Get all your Photoshop upgrade options and the best prices at the Adobe Store.
Get Flash, Dreamweaver, Photoshop Extended with Adobe CS3 Web Premium.
The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.
TUESDAY - JANUARY 31 2006
Interview With Avi Muchnick On His Latest Worth1000 Photoshop Book - "I've Got A Human In My Throat"
Worth1000.com is a hugely popular Photoshop site that sponsors Photoshop art contests that feature spoofs and bizarre images. It has been featured in USAToday, on CNN, Good Morning America and even made the cover of the New York Post. If you've never been there just be sure to take some time to explore it thoroughly, because there are some absolutely amazing displays of individual Photoshop skills scattered throughout the various contests.
A few days ago a new Worth1000 book was released — "I've Got a Human in my Throat: Create MORE Optical Delusions with Adobe Photoshop" — and we sent site owner Avi Muchnick some questions about it. Here's what he had to say:
How has the site been growing? What's the traffic like these days?
The site receives about 125,000 *unique* visitors per day (about 200,000 non-unique), 600,000 content page views, and has 250,000 registered members (our 250,000th registrant registered a few moments before midnight on December 31st, 2005, ironically enough). The site's membership doubled in 2005.
Can a beginner also benefit from your latest book, or is it more geared toward the intermediate?
It's geared to the beginner-intermediate level. The book begins with a nice outline of Photoshop's tools and abilities so it should be really beneficial to even people just beginning.
Does the CD include images for all the 80 tutorials in the book? And are there any other goodies included?
Yes, it does. You'll have access to all the images in high resolution tiff files. No other goodies on the CD, other than a super-fun legal agreement regarding using those images that you can print out and wall-paper your room with.
How did the first book do? Was it a hit?
The first book did pretty well (When Pancakes Go Bad: Optical Delusions with Adobe Photoshop). It was a hit and miss, I think. Financially, it was definitely a hit and our publisher was very happy. Critically, I think that it tried too hard to be two different books at once: a gallery book and tutorial book.
The problem was that it didn't offer enough images to people purchasing it as a gallery book and didn't offer enough tutorials to people purchasing it as a tutorial book. So, we aimed to change that with this book by splitting it off into two separate book lines... a tutorial's only book (this one) and a coffee-table book (in pre-production).
How is this book different and what are you favorite new tutorials in this book?
Well, as I mentioned this book is only tutorials and the tutorials are much quicker and to the point: 80+ tutorials on different effects, all very quick and easy to follow. Additionally, it does come with a companion CD that houses all of the files used in the book, so it's really helpful for learning how to recreate effects.
I love the tutorials on how to put your face into a coin, how to create some particle/texture effects, like making a chocolate frog and turning apples into wood or strawberries into a rusty metal.
The book's byline is "TheWorth1000.com Artists" - and so how many artists were involved in this edition?
Well, actually that's an embarrassing first edition typo. It's been corrected for the second edition and should be "The Worth1000.com Artists" (so the first will be a collector's item, quick go grab it!)
Having that as a byline was a condition to our doing this book. I really wasn't so comfortable with my name being on the byline of the first book, as it was a group effort, but the publisher felt that a book needed a human name attached to it to give it some credibility. They were a lot more flexible with this one as we had the first one under our belt now. About 35-40 people worked hard on this project, including photographers, artists and editors.
Boing Boing links to Worth1000.com quite a lot these days and you guys have come up with some really amazing and crazy stuff.
Yeah, Cory's been pretty kind to us. It's always nice to see when a contest catches his eye. Definitely a compliment to the artists here that he feels their content is worthy enough to link from one of the most popular blogs online.
Since you've seen it all - it would be interesting to know which contests over the past few months have impressed you the most.
As far as my personal recent favorites, this contest makes my mouth water, and I always love feeling nostalgic.
Thanks Avi, and continued success with Worth1000.com.
Worth1000.com
I've Got a Human in my Throat: Create MORE Optical Delusions with Adobe Photoshop
When Pancakes Go Bad: Optical Delusions with Adobe Photoshop
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
"The Photoshop Guys" Release Photoshop TV Episode 15
In Photoshop TV Episode 15 Dave is away on the road but appears magically by beaming himself in, and offers an interesting tip that shows how to use the Lens Flare Filter with more flexibility.
Matt has a tip on simulating a depth-of-field effect using a filter (which includes some good selection techniques), and a second tip that explains how to change the background color of your Photoshop window.
Scott has a productivity tip that will help you save time inside of Photoshop. It involves scrubby sliders and how to find them even when it looks like they're not available. Scott also has an extract tip that shows you how to use a brush to expertly select the edges of an object for you.
This week's prize offering includes an Adobe bag, an Adobe baseball cap, an Illustrator tip book, a Dell MP3 player, and a full conference pass to the upcoming Photoshop World in Miami (March 22-24).
The show also includes the latest Photoshop and NAPP news, some Photoshop trivia, and a contest (prize detailed above) which you can enter by E-mail.
You can watch Photoshop TV online at the Photoshop TV website, or you can subscribe by going to Apple's iTunes Music Store and searching for "Photoshop TV" in the podcast directory search, or go directly (link opens iTunes app).
