give you the power to take pictures like a professional. In fact, there are so many possibilities that you can do with your pictures with Adobe Photoshop.
With ease you are able to change the background of the picture or even replace someone’s body with another person’s body.
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Working with Layers

Photoshop offers very powerful layer capabilities, which can cause confusion. It is also quite common to find many who fail to use layer functions that would help to speed their work.
The basic operation of a raster program depends on a selected layer. You do not have to build multiple layers, but you do need at least one layer. Pasting an item or creating text in Photoshop automatically creates a new layer. For any other operation, you will have to manually add a layer before drawing. If you do not add a layer, the object will be drawn on the currently selected layer and drawn objects will merge together automatically.

Create a new layer
There are several ways to create a new layer. Select Layer>New>Layer from the Main Menu or use SHIFT+CTRL (Command) + L. I find I most often use the Layers palette for layers operations. With the Layer tab active, click on the side arrow to activate the pop out menu. Click on New Layer. The New Layer window will appear. I advise that you type in a name for your layer, since working with even a few layers will become confusing. Choose a name that you will be able to identify, even if you return to the document months later. Click OK and your new layer will appear immediately above the layer that was selected when you created the new layer.
You can also duplicate a layer, which will copy the selected area and create a new layer to place the copy. Select the layer you wish to copy. Activate the side pop out menu and choose Duplicate Layer. Windows users can also right click on a layer and choose Duplicate Layer from the flyout menu. You will be presented with the Layers Option window, and can rename the copied layer from the Photoshop default, which is the name of the current layer with "copy" added.
When the copy is created, it is placed immediately on top of the original layer, which makes it seem as if nothing has happened. Use the Move tool to move the layer and you will see the new layer as well as the original layer.

Create a layer from a selection
You may wish to copy only a portion of a layer, or perhaps you would prefer that one area of a layer was on its own layer. You can copy or cut any selection to a new layer easily. Activate the layer (click on it) that contains the information you wish to duplicate or move to a new layer and select the area you would like to work with. Choose Layer>New>Layer via Copy or Layer via Cut from the main menu. For a quicker method, right click (Windows) or Command click (Mac) on the layer containing the selected area, and choose the Layer via Copy or Layer via Cut from the flyout menu. The selected area will be duplicated to a new layer if you chose to copy, or moved if you chose the cut option.
I often use the layer via copy or duplicate layer functions when creating navigation elements. Careful naming as you create repeating elements is essential for efficient production.

Rename a layer
If you do not name a layer as you create it, or if you are not presented with the choice to assign a name to a layer, you can easily rename any layer. Double click on the layer in the Layers palette and type a new name into the Name area of the Layer Options window. This window is also available through a right click (Command click) or the side flyout menu.


Change Layer Position
Solid areas in layers will hide the layers below in the stacking order. Quite often, you will find that you need to change the order of the layers. This is a very simple procedure in Photoshop. Simply click and drag the layer to the position you desire. As you are dragging, a clenched hand will appear. Release the mouse when the layer is
in the position you require.

Share layers between documents
You can also drag a layer from one Photoshop document to another. Have both documents open – the one containing the layer you wish to copy, and the document that will receive the layer. Click and drag the layer from the original document to the document where you would like to add the layer. The layer will appear in the new document exactly as it was in the original document, but it will also remain in the original location.

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Linking and Merging Layers


Linking Layers
Suppose you have followed my advice, and have created layers for each step your drawing. Now you have an object with a fill, an outline and text. You would like to move this object over a few pixels. The only smart move is to merge the layers so that all will move as one unit.

That is one solution, but it is not the only one, nor is is probably the best one. You can link layers so that they are seen as one unit, but you can still separate them whenever you wish to make a change.

