Help with Photoshopping

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 8

I've tried searching the forums and haven't had any luck.

Can any of you expert photochoppers out there provide any advice on learning the art of photoshopping (if possible, without having to take any "real" classes in art or graphic design)? Aside from being able to produce some high quality images for baiting, these skills would also be really helpful for me at work. Considering my moniker, I think I'm up for the challenge. I managed to teach myself a hell of a lot about photography, and it has paid off in getting me ahead at work. My boss is really pushing me to be the graphics guru despite my complete lack of training (maybe my boss is baiting me? Laughing

).

I've been trying to learn from some of the tutorials I've found online. However, most have been good at teaching how to create a very specific effect but haven't been comprehensive in mastering Photoshop. I have access to the latest full/professional versions of Photoshop and Corel Draw. We do a small but reasonable amount of graphics work, so no one really has a clue how to use the software to anywhere near its full potential. My boss is willing to buy any other software or hardware that's necessary if I don't waste the money by bitching out later.

Most of the graphics work I run across in my line of work does not appear to be hand-drawn and then scanned (which is the only way that I would be able to make anything of similar quality). I've seen reference in some of the tutorials to some sort of tablet hardware that makes creating graphics much easier. Would this be worth buying? I have trouble drawing anything with a mouse that anyone not in kindergarten would be proud of.

Any help would be appreciated, otherwise it looks like I'll be looking into taking some classes in computer art. I've gotten pretty good with Corel Draw so that in baiting terms I can produce authentic looking forms and documents, but I'm having trouble taking it to the next level with creating and altering images.

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:22 am

As a seasoned "Chopper" (I am trying to coin that term), I would have to say there are five essential things you will need to learn when using Photoshop to bait:

1.) Selecting (Magic Wand, Magnetic Lasso, etc.)
2.) Editing (Cloning, Layer Mask, Transforming etc.)
3.) Effects (Curves, Contrast, etc.)
4.) Filters (Blurs and Lighting filters)
5.) Blending

Look up these five general areas and you'll be a decent "Chopper" in no time.

This is isn't against you, but a lot of new baiters read Shiver's baits and think that because he convinced a lad that squirrels really like wooden busts of his head using Photoshop and that he uses Photoshop in a lot of his other baits, that is a necessary baiting tool. I should let you know, chopping a pic is only useful for making your bait more convincing, a bait lubricant if you will. however, it is quite possible to bait without it.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 8

No offense taken. Although I did get a good laugh out of the pic of the squirrel laying next to the chewed out bust. At this point in time, I don't think I would want to take that much time to make an image just for a bait. Unless I am mistaken, Shiver probably spent a substantial amount of time in creating that image. However, I would like to be able to make images better than what I am currently capable of making for baiting, and I have the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by gaining skills that I can use at work too.

Thanks for your shortlist on the essential tools of photochopping, Ex.

Edit: Just for the record, I agree. Most of my favorite baits did not use any photochopping at all.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 2

Photoshop is a professional tool for graphic and design. Without a basic knowledge you cannot start with it. Maybe I can help you if you describe what you really want or post some photos you need to modify on this thread. Yes, I am an expert in graphic and design.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

A graphics tablet would be a good purchase if you were a good artist using paper but is of limited utility if, like me, you draw only slightly better than kindergarten level using a pencil.

The best way to get better is to practise. Get yourself a selection of pictures and play with them.

Remove the tree growing out of Aunt Bertha's head
Change the colour of someone's eyes
Take things out of one picture and add them to another
Take something out of a picture and restore the background behind it

Generally the various filters and gradients can be used to create graphics effects that you might assume had been drawn. Here's a simple example:

The other trick that is useful in baiting is producing a picture that looks like a piece of paper, for example

No artistic ability required, just time spent playing with various effects.