Photoshop Workbook The Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

The Photoshop Workbook reveals the creative skills that photographer and retoucher Glyn Dewis uses for his global clients. In this guide you will learn not only his step-by-step Photoshop techniques, but how and when to apply them so that you, too, can take your images to a whole new level.

Glyn starts by covering the individual Photoshop skills that are the essential building blocks of his process: mastering selections and cutouts; dodging and burning and using the “power of gray” for composites; applying lighting effects; creating special effects; and turning day into night using a nondestructive workflow.

It’s one thing to learn the techniques, but to master them you need to understand when to apply them and in what order. In the second part of the book, Glyn brings everything together with his real-world projects. He covers six complete, start-to-finish projects–including all the images for you to download and follow along–that show you how to apply the techniques to a variety of scenarios.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: TECHNIQUES

Ch 1: Selections/Cut Outs

- Blend If (Extracting Liquid and Other Tricky Elements)

- Mastering the Pen Tool

- Perfect Results with Refine Edge

- Cut Out with the Overlay Blend Mode

- Creative Uses of Brushes and Layer Masks

- Tricks with Layer Styles (Inner Shadow, etc.)

- Using Color Range

Ch 2: The Power of Grey

- Adding Textures

- How to Transform a Location

- Non Destructive Dodging and Burning

- Lens Flare

- Faking Detail

- Creating Dents and Making Abs

Ch 3: Lighting Effects

- Simple Light Source

- Neverending Lighting Rig

- Gradient to Mimic Street Lighting, etc.

- Light Beams / Sun Rays

- Realistic Shadows (From the Sun; Under Feet/Objects)

Ch 4: Blend Mode Techniques

- Compositing

- Match Color (in Composites)

- Adding Colored Highlights (Blend If)

- Light Glow / Reflection

Ch 5: Special Effects

- Thingies (i.e. Dust in Light Source for Realism)

- Rain

- Cartoon / Painterly Look

- Debris

- Wet Look

- Snow

PART II: PROJECTS

Ch 6: Character Portrait (Editor Style)

Ch 7: Composite on Grey (Tough Guy Style)

Ch 8: Full Composite (Giraffe)

Ch 9: Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe

Ch 10: Flowers