Photoshop: Advanced Adjustment Layer and Blend Modes

Course details

From powerful shortcuts to precise masking, this course will help you see Photoshop adjustment layers and blend modes in a whole new light. Rich Harrington leads a workshop that unlocks some of the least-used options for his favorite features in Photoshop CC 2018. Learn how to use adjustment layers and blend modes to color correct and tone images, convert photos to black and white, add style, and fix exposure—all completely nondestructively. Rich also explores the hidden power of the "auto" options, lookup tables, gradient maps, and Smart Objects, and shows how to limit your adjustments when you want to achieve a subtler effect. By the time you finish the course, you'll have an advanced understanding of adjustment layers and blend modes, and know how to make complex, nondestructive changes to any image.

Learning objectives
Adjustment layer basics
Improving color and contrast with Auto Curves and Auto Levels
Creating custom black-and-white effects
Using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to recolor artwork
Expert color grading with color lookup tables
Using gradient maps
Making nondestructive adjustments with Smart Objects and stack modes

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you should know before watching this course
03 - Using the exercise files

1. Adjustment Layer Essentials

04 - What is an adjustment layer and when should you use one
05 - Clipping an adjustment layer to a single layer
06 - Using layer masks and adjustment layers
07 - Using blending modes and adjustment layers
08 - Organizing adjustment layers by grouping
09 - Using advanced blending options

2. The Hidden Power of Auto

10 - Removing color cast with Auto Curves
11 - Improving contrast with Auto Curves
12 - Removing color cast with Auto Levels
13 - Improving contrast with Auto Levels
14 - The role of Auto Brightness Contrast
15 - Setting a new default auto value

3. Beyond Black and White

16 - Creating custom black-and-white effects with the On Image tool
17 - Creating duotones with a Black & White adjustment layer
18 - Creating spot color effects with a Black & White adjustment layer
19 - Creating bleached bypass effects with a Black & White adjustment layer
20 - Using a lookup table to refine the black-and-white effect

4. Hue Saturation

21 - Refining a Hue Saturation adjustment layer with the On Image tool
22 - Creating duotones with a Hue Saturation adjustment layer
23 - Recoloring artwork with a Hue Saturation adjustment layer
24 - When to choose vibrancy over Hue Saturation
25 - Using blending modes with Hue Saturation

5. Expert Color Grading with Color Lookup Tables

26 - Using the Color Lookup adjustment layer
27 - Loading new lookup-table presets
28 - Creating custom lookup tables
29 - Synchronizing multiple images with lookup tables
30 - Exporting a LUT for use in other applications
31 - Attaching a LUT to a Lightroom preset

6. Gradient Maps

32 - Creating dramatic colors with a gradient map
33 - Expert level black and white with a gradient map
34 - Creating custom duotones with a gradient map
35 - Recoloring an image with a noise gradient map

7. Smart Objects

36 - Using a Smart Object to freeze adjustment layers
37 - Using filters and blend modes with Smart Objects
38 - Stacking layers and using stack modes
39 - Using a Smart Object as an adjustment layer
40 - Exporting and editing Smart Objects

Conclusion

41 - Next steps