Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art [Paperback]

Sharon Steuer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2002

Flex your creative muscles by exploring how Photoshop can unlock your creative potential. Traditional artists porting their skills to new media and inexperienced digital artists need to learn how to approach their work using digital tools--especially Photoshop--rather than relying solely on paper and pencil methods of conceptualization. While there are books that walk users through tool sets or recipes for effects, none of these books focus on enhancing the creative process. Steuer explores the many facets of the creative process and underscores how they can be incorporated into the workflow of the digital artist.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Creative Thinking in Photoshop is a worthy and classic keystone in the temple of Adobe. -- Tony Reveaux, BookScan, Film/Tape World, July 2002

From the Publisher

Sharon Steuer's artwork is amazing! She has, over the past several years, ported her traditional art skills to the digital world. In doing so, Sharon has learned how to use her digital tools to enhance her creativity. Because of her unique approach to creativity and art, Sharon is definitely one of the VOICES THAT MATTER in the Photoshop world today.

In Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art, Sharon accomplishes two main things. First, she provides grist for the artist's creative process. You'll discover different ways to brainstorm, experiment, play, improvise -- be creative -- using Photoshop. The beautiful work included in the book provides ample evidence that there is much you can do in Photoshop to add interest to your work, whether it was originally created in traditional or digital form.

Second, you'll be exposed to a variety of ways to integrate traditional and digital art. In all, you'll be taken on a facinating journey in search of inspiration and creativity. Join Sharon on this exciting creative journey -- and use Creative Thinking in Photoshop as your road map.

Enjoy the trip!

Your voice matters too! Please share your thoughts about the book with me by sending an email to [e-mail].

Linda Bump, Senior Acquisitions Editor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press (April 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735711224
• ISBN-13: 978-0735711228
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,568,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

(Visit her at: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSteuer)
Sharon Steuer loves collaborating with other creatives--and working with the Illustrator WOW! team, and the contributing artists to the Illustrator WOW! Books, provides endless wonderful opportunities for collaboration.

For more than two decades, Sharon has pioneered the merging of traditional and digital art forms. Sharon's recent artwork weaves together her oil paintings, drawings, digital paintings, photographs, and personal artifacts to explore and reflect fragmented memory. Awards for her artwork include the national Faber Birren Color Award, a Windsor Newton Painting award, and an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.

In addition to the 11 editions of the Illustrator WOW! Books, Sharon is author of "Creative Thinking in Photoshop," and has been a contributor to creativepro.com, as well as many other books and articles. She lives with her husband, sound artist and SFSU professor Jeff Jacoby, in San Francisco, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Impressed, March 5, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art (Paperback)

I'm not sure how this book got 5 Star reviews from everyone who's reviewed it thus far, but to each his own, I suppose. This book wasn't what I was expecting. I thought I'd see some great photoshop art, learn some neat photoshop tricks, but I'm really not impressed by anything I've seen so far.

The artist takes photographs and uses various filters and photoshop tools to give them a painterly feel and to look more "artsy". Or she takes her own drawings and uses photoshop brushes to give them a more digital feel. Maybe this book would be fun for fine artists who want to play around with their images on the screen for the first time, but as a digital artist I haven't seen anything new or noteworthy in this book. I'm actually surprised that this was printed so recently (2002) because the artwork actually has that dated feel of digital art from the early 90s.

For a really beautiful Photoshop book that explores the artistic capabilites of Photoshop, read: "The Art of Photoshop" (slightly advanced).

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sharon is definitely a noteworthy artist., January 31, 2004

By 

David M (USA Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art (Paperback)

I bought Creative Thinking in Photoshop after seeing Sharon Steuer on The Screen Savers. I must say that I am certainly impressed by Sharon's artistic ability, but after reading a few chapters I began to seriously doubt her ability to put into words exactly what process she took to reach the final result. There are of course plenty of screen captures showing and noting important steps in the process, but after careful inspection and recreation attempts, I was unable to reproduce her results using her directions. I instead had to carefully study the images and use my knowledge of photoshop to see what settings she really did use on the filters she mentions.

I certainly am not the type of person that would willingly insult any person, no matter how big the opportunity or reward may be. Instead I hope to inform readers and artists interested in this book that if they need step by step instructions for filters and tools in photoshop, you may be looking for something a little less intuitive. In order to fully understand how Sharon was able to produce the images that she gives as examples in her book you must already have a very good understanding of Photoshop. Luckily I do have many years of experience using Photoshop in commercial environments. Another warning that I must add, is that the flow of sentences in Creative Thinking in Photoshop sometimes strays from what most would consider to be proper or understandable grammar. The multiple use of words in the same sentence and the contradictory statements that surface in many areas of this book can be distracting to say the least.

I would not recommend that anyone decide not to buy this book based solely on this review or any other. I hope rather that anyone interested in this book should evaluate their own personal level of understanding of Photoshop, and also their willingness to ignore confusing grammar.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars based mainly on two factors; First, the quality of the art used as examples in the book and second, my ability to understand exactly from the text and graphics each step to take to reach the same results. If I were to use only the first factor, this book would have 5 stars for sure, but on the second I would give only 1 star.

After reading this book I had to wonder if the New Riders publishing company needs editors. I would of course be happy to help them out if this is the case.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn Photoshop the natural way, April 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art (Paperback)

I have taught hundreds of hours of Photoshop classes. This book is a terrific way to learn the program. Instead of memorizing: go to this menu, click this icon, move this here, Ms. Steuer shows how to "think" in Photoshop. How to look at the program the same way an artist would look at a blank canvas.

In just ten minutes leafing through the book I was inspired to try several different projects. Not because I memorized a new command, but because I was looking at the program in a whole new way.

Chapter 8, on collaborating, is well worth the entire cost of the book. Watching Ms. Steuer and her photographer friend work together is an amazing experience. Just that chapter alone will change how you approach Photoshop.

It's a great way to learn Photoshop.