Hand-painted reveals can produce really nice, organic-looking animations. In this tutorial you'll learn how to create reveals over time using the Eraser tool.
This workshop is devoted to the basic settings of your Wacom tablet. You'll get to know not only the various pens and their settings, but also interesting details about ExpressKeys, the Touch Ring, and the Radial menu.
Basic Settings
In this chapter you'll see how to install the Wacom tablet for Mac or Windows in a way that allows you to use the full functionality of the tablet.
Installing Your Tablet
In this tutorial you'll learn how to install the Intuos4 for Macintosh computers from the installation CD. You'll also get an overview of the functionality of the system settings.
In this video you'll see how to install the latest driver for the Wacom Intuos4 on the Windows operating system. You'll see how to adjust all the functions in the Control Panel and save these functions as files.
In this lesson you'll see how to install the Wacom tablet Intuos4 and connect it to your computer via Bluetooth. You'll also get some tips on optimizing the battery life of your tablet.
This chapter is all about pens – from the basics and choosing a nib, to settings like pressure and tilt sensitivity, to working with the Eraser, Art Pen, and Airbrush. You'll also learn about the other pens available for you to use with your tablet.
Working with Pens
If you have never used a pen and tablet before, it may feel awkward at first. Don't worry, this video will take you through all of the difficulties and get you comfortable.
This video looks at the different nibs provided in your pen holder, as well as the colored rings that you can use to identify pens if you have several of them.
In this video you will see how to set the functions on the side switches individually. You'll see how these switches can be changed to work as a modifier keystroke, a hold key, or a multitude of other functions.
At the top of your pen is the eraser, which also has pressure sensitivity. In this video you'll see how this button maps directly to the Eraser tool in Photoshop. If you prefer you can also assign this button a custom function in the Wacom Control Panel.
Although it is constructed like a classic marker, the Art Pen is not only tilt- and pressure-sensitive, but also capable of rotation sensitivity. In this tutorial you'll learn how it works and how to use this feature in Photoshop.
In this lesson you'll get to know the Airbrush and see how you can adjust its settings in Photoshop. You'll also see why the Stylus and Touch Ring are particularly useful with the Airbrush.
In this lesson you'll get to know the Airbrush and see how you can adjust its settings in Photoshop. You'll also see why the Stylus and Touch Ring are particularly useful with the Airbrush.
In this video you'll learn about the other pens available for you to use with your tablet, including the Classic Pen, the Intuos4 Ink Pen, and the Ballpoint Pen.
This chapter looks at the options related to displays. You'll learn how to set up mapping preferences, work with multiple monitors, switch between Pen mode and Mouse mode, and more.
Display Settings
In this lesson you'll learn how to set up mapping preferences and toggle between multiple monitors with your tablet. You can even set up the tablet to use only certain areas of the tablet or the monitor for mapping. You'll also see how the ExpressKeys can be adjusted to be perfect for either left-handed or right-handed use.
In this video you will see how to work with two monitors and jump between monitors. You will also learn how to adjust the brightness of the display (OLED).
In this chapter you'll learn how to use application-specific preferences and how to back up and restore preferences.
Control Panel Preferences
In this video you'll see how the Control Panel settings can be assigned and arranged differently for different applications. We'll look at Photoshop and SketchBook Pro specifically.
The Wacom Tablet Utility allows you to back up or restore custom preferences and settings. These preferences can be saved and then reapplied on different machines by using the Restore button. This tutorial will walk you through the required steps.
ExpressKeys keep you from having to always go back to the keyboard while you're drawing. You'll learn how to configure and work with them in this chapter.
ExpressKeys
This lesson explains why you might want to work with ExpressKeys and how to set them to suit your own particular workflow.
You can create specific ExpressKey setups for different applications, and in this video we'll look at defining ExpressKeys for Photoshop and SketchBook Pro.
ExpressKeys can also be combined to act as modifiers, providing more flexibility in the way they are assigned. You will learn how to do so in this video.
