Hey there, everyone. I know a few (thousand) of you have lost complete and utter faith in me for my lack of regular blogging habits as of late. But it’s only because I’ve had my nose to the grindstone on the projects that provide me with a living (excuse me for that) and you with the most benefit: My ongoing and extensive line of videos. Perhaps a pirate flag isn’t the wisest graphic to associate with my commercial products, but it fits the mood, as you’ll learn shortly.
In the interest of answering a few questions and providing one-and-all with a much-needed update of my activities, here’s the latest:
- The entirety of my 26-hour and 17-minute Photoshop CS5 One-on-One: Advanced video series is live on lynda.com. I know it’s been a while germinating, but it’s 26 hours and 17 minutes long for crap’s sake! And it’s good stuff, with every minute (of the 1,577) altogether new. Read this post if you want to find out what it contains.
- I finished recording Photoshop CS5 One-on-One: Mastery on August 11. (Did I blog that? No I did not! What the hell is wrong with me?) Again, it’s 100% new, with mind-tingling content on masking, the pen tool, blend modes, smart objects (see this post for more info), the bristle brushes, Photomerge, HDR Pro, and actions. My producer tells me it’ll be out by the end of this month (better known as September, the Beginning of Fall).
- Photoshop CS5 One-on-One: Fundamentals and Illustrator One-on-One CS5: Fundamentals have been out for months, and they’re rockin’ the charts. What I love is that these two video series are neck-and-neck. I’ve never seen this before. Illustrator is just a few thousand views behind Photoshop (which is a drop in the bucket, btw). Keep on keepin’ on Illustrator users!!!
- Today I done begun work on Illustrator CS5 One-on-One: Advanced. (If some glob wants to insinuate that I’ve been lazy while he’s been waiting, I remind my kindest readers that I’ve recorded 80+ hours of after-edit video in the last five months, so please, eat . . . my many hours of video.) That pirate at the top of the post is the first of my many reorganized videos. He’s a Live Trace example. But see, here’s the thing: I researched, sketched, developed, and traced this handome fellow in one day (as demonstrated below). For any who might think Live Trace simplifies life, it does not. It makes our rich and wonderful lives that much more elaborate. Which is how it should be.
Did I mention that I ultimately turn that pirate graphic into a super-smooth 5-foot wide by 3-foot tall flag, suitable for printing on your medium of choice? No, but I mention it now. And because this is an original piece of artwork, I can (and will) give it to you. But I have to finalize it first. Which is what I’m doing at present, at lynda.com.
Come on, Deke, say it. \“It
Come on, Deke, say it. “It my shorts!” is perfectly fine: “short” is short for “short form video,” pardon the pun.
On the topic of Live Trace. I have a PSD file with some text in font that I do not have and neither can I locate it anywhere on the Net. Photoshop tells me that it’s Isolde but it’s not. And, since I’m missing the font, I cannot convert it to path (option is grayed out) even though Phtotshop knows it as a path. So my only option seemingly is to convert it to mask, bring to Illustrator, and trace. Am I missing some trick?
Looking forward to advanced
Looking forward to advanced illustrator one-on-one.. nice to see a pencil sketch and i like ye pirate skull above;)
Have to say i cant remember the last time i used Live trace..hopefully it gets an update in years to come as its more miss than hit.
Id say im confident in illustrator but i still struggle with Define pattern in illustrator..eg. i can see the seams between each repeat of the pattern sometimes etc.. and creating swatches is something i need to work on too.
I use illustrator on a daily basis at work and id like to make the most of the new perspective tools, so any tutorials on the new stuff is all good.
My boss has CS5 on her mac book and would like me to show her the new perspective tool but im not quite ready yet as im not confident in with it..
she uses the shear tool to get that perspective look.. i was completely unaware of the shear tool before i started working for her.. and i dont think i can be bothered to learn the shear tool as it kinda sucks to be honest.
Anyways keep on rocking and I appreciate ya efforts and time you put in.
If ya like pencil sketches with skulls in ..and even some vector goodness..
Feel free to have a browse some stuff i been doing lately:)
https://sites.google.com/site/lozwebcreative/
Just what the doctor ordered!
I want to thank you for the subject matter you covered in Chapter 17 of PS CS5 1on1 Advanced. (Shadows, Highlights and Contours)
I found that info to be most useful and the keyboard shortcut was an added bonus.
One on One Beg
Hello Deke,
Thank you for all the help, I am a student at a local college and I’ve learned more from you and the others instructors on Lynda.com. Then from my PS professor at college, who talked like a valley girl. (shaking head) I can only say is thank god for education online by teachers like you.
Best,
Melanie
If your lost, then read the map.
CS5 1on1 Problem
I am having a problem with the CS5 1on1 I just purchased. Downloaded videos will not play properly with Quicktime. Downloaded and Unzipped Lesson Files will not always open. The downloaded DekeKeys will not install. The problem could be my operating system; I am running Windows Vista 64 bit. Has anyone else reported this problem? Is the any corrective action that can be taken?
