Photoshop Help

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 3:32 pm

I am entirely new to Photoshop so I am having a bit of difficulty understanding the things I am trying to teach myself. Here is the problem. For years I have relied soley on working in the 3d Department and passing my work on to the next level for texturing and touchup. However, we have recently cut back and us 3d designers are being forced to learn all avenues of the design process or risk loosing our job. So i have taken on the task of teaching myself Photoshop.

I have been doing tutorials as a way to walk myself through and get to know the program. I have been finding though that many tutorials arent geared towards the people that have no idea how to use the program.

Take this tutorial for instance: http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Gl ... tton/25600

I thought I was doing it right but by the time I got through the blending options tasks the whole sheet was that color rather then the circle. Can someone help me with this problem? What am I doing wrong or not understanding?

I crated a new sheet, used the Elipse tool to make a circle, but the circle shows up on the background layer? Am I suppose to create a new layer prior to making the circle? I am soo confused and need some help.

Anyone in here have a good starting place for people learning Photoshop. I would greatly apprecaite it.

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:21 pm

layers are the key to photoshop in my mind and once you learn to keep track of your layers it will be that much easier. I suspect that you were probably on the wrong layer when you started applying the effects.
Really the best way to learn is doing exactly what your doing it's all trial and error i would find a photoshop basics tutorial first just to learn where everything is. http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop/l/bllps5out.htm
try this.

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:29 pm

pigbait75 wrote:layers are the key to photoshop in my mind and once you learn to keep track of your layers it will be that much easier. I suspect that you were probably on the wrong layer when you started applying the effects.
Really the best way to learn is doing exactly what your doing it's all trial and error i would find a photoshop basics tutorial first just to learn where everything is. http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop/l/bllps5out.htm
try this.

As I was waiting for a reply I tried creating palette, the created a new layer and put the elipse circle on there. I applied all of the blending opetions and still nothing. I feel horribly dumb. Could someone else do this tutorial to tell me if it works?

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:32 pm

WOW. Beofre i even realized you had a link in there i posted this reply. I am browsing it right now and that looks like it will be alot of help. Thank you very much!

(Still hope someone can inform me what I am doing wrong in this tutorial. My OCD is killing me because I cant figure the thing out!)

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:40 pm

it works what version of phtoshop are you using

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:43 pm

Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Ok let me explain here quick. I create the palette (background layer). I then select the elipse tool and make a circle. I then unlock that layer so i can access the blending options and apply allthe options. EVERYTIME i do this, the whole background has the effect rather then just the circle!

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:45 pm

you dont have to unlock the background leave it alone just open a new palette and the use the elipse tool to draw a circle dont unlock the background layer because its just a virtual canvas for you to work on. thats why the thing gets the effects and not just the circle.

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:46 pm

the elipse tool will be drawn on a new layer automatically

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 4:51 pm

pigbait75 wrote:the elipse tool will be drawn on a new layer automatically

For some reason it isnt. What would cause that?

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:00 pm

any ideas what is going wrong?

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:01 pm

in photoshop select the shape tool and look in the top left corner there should be three different settings,
shape layers, paths and fill pixels make sure its set to shape layers. other than that i'd have to investigate more.

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:07 pm

pigbait75 wrote:in photoshop select the shape tool and look in the top left corner there should be three different settings,
shape layers, paths and fill pixels make sure its set to shape layers. other than that i'd have to investigate more.

EDIT* ok i found what you meant

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:11 pm

pigbait75, you are my hero. You were correct. It was set to the wrong option and i got it to work! Thank you soooo much

by **pigbait75** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:12 pm

no problem good luck with the learning

by **Twisted Designs** on Fri May 11, 2007 5:27 pm

pigbait75 wrote:no problem good luck with the learning

Yea photoshop is really frustrating me. I get past the first problem and do the rest of the tutorial but I dont understand the process.

It asks me to select the marquee too, and create a oval...then select the gradient tool and select foreground to transparent. I do this step but i keep getting an error that says : "Could not use the gradient tool because the content of the layer is not directly editable"

What does that eman and how do I bypass it?

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