Programme of the course

How to understand colour

1. The physical theory of the colour: Newton and Maxell
2. Physiology of the vision
3. Primary additive and subtractive colours: RGB and CMYK
4. Conversion to four-colour process, the black channel
5. Chromatic spaces and systems of simulation and management of the colour: monitor, scanner, printing.

How to obtain images

1. Plane and film scanners
2. Acquisition software and its importance
3. Important information about scanning: optical and interpolated resolution, 8 and 16bits, dpi, reduction
4. Creative use of scanners.

Calibration

1. Problem: every monitor (scanner or printer) is different from the other, even those of the same model, for this reason it reproduces colours in a different way
2. Solution: the description profiles of reproduction system that takes into consideration its specific characteristics
3. How to produce calibration profiles: Adobe Gamma, suitable sensorial software
4. Management of Photoshop profiles.

Photoshop®

1. Differences between vector and bitmap graphics
2. Complete survey of instruments, menus and palettes of Photoshop
3. File size
4. Selection instruments
   • Rectangular and Elliptic selection
   • Lasso
   • Magic Wand
   • Speed Mask
   • Level Mask
   • Alpha Channels
   • Scrap Plan
5. How to repair an image
   • Instrument timbre
   • Screens (blurred, contrasted dust and grain)
   • Brush history
   • Scanning of an old photo and its placement
6. Chromatic corrections
   • Levels
   • Curves
   • Selective colour correction
7. How to use levels
   • Operation with levels
   • Level effects
   • Levels of regulation
8. Other graphic software to use together with Photoshop
   • Photoshop plug-ins
   • Bryce
   • Painter
   • Illustrator (hints of its use together with Photoshop)
9. Different ways to use Photoshop: presentation of the work of experts in digital elaboration of the image by analysing the way they use Photoshop possibilities. Exercises.

Practical session

1. How to produce complex images following the examples given by the teacher. The students are also urged to look for and carry with them the material to elaborate digitally and insert in their compositions, and to suggest elaboration styles to adopt.