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How Did You Really Learn Paint Shop Pro?

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Damaeus

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Jul 29, 2004, 6:05:55 AM7/29/04
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I've been spending time working through some tutorials and while I have
picked up on a few tricks through the use of layers, how do you really good
"graphic artists" know which tools to use to get various effects? And I'm
not talking about preset effects like Blinds or Mosaic to get something to
look like blinds or mosaic. But there are certain effects which are
achieved by a combination of effects, filters and different layer blending
modes, and various settings in each of them. How do you guys learn
precisely which effects to use -- what settings within each effects option
panel? How about the various blend modes? Do you know the program so well
that you can visualize an image, the instantly jump in and knock it out in
fifteen minutes? Or do you have to sit and experiment for three hours
before finally pumping out something that isn't exactly what you wanted,
but close enough?

Thanks,
Damaeus

Michelle

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Jul 29, 2004, 2:56:56 PM7/29/04
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>Subject: How Did You Really Learn Paint Shop Pro?
>From: Damaeus

I don't consider myself a graphic artist, but I've learned so much by reading
the messages here (at first) and now in the Jasc forum. Even if the subject
didn't interest me, I'd read anyway and often learned new tricks and tips and
things I never even thought I could do with PSP. I have also learned from
tutorials on the web.

I also learn by experimenting, clicking everything I can, trying all of the
effects at different settings. The unlimited undo is a great thing :-).

Also, running different scripts, particularly the interactive ones is a good
way to learn stuff because you can watch what they do while it's running.

Sometimes, I can do what I want fairly quickly, other times, it does take me a
while. If I get stuck, I also like knowing that I can ask questions at the
Jasc forum and count on getting a good answer.

Michelle ;-)

Michelles Paint Shop Pro & More!
http://members.aol.com/Mish234/index.html
Original tubes, links to PSP sites, fonts, clip art, wavs and other fun stuff!
Come visit my new fractal gallery if you're bored ;-)

Chuck

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Jul 29, 2004, 5:09:01 PM7/29/04
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"Damaeus" <no-...@hotmail.invalid.net> wrote in message
news:bcihg09v1mnnam65e...@4ax.com...

I hated PSP when I first tried it . . . but you learn and gain experience by
doing.

So . . . keep doing and then when you need to do something you can't do . .
. then you go find out how to do it and then do it.

As far as being an artist . . . you know the old saying, "beauty is in the
eye of the beholder." Make what you like and like what you make and don't
mind what others say . . . that's being an artist.

Now, if you want to try to make people happy with your work . . . let me
know when you figure that one out!

--
Chuck


Kiri

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Jul 29, 2004, 1:22:29 PM7/29/04
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You will find there is more than one way of achieving a certain goal, most
of the time.
Personally, I spend a bit more than three hours figuring out how to do
things that to others (in the newsgroup mainly) seemed so obvious.
After learning the main parts of the program, I tried to solve every single
problem presented here, my way.
Reading the answers to those problems helps A LOT!
There are lots of tutorials on the internet ( google "PSP tutorial" )
But most importantly, once you think you know it all, there's another person
that will ask something you haven't even heard of! :-)
(I find myself looking at pictures and seeing filters & settings without any
pc in the neighbourhood, people call me strange sometimes!)
There's the undo function (CTRL-Z on the keyboard) which in fact means that
you cannot do anything wrong.
So, experiment, practice, be patient, and have lots of fun in the process.
Oh yes, don't forget to eat and sleep!

Kiri

"Damaeus" <no-...@hotmail.invalid.net> schreef in bericht
news:bcihg09v1mnnam65e...@4ax.com...

JP Kabala

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Jul 29, 2004, 7:44:35 PM7/29/04
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Trial and error, reading every book I could get my hands on,
trolling the web for tutorials, asking lots of questions and
lots and lots of experimentation.

Of course, it helped that I'd had formal classroom (hands-on and
lecture) training in Adobe and Corel products, and traditional
art education and that I actually LIKE learning new software.

