Product Description

In this book, Matt Kloskowski walks you through some of the most popular styles and techniques in professional Photoshop design and illustration today. Through step-by-step tutorials and in-depth explanations, he deconstructs those styles and techniques.

Matt gives you insight, tips, and industry advice throughout the entire process to help you step outside of Photoshop and understand the big picture of illustration. Topics such as photorealism, stylization, and retro and cartoon artwork are discussed and exercises lend real-world experience to help you make the jump from Photoshop user to professional designer. This book will also arm you with the necessary knowledge and tools to build a graphic library of your own so you can quickly and effectively create quality graphic designs and illustrations for your clients.

If you are an aspiring designer looking to get into the graphics industry, this book will enable you to create artwork for your portfolio that demonstrates a range of in-demand illustration styles. If you are already working with Photoshop professionally, it will help you expand your repertoire of styles and help you become a better designer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #378737 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 345 pages

About the Author
Matt is a writer, instructor, illustrator, and graphic designer based out of Tampa, FL. As well as being an Adobe Certified Expert, he holds certifications in Macromedia Flash, is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), and is an expert in dynamic- and database-driven website development. He is a 1995 graduate of the University of South Florida with majors in computer information systems and marketing.

Matt hosts both an Illustrator (ExtremeIllustrator.com) and Photoshop (ExtremePhotoshop.com) website where he provides tutorials on all aspects of using the two programs. Matt’s tutorials have been used in over 15 schools throughout the United States and have been translated into seven languages. He also writes a weekly column for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Mac Design magazine’s website.

In his spare time Matt enjoys jogging, golfing, playing video games, and spending time with his wife Diana and two toddler sons Ryan and Justin in their Tampa home.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic
I love all the Photoshop books that walk you through step by step and you don't have to use the authors graphics on their CD. I like that I can learn the technique step by step and use my own designs.
I recommend to any one that likes the Down and Dirty Tricks by Scott Kelby to get this book too.

It shows shows you the WHY as well as the How. That's Important
I saw the review tearing the book down for just teaching lessons. True it teaches you to do things...but if you read the writers Introduction part of the book he explains that too many manuals show you how to do stuff. BUT not how to put the things you learn together and use it practically for day to day work. (and even to use in your portfolio)

This authors trying to teach you to think AND learn. Something the previous reviewer missed. I found the book at the bookstore, looked it over from stem to stern and came home to order it at Amazon. Even my roommate who does 3-D graphic work said it was well put together.

And 1/3 of the book has interviews with people working in the field. That is great to learn from the people whom are already there.

not so extreme
"Extreme Photoshop CS" is a mix of all kinds of tutorials for designers and illustrators using photoshop.
It is divided into three parts:
1: realism
2: cartooning
3: advanced illustration techniques
4: retro and vintage art

There are 12 chapters alltogether

THE REALISM SECTION:
The fishbowl chapter is the best of the realism section. It doesn't look super real but it's a nice illustration.

The "text on fire" is awful and doesn't look real at all. Doesn't look good in any way.

The i-pod ... well, how easy is that? basically a rectangle with some gradients, round corners here and there and that's it. Not impressed.

CARTOONING AND PHOTOSHOP
The pixel art chapter was okay but it's all too easy, too self-explanatory. Actually just a certain range of angles and no anti-aliasing. I was able to guess that on my own.

The emoticon: create an ugly face with some circles and squared rectangles. Kindergarten-level.

cartooning and comic book art: i've seen much better tutorials on that. Some online, but also lots in the book "Japanese Comickers - draw anime and manga like japan's hottest artists". I'd recommend that book instead if you plan to colorize your comics in Photoshop.

ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION
silhouette illustration: trace a person with the path-tool. duh! It was nice to see how a very amateurish looking photo got converted into a very professional looking illustration though.

wireframe illustration: trace a photo with the path-tool, leave it unfilled and stroke the path. Err... do we really need a tutorial for that?

stylizing photographs: cutout-filter and lens flares ... are they serious??? Also learn how to trace the face of a nice woman to turn it into something more ugly.

RETRO AND VINTAGE ART
not even worth mentioning

If you are a beginner then maybe this book is for you. If you are an intermediate or advanced Photoshop user then you won't be very happy with it though.