| Photoshop® Secrets of the Pros™ 20 Top Artists and Designers Face Off by Mark Clarkson Softcover – 278 Pages (2004) SYBEX Inc. Publishers; Alameda, Calif. ISBN: 0-7821-4191-9 book review by Rolando Gomez |
Photoshop® Secrets includes a CD-ROM filled with 100, original, high-resolution copies of the images used in the “Photoshop® Tennis Matches” explained and illustrated throughout this book. The CD also includes trial versions of Adobe Illustrator, Flash MX 2004, Macromedia FreeHand and Signwave Auto-Illustrator. The book starts out by outlining the history and rules of Photoshop® Tennis and it composed of ten actual matches. Each match is between two creatives, whose backgrounds and mini-biographies are illustrated before the match—each match is its own chapter in the book and is thoroughly illustrated. It is not a typical “how to” book, it’s a book based on observation of how things are done between creatives while working with Photoshop®. The author places you in the stands as you are the spectator of digital “volleys” of artistic collaborations between professionals, as each professional Photoshop artist tries to outdo the other in a timed-like sports event. The author takes you into the thoughts of each participant per match and volley, explaining in an interview like process what went into each volley and how it was accomplished and why the creative chose a particular method or process. Each Photoshop® Tennis match takes place between two participants, or Photoshop® experts, that trade images back and forth. One participant starts out with an image, volleys it to the other participant, and they build upon the last change of the composite or collage that continues to develop as the rapid-fire match progresses. These matches bring together “talented, creative people in a collision of differing tastes, tools, backgrounds and expectations. Pitting men against women, web designers against illustrators, Holland against New York,” all done via today’s technological networks. The reader learns from this book by gathering an understanding of the individual participants, their thought processes in the manipulation of the image and an explanation of the final result. The book is not specific to any version of Photoshop, but the matches are typically 10 volleys, 5 per player. The players can import images or graphics from other software products such as Maya, 3DS Max, and Lightwave 3D. Normally the two participants will layout ground rules specific to their match before they start, and each match is only limited by the amount of creative possibilities, which are typically endless. The participants are seasoned veterans who know to be successful in Photoshop Tennis™ you must stick to the basics tools and adjustments, such as the brush, eraser, multiply and screen blending modes, layer masks, hue and saturation, levels and transformation options. The process is based on the fundamentals of Photoshop®, not the latest and greatest bells and whistles. Overall the Photoshop® Secrets from the Pros™ is designed to teach you by observing, and with the accompanying CD the reader can recreate their observations first-hand, learning by trying to mimic the matches and the thought process of the participants. And like most tennis or sports matches, you’ll find yourself in the action and actually feeling the pressure of the clock, learning how to make split-second creative decisions that will produce top-talent style results. While Photoshop® Secrets is based on design and illustration techniques, any photographer wanting to add that extra edge to their images or Photoshop® presentations will certainly benefit by reading this book and applying what they’ve learned in their Photoshop® workflow environment. To add this book to your must read list, click here: If you would like your book reviewed and placed on Garage Glamour™ contact Rolando at rolando@garageglamour.com |
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