Photoshop for Right-Brainers: The Art of Photo Manipulation, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Al Ward (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0782144306 | ISBN-13: 978-0782144307 | Publication Date: December 12, 2005 | Edition: 2

"Al Ward's innovative and personal guide to the art of photo manipulation doesn't just tell you how to do it...he gives you something to chew on, something to dream about."
--Fred Showker, editor/publisher of DT&G magazine

Photoshop for Right-Brainers, Second Edition goes beyond the cookie-cutter techniques and shows you how to take full advantage of Photoshop's powerful capabilities. With more novel projects and striking artwork, additional advanced techniques, and hundreds of new actions for automating tedious tasks, this revised edition will help you unlock pathways to creativity.
You'll get a firm grounding in key tools and techniques, then hone your skills by working through complex projects. By the end you'll be able to bring your artistic and fanciful visions to life on your computer to generate your own mind-blowing photographic art.

Photoshop wiz Al Ward will teach you pro techniques for creating dramatic images, including how to:
* Expertly blend multiple photographs into realistic composites
* Add sharpness and detail to any image
* Give your portraits digital face-lifts: soften wrinkles, erase blemishes, whiten teeth
* Create mind-boggling mirror effects
* Control reflections and highlights as you manipulate chrome and glass surfaces
* Turn any photograph into a line drawing, oil painting, or retro image
* Produce symmetrical landscaping and patterns in the sky
* Transform people into frightening characters
* Invent comical cross-breed species by altering animal photos
* Prepare your artwork for display online or in printed contact sheets and picture packages
* And much more!

The CD features more than 400 productivity-enhancing Photoshop actions designed by the author, along with images and project files from the book, as well as exceptional stock images.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Al Ward's innovative and personal guide to the art of photo manipulation doesn't just tell you how to do it...he gives you something to chew on, something to dream about."
—Fred Showker, editor/publisher of DT&G magazine

Photoshop for Right-Brainers, Second Edition goes beyond the cookie-cutter techniques and shows you how to take full advantage of Photoshop's powerful capabilities. With more novel projects and striking artwork, additional advanced techniques, and hundreds of new actions for automating tedious tasks, this revised edition will help you unlock pathways to creativity.
You'll get a firm grounding in key tools and techniques, then hone your skills by working through complex projects. By the end you'll be able to bring your artistic and fanciful visions to life on your computer to generate your own mind-blowing photographic art.

Photoshop wiz Al Ward will teach you pro techniques for creating dramatic images, including how to:

• Expertly blend multiple photographs into realistic composites
• Add sharpness and detail to any image
• Give your portraits digital face-lifts: soften wrinkles, erase blemishes, whiten teeth
• Create mind-boggling mirror effects
• Control reflections and highlights as you manipulate chrome and glass surfaces
• Turn any photograph into a line drawing, oil painting, or retro image
• Produce symmetrical landscaping and patterns in the sky
• Transform people into frightening characters
• Invent comical cross-breed species by altering animal photos
• Prepare your artwork for display online or in printed contact sheets and picture packages
• And much more!

The CD features more than 400 productivity-enhancing Photoshop actions designed by the author, along with images and project files from the book, as well as exceptional stock images.

About the Author

Al Ward is a prominent figure in the Photoshop community and a certified Photoshop addict. His web site, www.actionfx.com, supplies Photoshop users with actions and information. He has contributed to and written many Photoshop books, including Al Wards' Photoshop Productivity Toolkit, and he has written for Photoshop User magazine, Planet Photoshop, and Photoshop Café. Al serves as the official actions guru for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 2 edition (December 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782144306
• ISBN-13: 978-0782144307
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes Photoshop a Program I can really use, May 8, 2004

By 

Barbara Rhoades "Jackie of all Trades" (O'Fallon, MO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Photoshop for Right-Brainers: The Art of Photo Manipulation (Paperback)

I am a self-taught Photoshop user. That is to say, I know just enough about PS to be REALLY dangerous! Al Ward's book, Photoshop for Right-Brainers was a JOY to read. I was able to follow what he was talking about and even reproduce the effects using my own photos rather than the ones on the included CD. Now THAT is a well written book when you can actually use the information on photos other than the ones provided for the tutorial.

One of the very first pieces of information, something that I will actually use when I work with photos, is High Pass, a filter that grays out pixels so the edge details are clear. Two other items in PS that Mr. Ward talks about are Extract and Pattern Maker. Extract is just what it says - taking an object and extracting or removing it from the rest of the picture. Great way to see how you would look as a blonde! The Pattern Maker is a tool that I will use as a web designer. I am forever trying to find a suitable background for my web pages. Now, thanks to Al Ward and Photoshop for Right Brainers I don't have to look, I can make my own. Pattern Maker allows you to select part of a photo and then creates a background from the pixels selected. VERY COOL.

Are you a text nut? If so, this book shows you how to create Chrome letters. In the same section, it shows you how to use Opacity and Fill on the text. Of course, this can be applied to an actual photo as well but it is a very nice technique to allow the background to show through lettering.

A few of the other techniques this book walks you through are Masking, Cartooning images, Warping images to "fit" to another object and Photo Merge. This last technique gives you the collage effect that allows you to create one photo from many or to blend two photos to make a panorama. There is a CD with the book and it contains a free version of Maya 5 Personal Learning Edition, Source Files so you can follow along with the techniques being taught and Preset Tools created by Al Ward for use in the various techniques he shows.

This book is packed with useful information and is one that can actually be followed and understood. Many times authors go into so much detail that you can't follow or they make it so difficult that you give up. Not this author! Al Ward has my sincere thanks for writing a book to make a program that I had only a little knowledge of into something that I can actually use in my daily work.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, November 16, 2004

By 

Andrew Waterman "Photoshop Geek" (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Photoshop for Right-Brainers: The Art of Photo Manipulation (Paperback)

I've earned a living retouching photos for years and I continually seek out new material that will stretch my abilities. Most books are a rehash of the same old stuff for people like me. I discovered Photoshop for Right Brainers mentioned in one of Al Ward's tutorials and decided to take a look at it. FINALLY!!! A new source of inspiration! This book would probably be over the head of beginners but for those who have at least a working knowledge of Photoshop CS and how it applies to photos, this book ROCKS!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Giving PhotoShop Skills Advanced Life, May 20, 2004

By 

"jazzjoan" (Ormond Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photoshop for Right-Brainers: The Art of Photo Manipulation (Paperback)

PhotoShop for Right-Brainers is the art of photo manipulation at its finest. Al Ward clearly and explicitly takes the learner step-by-step through different techniques enabling the reader to advance his/her proficiency in huge leaps with each chapter. Each technique and tool Al explains is accompanied by a picture to elaborate his words. The knowledge and insights from Al's book will give each learners' PhotoShop skills advance life. Huge thanks to Al Ward.