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Photoshop Top 40, Feature #31: The Brush Tool

Submitted by deke on 15 September 2009 - 12:15am.
Feature #31: The Brush Tool

If you know anything about Photoshop's brush tool, you know it paints smooth lines in the foreground color. You can control its behavior to the nth degree from the options bar and Brushes palette. And it responds to pressure-sensitive input.

Those attributes alone would earn it a place in the coveted Photoshop Top 40. The fact that it also excels as a masking tool merely cements the deal. Read more » 

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Photoshop Top 40, Feature #32: The Pen Tool

Submitted by deke on 8 September 2009 - 12:13am.
Feature #32: The Pen Tool

If you're anything like me, you just finished celebrating Labor Day by not laboring in the least. Happily, the same cannot be said of Photoshop Top 40. Tuesday after Tuesday, this proud and relentless podcast marches on.

Fittingly, today marks Feature #32, The Pen Tool, one of the most powerful but labor-intensive tools in all of Photoshop. Newbies select images with the likes of the quick select and magic wand tools. Both are highly automated, but they rarely work. Experts use the pen tool. It takes some work to master, but it always works in return. In other words, learn to use the pen tool and you'll be prepared for any masking job. Read more » 

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High-Res, Downloadable Masking Video and Layered PSD File

Submitted by deke on 29 July 2009 - 12:09am.

Three weeks ago today, I posted a free half-hour video to my buddy Scott Kelby's blog. Titled "The Essential Approach to Masking," the above video documents the way you approach a typical masking project in Photoshop, from real-world beginning to bitter-sweet end. To quote one of Scott's fans: "It’s like Mercedes would offer their clients a test-drive in the new BMW." Except that I drive a beat-up Jeep. Go figure.

Today, I make available to members of dekeOnline two special files: The full-resolution downloadable video and a layered Photoshop file. Read more » 

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The Essential Approach to Masking

Submitted by deke on 8 July 2009 - 12:08am.

Today, I take a brief respite from the many masking videos previously offered on this site (okay, it's been a while, but there have been a lot of them) to offer--wait for it--yet another masking video!

Only with two exceptions: This video is not on my site. Rather, it's my contribution to the one, the only Scott Kelby's "Guest Blog Wednesday." And it goes by the name, "The Essential Approach to Masking," with portrait by Jacob Cunningham.

Read more » 

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Channels & Masks Lesson 10: Using Calculations in Photoshop

Submitted by colleen on 24 April 2009 - 1:18pm.

It's Friday, but seriously, deeple, get your entertainment and education at the same time as you enjoy this video which I pilfered for your enjoyment from the companion DVD of Deke's Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One book.

In this lesson, Deke introduces you to the Calculations command which can be a little tricky, but oh-so-very useful and important to understand. As Deke notes:

Now I won’t sugarcoat it, Calculations is not easy—in fact, it might be Photoshop’s single most difficult feature to master. But it is the command that’s going to increase the quality of your masks.

When you're done, you can return to your less edifying Friday festivities. Happy Weekending, Deeps. Read more » 

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