Happy New Year, dekeOmaniacs. To get 2009 off on the right foot, (and seriously, put that last insane bit of 2008 behind us), we’ve decided to share something special with you, our beloved community. Frankly, we can’t thank you enough for all the love, humor, and patience you showed us last year. (Especially the patience during the month of December where we both pulled off the miracle submission of the book and reintroduced ourselves to our families who were wondering who those smelly if vaguely familiar people who were always chained to the computer screen were.)
So over the course of January, 2009, we’re going to post the videos here from Deke’s new book, Photoshop CS4 Channels and Masks One-on-One (that thing that almost killed us last month, due in stores by mid-month). As many of you know, the video lessons that come with the book are terrific resources that impart solid bits of dekeWisdom all their own.
We’ll start today with the video from Video Lesson 1, “The Channels Palette,” wherein Deke gives you a tour of the Channels palette, explains why the new CS4 Masks palette is not command central for masking, and gives you some insights into why learning about this stuff can help you with your new year’s resolution (the one about getting even better at Photoshop, not the one where you give up martinis, we can’t help you there). Each video in the series will live here in streaming glory. It’s our way of welcoming our new visitors, honoring our venerable community veterans, and getting everyone off on the right Photoshop foot for 2009. Wishing love, peace, and impeccable Photoshop selections to all.
Look for more videos soon. Note that they are downsampled, so the legibility is lower than we would like. Which is why we will shortly provide, as a special opportunity for registered users of this site, the option to download all 12 full, hi-res QuickTime movies for a limited time (!). Keep an eye out for that.
And lest you forget, every one of these videos is unique to Photoshop CS4 Channels and Masks One-on-One from O’Reilly Media and produced by industry leader lynda.com.
Very Cool Stuff
Thanks for posting this video Deke. It was very interesting and informative. I am definitely waiting for the next installment!!!
Happy New Year
R. L. Haas
Everett, WA
Nice
Great intro video. Got your Photoshop CS4 book last week, and it’s really informative. I’m looking forward to sitting in on one of your Photoshop World sessions in March. Happy New Year, and keep up the videos.
Roger
Hey Deke
I just wanted to wish you a happy new year and by the way you’re my favorite Ps instructor! Good luck!
VIDEO CONTROL BAR
I have a Windows Vista 64-bit computer. I subscribe to Lynda.com and watch your (and others) videos which are in QuickTime. Most of us Vista 64-bit people (I googled this problem and found many Lynda.com subscribers with the same problem) who watch these Lynda.com videos cannot see the control bar, its black (but if you click on the black bar in the right place the controls are there, e.g. pause, play, reverse play, etc.) But watching your video Lesson 1, I see the control bar and all its controls? Is this not Quicktime? If it is Quicktime, then you have solved the problem and you need to let the people at Lynda.com know what you are doing so that we can see the control bar.
I hope you have the solution.
Leon
Deke Rocks
Hey Deke, thanks for the look into the new book. You really rock as an instructor. You have a great way of taking very complex subjects and bringing down to mere human level.
Mark
Gold
Hey does anybody know the best way to get the colors Gold and Silver? I’ve tried various RGB combinations and layer effects but can’t seem to get it right. I don’t think they are true colors but rather some kind of effects on orange and gray. Are there color codes for these? DP
Gold, Silver, and Other Metal Colors
If you prefer solid colors (expressed in hexadecimal values):
Silver
C0C0C0
Gold
#E3CF57
#FFD700
#EEC900
#CDAD00
#8B7500
******
I like to use gradients for more realistic metallic colors. Here are some of my favorite metallic gradients with the color stops expressed in hexadecimal values (move the color stops according to your taste):
Gold
5c2e03, 835603, CBA859, FFE681, FFFFCC, FFFFFF, FFFFCC, FFE681, CBA859, 835603, 5c2e03
Copper
531400, 804100, FFCC99, FFFFFF, FFCC99, 804100, 531400
Pewter
000000, 333300, F2F2FF, FFFFFF, F2F2FF, 333300, 000000
Bright Silver
1. Use the Pewter values and
2. apply a Curves adjustment (raise the Shadow quadtone and lower the Highlight Quadtone) to your taste and
3. apply an Unsharp Mask effect according to your taste
I have posted my versions of gold on my web site at:
http://www.masteradobe.com/MasterAdobe_MACinTUTOR/Graphic_Design.html#104
http://www.masteradobe.com/MasterAdobe_MACinTUTOR/Graphic_Design.html#97
http://www.masteradobe.com/MasterAdobe_MACinTUTOR/Graphic_Design.html#98
http://www.masteradobe.com/MasterAdobe_MACinTUTOR/Graphic_Design.html#99
and other metals at:
http://www.masteradobe.com/MasterAdobe_MACinTUTOR/Graphic_Design.html#105
hope this helps,
Thomas
Thomas Benner
The Art Institute of Austin
p.s. If you use Google and search for something like “Gold color Hexadecimal value”, you will find some useful sites like:
http://cloford.com/resources/colours/500col.htm
Thanks Thomas
I was able to get a real nice gold effect with #E3CF57 and a Gradient Overlay with the 11 color stops. Appreciate the help.
DP
I won’t be at PW Boston
They have an overabundance of speakers and Scott asked me to sit this one out. Which I’m cool with, btw. We all have to make the occasional sacrifice for the greater good, don’cha know.
That plus it’s during my birthday and I’d like to be home for once. :-)
(But thanks for the kind comments!)
Cheers!
Thanks, Deke, for your generosity! What a great way to start the new year. :-)
And congratulations on the accomplishments of 2008. From the outside looking in like some random peeping geek, you guys’n'gals worked yer arses off and met the deadline of the year with style and grace. That alone makes you guys so inspiring. And thank you for helping me to keep my chin up by your example and wonderful nature - you make learning fun and interesting, it can’t be said enough. :-)
A’ight. My CS4 trial ends today, so I’m going to bite that bullet and make that purchase. It’s a new year, after all.
It’s gonna rock. :-D
New Years Treat
Lessons 1-6 are all great. This is the best advertising for your book which I now must buy.
Great information not only on how to work with masks/selections/channels but how and why it works. You speak in a way I can understand and retain the information.
Thank you.
k.salaber
Thanks for that
Buy the book. That is, as always, our recompense.
Video Lesson 7 should be up this week. More HQ downloads in the works as well.
great
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Great..
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