right now, we're going to get into blending modes. Blending modes is a menu you're gonna find in many areas of federal shop. The primary area that you see it is at the top of your layers panel, where if you have multiple layers in your document, whichever layer you have active, you can find a menu at the top that usually says normal and has a long list of choices. You'll find the same menu when used a paint brush tool and many other tools. And if we can get you a general understanding of that menu, then you're gonna be able to do a lot more and Photoshopped. So let's jump right into photo shop and get started. So I'm gonna create a brand new empty layer here. So click on the new layer icon at the bottom of my layers panel, and I'll choose a paint brush tool and with a soft edged brush, I'm just gonna paint on my image. Just have something to work with. Then I'll go to the top of my layers panel, and that's where you gonna find the blending mode menu. That menu will be great out if you'...

re working on the background layer because that menu determines how the layer you're working on is going to blend in with the layers that are below it, and you can't have any layers below the background, so it doesn't appear when the background layer is active. But when you have a layer above, then it should be active. I click here and we get this long list of choices. Well, that list, if you take a look at it, is divided up into various sections. You see those horizontal lines that break it up well, The reason why it does that is because each blending mode that is found within a section is they're all related to each other. They have some common qualities, and it's more important to understand the common qualities of each section than it is to understand the individual choices found within a section. Because if you understand the way one works, then you will find that the others are just variations on that theme, and therefore, if one choice in a particular category would be useful, you can probably try all the choices that are in there for the same type of a purpose. So at the very top. We have normal mode in a normal mode. There's nothing special done to cause the layer you currently working on to blend with the layer that's underneath nothing special. So that's what every layer starts out as below that is a choice called dissolve. It's not one that he used very often, but let's take a look at it in dissolve mode. The contents of the current layer can either be completely opaque, meaning that you cannot see through it at all or could be completely transparent, meaning missing or gone. You can't have anything that's partially transparent. You might call that translucent. So if there's anything you can partially see through, that area is going to change when we change it to dissolve mode. So take a look at the paint you can see just near the right edge my screen and notice that the edge of it has a soft edge where it slowly fades out than in that fadeout region. You can start seeing through it more and more and more well. That's where dissolved mode is going to kick in and let's see what happens when I change it to dissolve. Now it's still trying to simulate that edge fading out, but it's doing it by to see here, Frank Zoom where I need to, but it's doing it by using solid pixels. Here we go, and that's dissolving out, and you can paint when it's in that mode. You might want to try lowering the opacity of your brush because that should make it to your brushes. See through. And then when you paint, you're gonna find it has a dissolved appearance. Now the problem with this is that I might like that dissolved appearance for certain things. But it's a temporary function of that layer. I can't do things like, for instance, blur that and have those little specks take on a soft edge because all blurring does to the contents of a layer like this one is it would cause that fade out to be more gradual, that's there, and then dissolved mode would kick in right afterwards and make it look like this. I wouldn't be able to get a soft appearance, so let me show you how I could make this a little more usable. What I'm gonna do here is I'm gonna create a brand new empty layer by clicking on the new layer icon. And then I get a position that layer below the one that's in dissolved mode. I'll click on the one that's in dissolved mode, and now what I'm going to do is choose merge down. If I choose merge down, the contents of the current layer are going to be deposited on the layer below. The layer below is in normal mode. That's how all layers began. And so it's going to attempt to retain this visual look but doing it in normal mode. And so what that's gonna end up doing to this layer is any areas that have been temporarily hidden because we're in dissolved mode will actually be thrown away. And so let's try it out. I'll go to the layer menu. I'm gonna choose merge down, and now, if you look at my Layers panel, we still have the same appearance in my document. But this layer is now in normal mode, and that means there's nothing special causing it to have this effect. That effect is native to the layer now in, so I could come appear to my filter menu, for instance, maybe do a little motion blur and get a different look in my image. Now. You might not having a great idea of when you would want that, because all I did was paint on a layer. But what I might be doing instead, I'll throw that layer away is that might be using the text tool to put some text on my image. And here I'll be creative and use just the default text. Then I could go to the bottom of my layers panel, click on the letters F X and add something like maybe an outer glow, which would create a glowy thing behind this. Bring my opacity up. I'll bring up the size. She'll make it fade out a bit and that type of stuff click. OK, well, what if I take that glowy thing that represents the shape of this text? I can somehow get it into dissolve mode, so it looks like little speckles, so it'll look different. And if I merge it into an empty layer, then I'm able to do things like apply filters to it. Maybe that little motion blur, So then I can create a glow around my tax that looks quite different than normal. it has texture to it now. It's not as easy to do that as you might think, because this is a setting attached to a layer. But I can go to the layer menu and there's a choice in there called layer style and right there is my outer glow. If I chose that, I would go into the settings I was just using to, um, create that outer glow. But what I'm gonna do in here is there is a choice called create layer. And what that means is take any effects that are attached to this layer. It could be a drop shadow. Could be an outer glow. Could be anything that you've added from that FX menu at the bottom of your layers panel and watch what happens in my layers panel when I choose, create layer instead of being a setting attached to this layer, where you can see it over there with an eyeball that says Outer glow. When I choose create layer, it becomes its own independence layer, and so, therefore, because its own layer, I can now change its blending mode, and I might choose to use something like dissolve. So now I have that glow around my text that looks a bit different. I can further modify it by running a filter, maybe a blur it. Or maybe I come down and distort it using something like Ripple. In this case, I think the ripples a little too Ah, basic. So let's go for a motion blur instead. Oh, it's still in dissolve mint. I was wondering why it wasn't looking right. I got the A fact onto its own layer. I set it to dissolve, but its remaining in dissolved Modi did not do the final little trick we needed to dio. Then that was gonna create a brand new empty layer, put it underneath it and then merge that down. That's what got it to be in a normal layer. So let's go to the layer menu. Choose. Merge down its wondering why, like Ripple didn't really have a visual effect. Well, I need to have that layer in normal mode, and that's how I could get it that way. Now it can come here and try something. Let's see if Ripple actually produces ah result. Yes, it gave me, um, or randomised edge. Or I could come up and motion blur to get a completely different look. So on occasion, I find that choice of dissolve to be useful mainly when I want a speckled appearance to something. So I lower the opacity of something so you could usually see through it. But in dissolved node, it won't be able to be ableto BC through instead of will be defused these little specks. Ah, and then I just have to merge it into an empty layer so that I can further enhance it. Eso that's dissolved mode, not a mode that I use every day.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Lessons 1 - 6 - Handbook 1: Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

