Clean&Simple: The Workshop kicks off two weeks from today. This class has been a long time in the making, and I'm getting excited to get the ball rolling.
I've been fielding a lot of questions and wanted to put together a quick Q&A for anyone who'd like more information on the class.
Do I need Photoshop to take this workshop? Yes. But technically you only need Photoshop Elements. Photoshop users are welcome, but all of the instruction is offered using PSE 10.
I have Photoshop Elements 11. Will this class work for me? Yes! Just know that PSE 11 has been redesigned so the interface looks different but the functions and key processes remain more or less the same. It might take a little extra finagling, but my goal with this workshop is to really build your understanding of using digital processes to create hybrid pages, so a little extra finagling will only help you to really understand the software.
I am a digital scrapbooker. Is this class designed for me as well? Technically, no, but let me explain: we are creating hybrid pages—pages that start in a digital area but move into the printed world. However, those scrapbookers who only do digital will defintely be able to work through each weekly assignment and gain skill as they go, especially in the latter half of the workshop, where it's less template based and you are challenged to do more ground up design work. That said, this is not a purely digital scrapbooker's class.
Can you tell me more about the assignments for this class? You will have 12 assignments, some are 8.5 x 11 pages, some are 12 x 12 pages, and there's a mini album project, too. Every week we'll have a theme focus and the assignment will include the following components: overall guiding principles, design principles, journaling focuses, photography tips and production techniques. In the latter half of class, there will be a strong emphasis on typography as well, working with a host of free fonts to create beautiful type for your layouts. There is room for interpretation on some of the assignments, but some of the challenges are designed to get you thinking and creating around a predetermined theme.
I'm a complete beginner in Photoshop Elements. Will this class be too much for a newbie? If you've never cracked open the software, I would have to say possibly. That said, there are really only a handful of key processes we use in this class and once you master them, you're going to be really solid in your understanding of this program and process. One thing I plan on telling my students is to remember: Command or Control + Z is your new best friend. As with any new process, it will take time to master. Each week, there is a detailed, step-by-step handout with all of the processes typed out, in addition to our weekly video tutorials. I welcome beginners, but if you're the type of person who gets really stressed out because you don't get something the first time out, it might not be the best time for you to take the class.
I can't take your class right now but am wondering if you are teaching again later in the year? This is the only time I'm teaching the workshop in 2013.
If you want to know more about my instruction style, I have a channel on Vimeo and you can get a sampling of what my teaching style is like.
If you have any further questions, I'm happy to answer. Leave me a comment or email me at czdesign@comcast.net.
For more detailed information on the class, click the banner below:
