This course is a software mastery course for students seriously interested in the field of graphic design.
But why this course for graphic designers? Photoshop is the industry standard for many design careers that your student may be interested in such as graphic design, marketing, social media management, animation, film, game design, photography, etc. It will also give your student a strong foundation to learn other Adobe programs as well as the confidence that he or she can tackle other complicated software in future jobs or college programs. Learning to use it well is something that will add value to college applications as well as resumes. Most college art and design programs (as well as some others) will require knowledge and a subscription to the Adobe products as requirements for the classes. Many colleges will expect students to have a good understanding of the software on entering college (including community colleges) so the more understanding your student has, the better they will be able to get off on a good foot. While the Adobe product is an investment, we feel this is the most authentic and meaningful way to prepare graphic design students for what colleges will expect.
For this class we will work on getting the foundations of the program, understanding digital file formats and their uses, gaining fluency in the tools and processes of Photoshop, touching on art and design principles and practices as well as introducing the concept of an art portfolio. We will also be using best practices for file management and working with files as though in a work environment.
Some student examples can be seen here.
Students can expect to submit assignments each week to show they understand the technical aspects and there will be two large projects to incorporate their understanding of the technology, design principles, and craftsmanship in a creative format. This online photoshop class is intended to give students a broad overview of this powerful industry-standard software. The format of live sessions and accountability will help them feel encouraged and empowered to accomplish this difficult task.
By the end of class, they should have mastered the basic layout and functions of Photoshop and begun to incorporate workflow habits that are essential to efficient and effective design. Projects include creating a post card, partially colored photo, removing backgrounds, masking, typography, photo correction, book covers, movie posters and much more! These are great things for building your arts portfolio.
Please view prerequisites and required supplies below.
Student needs the full Creative Cloud Suite for students for $19.99 a month for a year.
Carissa Sheehan is a big fan of creating life-long critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. Learning how to approach problems in a visual way adds an amazing dimension to those skills. The bulk of her career has been spent working in graphic design for Christian ministries and nonprofits.
Carissa graduated with a Bachelors in Art from John Brown University and later with her Masters in Applied Linguistics from the University of Colorado at Denver. She has taught outdoor education classes, coached volleyball, and tutored adults in ESL.
In the field of graphic design she has worked as a designer as well as a Creative Director and Art Director. Much of her experience has been in small departments where she has learned the process of design from concept to delivery. This enables her to offer real world examples and advice to students who are either interested in making graphic design their collegiate field of study or who would like to use it as a way to earn money as a freelancer right away.
After studying watercolor and oil painting in college, she discovered the joys of painting with acrylic paint. She runs a small paint party business as well as sells some of her work online. She loves the laid back approach to painting exemplified in people like Bob Ross and strives to pass on an enjoyment and mastery of painting to her students.
Monica C. –
This was an awesome class! I loved it! Mrs. Sheehan is amazing and friendly. She explains everything very well and answers questions the same way. This is a very helpful skill to learn if you want to get into photography. I am already planning on fixing some of my pictures I have taken on trips. It can also be used for improving your pictures. I highly recommend this class for graphic design.
Rebekah H –
My daughter very much enjoyed this class. Mrs. Sheehan is friendly and responsive and did a great job explaining concepts. We would recommend this class and teacher!
CH –
My daughter learned so much from this course! She is now a graphic design major in college, and this course helped challenge her and prepare her very well for her college design classes. Mrs. Sheehan is an excellent teacher and gives each student helpful feedback on each of their assignments. If your student is interested in graphic design, I highly recommend this course!
Parent A –
NR –
This class was a really great addition to my school year, and it was really fun. The assignments were pretty simple to follow, and directions were clear. Although it does require a subscription to Adobe Photoshop, it was completely worth it. Mrs. Sheehan is a wonderful teacher and works very hard to make the best learning environment for students. I loved this class and was happy with my new skill. I was even able to use it on my grandparent’s Christmas card!