Adobe Photoshop – Basic 6 Basic Technology Lesson Note (Second Term)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

1. Identify tools on the Photoshop toolbar
2. Draw basic shapes using Photoshop
3. Paint objects in Photoshop

Content

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is professional image editing and graphic design software used worldwide by photographers, designers, and digital artists.

Uses of Photoshop:

• Photo editing and retouching
• Graphic design
• Digital art creation
• Web design
• Logo creation
• Poster and banner design

The Photoshop Interface

Main Components:

1. Menu Bar – Contains all commands
2. Options Bar – Shows settings for selected tool
3. Toolbar – Contains all tools
4. Panels – Additional features (layers, colors, etc.)
5. Canvas/Document Window – Work area

Identification of Tools on the Toolbar

SELECTION TOOLS: 

1. Move Tool (V) – Moves selections, layers, guides
2. Rectangular Marquee Tool (M) – Selects rectangular areas
3. Elliptical Marquee Tool – Selects circular/oval areas
4. Lasso Tool (L) – Freehand selection
5. Magic Wand Tool (W) – Selects similar colors

DRAWING AND PAINTING TOOLS:

1. Brush Tool (B) – Paints with brush strokes
2. Pencil Tool – Draws hard-edged lines
3. Eraser Tool (E) – Erases pixels
4. Paint Bucket Tool (G) – Fills area with color
5. Gradient Tool – Creates color blends

SHAPE TOOLS:

1. Rectangle Tool (U) – Draws rectangles/squares
2. Rounded Rectangle Tool – Draws rectangles with rounded corners
3. Ellipse Tool – Draws circles/ovals
4. Polygon Tool – Draws multi-sided shapes
5. Line Tool – Draws straight lines
6. Custom Shape Tool – Draws preset shapes

TEXT AND EDITING TOOLS:

1. Type Tool (T) – Creates text
2. Crop Tool (C) – Crops images
3. Eyedropper Tool (I) – Samples colors
4. Zoom Tool (Z) – Magnifies view
5. Hand Tool (H) – Moves canvas view

COLOR SELECTION:

1. Foreground Color Box – Active drawing color
2. Background Color Box – Secondary color
3. Default Colors (D) – Resets to black/white
4. Switch Colors (X) – Swaps foreground/background

Drawing with Adobe Photoshop

Creating a New Document:

1. File → New
2. Set dimensions (width and height)
3. Set resolution (72 for screen, 300 for print)
4. Choose color mode (RGB)
5. Click Create

Drawing Basic Shapes:

Rectangle:

1. Select Rectangle Tool (U)
2. Choose fill color
3. Choose stroke (outline) settings
4. Click and drag on canvas
5. Hold Shift for perfect square

Circle/Ellipse:

1. Select Ellipse Tool
2. Set colors
3. Click and drag
4. Hold Shift for perfect circle

Polygon:

1. Select Polygon Tool
2. Set number of sides in Options Bar
3. Draw on canvas

Custom Shapes:

1. Select Custom Shape Tool
2. Choose shape from dropdown
3. Draw on canvas

Painting Objects

Using Brush Tool:

1. Select Brush Tool (B)
2. Choose brush size (Options Bar)
3. Choose brush hardness
4. Select foreground color
5. Paint on canvas

Brush Settings:

• Size: Controls brush diameter
• Hardness: Soft (0%) to hard (100%)
• Opacity: Transparency level
• Flow: Paint application rate

Using Paint Bucket Tool:

1. Select Paint Bucket Tool (G)
2. Choose fill color
3. Click inside closed shape to fill
4. Set tolerance for similar colors

Using Gradient Tool:

1. Select Gradient Tool (G)
2. Choose gradient style (Options Bar)
3. Click and drag across object
4. Creates smooth color transition

Painting Techniques:

1. Solid Fill:
   1. Select area or shape
   2. Edit → Fill
   3. Choose color
   4. Click OK
2. Layer Painting:
   1. Create new layer for each element
   2. Paint on separate layers
   3. Easier to edit later
3. Color Adjustment:
   1. Use Eyedropper to sample colors
   2. Adjust foreground/background colors
   3. Use Color Picker for exact colors

Practical Exercise:

Draw and Paint a House:

1. Rectangle for house body (paint brown)
2. Triangle for roof (paint red)
3. Rectangles for windows (paint blue)
4. Rectangle for door (paint dark brown)
5. Circle for sun (paint yellow)
6. Grass using Brush Tool (green)

Tips for Beginners:

• Save work frequently (Ctrl+S)
• Use layers for organization
• Undo mistakes (Ctrl+Z)
• Experiment with different tools
• Practice regularly
• Watch tutorials for advanced techniques

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• V = Move Tool
• B = Brush Tool
• E = Eraser Tool
• T = Type Tool
• U = Shape Tools
• Ctrl+Z = Undo
• Ctrl+S = Save
• Ctrl+N = New Document

Multiple choice exercise – week 2

BASIC SCIENCE

1. What percentage of air is nitrogen?

1. a) 21%
2. b) 78%
3. c) 50%
4. d) 100%

1. Air pressure is measured using a:

1. a) Thermometer
2. b) Barometer
3. c) Ruler
4. d) Scale

1. Which property allows pneumatic tools to work?

1. a) Air is invisible
2. b) Air is compressible
3. c) Air has smell
4. d) Air is heavy

PHE 4. How many players are on a hockey team?

• a) 5
• b) 7
• c) 11
• d) 15

1. The curved end of a hockey stick is called:

1. a) Head
2. b) Hook
3. c) Handle
4. d) Blade

1. Which protective gear is mandatory in hockey?

1. a) Helmet
2. b) Shin guards
3. c) Gloves
4. d) Elbow pads

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 7. Adobe Photoshop is used for:

• a) Word processing
• b) Image editing
• c) Browsing internet
• d) Playing games

1. The tool used to draw circles in Photoshop is:

1. a) Rectangle Tool
2. b) Ellipse Tool
3. c) Polygon Tool
4. d) Line Tool

1. The keyboard shortcut for the Brush Tool is:

1. a) B
2. b) P
3. c) R
4. d) T

1. To fill an area with color, you use:

1. a) Eraser Tool
2. b) Paint Bucket Tool
3. c) Move Tool
4. d) Zoom Tool