Welcome to Photoshop! This first section will help you get comfortable with the basics of the program so that you have a strong foundation before moving into more advanced editing and creative projects.
Throughout this course, you’ll build a complete set of Photoshop skills that take you from the basics to advanced creative editing.
Core Photoshop Tools – navigating the workspace, layers, selections, and masks.
Object Removal – removing unwanted elements cleanly with the Clone Stamp, Healing Brush, and new AI-powered tools.
Adding & Combining Elements – using Smart Objects, gradients, double exposure, and blending modes to build creative composites.
Blending & Effects – applying techniques like Blend If, lens blur, shadows, highlights, reflections, and realistic light rays.
Colour Control – mastering adjustment layers, levels, and curves for professional colour correction, matching, and creative transformations.
Lighting Skills – enhancing images with dodge & burn, lens flare, realistic shadows, and light-based effects.
Creative Enhancements – stylizing with effects such as holograms, glitter, neon glow, and fire to make striking designs.
AI Integration – learning how to change backgrounds, clothing, hairstyles, and remove distractions with AI tools, while balancing automation with creative control.
Practical Design Applications – creating mock-ups, packaging designs, and exports for print and web.
By the end, you’ll not only understand how Photoshop works—you’ll have a portfolio of creative work showing your ability to select, remove, blend, light, colour, and enhance images with both traditional and AI-powered techniques.
You’ll watch and follow along with short tutorials.
After each tutorial, you’ll be asked to try the technique yourself with the sample images provided (or your own if you prefer).
Save your work as you go—your practice examples will build into a collection of skills you can show later.
Photoshop can feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand the basics, it becomes a powerful creative tool. Think of this section as building your “toolbox.” Each lesson adds a tool you’ll rely on throughout the course—whether you’re editing photos, creating graphics, or designing composites.
Digital Media Project Development
Plan, design, and produce original projects for various purposes and audiences.
Apply creative and technical skills in Photoshop (image creation, manipulation, compositing).
Example: Unit pages on Design Principles, Colour Theory, Layer Management, Typography in Photoshop.
Technical Skills
Use tools, techniques, and software to create and edit digital media content.
Apply file formats, resolutions, and colour modes correctly for print and web.
Example: Step-by-step tutorials for Selections & Masks, Adjustment Layers, Retouching, Smart Objects.
Professional Practices
Understand copyright, ethics, safety, and industry standards in graphic design.
Apply workflow practices used in professional design studios.
Example: Pages on Copyright in Digital Media, File Naming Conventions, Client Briefs, Exporting for Print/Web.
Technology, the Environment, and Society
Evaluate the impact of graphic design and media on society and the environment.
Make informed design decisions that consider accessibility and sustainability.
Example: Articles on Accessible Colour Palettes, Reducing File Sizes for Sustainability, and Inclusive Design in Photoshop.