But I read EVERYTHING I can get my hands on-- from software
manuals to books and magazines on traditional painting and
illustration techniques to typography, photography, color theory,
artistic criticism, etc....Right now, on my desk, I have 3 PSP books,
4 Photoshop books, one on life drawing, one on oil painting techniques,
a watercolor magazine, a book on corporate branding and logos,
an Art Deco coffee table book, a book on Victorian costume
and one on Egyptian art.

"Damaeus" <no-...@hotmail.invalid.net> wrote in message
news:bcihg09v1mnnam65e...@4ax.com...

fugitive

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Jul 29, 2004, 10:15:08 PM7/29/04
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A human can do anything, if they work at it enough. That's how I
learned it. By following this group for 5 yrs, and reading anything,
that seemed pert inate. I still read it, but don't need it as much.
It's a good place to start, but the real Jasc PSP Forum, since it
accepts, image posting, works better, and you can get an answer,
within, minutes. That's a good way to go. Reading, and studying,
what's on the web, (a lot) will help also.

Uni

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Jul 30, 2004, 1:45:20 AM7/30/04
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fugitive <greg...@earthlink.net> greg...@earthlink.net 29 Jul 2004 wrote in
news:5fbjg09i7q3or2otj...@4ax.com:

From who, other amateurs?

:-)

Uni

Hecete

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Jul 30, 2004, 2:12:44 AM7/30/04
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in article 5fbjg09i7q3or2otj...@4ax.com, fugitive at

greg...@earthlink.net wrote on 07/29/2004 7:15 PM:

> On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 10:05:55 GMT, Damaeus
> <no-...@hotmail.invalid.net> wrote:
>
>> I've been spending time working through some tutorials and while I have
>> picked up on a few tricks through the use of layers, how do you really good
>> "graphic artists" know which tools to use to get various effects? And I'm
>> not talking about preset effects like Blinds or Mosaic to get something to
>> look like blinds or mosaic. But there are certain effects which are
>> achieved by a combination of effects, filters and different layer blending
>> modes, and various settings in each of them. How do you guys learn
>> precisely which effects to use -- what settings within each effects option
>> panel? How about the various blend modes? Do you know the program so well
>> that you can visualize an image, the instantly jump in and knock it out in
>> fifteen minutes? Or do you have to sit and experiment for three hours
>> before finally pumping out something that isn't exactly what you wanted,
>> but close enough?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Damaeus
>
>
> A human can do anything, if they work at it enough. That's how I
> learned it.


You take other people art and smudge it, so it can't be too hard to do.


false_dmitrii

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Jul 30, 2004, 4:41:32 PM7/30/04
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"Chuck" <yada...@blah.blah> wrote in message news:<36qdnYM3mOH...@comcast.com>...

<snip>



> So . . . keep doing and then when you need to do something you can't do . .
> . then you go find out how to do it and then do it.

This is pretty close to how I've been learning the program. Start
with the understanding that with enough skill, a person can accomplish
*any* image with the available tools. Then scale back according to
your own drawing talent and filter prowess. From this starting point,
set out to complete whatever image suits your fancy. Don't give up
when you hit a wall--that's where learning kicks in. :) Try every
method you know is available, then see what alternatives the
extraordinarily generous online community can offer. Every image you
complete will increase the number of tools and methods you bring to
the next one.

It's not always the best way to learn. There are techniques such as
channel manipulation I would never have considered prior to reading
Katrin Eismann's book on retouching. I keep moving between selection
techniques (I've finally taken to masks as the best way to isolate
areas; if only Jasc would add multiple-layer filtering....). And
there's always the nagging feeling I've skipped over very important
knowledge foundations. But the results keep improving, so I'll stick
with my approach for the present. :)

> As far as being an artist . . . you know the old saying, "beauty is in the
> eye of the beholder." Make what you like and like what you make and don't
> mind what others say . . . that's being an artist.

Agreed here as well. PSP caught my attention because even at the
outset, I was producing better images than I could ever hope to
accomplish by hand. ***So*** much more control than "MS Paint"-style
programs...I had no idea. :)

Still brushing up,
false_dmitrii

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