This chapter covers two very useful features, the Touch Ring and the Radial menu.
The Touch Ring and the Radial Menu
The functions of the Touch Ring can be adjusted individually for individual programs. In this lesson you will learn what features can be assigned to the Touch Ring and how you can customize it to take advantage of the latest features in Photoshop.
In this video you will learn more about the Radial menu and see how to add new functions to the menu in order to optimize your workflow. You'll also discover that you can create multiple levels of commands using submenus.
In Wacom MasterClass Vol. 1 you'll learn a whole host of techniques for image retouching and enhancement. You'll also see how to manage pictures efficiently with Lightroom or Aperture.
Wacom MasterClass Vol. 1 – Photography and Image Editing
In this workshop you'll learn beauty retouching from scratch. You'll see how to make adjustments using the Liquify filter; remove blemishes; retouch eyes, hair, and makeup; and more.
Beauty Retouching
Our original photograph was shot as a RAW file, which means that we can correct it before opening it in Photoshop. We can also adjust the contrast to produce a better starting image, as you'll see in this video.
The left eye on our model looks too small and too far away from the nose, producing an unbalanced appearance. The Liquify filter can correct this problem too, as shown in this video.
In this chapter we'll improve the model's appearance by removing blemishes with the Spot Healing tool, layers, and the Surface Blur filter.
Removing Skin Blemishes
The model has a beauty spot on her cheek that's worth preserving. But there are also several other moles on her body that we want to remove, and in this video you'll see how it's done.
Some imperfections, such as the veins in this image, aren't easy to remove with the Spot Healing tool. The best way to hide these is simply to change their color, and this video presents a quick technique for doing so.
The thick powder on the model's face is too prevalent to be removed using the Spot Healing tool. Applying a Surface Blur filter to the entire skin is a better solution, as you'll see in this video.
We'll further refine the appearance of our model in this chapter by retouching her hair, eyes, and lips and adding some color to her cheeks.
Eyes, Hair, and Makeup
The hair on our model seems to have been overlooked by the makeup artist. But we can improve its appearance with a little retouching, as you'll see in this video.
The eyes are the most important part of any portrait, and enhancing them improves the whole image. In this video we'll brighten the model's irises with the Dodge tool, boost the color of her eyes with the Sponge tool, and paint in longer eyelashes.
The lipstick was applied a little haphazardly on this model, and its color really doesn't suit her skin color. In this video we'll fix both of these problems, adding a Hard Light layer to improve the lips' definition.
In this chapter we'll make a couple of final adjustments to the image's background and color.
Finishing Touches
The bright white background in this portrait makes the model's edges look too harsh. In this video we'll add a glow on a new layer to soften the outline.
This workshop is devoted to optimizing architecture and landscape photos. You'll learn how to perform color and lens corrections, create panoramic images, use the Vanishing Point filter, and more.
Optimizing Your Architectural and Landscape Images
This chapter looks at correcting two common problems in architectural photography: the distortion caused by shooting from ground level and the blue cast caused by shooting at night.
Lens and Color Correction
Architectural photography is often about compromises. We can't manage the lighting, the elements of the scene, or often the angle of view. Fortunately, Photoshop can fix all of these for us.
When we photograph buildings we're most often taking the shots from ground level. This produces ugly distortion, but fortunately Photoshop has the tools to correct it, as you'll see in this video.
This chapter looks at Photoshop's tools for panoramic photography and at the very useful Vanishing Point filter.
Panoramas and the Vanishing Point Filter
Photoshop has an extraordinary ability to take a bunch of images and automatically turn them into a stunning panoramic shot. Of course, a little manual adjustment is often needed, as this video demonstrates.
This video looks at the Vanishing Point filter. Everyone who works with architectural photography needs to know how to use this filter, which is the single most useful tool for fixing architectural blemishes.
This workshop will bring you up to speed on the powerful image-editing capabilities of Photoshop CS5's Clone and Spot Healing tools. You'll also learn how to use multiple clone sources and the Clone Source panel.
