"Pick the professor, not the course" is sage advice for those heading off to college. With that in mind, I've discovered an exceptional instructor for folks wishing to master some of the programs contained in Adobe's Creative Suite.
Seems like I'm always up for learning some new digital tricks and » Deke is da-best instructor of Adobe programs I've found yet .. where the term best means easiest to learn from.
He specializes in Photoshop, but also teaches Illustrator & InDesign. It's clear he has been teaching and refining these courses over many years.
Of course, we all have different learning styles, so we respond differently to different types of instructors. But I feel comfortable recommending any of the titles he has authored, especially those contained in his trademark series » One-on-One.
I like how he comes across as someone who is more concerned that students learn the program and its accompanying toolset than trying to impress you with their level of knowledge. I most like that he obviously has the technolust. His enthusiasm is contagious.
His courses nicely balance a folksy demeanor (he lives in Boulder) with technical jargon. Very personable. Doesn't seem to take himself too seriously.
For example, he has no problem referring to Illustrator's Selection and Direct Selection tools as » "the black-arrow tool" and » "the white-arrow tool." Little touches like this help demystify Adobe's most sophisticated programs.
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He injects just enough humor to keep the material interesting, but never strays from the subject matter. He obviously enjoys the creativity these programs offer, but this doesn't prevent him from criticizing features or questioning some of Adobe's design choices.
Deke talks at a pace quick enough to keep my (normally caffeinated) mind from wandering. And his courses are very well-organized. I'd like to include a negative comment, but I'm having trouble coming up with one. [ If/when I do, I'll come back and edit this part. ]
If you click the link labeled 'Welcome' » HERE, you'll get a flavor for his teaching style (3 minutes worth) .. which may or may not appeal to your particular intellectual tastes or preferred learning-style. [ Have to scroll down to heading labeled Introduction, listed under Table of contents. ]
It's difficult to describe exactly why I feel his style of teaching makes learning so easy, but if you're looking to get your feet wet with either Photoshop or Illustrator (or you know someone who is), I doubt you can do better than Deke. [ And with a name like Deke, you gotta be good. =) ]
Another name you hear mentioned in these circles is » Scott Kelby. I have no experience with any his titles, but it seems other instructors teach many of the courses bearing his (trademark) name .. so they may (or may not) jibe with you.
Scott claims to be the "best-selling Photoshop author in the world today," so his titles are definitely worth checking out, as I'm sure there's a good reason for that claim .. tho it sounds like he himself teaches Photoshop only, and that his titles are aimed primarily at photographers (which makes sense). He lives in Tampa Bay.
For more along these lines, here's a Google search preconfigured for the query > adobe books video tutorial photoshop creative suite cs4
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