It's amazing how you can struggle on in a program you've had for years and not realise the full potential which lies at your finger tips. We pack these powerful applications on the hard drive intending to do wonders and end up playing with the filters and the same old commands. The manual stays on the shelf behind you because of the complex layout and technobabble instructions. Why can't learning be easy? Why can't they invent an edible manual on a pill which when you take, an hour later you know everything?
When I look at artwork in the MacUser magazine and see that it's been created on a G3/266 in Photoshop and FreeHand I think, "I could do that. I've got those". But attempts to copy it goes horribly wrong and I end up saying to hell with it and just apply loads of filters until something interesting happens.
But now you see, things have changed. I'm fed up with sitting in front of this potential masterpiece. I want to create designs to die for. I want to open a blank page in Photoshop and work my imagination senseless. Although I've taught myself the majority of this complex program I could never come to grips with channels and masks and a few other bits and pieces. So I decided some personal training would come in handy.
Personal tutors though, cost a fortune. The next best thing is CD/Video training and the first company I tried was MacAcademy. I recieved the complete set of Photoshop 3 on video for £240 inc vat & p&p. It comes on 10 videos with around 2 hours training on each. Although the information on them was good, I found the teaching style difficult to enjoy. It is clearly designed for an non-professional audience. Another irritating factor is that the lessons are too spread out over the videos. They might touch on levels as a topic on video 2 then again on video 5 and perhaps again on video 7. The quality was not excellent considering the fact that when new, these videos cost over £40 each!
With MacAcademy you get a 30 day money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the product and the chance to upgrade to the next version at a reduced cost. These teaching aids may be good for a complete novice but if you have some knowledge it can be frustrating to find that 50% of a 2 hour video is very basic stuff. They have a good range of videos/CD's but I have been put off buying any others due to the experience with Photoshop 3. I believe that out of the 20 hours of training, at least 8-10 hours was wasted in slow repetitive teaching. It would have been more value for money had it been 3 or 4 hour videos taught in a concise, clear style. There is no need for repetition, as the tape is easily rewound!
Another company (formerly Quay2) is called VTC. They supply all their tutorials on 1 CD. They cover a wide range of applications and are taught in a concise and easy to follow style. Their most expensive CD is around £100 inc vat for up to 14 hours training! How's that for value when compared to MacAcademy with 1 two hour CD costing around £44. VTC's training was equally as thorough but not mind numbingly so. You get to see the tutors working as they go on your screen. VTC offer a 7 day money back guarantee and the same upgrade policy.
From VTC I bought FreeHand 7 and Photoshop tips & techniques. Both are good and simple to follow. They are clearly indexed and labelled. Once you've watched a QuickTime movie, it will highlight it so that next time you go in, you see what you've covered so far. Another excellent plus for VTC is their web site. You can have on-line demo's of all their current range so you can see before you buy. You do need QuickTime 3 to view these though. Check their site at www.quay2.com/vtcuk.
Well, this column seems more like a review than my usual stuff. But hey, I can do what I like. I've also mastered channels and masks. The bits & bobs are still to come. So don't be put off by tutorials, check out the VTC website, I'm sure there's something you want to learn.