Image Retouching with Photoshop's Cloning and Healing Tools
In Photoshop CS5, the Clone and Spot Healing tools combine to offer some truly remarkable image-editing capabilities. You'll get an idea of what they can do in this chapter.
Cloning and Healing
The Clone tool has long been a favorite of Photoshop retouchers. In CS5, it is complemented by the Spot Healing tool with Content-Aware capability, and the two tools together make a powerful combination.
The Spot Healing tool does a nearly perfect job of removing unwanted elements from images. As you'll see in this video, it can replicate not only simple textures, but also complicated backgrounds and even architectural elements.
Sometimes the Spot Healing tool on its own isn't enough. This video looks at the Clone tool, which can pick up where the Spot Healing tool can't quite make the grade.
What happens when we want to clone from a source that's not the same size as our intended location? Fortunately, the Clone Source panel can help, as you'll see in this video.
To give you an idea of what cloning and healing can accomplish in Photoshop, this video shows a final version of the image we've been working on with all the wires removed.
In this chapter you'll see how easy and useful it is to set up multiple clone sources in the Clone Source panel and then apply those sources to an image.
Using Multiple Clone Sources
The Clone Source panel gives us the ability to set up multiple clone sources and then switch between them with ease. In this video, we'll assign four different textures to four separate clone sources.
With all our textures set up, we can now apply those textures to the image. In this video we'll clone into a new layer above the sculpture, applying a different texture to every element.
In this workshop you'll learn the basics of Lightroom 3 and how it works in conjunction with the Wacom tablet. You'll see how Lightroom enables you to perform batch processing, make selective adjustments, remove spots, and more.
Lightroom Crash Course
In this video you'll be introduced to Lightroom, the batch image editor of choice for the professional photographer.
Lightroom enables you to perform a set of operations on an image – correcting color, tone, highlights, and shadows – and then copy those adjustments to all the other photographs in the same set. It's a major time-saver, as you'll see in this video.
You often need to adjust different parts of an image on different ways; for example, an adjustment that makes the ground look perfect can produce a very washed-out sky. In this video, you'll see how a graduated filter enables you to solve this problem.
Sometimes you need to apply an effect to a very specific part of an image. As this video demonstrates, Lightroom allows you to paint in these effects using a brush and then to edit and adjust them afterwards.
This video looks at spot removal in Lightroom, which is a curious process that involves defining a circular area to be patched and then specifying the source location for the patch. The end results, though, are worth the trouble.
There's much more to Lightroom than we can possibly cover in this brief overview. This video provides a quick rundown of the other tools that are available to you.
Apple Aperture is a powerful program that provides a comprehensive and stable environment in which to store, manage, and edit your photographs. In this quick course you'll get a taste of how it works and what it can do.
Aperture Crash Course
In this video you'll get a brief introduction to Aperture.
In this video you'll see how to import pictures directly from your camera into Aperture and place them in the location you choose. By default, each new import is a separate project.
Aperture lets you make as many adjustments as you like to a single image, then apply exactly those adjustments to as many other images as you choose. This video shows you how.
In addition to making global adjustments, Aperture lets you work selectively. In this video you'll see how to choose an adjustment and then brush it either into or out of the image.
This video demonstrates how Aperture handles multiple versions of the same image. Each variation is stored only as metadata, not as an entirely new image.
Aperture, like iPhoto, can recognize faces and sort images according to where they were taken. This video looks at these and other clever features Aperture offers to help you work more efficiently.
In Wacom MasterClass Vol. 2 you'll learn numerous techniques for drawing and painting with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Corel Painter.
Wacom MasterClass Vol. 2 – Digital Drawing, Painting, and Illustration
This workshop is all about digital drawing and painting in Photoshop. You'll learn about everything from setting up the workspace and sketching to drawing and coloring, and in the process create an entire illustration from scratch.
