Commercial Photoshop with Bert Monroy (VOICES)

The first chapter covers some of the more under-utilized weapons in the Photoshop arsenal (channels, adjustment layers, the pen tool, and clipping paths), and is worth the cover price alone. From there, the book focuses on case studies, each featuring different techniques. Mini-cases include compositing for a Chevron brochure, using Illustrator with Photoshop to create a Las Vegas-style marquee for a magazine cover, and creating a 3D cityscape for an online game. Going into greater detail are the more complete, step-by-step case studies for a realtor magazine (moldy bathtub, slippery walkway, peeling lead paint), a medical magazine (some birth control pills), and a Broadway poster (neon lights). These examples showcase Monroy's mastery of layers, clipping groups, layer effects, brushes, and filters.

At the end are two of his most popular demos from TechTV. In the first, he creates an underwater scene out of a garden path using Hue/Saturation, the gradient tool, Glass, Crystallize, Add Noise, and Ripple filters, layer masks, a few fish from another photo, and a couple of other easy-to-copy steps. The other example is one you'll run to show your friends: piecing together two scans for artwork that's too big to fit on a scanner. I won't give the secret away, other than to just say that it's a lot better than slowly sliding one layer over another, trying to look at all the points in the image to see if they line up. And, it involves the difference mode (hint, hint).

Although there's no companion CD with project files, you won't have any trouble recreating his methods with your own artwork. Professionals will pick up new skills; basic users will feel empowered. Bert Monroy is popular because he's just that good. --Angelynn Grant

Product Description

You know Bert Monroy's personal portfolio - now get to know his commercial work.Case studies take you step by step through Bert's client work for Apple, AT+T, Logitech, and more. Glean creative and Photoshop-specific insights from the guy Adobe goes tofor information. Includes a behind-the-scenes look at working as an artist when someone elseis calling the shots.

Bert Monroy has long enjoyed successes as a digital artist, as evidenced by hiscredentials and his books: Bert Monroy: Photorealistic Techniques with Photoshop andIllustrator and Photoshop Studio with Bert Monroy. Well-known and highlyregarded expert in the Photoshop community, he has received heavy exposureon TechTV in the past year and his reputation as a master teacher ofPhotoshop and digital illustration has grown dramatically as a result.In this newest book, Bert switches from sharing the secrets behind his personalportfolio to unleashing the Photoshop tips he uses when working oncommercial projects. This book is complete with case studies that walk readersstep by step through the commercial design process--including conceptcreation, digital editing, production, and working one-on-one with clients.Whether you're looking to better your Photoshop skills, break into the field, orare simply a fan of Bert's work, this book will not disappoint.

All of the examples in the book are from actual projects. This is a BIG book. The pages are about 10 X 10 and full of color photos of each step in the various projects he shows. The large size is more suitable for sowing the step-by-step examples, but I found it slightly unwieldy.

He is very complete in his explanations, so that even someone with only modest Photoshop skills should be able to follow along easily.

He shows several photo quality images he created from scratch for a magazine. He says he creates realities in Photoshop. I was in awe of the shiny chrome-plated shower handle in a bathroom scene, the reflection in a water puddle on a path he created next to grass and bushes he created, the glow of the light bulb he made and the textures he created for a stucco wall and marble floor.

Monroy also show several projects in which he composited many images together for amazing results. It gave me some inspiration to do some projects on my own. He explains it very well. There is even an explanation of how an alpha channel works.

And there are examples of re-touching and correcting images in order for them to be used in advertisements and magazines. His attention to detail is phenomenal. (Perhaps it is due to his 20 years experience as an art director with a New York City Ad Agency.)