Photoshop

SilentSoul92 · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject:

Ok, I'm getting my friend a Photoshop program for her birthday. So I need some recommedation from anyone out there who uses one. So far I plan on buying her Photoshop 8.0, but I remember someone telling me that it has so many features and most of them you might never use. So anyways, she's never used Photoshop before, but she's a quick study and she's read some tutorials when she was bored. Any suggestions?

Brianhjh · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:57 pm Post subject:

if you plan to draw in photoshop, and not manipulate photos the program makers originally intended, photoshop elements, with about 1/7th of the price of the original photoshop is the way to go. the original photoshop comes with clunky and exotic filters that you might never use. Cool

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Rindi_chan · Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:03 pm Post subject:

Photoshop Elements is indeed very cheap and good for beginners. I was happy to eventually switch over to Photoshop, but I used Elements for about a year and loved it greatly. In the end, I think I could still be making do with Elements. I just switched because I was given the chance to upgrade.

River_Phoenix · Very bored Joined: 26 Jul 2005 Posts: 135

photoshop CS is great Very Happy

don't know what the CS stands for but it's very similar to Photoshop 7.0 ^ ^ . it has lotsa features and i think its simpler than 7.0

fallenangel · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 11:09 am Post subject:

[quote]the original photoshop comes with clunky and exotic filters that you might never use.[/quote]

[i]Should[/i] never use, you mean. Wink

Photoshop-newbie mistake number one right there. Damn filters...

Elements II has everything you'd need for drawing/coloring with it. The filters, any additional brushes, and easier features for large scale print doesn't add anything except price. You can add brushes yourself easy enough.
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SilentSoul92 · Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:

Hm, thanks for the suggestions. I asked Arlia (I'm getting it for her) and she said she isn't going for photo manips, but coloring and shading. Like the coloring you see on the cover of manga books.

Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

Well, from what I've heard, Paintshop Pro is more for colouring and shading effects, while Photoshop is more about photo manips (hence the name).

I'm familiar only with PSP, though, so I can't help much. ^^;
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SilentSoul92 · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:34 pm Post subject:

Hm, that's all right. Well I went browsing today and one of the people who worked there recommened Adobe Photoshop for coloring and toning. Can't you use toning with many of the other Photoshp programs too?

Brianhjh · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:39 pm Post subject:

Paintshop pro is Corel's (Canadian competitor to Adobe) Painter substitute, since Painter is the original coloring and shading program for computer, it is a bit more coloring/painting oriented than photoshop element is B)

PS. What OTHER photoshop program?
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Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

Well, if you ask me, most digital art programs can colour/tone things easily, but that's really all depending on the user. Neutral

Basically, PSP has lots of different effects for drawing/"painting"/that type of thing, while PS has more layer options.

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Brianhjh · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:45 pm Post subject:

or you can go with open Canvas, but it's not much of a present cause it's a freeware :/

but this thing's really really cool, you can almost achieve a Painter-Quality picture here, and its "mutiplayer" capability allows upto 4 people to use the program can collaborate a single picture at the same time. Surprised

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Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

Really? You should teach me. I have it, but I actually have no idea how to use it. Neutral

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Rindi_chan · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:09 pm Post subject:

[quote="SilentSoul92 (Rita)"] Hm, that's all right. Well I went browsing today and one of the people who worked there recommened Adobe Photoshop for coloring and toning. Can't you use toning with many of the other Photoshp programs too? [/quote]
*thinks hard* Man, I can't remember if Elements had the Dodge/Burn tool. That's one of the tools that a lot of people like to use for shading, and I know I never used it with Elements (I used black and layers - heh, so ghetto). Either it didn't exist, or I just didn't know what it was at the time.

Maybe it didn't come with it! Surprised

Sorry I can't remember...

Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

Dodge/Burn = unadulterated love.

If you pick up a program, it [i]must[/i] have those two tools/effects! Surprised

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fallenangel · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:25 pm Post subject:

If it didn't have the dodge/burn tool, that would be a blessing for all the people who use it for art. Dodge/Burn is not for shading and highlights. It's another photo manip tool that's been used and abused by new users of the program because it's easy. But it's also horrible color theory and looks awful. All it does is give you over saturated versions of the base color, making everything look like burnt plastic.

It'd be great if the tool didn't exist, forcing people to pick their own colors and shade properly. Then again, I suppose they'd just pick darker colors of the mid tone anyway. . . . .

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Rindi_chan · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:48 pm Post subject:

So true. Dodge/Burn fails so much on skin... I just thought I'd mention it because it's what a lot of beginners use for their shading. At least it helps them figure out how to add shadows and highlights in the first place.

Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

Actually, I like like it a lot 'cause it's simple. It really depends on which colours you use it for. Like I'd never use the burn tool for a light colour because all it really does is puts in shades of grey (that I've noticed, to my dismay, o.o; ), which makes it turn out rather ugly, but if I use it a little bit on a colour that's already dark, it's not nearly as noticeable.

As for the dodge tool, I prefer messing with the colour settings first, so I don't usually need it. It's useful if I wanted to put a "shine" on the edge of metallic objects, like a gun, though. o.o;

ETA: And never use it on skin tones. Rather than using the dodge/burn on skin, it's much better to choose a different colour. Y'know, mix 'em up. Like dark "yellowy" skin can be mixed with various shades of brown to get a nice shadow. Mmyeah. I'm outta here before I'm in too deep. XD
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Brianhjh · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 5:22 pm Post subject:

[quote="fallenangel (fallen)"] But it's also horrible color theory and looks awful. All it does is give you over saturated versions of the base color, making everything look like burnt plastic.

It'd be great if the tool didn't exist, forcing people to pick their own colors and shade properly. Then again, I suppose they'd just pick darker colors of the mid tone anyway. . . . .

[/quote]
That's why I intend never to draw anything in photoshop.

shading skins by choosing different hues and saturation in such programs in painter looks so much better for the skin. Cool

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Rindi_chan · Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2005 5:33 pm Post subject:

Photoshop has its own very nice mixing pallette (Elements doesn't though). I don't use it much because I'm the laziest CG artist ever, but it's fun to play with on occasion.

Fayore · Moderator Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 6195

[quote="Rindi_chan (Rindi)"] Photoshop has its own very nice mixing pallette
[/quote]
o.o; What's that? I haven't heard that term before, but maybe 'cause I don't use Photoshop? I dunno. o.o
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