Drawing and Painting in Photoshop
In this course we're going to create a detailed illustration from scratch using Photoshop and the Wacom tablet. This chapter covers the preliminaries, from setting up the workplace and tablet to creating sketches and a value study.
Preliminaries
In this video, we'll get ready to work by creating a new file, setting its resolution, and choosing appropriate brush options.
In this video we'll choose which sketch we want to proceed with and delete the others. Then we'll create a value study to serve as a guide to how the lighting will work in the final image.
The star of this show is the character in the middle of the image. In this video we'll draw in all his details, from eyes, nose, and ears to hands, feet, and clothing.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of creating an illustration is adding the color – although the quality of the results will be improved by doing some less fun things like creating masks, as you'll see in this chapter.
Coloring
In this lesson we'll clean up the drawing in order to prepare it for coloring.
Before we get into the fun part of coloring, it's a good idea to create a couple masks that will be useful later in the process. That will be the focus of this lesson.
The overall color of the illustration looks good, but it could be improved by some attention to detail. In this lesson we'll use different blend modes to refine the coloring.
The final quality of the illustration can be enhanced by making a few last adjustments. In this video we'll decrease the intensity of some parts of the image with an adjustment layer and fine-tune the color balance.
In this workshop you'll follow along with digital artist Uli Staiger as he uses Photoshop techniques to create a breathtaking composition. In the process you'll learn about everything from 3D tools and blend modes to masking and layer adjustments.
Photo Illustration
In the first chapter of this workshop, we'll create the planetary surface that serves as the background of our composition. After importing some source images, we'll add the sky, the atmosphere, some clouds and their shadows, and finally the sun.
Creating the Planet
In this video, we'll look at the source images we'll be using to create the composition in this course. This is a good way for you to familiarize yourself with the materials you'll be working with.
We'll begin the process of creating our composition in this video by opening a file, copying the background layer, then deleting the original background. Then we'll transform the 2D image so it looks like part of a sphere.
If you are using Photoshop CS5 Extended, you have the option of using the 3D tools to create a 3D version of the planet that will be used in the composition. You'll see how it's done in this video.
When painting in Photoshop, it's important to be able to easily change the hardness of your brush tip. In this video you'll learn how to do this using the keys on the Wacom pen.
In this video we'll add clouds to our composition by importing an image of clouds, scaling and warping it, and then selectively erasing the unwanted blue background.
To look realistic, the clouds need to cast shadows on the surface. We'll make that happen in this video by using a clipping mask and a Levels adjustment with the Multiply blend mode and a Gaussian Blur filter.
The magnifying glass in this composition shows a magnified area on the planet's surface. In this chapter we'll create its structure – including the handle, base, and frame – from scratch using Photoshop tools.
Creating the Structure of the Magnifying Glass
In this video we'll begin the process of adding the magnifying glass by creating the handle. We'll start with a simple black rectangle, then paint a reflection on it to make it look more realistic.
A small but important detail is the base that connects the handle of the magnifying glass and the glass itself. In this video we'll add this piece and paint a reflection on it.
The last step in creating the structure of the magnifying glass is to add the round frame. We'll do so in this video by adding a black circle and masking out the parts we don't want.
In this chapter we'll add the part of the image that appears inside the magnifying glass. This includes a background and one or more windmill-style generators.
Creating the Image Inside the Magnifying Glass
In this video we'll create the background of the image that will appear within the magnifying glass, using two adjustment layers to add color and contrast.
The generator that will appear in the magnifying glass is constructed from three different source images. In this video we'll bring those images into the composition, assemble them to create the generator, and add a shadow.
To make the image inside the magnifying glass look as realistic as possible, we need to add some lens distortion. We'll accomplish that in this video by using a layer group mask with a Radial Blur filter.
To create a connection between the magnifying glass and the landscape underneath, in this video we will add some light from the glass and a shadow of the frame.
To put the finishing touches on our composition, in this video we'll use a Black and White adjustment layer to make it look less like a photograph and more like an illustration.
