[PDF] Layers ~ The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature - Matt Kloskowski

[PDF] Layers ~ The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature - Matt Kloskowski



In 2008, Adobe Photoshop pro and best-selling author Matt Kloskowski broke new ground teaching Photoshop by focusing on the one thing that makes Photoshop the amazing (and sometimes difficult to understand) program it is: layers. Now, Matt returns with a major update that covers layers in Photoshop CS5 in the same concise, easy to understand way that’s made him so well known in the field of Photoshop training.

When asked about the original version of this book, Matt said, "I wanted it to be the Photoshop book that I wish was around when I was first learning." This update improves upon that concept. Within these pages, you’ll learn about:

• Working with and managing multiple layers in Photoshop CS5
  
• Building multiple-layer images
• Blending layers together
• Layer masking and just how easy it is
• Which of the 25+ layer blend modes you really need to know (there are just a few)
• Using layers to enhance and retouch your photos
• All of the tips and tricks that make using layers a breeze
• Plus, a new chapter on advanced layer techniques and compositing to help take your work to the next level

Biography
Matt Kloskowski is a Photoshop guru and author of nine books on Photoshop, Elements, and Illustrator. Matt teaches Photoshop and digital photography techniques to thousands of people each year. He co-hosts the top-rated video podcast Photoshop User TV and also hosts the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips and Photoshop Killer Tips podcasts. He’s built a massive library of DVDs and online training courses, and writes regularly for Photoshop User magazine. Matt is an instructor at the world’s premier Photoshop event, the Photoshop World Conference & Expo, and works in Tampa, Florida, at the National Association of Photoshop Professionals.

REVIEW
This book was a great read and a worthwhile investment. When I first started reading it, I thought it was too basic for me, but luckily, I kept reading. Yes, it has the very basic concepts of layers, but it has WAY more too. I made several breakthroughs with this book, which is a major accomplishment for me. I usually feel like a book is worth it if I find one really worthwhile technique. I have 12 pages dog-eared so that I can get back to them quickly, and of course highlighting throughout the book.

I loved the layout of the book. It is broken into 10 chapters that have subchapters within. The subchapters are short, less than 10 pages each, and have LOTS of graphics showing the screen he is referring to. There were a few times that I wished he'd shown another screen that he was referring to, but overall he showed what he was discussing. The text is brief and to the point without the mindless detail that kills some Photoshop books. At the end of each chapter he has a "How do I..." section that replays some of the tips he demonstrated from the chapter that I found quite useful.

Some of my favorite things from this book were:
* All of the great keyboard shortcuts. Yes, I have a book on shortcuts, and have printed out volumes from another book I purchased, but I found his more useful because they were in context.
* His description of the layer blending modes with examples. I have a few that I use all the time, and this has really helped me branch out of my blending mode rut.
* Clipping masks, yes, I've used them, but I didn't really understand how to make them. Now I do, and it's easy.
* He also helped me expand with text. I didn't think about rasterizing a text layer so I could add filters, gradients, or use a brush on them, now I will. Or locking the transparent pixels, so a gradient doesn't apply to the whole layer, seems obvious, but I never thought of it.
* I did not know there was a keyboard shortcut where you could run the last filter, but open the dialog box so you could change the settings. It's command-option-F! Yeah!
* Loved his sections on creating a watermark, and creating glowing light streaks with layer styles. His layer style discussions were great.
These were just a few of my favs. Some of these things may be familiar to you, especially if you watch Photoshop User TV the podcast as I do. But I still found the book quite helpful.

There were a few things I didn't like about the book, for instance, he uses the eraser tool in situations where I would use a layer mask, since a mask would be less destructive. But I know another very famous photographer/retoucher that uses the eraser tool extensively over layer masks. So maybe it's what you are used to, but I would teach masks when at all possible. Matt does use layer masks extensively, but a few times, I thought, "Why is he using the eraser tool now, and not a mask?"

Then when he was teaching the highpass filter to sharpen or create an `edgy look' he said he really uses a plug-in Topaz Adjust to create the same look because it is easier. I use the highpass filter as he describes all the time, but I have it as a recorded action, so it is easy for me. I own Topaz, I just don't use it that much.

I really struggled over what rating to give this book, because I normally save my 5 stars for books that I consider perfect, and there were, as I mentioned, things I disagreed with in this book. But I liked the book so much, and would recommend it to any of my friends, that I decided it deserves 5 stars. This is a book that I will refer back to and study and incorporate many of his techniques, and where possible, automate them!

REFERENCE
https://www.amazon.com/Layers-Complete-Photoshops-Powerful-Feature-ebook/dp/B004E9SUZU

DOWNLOAD

Hidden Content:

**Hidden Content: You must click 'Like' before you can see the hidden data contained here.**