Adobe Master Class

In Bret Malley’s world, a father is suspended in the air among his baby’s collection of toys . . . a big-box store and parking lot can be transformed into a scene of reclaimed nature . . . and an ordinary person can sculpt fire with his bare hands. And in Adobe Master Class: Advanced Compositing in Photoshop, Bret shares the techniques he uses to elevate an image from the everyday to the extraordinary, showing you how to make seemingly impossible scenarios come to life.

Starting with an overview of the Adobe Photoshop interface that focuses on the hidden tools you need to know to create stunning composite imagery, this fun yet informative guide walks through all the necessary stages–from the first planning sketches to the final finishing touches–of making all kinds of unique creations. Beyond the orientation of tools, layers, adjustments and more, Bret uses step-by-step tutorials to break down a wide variety of his Photoshop artworks. Additional detailed project walkthroughs offer tips on everything from creating a superhuman to compositing an epic fantasy landscape. And interviews and spreads featuring various established and emerging artists provide a range of inspirational imagery, creative insight, and professional know-how.

• Features an engaging, writing style that makes learning advanced Photoshop techniques fun

• Provides detailed, step-by-step examples, walking through complex compositing projects from start to finish

• Includes “Visual Masters” spreads that highlight beautiful and innovative work by current digital artists to inspire you to bring what’s in your imagination–the wildly impossible–to reality

• Includes access to downloadable resource files so you can work through the projects along with the author

Bret Malley is an award-winning digital artist and full-time college instructor living in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Erin, and new baby boy, Kellen. He has an MFA in Computer Art from Syracuse University and teaches photography, design, and Adobe Photoshop to university and college students of all levels and backgrounds. As a computer artist, he is crazy about digital tools and art-making of all kinds, and especially enjoys working in Photoshop, his ultimate favorite of all applications.