Photoshop Tutorials for Beginners

Whether you are a visual effects, animation, graphic design, or sequential arts major, you’ll most likely need to use Adobe Photoshop at some point. Photoshop is a great tool for creating all sorts of different art, whether it be combining different photos to create a unique piece or using it as a drawing tool. Like most software, when you open it for the first time, it can be a little intimidating and hard to know where to start. This is why I have curated a list of different tutorials that you can use to get started or hone your skills as a more experienced user. 

Section 1: Beginners

1. Photoshop Tutorial for Beginners 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1mwj8AH98Y&ab_channel=VinceOpra

The first tutorial from Vince Opra is a great introduction for those who are opening Photoshop for the first time. Vince walks you through how to open a project and import an image. He then walks through the basic user interface and briefly describes the function of each tool. The video is 21 minutes long but does a good job of walking through the most commonly used tools. 

2. Photoshop for Beginners (Free Course) 

This video comes from Dan Scott (who I have actually purchased one of his Photoshop courses before, and I can say that they are excellent). This 3-hour tutorial covers the majority of tools that you will be using in great detail. In the video description, the creator has linked the source images that are used in the video so you can follow along and do the tutorials with the instructor. The instructor is also very fun and full of energy. Once I was done with one of his courses, I felt that I knew Photoshop so much better than I did when I started. 

3. Every Tool Explained

Another great in-depth tutorial that goes through every tool in Photoshop. My favorite part of the video is how the tools are chapter named, so I hover my mouse over the timeline so I can pick exactly which tool I would like to learn about. 

Section 2: Intermediate to Advanced

These links are to specific tutorials for different tricks and effects that you can do. Of course, I think the best thing to do once you get the basics down is to play around for a while and see what you can come up with. 

1. Apart | Graphic Design |

This is a great tutorial to learn some graphic design in Photoshop. It also helps with learning how to mask objects and using the pen tool. 

2. Removing things from an image

This is probably the most commonly used effect in Photoshop, but sometimes it isn’t always easy. Here is a quick way to remove certain background elements from photos. 

3. Blend Photos and Composite

This is a great tutorial that covers blending images together and some things to look out for when doing composites in Photoshop. 

4. Quickly match the subject with the background.

This a good quick tutorial on how to match a subject imported from another image into the background of another image. In about 9 minutes long, you’ll be using multiple tools to pull this off. 

5. Glitch effect in Photoshop

Neat tutorial to add a glitch effect to photos. You might not be doing something like this very often but it’s a fun trick that can spice up some of your photos. 

6. Compilation of text effects in Photoshop

Great tutorial for various effects that you can do in Photoshop. Great for if you need to make a poster or are looking to expand your skills as a graphic designer. 

7. Glow Effect

Who doesn’t love a good glow effect in their photos?

8. Double Exposure Cinemagraph

A neat tutorial for a double exposure effect. 

I think the best way to learn Photoshop is to learn each tool and then play around with the software. Photoshop is a great tool for creating wonderful art, and I think that everyone should learn how to use it.