For a list of other Photoshop podcasts, see our Podcast Directory
posted by Jennifer Apple | permalink | send comments
Photoshop CS4 & Photoshop CS4 Extended - Best Deals From Adobe
Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended feature a newly refined, tab-based interface in a single, integrated window, with self-adjusting panels arranged in docked groups. Automatically keeping tools well organized and away from your work area means you get greater efficiency, less clutter, and better results, faster than before.
Delivering all the features of Adobe Photoshop CS4 software, including the new Adjustments and Masks panels, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended also provides breakthrough 3D editing and compositing power to paint directly on 3D models, create 3D animations, convert 2D images to 3D objects, and more; richer motion graphics editing; and more powerful and flexible image analysis and tracking. Learn more on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page. To download the free trial, see details on our Photoshop CS4 Free Trial Download Page.
Find upgrade options and package deals at the Adobe USA Store. Teachers and students get special pricing at the Adobe Education Store. You can also buy in your country currency and language at the following Adobe International Stores:
Adobe United Kingdom | Adobe Germany | Adobe France | Adobe Eastern Europe
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium - Complete CS4 Bundle
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium software is the designer's dream toolkit for print, web, and mobile publishing. Creativity is rarely confined to one medium, so put your vector illustrations in motion, moving fluidly between Adobe Illustrator CS4 and Adobe Flash CS4 Professional. And use Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended to design and slice a web page for publishing with Adobe Dreamweaver CS4.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium combines essential tools for producing everything from professional page layouts to rich interactive experiences in a unified, intuitive environment. Also includes Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro, Adobe InDesign CS4, plus Adobe Fireworks CS4.
Buy now or download the free trial at the Adobe USA Store, or buy in your country currency and language at the following Adobe International Stores:
Adobe United Kingdom | Adobe Germany | Adobe France | Adobe Eastern Europe
Exclusive onOne Software 10% Instant Discount Coupon
Enter our exclusive discount coupon code - PSSPPT06 - during the checkout process at onOne Software for an instant 10% discount on any onOne product. This includes Genuine Fractals and their amazing Photoshop Plug-In Suite.
onOne Software's Plug-In Suite combines full versions of six essential software tools — Genuine Fractals Print Pro, PhotoTools Pro, PhotoFrame Pro, Mask Pro, PhotoTune and FocalPoint — an affordable combination that includes everything a photographer needs to make their images look their best.
Why do you need plugins? Photoshop is an amazing image editing application that has forever changed graphic design and digital photographic editing, but like any tool, if you don't have time to fully learn it, you can't get the most out of it.
Plugins for Photoshop allow you to either do something that you cannot do with the features included in Photoshop or they allow you to do something easier, faster or better than you could do in Photoshop without the plug-in. Whether it is color correction, resizing, masking or creating an effect, you can find a Photoshop plug-in that can help you be more efficient with your time.
Did You Know You Could Create An Entire Website In Photoshop?
SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - Create Websites Instantly
There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.
Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.
Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, this program turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, this program is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks.
Generate Your Web Pages Directly From Photoshop
By generating web pages directly from Photoshop, you'll be able to spend much more time on the creative end of the spectrum, since you'll know right off the bat how well particular designs will translate to the web. No more going back to the Photoshop drawing board after getting a phone call from your development team, telling you that what you had envisioned doesn't have a chance of being displayed on the web. You can immediately visually and interactively test your designs, which permits you to then make changes to either esthetics or functions while it's still relatively early on in the design process.
Pricing and Availability
Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download. SiteGrinder can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store
Adobe has announced the immediate availability of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 software, the photographer's essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localized image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Photoshop Lightroom 2 is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. Visit the Adobe site to download a free 30 day Photoshop Lightroom trial free download.
As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel processors and Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images. Find the latest Lightroom 2 tutorials on our Photoshop Lightroom 2 Tutorials page.
Photoshop CS4 Book - Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews
Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS4 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS4. If you are an aspiring professional or a student learning photography, digital imaging, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.
The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.
Read 2 free sample chapters:
Skin Retouching Tips In Photoshop CS4
Transforming Smart Objects In Photoshop CS4
Find more Photoshop CS4 tutorials on our Photoshop CS4 Tutorials Page.
Find More Adobe Photoshop Books at Amazon.com
Find all the latest bestselling Photoshop books at discount prices at Amazon.com.
Photoshop CS3 Book - CS3 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews
Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS3 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS3. If you are an aspiring professional, enthusiastic amateur photographer, or a student learning photography, digital imaging, art and design, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.
The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.
Read 2 free sample chapters:
Adjusting Exposure in Adobe Camera Raw CS3
Photoshop CS3 Tutorial High Dynamic Range
Special book offer - save 24%
Photoshop CS3: Essential Skills (Amazon.com - $28.08 - save 24%)
Exclusive 20% Discount On Select Total Training Products & Bundles
To redeem our exclusive discount coupon, use promotion code save20pss in your shopping cart. You could save hundreds of dollars. Use this special link to see the full offer.
Total Training for Adobe Photoshop
Learn Adobe Photoshop with 21 hours of interactive Adobe Photoshop tutorials. This is training for real-world situations and includes additional tips and techniques used by the pros.
View Sample Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash Pro Video Tutorials
Free Adobe Photoshop CS3 video tutorials
Free Adobe Photoshop CS2 video tutorials
Free Adobe Dreamweaver video tutorials
Free Adobe Flash Pro video tutorials
