Grade 9: Introduction to Photoshop

Lesson 1: Understanding Layers

Quick Links: Drill | Objective | Atmospheric Perspective | Reading for Understanding | Video Tutorial

Drill:
On a blank piece of paper draw the image below. Describe how the illusion of space and depth is
created in this picture?

Lesson Objective:
Today we will create a mountainscape that illustrates the illusion of space and depth in order to gain
a working knowledge of the layers palette in Adobe Photoshop.

ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE
Atmospheric perspective deals with how the appearance of an object is affected by looking at it through a layer of air. Moisture, dust and pollutants in the atmosphere act to filter the visual information. As objects recede away from the viewer in atmospheric perspective, bright whites and rich blacks tend toward medium gray and eventually disappear into a blue/gray background. Even colors have greater intensity closer to a viewer than they do further away.

Reading for Understanding
Layers allow you to work on one element of an image without disturbing the others. Think of layers as sheets of acetate stacked one on top of the other. Where there is no image on a layer, you can see through to the layers below. You can change the composition of an image by changing the order and attributes of layers. In addition, special features such as adjustment layers, fill layers, and layer styles let you create sophisticated effects.

Illustration of how transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below

Video Tutorial: Click on images below to view videos

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