I am able to successfully play the videos when I use the “Watch” link and view them directly from the website. I have been able to open enough lesson files the hopefully obtain sufficient learning from the lesson. I was able to successfully install the DekeKeys from the CD I have from CS4 1on1.
I hope there is a solution, because watching the “blotchy” videos with Quicktime does not do justice to your otherwise handsome face!
I’m not sure what the problem is
You can view the videos online, but not after downloading them?
What problem are you having with dekeKeys?
I have a video on the perspective grid tool
It should be edited in the next couple of weeks.
When I receive the edited video from the lynda.com folks, I’ll post it for members of this site. It’s very long and exhaustive.
No, unlike Photoshop, Illustrator needs the font
To be able to interpret or trace the outline.
You may be able to rasterize the file in Photoshop at a high resolution (assuming a PDF definition is embedded, as by default) and then trace the Photoshop rendering in Illustrator. Just be sure to give Illustrator all the resolution you can.
fashion illustration.
I am in need of doing some fashion illustration for a grad school portfolio.
I picked up a copy of the adobe suite5 for Illustrator and am almost done with your beginner cs5 illustrator tutorial.
Am i headed in the right direction?
Is there a specific sub-program within Illustrator dedicated to this?
or if tracing a photo the best way to go about this?
i’m new to all this, so any suggestion will be beneficial.
thanks for your time!
CS5 1on1 Problems
When I view the videos online using the “Watch” link on the website, they are completely visable. When I download and view them with Quicktime (which I downloaded from Apple), the video is “blotchy”. I am presently viewing a paused section of the “Intro” video. You are looking at the viewer, and your hands are extended. Your right cheek is all black, there are blue “blotches” around your beard. Other sections of the frame are definitely pixelated with various shades of grey squares. Your left and right extended hands are completely blurred with yellow/orange blurred squares. Your eyes, however, look fine. I also played one of the videos from the CD that accompanied CS4 One on One. They play perfectly with Quicktime.
I downloaded DekeKeys from the website, but they did not load into Photoshop CS5 Extended. I unzipped the file and double clicked on the file dekeKeys PsCS5 1on1.kys, but “..Photoshop will spring to the foreground…” did not occurr. I opened PS normally, went to Edit->Keyboard Shortcuts and the dialog box did not read “Photoshop Defaults (modified)”; it read “Photoshop Defaults” only. The shortcut for Place command was blank; it did not contain the shortcut “Alt+Shift+Ctrl+D”. However I opened the dekeKeys shortcuts folder on the CD from CS4 1on1, double clicked on the file for Windows and the shortcuts loaded correctly. I presume they are the same shortcuts you provided from the website for CS5 1on1.
I am running Vista 64 bit on my PC. I don’t know if that is affecting this situation or not.
In summary, I guess I will be able to gain the CS5 1on1 benefits from the videos on the website and shortcuts from CS4 1on1, but I certainly would APPRECIATE ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE to enable me to view the downloaded videos with Quicktime. And BTW, are the shortcuts from CS4 1on1 the same as those from CS5 1on1.
Thanks for your help Deke. I am the person at PSW 2010 Las Vegas who asked you why I could not purchase CS5 1on1 at PSW.
John Ebey
Aiea, HI
PS>Image>Adjustment>Exposure>Offset slider
The offset slider in the exposure adjustment box of Photoshop is a powerful tool for enriching the blacks and making dramatic changes to otherwise flat and lifeless photos. It is very sensitive I have found, but I am not sure exactly what it does or was intended to do.
I haven’t found any info in your tutorials or books for this adjuster although you may have covered it sometime in the past. If you can define its function briefly, I sure would like to know. Thanks Deke.
Problem with zipped lesson files
I have downloaded the Lesson files for CS5 1 on 1. The videos are fine, but everytime I try to extract the lesson files, I get a message that the folder already exists and the computer will not let me extract to that folder. I am running Vista Home Premium 64 bit. Any ideas how to fix this? If I can’t access the lesson files, I can’t use the book.
Get another extractor utility (for free)
Go to Gizmo’s Freeware Reviews at http://www.techsupportalert.com/ and search for an extractor that fits your system’s specs and try it.
This site is the easiest place to find a free utility that works for when you have the problem you are experiencing.
Photoshop CS5 One-on-One Fundamentals [FEEDBACK]
Hey Deke,
I am SO grateful for the One-on-One Series, it truly is the *right* way to learn a program like Photoshop in my opinion and I am glad we have you to present it to us as such.
I wasn’t sure where the right place for feedback is regarding any small issues, so I am giving this a shot. Excuse me if you would rather collect feedback somewhere else.
fashion
I am in need of doing some fashion illustration for a grad school portfolio.
Hey, what problem is that?
Carpet cleaning Atlanta
You helped me, but in a weird way
Hey Deke, I was watching some of your Advanced videos today and you actually helped me with English! I’d been having trouble with flapped ts recently, but your videos helped me pronounce it (along with some other stuff)! Talk about versatile teaching!