Class 4 - My head hurts

We covered some thick material in our 4th class - Channels and Layers. Though fundamentally different, the two can be used in similar ways which can cause some confusion. The goal was to outline their differences.

There really is no fight between which is better, layers or channels. Actually, layers and channels are two very different parts of the image puzzle in Photoshop. Each are used for separate and specific purposes.

Layers are like sheets of transparent glass laid one on top of the other as they are created. Your view of the image is from the top down THROUGH what ever layers have been created. You can create a new layer by clicking on the new layer icon at the bottom of the layers pallet.

The biggest advantage of working in an image with layers is that layers allow you to isolate parts of an image from other parts in the same image for the purpose of selected manipulation during the editing process. Layers allow you to work on parts of your image without disturbing any other parts placed on the other layers.

When the editing process is completed and you are satisfied with your image, you can merge, or combine, the layers into one composite layer.

TIP: Before you flatten and save your image, duplicate it (Image > Duplicate), then flatten one and save both the flattened and layered version. If you decide later to edit your image more, you have the saved layered file to do so.

Channels, on the other hand, have a completely different function than layers. There are also two different types of channels: color channels and alpha channels.

When you open or create a new image in Photoshop, color information channels are created automatically. The number of color information channels is determined by the image’s color “mode”. An RGB image (Image > Mode > RGB) has four separate default channels, a red channel, a green channel, a blue channel and a composite channel made up of all three and used to edit the image as a whole. A CMYK image (Image > Mode > CMYK) has five separate channels; a cyan, magenta, yellow, black and also a separate composite channel. You can edit each channel separately or work exclusively in the composite channel for the desired effect. Color channels allow you to edit or manipulate the color data of an image.

Alpha Channels have a different purpose all together. You create an alpha channel to store or save selection information for later use. These selections are stored as grayscale images and can be loaded back into the image again and again. Alpha channels are also referred to as selection “masks” and are used to protect areas of an image during the manipulation or editing process. You can save a selection ( Selection > Save Selection ) as an Alpha Channel selection mask or load it ( Select > Load Selection) for later use.

An image can have up to 56 channels. Remember layers and channels add data size to your file.

Class 3 - Selections

This week we took some time to review the basic tools in Photoshop along with a number of the menus we covered in week two. After a little time with the workspace and pallets, we headed straight into what I consider one of the two foundations of Adobe's flagship program - selections. Photoshop Tool and Menu Selections, once learned and understood, offers the creative digital explorer a direct link to mastering the power of Photoshop, regardless of what version one is using. If you know how to select an object well, Photoshop, along with a variety of support applications, such as Corel Painter, will offer up a treasure chest of options for the creative mind to explore.

Speaking of the creative mind, next weeks reading assignment, for class 4, is to read an article written by Jeannine Ouellette titled The Future of Creativity. Though not the definitive word regarding the condition of creativity in our American culture, I am hoping people in the class can use this article as a simple introduction, maybe a stepping stone, towards the idea that creativity is valuable in our society and that part of that value is fading due to how we manage our lives, which includes the use of technology when making art. I realize that's a stretch from the focal point of the article, but it may get the conversation going in a direction that includes the real issues concerning the move towards using technology more and more to make art. 

This class is titled Technology and Fine Art - but, here's a question; what is fine art? Who gets to define that? Using digital tools for creativity, if allowed, can easily shortchange one's own thinking by fooling the operator into believing they are creating real art. But then again - what is real art? 

I'm not interested in teaching people how to shortcut and "cheat" their way in to making art by using a computer. I want people to use this digital TOOL called a computer as a means to open up and explore their minds, their ideas, their guesses and know every guess and experimentation is valuable - that all that comes from those efforts are not to be attributed to the computer alone. The computer does not make art, the user masters the computer to make art.

Class 2

In this class we covered a few terms I find helpful to know when trying to understanding the process involved in making digital art. Terms such as bitmap vs vector images, bit depth, resolution, image resolution vs display resolution, alias vs anti alias, Interpolation and RIP (Rasterized Image Processing). You can download the PDF document that illustrates these terms from the list at the right.

We then began our introduction to Photoshop CS3, covering the workspace environment, pallet management, customization, preferences and tools. We spent a good portion of the class orienting ourselves towards some of what I consider the heavy lifter tools in Photoshop such as the selection and brush tools. The rest of the class was used as a lab time where people were allowed to set out on their own and experiment with some of the tools covered.

First Class

Class started a little late due to the building being on a late timer for opening and letting us in. UAS has promised me that my swipe card has been fixed and I should have full access this weekend. It took about 20 minutes for setup and the class was underway.

Most of the class was about orientation - me getting to know the students and the students getting to know me. I was also getting oriented with being over at the Egan wing where the setup is different than last semester. This is a regular classroom with no real tech support, like floor plug-ins, for the computers. We have a bank of charged-up batteries that are on hand to replace any dead ones during the class use.

I like the make-up of the class - some people with experience from last semester's class and some folks that are brand new to the world of digital art.It's about 50/50 mix. People asked good questions and were enthusiastic about the material that will be covered. I can see it'll be another Bobby Fisher semester, where teaching will be like playing chess with a dozen different people. I like that kind of challenge. I even like it when I don't know something - happens allot - especially when it gives me a chance to learn something I did not know or consider until the challenge was placed before me by a student That;s why I subtitled the class - "The MacGyver approach to creating art on the computer.

We went over the syllabus (see link at sidebar) and covered the expectations for the class. I'll add the schedule this week once I get a feel of how fast people will absorbe the base material around the software - Photoshop and Painter.