Course Overview – Intermediate PhotoShop CS
New to the Del Mar College Continuing Education department, this course offers intermediate skills training in the Adobe's PhotoShop CS, photo editing program. Concentration is on color correction and channel exploitation. Students will learn how to use the Curves Adjustment Layer; create Clipping Masks and Alpha Channel Masks; work with Vector Paths and work with the RGB, CMYK and LAB color spaces. Additionally students will learn how to properly prepare web images, how to use the History Brush, how to create duotones, and how to perform advanced glamour makeover techniques. This course is currently under development but the syllabus and lesson modules will be posted by June 1.2009. This course is offered from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoons. Please visit the Del Mar College, CED website for a course schedule.
Course Prerequisites
Students enrolling is this course will have taken the Introduction to PhotoShop CS course. They will have a solid understanding of Layers, Basic Selection Techniques, and Layer Masks. Additionally, this course assumes that students already have solid PC skills. One can not succeed in this course without a good understanding of the Windows or MAC operating system. Lessons are paced based upon this assumption. Students who do not have good PC skills will therefore, find the class too fast. Please check the schedule for a refresher course on PC skills. Here is a list of the skills that one must have in order to succeed in this course:
- Possess solid PhotoShop fundamental skills
- Know How to Open a Program
- Know How to Save a File
- Know How to Cut, Copy, and Paste
- Know How to Undo and Redo an Action
- Know How to Right–click with the Mouse
- Understand File Management
- How to Find Files in Specific Directories
- How to Save Files To Specific Directories
- How to Create a File Folder/Directory
- How to Delete Files and File Folders
- Know How to Unzip Files Using the Windows Zip Utility
- How to Use a Browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
- How to type in a web address in the address bar
- How to use the Previous and Next Buttons
- How to use links
Required Materials
The textbook for this class is "Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One". It retails for approximately thirty–two dollars. Additionally, all students are required to purchase stock photography from IstockPhoto as part of their course materials. The twenty–six credits pay–as–you–go payment plan is recommended. It allows you to purchase twenty–six credits for approximately forty dollars. DO NOT PURCHASE ANY PHOTOS PRIOR TO ATTENDING CLASS! The instructor will tell you which photos to purchase on the first day of class. Students may purchase the textbook at the DMC University Bookstore.
Course Philosophy
This course is designed to arm students with sound image editing skills commonly used in brochure, newsletter, and web design workflows. Concentration is upon making difficult, almost impossible selections and sound color management techniques for display and print mediums.
Teaching Methods
Class lessons include lecture and hands–on practice. Additionally, in–class group projects are assigned. These projects are designed to reinforce instructor–led lessons. Homework is assigned for further practice. Lesson modules are listed under the Course Modules heading in the sidebar on the left. Please refer to the course syllabus for further course details.
About the Instructor
Mary Villanueva is a Del Mar College adjunct. She is also a Corporate Trainer and IT Consultant doing business as Byronsbyte Consulting. She is an experienced instructor with over fifteen years in this field. Ms. Villanueva enjoys solid relationships with many prominent businesses in this area. Her clients include Del Mar College, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Robstown ISD, DuPont Flouroproducts, Sherwin Alumina, and the Army Navy Credit Union. Please feel free to inquire about pricing for corporate training in Adobe or Microsoft software.