This workshop is devoted to working with the Wacom tablet in Illustrator. You'll learn lots of techniques for working with shapes, symbols, brushes, and pens.
Drawing in Illustrator
In this chapter you'll learn how to construct a human figure by creating, joining, customizing, and carving shapes using a variety of Illustrator tools in conjunction with the Wacom pen.
Building the Human Form
In this video you'll see how to best set up the Wacom control panel in Adobe Illustrator.
Symbols are a powerful tool in Illustrator, and you can use the free symbols included with the application as a starting point for your designs. In this video we'll start to build a human figure from these free symbols.
In this video we'll look at the Shape Builder tool. This tool lets you construct basic shapes using primitive circles, ellipses, and rectangles and then join them together by dragging your pen across them.
The Reshape tools can be used to reshape paths and customize shapes with your Wacom pen. In this video you'll try them out, using the Warp, Pucker, Bloat, and Wrinkle tools to give your artwork your own unique style.
The Eraser tool can be used with your Wacom pen to literally sculpt shapes, as you'll see in this video. You can also customize artwork by erasing portions of it with the eraser on your Wacom pen and use the Smooth tool to tidy up any bumps left behind.
This chapter looks at some tools that can help you do precise, detailed work on an image, including the Path Eraser, Blob Brush, and Symbol Sprayer tools as well as Isolation mode.
Editing Shapes and Adding Detail
There's no need to reinvent the wheel; you can often save time by copying and pasting elements from another image. This video shows you how, and also how to separate out just the elements you want.
This video looks at the amazing Blob Brush tool, which you can use to extend shapes, sculpt shapes, and intersect shapes with other shapes of the same color.
Isolation mode allows you to isolate objects so that you can easily select and edit particular objects or parts of objects, while automatically locking all other objects so that they are not affected by your changes. You'll see how it works in this video.
This video looks at the Symbol Sprayer, which you can use to add a large number of identical objects to the artwork at one time. Once they are created you can update them as a group or break them apart so they behave like ordinary objects.
Illustrator includes many different types of brushes that let you create a wide variety of effects in your images. You'll learn all about them in this chapter.
Outlining and Shading with Brushes
Calligraphic brushes make strokes like those drawn with the angled point of a calligraphic pen and are drawn along the center of the path. You can use the pressure and tilt sensitivity of your pen to adjust the brush's angle. This video shows you how.
Art brushes can be used to apply textured lines (such as inky lines) evenly along a path. They can give your artwork a more hand-drawn appearance, as shown in this video.
The Bristle brushes are a great addition and add a real natural media feel to your artwork in Illustrator. In this video you'll see how to create the look and feel of painting with a real paintbrush.
Wacom MasterClass Vol. 3 will take you on a tour of the 3D options in Photoshop and show you what you can do with the Wacom tablet in After Effects – some of which may surprise you.
Wacom MasterClass Vol. 3 – 3D and Motion Design
Photoshop's 3D options can be intimidating, but in this course you'll get started using them in just 20 minutes.
3D with Photoshop Crash Course
In this lesson we'll get started by opening a simple donut object. You'll learn how to move the object with the 3D tools and see the difference between moving the object and moving the camera.
You can create a new 3D object just by painting a 2D image – Photoshop uses the luminance information to build up a great landscape-like object! You'll see how it works in this video.
The Text tool and a path can both be used to create a repoussé object. In this video you'll see the various options to bevel the edges, inflate the surface, or change materials.
You can download thousands of 3D objects directly into Photoshop for free. The objects already have their materials, which of course can be changed easily, as you'll see in this video.
Materials matter! After learning the most important things about material textures, in this lesson you will see how to light an object, change the render settings, and render it!
You may be surprised to find out that the Wacom tablet can be very useful for working in After Effects. In this workshop you'll learn how to use painting tools and techniques in After Effects and how to use the tablet for motion capturing.
