Monday and Friday posts

Well since I couldn’t get WordPress to work Friday I’ll post today what I did Friday.
Friday I worked on lynda.com Deke’s Techniques.

Rendering type in gold.
Watching this video learned how to apply a cool gold effect to type. (before & after)

Creating a hammered metal background.
I learned watching this video how to make a cool metal looking background in Photoshop.
(before & after)

Now for today’s agenda, well today did some more lynda.com Deke’s Techniques, and yup that’s just about all I did today.

Creating heavy metal type.
This video showed me how to create a metal like effect to apply to type. (before & after)

Creating a molten letter effect.
This videos topic was about how to create a molten type effect on Photoshop. (before & after)

Setting type on fire.
This video taught me how to create a cool fire effect to type. (before & after)

Thursday

Well today I’m working on a different  computer Photoshop and Dreamweaver wouldn’t work on the other computer. So here I am working on lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers on a foreign computer.

Chapter 5 – Working with Vector Masks.

Working with paths and clipping paths.
This video talked about how it’s better to not change a path into a clipping path when you want to add a image from Photoshop to Indesign.

Well that was the last video in Shape Layers, now I will be doing some lynda.com Deke’s Techniques.

Creating ice type.
I learned with this video how to create a cool iced effect on Photoshop using filters and effects.

Branding type on a texture.
With this video I learned how to brand type into a texture using filters, effects and other useful things in Photoshop.

Creating an image-branding machine.
This video was pretty helpful in that it help me create a system for branding type onto other textures.

Capturing effects with layer comps.
This video showed me how to create some layer comps which helps in cycling through layers in Photoshop.

Here are some of the effects I created watching the videos.

Tuesday

Today I worked on lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers.

Chapter 5 – Working with Vector Masks.

Converting to a selection, vector mask, or layer mask.
This video talked about how to differences of a selection, vector mask, and a layer mask. and it talks about how to change to a selection, vector mask, and layer mask. (before & after)

Linking and unlinking vector masks.
Watching this video I learned how to link and unlink a vector mask, and ways to adjust the vector mask and create a vector mask effect. (before & after)

Using shape layers to create a photo grid.
With this video I learned that you can use shape layers for create cool photo grids. (before & after)

Feathering a vector mask edge.
This video showed me how to apply around a vector mask a feather effect. (before & after)

Adjusting vector mask density.
This video talks about adjusting the vector mask density to better apply the vector mask.
(before & after)

Combining vector masks with layer masks.
With this video I learned how to combine and apply a vector and layer mask to the same layer,
(before & after, before & after)

Monday

Well the weekends over and the the week is in. Today I wrote a letter to Mrs. Frascht which I had to do by Friday so it’s nice to have that out of the way, Also I did watched some lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape layers.

Chapter 5 – Working with Custom Shapes. 

What is a vector mask.?
This video talks about how to create, adjust, disable, and delete a vector mask. (before & after)

Friday

Well it’s finally friday so this will be the last post for the week.
Today I did and pasted the Adobe Photoshop Brainbench test, also I did some lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers tutorials.

Chapter 4 – Working with Custom Shapes

Creating seamless patterns from shape layers.
Watching this video I learned how to create a repeating pattern using shape layers to do so.
(before & after)

Saving and loading shapes with the Preset Manager
This video talks about how to access the Preset Manager in Photoshop and how to load shapes and organize shapes into groups. (before & after)

Thursday

Today I did more lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers.

Chapter 4 – Working with Custom Shapes

Creating your own custom shape.
With this video I learned how to create a custom shape out of scratch. (before & after)

Creating a custom shape from an Illustrator symbol.
This video talks about how to get symbols from Illustrator and use them on Photoshop. (after)

Creating a custom shape from an Illustrator Live Trace object.
Watching this video I learned how to create a new custom shape using the Illustrators Live Trace option.
(before & after)

Wednesday

Since it’s Wednesday I had another day at career center where I finally finished my portfolio.
Also I worked on lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers.

Chapter 3 – Designing with Shape Layers.

Using shape layers to apply custom gradients to type.
With this video I learned how to better apply gradients to type that has been converted to a shape layer.
(before & after)

Chapter 4 – Working with Custom Shapes.

Finding and loading custom shapes.
This video talks about how to find and download custom shapes for Photoshop and how to use them.
(before & after)

 

Tuesday

Today I did worked on lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers.

Chapter 3 – Designing with Shape Layers.

Combining shape layers with layer effects, blending modes, and Smart Objects.
This video talked about ways to use layer effect, blending modes, and Smart Objects with shape layers to create cool designs. (before & after)

Creating shape layer from type.
I learned from this video how to change type into a shape layer and how to distort it using free transform.
(before & after)

Creating web buttons using shape layers.
In this video the topic was about how using shape layers is helpful in creating web site designs and how if you have multiple of the same shape layer converted into a smart object how if you change one the rest will change as well. (before & after)

Using shape layers to mask multiple layers.
This video talks about how using shape layers to mask various layers will create some pretty cool designs.
(after)

Adding shape layers to a photo illustration.
In this video I learned how to combine shape layers with photos and how to get shapes from illustrator.
(before & after)

Monday

Well the weekend’s over back to work which means I will be doing lynda.com Photoshop for Designers: Shape Layers.

Chapter 3 – Designing with Shape Layers.

Creating a logo with shape layers.
This video showed me how to create a bagel shape using the shape tool and how to add some layer effects and filters. (before & after)

Applying blend modes to shape layers.
I learned watching this video how to blend shapes together to create a cool design. (before & after)

Applying layer effects and styles to shape layers.
With this video I got more attuned to applying blends, effects, and filters to shape layers.
(before & after)

Adding strokes to shape layers.
This video talked about how to add strokes or dashed strokes to shape layers and pen paths.
(before & after)

Applying Smart Filters to shape layers.
This video showed me that if I convert my shape layers into a smart filter I can add filters and still be able to change the shape if the need arises. (before & after)