What it is
Photoshop is Adobe's image editor for raster graphics, the pixel-based images that make up photos, textures and screen artwork. It works in layers, so retouching, compositing and colour correction can be changed later without destroying the original image. Masks, adjustment layers and smart objects are the core of how professionals keep edits flexible.
It is used for photo retouching, web and app graphics, print preparation, digital painting and texture work for games and 3D. Its PSD file format is widely supported by other design, video and 3D tools, which is a large part of why it has stayed the default for image work for decades.
How I use it
- Learned it in the Game Art and Animation masters program at the Art Institute of Vancouver, 2003 to 2005, alongside Maya, MotionBuilder, Flash and Unreal Editor.
- Graphic design for print and web, part of the in-house visual side of my work.
- Photos for client websites, prepared by the same person who builds the page.
- Artwork for the multimedia pieces from my independent contracts: 3D turnarounds, interactive CD-ROMs and presentations.
Photoshop is the right tool whenever the work is made of pixels: a photo that needs correcting, a texture for a 3D model, a hero image for a web page or artwork for print. I reach for it because it is where my formal art training started, and because its files drop straight into the other tools I use.
Questions
Where did Shawn Mervin learn Photoshop?
In the Game Art and Animation masters program at the Art Institute of Vancouver in Burnaby, from 2003 to 2005. It was taught alongside Maya, MotionBuilder, Flash and Unreal Editor as part of the full game production pipeline.
Do you prepare images for both print and web?
Yes. I do graphic design for print and web, and the same source image can be prepared for each, at the right resolution and colour setup for where it will end up.