Lessons 7 - 12 - Handbook 2: How to Use Camera Raw

Lessons 13 - 18 - Handbook 3: Making Selections

Lessons 19 - 24 - Handbook 4: Using Layers

Lessons 25 - 30 - Handbook 5: Using Layer Masks

Lessons 31 - 38 - Handbook 6: Using Adjustment Layers

Lessons 39 - 44 - Handbook 7: Color Theory

Lessons 45 - 51 - Handbook 8: Retouching Essentials

Lessons 52 - 59 - Handbook 9: Tools Panel

Lessons 60 - 64 - Handbook 10: Layer Blending Modes

Lessons 65 - 70 - Handbook 11: How to Use Filters

Lessons 71 - 74 - Handbook 12: Advanced Masks

Lessons 75 - 81 - Handbook 13: Using Smart Objects

Lessons 82 - 86 - Handbook 14: Photography for Photoshop

Lessons 87 - 93 - Handbook 15: Advanced Photo Retouching

Lessons 94 - 98 - Handbook 16: Warp, Blend, Liquify

Lessons 99 - 105 - Handbook 17: Advanced Layers

Lessons 106 - 112 - Handbook 18: Actions

Lessons 113 - 117 - Handbook 19: Troubleshooting Issues

Practice Images 1: Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

Practice Images 2: How to Use Camera Raw

Practice Images 3: Making Selections

Practice Images 4: Using Layers

Practice Images 5: Using Layer Masks

Practice Images 6: Using Adjustment Layers

Practice Images 7: Color Theory

Practice Images 8: Retouching Essentials

Practice Images 9: Tools Panel

Practice Images 10: Layer Blending Modes

Practice Images 11: How to Use Filters

Practice Images 12: Advanced Masks

Practice Images 13: Using Smart Objects

Practice Images 14: Photography for Photoshop

Practice Images 15: Advanced Photo Retouching

Practice Images 16: Warp, Blend, Liquify

Practice Images 17: Advanced Layers

Practice Images 18: Actions

Practice Images 19: Troubleshooting Issues

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Ben Willmore

As a photographer, Ben Willmore has shot in all 50 states and explored over 80 countries. He has been pushing Photoshop and Lightroom Classic to their limits since the beginning.

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topics covered in this class

Adobe Photoshop Beginner Fundamentals Photo Editing

Ratings and Reviews

Noel Ice

I am an avid reader of photoshop books, and an avid watcher of photoshop tutorials. I have attended (internet) several hundred of presentations. In the course of this endeavor, I have found my own favorite photoshop websites and instructors. Creative Live is probably the bargain out there as well as among the top three internet course sites. I have to say with great enthusiasm that the best Photoshop instructor is Ben Willmore. There are many great ones, but truly, he is the best I have come across, and, as indicated above, I have watched literally 100s of tutorials on Photoshop. I have seen all of Ben's courses, I think, and among them, this one is the best by far, and that is saying a lot, because that makes this course the best course on Photoshop to be found anywhere. I am going back and watching it twice. Not only is it comprehensive, but Ben is so familiar with his subject that he is able to explain it like no other. This is crème de la crème of Photoshop classes. I have been wanting to write this review for some time because I have been so thoroughly impressed with everything about this class!

ford smith

Highly recommended if you want to take your Photoshop skills to the next level. Ben Willmore is clear, concise, and professional. He also has a good speaking voice that is not distracting but also keeps you engaged. Lastly, I would recommend that as you become more advanced, increasing the speed of the video (one of the options given on the menu)...especially if you've gone through the course once before and maybe want to watch it again. The double speed is very efficient as you become more advanced in Photoshop. Thanks for the help Ben!

a Creativelive Student

Wow. I cannot communicate the value of this course!! The true value in this course is how the instructor identifies workflows you'll need before you'll ever realize it, repeats important information without it becoming annoying, and explains the "why" behind the techniques so well that even if you forget the exact method, you can figure it out via the principles learned. Excellent value, excellent material, excellent instructor!!!

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Dissolve Mode

Dissolve Mode

Lesson Info

61. Dissolve Mode

Lessons

Introduction To Adobe Photoshop

Bridge vs. Lightroom

Tour of Photoshop Interface

Overview of Bridge Workspace

Overview of Lightroom Workspace

Lightroom Preferences - Saving Documents

How To Use Camera Raw in Adobe Photoshop 2020

Overview of Basic Adjustment Sliders

Developing Raw Images

Editing with the Effects and HLS Tabs

How to Save Images

Using the Transform Tool

Making Selections in Adobe Photoshop 2020

Selection Tools

Combining Selection Tools

Using Automated Selection Tools

Quick Mask Mode

Select Menu Essentials

Using Layers in Adobe Photoshop 2020

Align Active Layers

Creating a New Layer

Creating a Clipping Mask

Using Effects on Layers

Using Adjustment Layers

Using the Shape Tool

Create a Layer Mask Using the Selection Tool

Masking Multiple Images Together

Using Layer Masks to Remove People

Using Layer Masks to Replace Sky

Adding Texture to Images

Layering to Create Realistic Depth

Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop 2020

Optimizing Grayscale with Levels

Adjusting Levels with a Histogram

Understanding Curves

Editing an Image Using Curves

Editing with Shadows/Highlights Adjustment

Dodge and Burn Using Quick Mask Mode

Editing with Blending Modes

Color Theory

Curves for Color

Hue and Saturation Adjustments

Isolating Colors Using Hue/Saturation Adjustment

Match Colors Using Numbers

Adjusting Skin Tones

Retouching Essentials In Adobe Camera Raw

Retouching with the Spot Healing Brush

Retouching with the Clone Stamp

Retouching with the Healing Brush

Retouching Using Multiple Retouching Tools

Extending an Edge with Content Aware

Clone Between Documents

Crop Tool

Frame Tool

Eye Dropper and Color Sampler Tools

Paint Brush Tools

History Brush Tool

Eraser and Gradient Tools

Brush Flow and Opacity Settings

Blur and Shape Tools

Dissolve Mode

Multiply Mode

Screen Mode

Hard Light Mode

Hue, Saturation, and Color Modes

Smart Filters

High Pass Filter

Blur Filter

Filter Gallery

Adaptive Wide Angle Filter

Combing Filters and Features

Select and Mask

Manually Select and Mask

Creating a Clean Background