Notes: ART 251

Watch the video links below and use your file to practice what you learn in the videos
- If you want to save the practice work, use Save As after each Video so you don't overwrite your original practice file

A dobe Photoshop CS6 Shape Layers: Combining Shapes

Adobe Photoshop Substract

Adobe Photoshop Shape path opertions

Set up Your Workspace like a Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewgSApe-oeULinks to an external site.

Draw and edit shapes

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/photoshop/using/drawing-shapes.htmlLinks to an external site.

After completing these two activities, click the Next Button to go to Learning Activity 3.

Click this link to watch a video on:Overview of the Color Picker

After watching this video you should know:

how to toggle the foreground and background colors at the bottom of the Tool Palette
why there are 5 choices for identifying color
how to add a color to your Swatch library
how to access the Color library

How to Make Custom Shapes in Photoshop

Create different vector shapes from the rectangle tool to the polygon tool.

Adjust the fill and stroke for each vector shape

Create your own custom shape

EXPLORE the following artists for ideas in creating vector art using Photoshop:

Sebastian Feraut - Behance portfolio

Sebastian Feraut - talks about his daily routine (some good examples of graphic characters - similar to making a mask)

Wk 3

September 7, 2026

Blending Modes are used to blend the contents of one layer with the layer or layers below it. Clicking on Normal in the Layers Palette produces a drop down menu of all the possible blending modes:

Blend Modes: STOP the video at :10 (seconds) in to see a time code associated with each Blend Mode. Decide which Blend Mode you would like to learn and go to that portion of the video. If you like, you can watch the entire video and see all 27 Blend Modes!

Photo Filters

Layer Styles

Project 1: Narrow Your Topic

By coming to this Discussion, it means you have selected a topic and narrowed the focus by

using a personal experience as a launching point
or describing a brief story or scenario that makes people "feel" something

DIRECTIONS

Write a brief description of your Topic in the entry space below
Click Submit
Then give feedback to at least 1 other peer about their Topic.

- - Think about: Is their topic too general or is it specific?
  - Ex. Growth vs. How I grew as a person through the hardship of being homeless.
- Describe how you relate to their specific topic or
- Make a suggestion on how they can be more specific.

Wk 4

September 14, 2026

art-251-wk-4-1

art-251-wk-4-2

https://www.adobe.com/learn/photoshop/web/selection-tools-basics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgYKKcx4Bhk

https://www.adobe.com/learn/photoshop/web/make-precise-selections-in-select-mask

https://phlearn.com/tutorial/use-select-mask-photoshop/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJ-JmnwcF8

https://www.adobe.com/learn/photoshop/web/combine-image-layer-mask

https://www.adobe.com/learn/photoshop/web/compositing

art-251-wk-4-3

https://www.theartstory.org/definition/photomontage/

https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/art/best-collage-artists-portfolio-inspiration

Selections (MLO#4)

PURPOSE

Work with the file 'Ex. 4-Potato-head-selections.psd' and explore Photoshop’s selection tools to create your own Mr. Potato Head image.

Techniques Used

Layers
Selection Tools
Transform commands

DIRECTIONS

Download this Photoshop file: Ex.4-Potato-Head-selections.psd Download Ex.4-Potato-Head-selections.psd
Create selections out of the objects on the base layer
Cut each object out of the base layer and paste it into its own Photoshop layer*
Place object in a manner that creates a new Potato Head (Transform the objects if you desire)**
Save your file as: YourLastName-Ex4.psd

Critique 1: Project 1 Drafts

PURPOSE

To present your idea for Project 1 and receive feedback from your peers. Then contribute constructive feedback to your peers about their ideas. Think of this as an online brainstorming session.

DIRECTIONS

Post three rough drafts to this discussion post in the entry space below.
- In your post, provide a brief description of your topic/idea
- Provide a brief description of each of the three drafts.
- Please see this linkLinks to an external site. for questions on uploading your image to a Canvas discussion board.