[PinkSocks]

For Christmas hubby bought me Photoshop Elements 11. I love editing photos but have only ever used the free sites (autofix is my bestfriend!) I have opened photoshop a few times since christmas but have no idea what im doing, its all so foreign to me. Do I need to do a course to learn it??! I have watched tutorials and I understand a few things but there is so much I dont understand, Layers, Masks ect. Whats the best way to learn how to use it?

[antsy]

I learned through various websites and books. You can borrow books at your library or buy them relatively cheaply from amazon.

[TopsyTurvy]

Be watching this thread with interest. I just bought it myself this week

[minimae]

Tutorials tutorials and more tutorials!!

I found one of the best ways to learn photoshop is to pop to a newsagent and pick up one of those magazines you see there - can't think of the names of any but they normally have a load of tutorials, and come with a cd with the source imagery on it.

I learnt so much from doing these, especially at the beginning. You just follow them step by step - I find them easier than video tutorials, and they are so great for learning the basics.

Once you've got a feel for it everything starts to fall into place.

A brilliant website for tutorials is:

http://psd.tutsplus.com/

It's a matter of browsing through them, finding one that catches your eye and just going for it. I know my way around photoshop like the back of my hand, and I never tire of tutorials.

I'm just heading out the door but if I think of any other websites later I'll pop back in and update.

[PinkSocks]

I know my way around photoshop like the back of my hand, and I never tire of tutorials.

I really hope I can say that one day! Thankyou for your advice. I will keep watching tutorials. I was seriously considering paying someone to come over and teach me photoshop for the day haha!

[Bek+3]

I did an adult TAFE class. It was one night a week for 6 weeks!! Problem is, that was about 3 years ago and I forget absolutely everything. It was a good class though.

[ubermum]

You can also find great videos on youtube that show you step by step how to do things.

[follies]

I was supposed to learn it as part of my design course but my teacher was terrible so my brother taught me instead. My advice is find someone that knows what they are doing and get them to sit down with you.

[lamarque]

I found Scott Kelby's books to be very helpful. I loved having the book open in front of the computer and following the instructions step by step.

You will get the hang of it eventually.

[Bacongirl]

Everything I learned to do with Photoshop was by googling it and finding tutorials or forums like this.

I had to design and create a sportswear catalogue for work. My employer just bought me a laptop and it had the CS package on it. He handed it over and said the catlogue had to be done by X date (6 weeks!).

I had to learn to do pages, print ready versions etc, all off the internet as they were to cheap to send me on a course. I even had to direct a photoshoot.

The best thing I taught myself to do was to deep etch photos (IE cutting an image from it's background). Once I figured that one out, the rest seemed pretty simple

Most of the things take alot of practise and if you do it the way I did, be prepared to be patient and practise heaps.

Oh and CS for Dummies was the best purchase ever!