Intermediate PhotoShop CS
Course Overview
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 upon various masks including Alpha Channel, Vector and Edge masks; Pen Tool Vector Path selections and Shape Layers; advanced filters which include blur and sharpen filters; the Curves Adjustment Layer; Color Spaces and Soft Proofing for professional print production. Students will walk away with a better understanding of how to professionally composite and prepare a photograph for high–quality printing. This course is offered on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please visit the Del Mar College, CED website for a course schedule.
This course is designed to:
- Build sound professional skills necessary for real–world, marketplace composition
- Deliver an exercise-oriented approach that allows learning by doing
- Encourage critical thinking skills vital to creative expression
Registration Information
This course is offered from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday mornings. Please visit the Del Mar College, CED website for information about how to register for this class.
Enrollment Prerequisites
Students enrolling is this class will have taken the Introduction to PhotoShop CS course. They will have a solid understanding of The Layers Palette, Basic Selection Techniques, Layer Masks, Brush and Layer Blend Modes, the History Palette and History Brush, Adjustment Layers, Layer Styles and Smart Filters. Exceptions can be made for those students who are able to demonstrate mastery over those skills taught in the introductory class.
Additionally, this course assumes that students already have solid PC or MAC operating system skills. Lessons are paced based upon this assumption. Students who do not have solid PC or MAC skills will, therefore, find this class too fast for them. Here is a list of the skills that one must have in order to succeed in this course:
- 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
- Be Familiar with Modifier Keys on the Keyboard
- Function Keys: F1 – F12
- CTRL and ALT if a PC User
- COMMAND and OPTION if a MAC User
- Know How to Cascade Windows
- Minimize, Maximize and Restore Down
- Know How to Multitask
- Between Windows
- Between Programs
- 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
- Know How to Use a Browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
- Know How to type in a web address in the address bar
- Know How to use the Previous and Next Buttons
- Know How to Use Links
- Know How to Create User Accounts
- Know How to send and receive email attachments
- Know How to participate in discussion lists/chat rooms
- The virtual lab is a chatroom provided for student, group project assignments
Should one need to brush up on these skills before enrolling in this class, one can enroll in a refresher course on MS Windows.
Required Materials
Starting in Fall 2010, this course will use the "Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks one–on–one" as the textbook. It retails for approximately forty dollars. Additionally, all students are required to purchase a Flash/Thumb Drive. These can be purchased from retailers like Walmart for as little as ten dollars. Students may purchase this textbook at the DMC University Bookstore.
Course Philosophy
This course is designed to build upon those skills taught in the introductory course. It seeks to extend the usability of those skills learned and to introduce other, often more powerful compositing techniques. This course takes the student beyond the basics and further prepares them for jobs in those industries that need professional PhotoShop editors.
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.
About the Instructor
Mary Villanueva is a Del Mar College adjunct who conducts classes in Adobe and Microsoft software programs. 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. Some of 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. ↑