To link, simply select the main layer (any layer will do, but it is easier all around if you use a layer that makes sense as the "main" one in the link group.) Click on the second column from the left (as shown by the finger pointing cursor in this sample) to create a link. The chain symbol appears to indicate that this layer is linked to the active layer, and will appear any time the main layer in the link group is active. Repeat for any layer you would like to have as part of this group.
To unlink any layer, simply click in the link area on the Layers palette again.
Linked layers can be moved and transformed as if they were one layer.
You can fill selected areas on each layer independently, and even delete one layer in a link group. (Note: If you change your mind, and use the undo feature, the link will not be restored and you will have to link the layers again.)
What's a merge?
Merging layers creates one layer from two or more layers. Once layers are merged, they cannot be separated into the original layers, so be careful with this command. If you are certain you will not need the layers separate again, position the layer you wish to merge above the layer you wish to combine it with in the Layers palette. Click on the flyout menu and choose Merge Down. The layers will be combined with the name of the lower layer remaining.
If you have linked layers that you do not require to be separate, choose Merge Linked Layers from the flyout menu.
You can also merge all your layers together by choosing Flatten Image from the flyout menu.
Please make sure that you will not require the layers separate before merging. I will often link layers for a while before I make the decision to merge. This allows a trial period before committing to the merge. Why bother with merging at all if separate layers are so much better? It is not hard to build an image with 20-50, or more layers. Scrolling through the list or CTRL clicking an object to select a layer can become time consuming on a complicated image. If you are certain that several layers may be safely merged, it is best to simplify your work.

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Powerful Layering Tools

So ... now I have you adjusting the values almost every time you apply an effect. How on earth can you keep consistency across your image? That's easy! Photoshop offers the option to copy your effects from layer to layer.
When you have added effects to a layer, a symbol appears on your layer as shown at the left, highlighted with a yellow circle. Double clicking on this symbol opens the Effects window. Right clicking (Command click) will bring a valuable new menu to your fingertips. We will use this menu to provide consistency and speed to your work. Note: You can reach the same menu by choosing Layer>Effects in the main menu.
When you have the effects on one layer perfected, you can copy the effects to move to another layer. Simply open the effects editing drop-down as explained above, and choose Copy Effects. Activate the layer you would like to have the same effects applied to, open the drop-down menu and choose Paste effects. Yup, that's it. As long as you do not copy effects again, that setting will stay on the clipboard waiting for you to apply it to layer after layer. You can also paste the effect into a layer in a separate document.
Now for real power, what if you could apply an effect across linked layers? You can! Create your linked layers as described a few days ago in linking and merging. Activate the layer that others are linked to, open the effects drop-down menu and choose Paste Effects to Linked. That's it - you could apply an effect to 25 layers (or many more) at once as long as they were linked.
In the sample of the rectangles at the left, I decided to reduce the size of all the boxes. Linking them let me reduce the rectangles across the layers in one step. With the reduced size, the shadow was blurred too much. I corrected one of the layers, then copied and pasted the effects to the linked layers. Very powerful tools.


Time for some fun?
Let's take the layer effects' power and have some fun with it. You can separate the layer effect from the layer and manipulate it with all the power that Photoshop offers. The image below started as a ball with a layer effect shadow. I separated the effects to a separate layer, and using the transform commands, manipulated the shadow to make the ball appear to be floating well above the surface.

The first step here was to create the ball and then apply a shadow effect. I used the darkest Web-safe gray as the shadow color, a distance of 150 and blur value of 30. Not very realistic though.
Right click (Command click) on the effects symbol to activate the drop-down menu, and a powerful option is presented. Choose Create Layer, and the layer effect will be moved to a separate layer, as shown below.
You can now manipulate the shadow in the same way as any other layer. In fact, you can apply an effect to the effect if that will achieve the results you seek. Add texture, noise, scale, rotate, skew ... whatever you wish, since it is a normal layer. It is wise to link the shadow layer to the object once you have achieve the right look.
This is how you can achieve perspective shadows on objects, making them appear to be standing up, or floating in the air. Experiment with the transform tools on a shadow layer and see what you can produce. You may have to play a while, but always keep light in mind. Where would the light be coming from, and what effect would that have? Place objects near a light source and observe the effects of the shadows.
We have the tool to create any three dimensional effect with effects layers, and you owe it to yourself to learn how to bring the dimension into your work.
Work with layers until you can accomplish all basic functions without thinking. Without understanding layers perfectly, you will not ever be able to master the power of Photoshop, and will find it difficult to create professional, highly editable images.
Finally, always, and I mean always, always, always – as in don't EVER forget – save a Photoshop format (PSD) copy of your files with layers intact. Even if you never work on that image again, you can use elements of it by dragging layers or copying effects.