Motion Design with After Effects
You might think that there's not an awful lot you can do in After Effects with a Wacom tablet and pen. But you'd be wrong! This course explores all the exciting things you can do, beginning in this chapter with the basic paint functions.
Basic Paint Functions in After Effects
In this video we'll explore the After Effects Paint panel and have a quick look at all the functions available within it.
After Effects has a Brushes panel similar to Photoshop's. In this lesson you'll learn how to make the most of this panel by building up a library of commonly used brushes. You'll also see how you can apply brush dynamics with your Wacom pens.
In this lesson you'll learn how to set up specific settings for After Effects in your Wacom Control Panel, including pressure sensitivity, ExpressKeys, and mapping options.
This video will explain how brushstrokes appear as individual vector objects within After Effects layers. It will show you the properties available to you in the Timeline and guide you past a few gotchas relating to these vector-based brushstrokes.
This chapter explores advanced techniques for painting with the Wacom tablet and pen in After Effects. You'll learn how to work with the Clone, Rotobrush, and Eraser tools and how to apply effects like rotoscoping, animated handwriting, and stop motion.
Painting Techniques
Every application is different and has its own idiosyncrasies when it comes to drawing and painting. In this lesson you'll experiment with various brushes and settings so that you become comfortable painting in After Effects.
The Rotobrush is a fantastic tool that can separate areas of your image for transparency. In this tutorial you'll use the Rotobrush to select and delete a background from some moving footage so that it can be replaced with a new background.
Hand-painted reveals can produce really nice, organic-looking animations. In this tutorial you'll learn how to create reveals over time using the Eraser tool.
In this tutorial you'll learn how to adjust the cloning options to paint with an aligned brush, create additional background elements with a non-aligned brush, and clean up brushstrokes the Eraser tool. We'll also look at the Eraser tool's various modes.
Rotoscoping is the process of painting on top of video frames. It is usually used to add a more hand-drawn or animated look to video footage. In this video you'll pick up some valuable, time-saving techniques to apply when rotoscoping.
There are ways of faking a stop-motion look without going through the painful process of drawing every single frame. In this video you'll see how you can animate brushstrokes to create a stop-motion look in no time at all!
The Wacom tablet has some very powerful capabilities for motion capturing, and this chapter explores the tools and techniques involved.
Using the Wacom Tablet as a Motion Capture Device
The Motion Sketch panel is an often-overlooked and underappreciated feature of After Effects. In this video you'll see how this panel can be used in conjunction with your Wacom tablet to capture motion and apply it to animated elements in your design.
In this video you'll see how to capture writing on the screen and apply it to effects using Motion Sketch. You'll also be introduced to expressions, which can be used to link properties together.
When used with your Wacom pen, the Puppet tool can capture much more subtle motion than you could get with a mouse. In this tutorial you'll see how lifelike your animation can be when controlled by pen gestures.
In this lesson you'll be encouraged to think outside the box and come up with madcap, creative ideas for ways to use your pen and tablet to capture motion!
SketchBook Pro is an easy-to-use painting and drawing program that enables you to quickly create elaborate illustrations and artwork. In this workshop you'll learn how to set up and use SketchBook Pro, with an emphasis on working with the Wacom tablet.
SketchBook Pro Crash Course
Before you get started working in SketchBook Pro, there are a few things you need to know about how it works and a few settings you may want to change. This chapter looks at SketchBook's preferences and Lagoon, as well as the Wacom Control Panel.
Setting Everything Up
In this video we'll have a look at the SketchBook Pro preferences and what you need to know about them.
The main navigation method suggested in SketchBook Pro is the Lagoon. In this lesson you'll see how to use it, and also why you might sometimes not want to use it.
This video looks at the Wacom Control Panel and how to set it up. You'll get some ideas of things you might want to change, like the contents of the Radial menu and the ExpressKeys.
Before using polysculpting tools, we need to turn our sketch sphere model into a polygon mesh with the Unified Skin panel. This is a simple process, as you'll see in this video.