Mastering photoshop and design???

I know most designers learn on the job and thru trial and error... I have learned quite a bit
that way but I am far from considering myself a desiner...

What tutorials (classes, etc) have you guys used for design and photoshop?

here is one resource I use sometimes to learn various aspects of photoshop.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/ps.htm

Also go to you tube and search for photoshop tutorial, photoshop guide, photoshop how to, etc. There are videos on youtube that teach everything from basic tools to really cool advanced tricks. I've learned a lot of things just looking through those video tutorials.

I just google photoshop tips, tricks, resources ,tutorials and you'll find enough to keep you busy for the next 5 years!

Whenever you get stuck on a specific aspect of photoshop....google that function and you'll find all the answers you need.

When I first started using photoshop, I joined some memberships and purchased some tutorials....and honestly, after I started googling I found free help online just as good and better than the stuff you pay for.

I started with www.goodtutorials.com worked out well for me, there may be a better route but most of the tutorials are decently written, step by step.. hard to screw them up unless you dont follow the directions.

Mastering Photoshop won't help you master design, it will only help you make extremely tacky, filter-laden graphics so typical of amateurs.

Photoshop is a tool. Knowing how to put a brush to a canvas wont guarantee that you paint awesome pictures. You need to know about colors, proportions and composition, along with lots of practice AND knowledge of the tools, in order to make great designs.

If you really want to get better at design, and don't want to spend money, check out some good design blogs like Smashingmagazine, Webdesignerdepot, UXbooth, Designchapel, Designmeltdown, Designinformer, Noupe. Those are the first that came at thet op of my head; there are MANY more.

Source: I have a masters degree in Media System Design

Lynda dot com seems to have some cool training videos and if you can download the correct training files you can follow along with the videos they have anything from beginning to advance training, I also took some courses in college but to be really honest i got most of my experience working for some shitty office for some 7 dollars an hour it was worth it cause I had some one with more experience supervising me and they were projects that needed to be done daily.

Regards
Suave

Google: Photoshop Top Secret
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Youtube might be your best bet. Good luck.

I have used Photoshop since v2. It is a deep graphic application. There are still aspects of it that I haven't touched upon and probably never will. Over the years, I have learned some other applications as well that are useful for various purposes. For instance, I use Adobe Illustrator, RealDraw and Xara Xtreme for vector art. I have found that I can draw more complex designs easier through the use of vector art programs.

One way I learned Photoshop and other graphic applications was by looking at stuff online that other people did, and if I saw something that impressed me, I would email the artist and politely ask how he/she did it. Most graphic artists will take the time to show you a trick or two if you approach them in the right way. Also there are graphic designer forums out there that are extremely helpful.

Cheers! - "Wiz"