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Web Pages with Photoshop

Photoshop is a wonderful tool for creating web sites. It allows even a novice the ability to create a fully functional web site without much knowledge of HTML or JavaScript. You can create an entire web page template with Photoshop, and then use Image Ready to slice up the image and create the HTML for you. Or you can use Photoshop to create just the navigation for your web site, or to optimize images on your web site. No matter how you use Photoshop, it will definitely make your web site look much nicer, and also help it to run faster.
Photoshop can help you to create an entire web site without coding much HTML by hand. You can draw a complete web site in Photoshop, and then transfer your image into Image Ready so that you can slice up the image into smaller elements, and then save the images and the corresponding HTML to render the page very easily. Then all you have to do is use you’re newly created web site and entire content into the blank spaces that you have left in the template. After you have added the content to your pages, you will be ready to post your new web site to the web.
When I am creating web sites I use Photoshop to create the navigation for the web site and also to optimize all of the images, so that my web site will load faster. I usually create buttons for the navigation, and then create rollover effects from within Image Ready. This saves me quite a bit of time, because all of the JavaScript for the mouse over effects are done for me, which allows me to work on the more advanced coding of the pages. Even if you want to create all of the navigation and layout of your web site without Photoshop, then you should at least use Photoshop to optimize your images so that you web site loads within a reasonable amount of time.
Photoshop can give you 3 different optimized views of a particular image, and tell you how fast it will load on a particular connection speed. Then you can choose which optimized image you would like to use based on the ratio between how good the picture looks and how fast it loads. Without optimizing your images your web site will perform very slowly and visitors will be less likely to wait. You can create a web site on your own by hand coding the entire site, but using Photoshop will make creating your web site much easier and more appealing.

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Enhancing Your Photos

Have you ever wondered why the Hollywood stars always look so perfect in the magazine photographs? Why is it they consistently look so good? Their hair, teeth and skin always seem to be perfect and so beautiful. Is this the magic of stardom or Hollywood? No, this isn’t magic. It’s just Photoshop.
Photoshop is the same photo editing software program being used by professionals in the entertainment industry to make movie stars look younger, slimmer and better. They have been doing it for years and now you can achieve the same results with a little training and practice using Photoshop for some of these same photo enhancements.
You can learn to make amazing enhancements to any photograph using the tools and functions available in Photoshop. The following are just a few of the improvements you can make to people pictures.
  • Whiten stained teeth
  • Remove unsightly scars
  • Smooth age wrinkles
  • Clear up acne
  • Remove blemishes
  • Double chin removal
  • Fill in bald spots by adding hair
  • Open closed eyes
  • Remove tattoos
  • Hide body piercings
  • Change eye color
With Photoshop you can easily make yourself or anyone look better. You can even change the colors of the clothing people are wearing. You will be amazed by the results you can achieve with Photoshop. You will not only be able to improve the appearance of people but you will be able to completely remove people from the photograph, add people from other photos or change the background.
Master these Photoshop techniques and you will be in demand for photo editing and graphic design projects. People with these types of skills are in needed for photo retouching, web design work, logo design, advertising, and more. Not only can you have fun touching up your own photos but you could start a business doing photo enhancements.

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How To Make Speech Bubbles

Here is a great speech bubble tutorial found on PSTUT.com written by Edvard Erlandsson


Creating a speech bubble shaped pathIn this step we will create a path with the shape of a speech bubble, we will use the Ellipse tool and the Pen tool.Start out by selecting the Ellipse tool in the tools menu. Now the options bar for the Ellipse tool should be visible above your work area.The important settings here is to select paths mode, you can see my settings below.



Now you should draw an Ellipse that looks something like the one I have drawn bellow.Adjust the size of the Ellipse to match the content you want to have inside the speech bubble.



Now it's time to add the part of the speech bubble that indicates the origin of the speech.For this task we will use the Pen tool, select the Pen tool in the tools menu and in the options bar set the mode to paths mode and set it to Add to path areaBelow are my settings for your comfort.


Draw a triangle like I have done in the image below and make sure to connect the third dot with the first by clicking in it.

Time to style our speech bubbleNow we need to fill the path with a white or whitish color.First create a new layer, then go to the tools menu and select the Path selection tool.Click the ellipse path, hold down shift while clicking in the triangle path, now you have selected both paths. Right click anywhere in the work are and select Fill path in the menu.The Fill path dialog in the image below will appear, in the drop down select color and the Color picker will appear, select the color you want.

Now we can start applying layer effects to style the speech bubble.Right click the layer you just created and select Blending options, now apply all the settings that I have used in the images bellow.




Were finished with the speech bubble tutorialBelow is my final result, remember since we have used paths you can resize the path without getting jagged speech bubbles.


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