While the book does gear itself and mentions that its contents are for web designers, other types of graphic artists can also potentially pick up a few tips and tricks. Photoshop CS6 Unlocked, 2nd Edition has a focus on some of the basics of Photoshop, coving things like the interface and making different styles of buttons. The book also wiggles its way into image manipulation, including going over topics about color, filters, and layer masks. The part that sells me a bit more – a professional digital artist by trade – is that the author also has a few discussions on CS6 features like the Iris Blur Filter and the improvements to Content Aware.
Something I liked about Photoshop CS6 Unlocked, 2nd Edition is that I did pick up a few tips and tricks that were both new to me from a workflow standpoint and also covered some of the newer CS6 features and improvements that will speed up production time. With that said, it’s hard to deny that artists who have worked with Photoshop for a number of years may not get as much out of the book as one would hope. However, newer digital artists or those transferring from another editing program like Gimp will likely enjoy the read and, most of all, the ability to work through the given scenarios with the included downloadable files.
It’s unfortunate that Photoshop CS6 Unlocked, 2nd Edition didn’t come with a file CD, but you can download the working files from the website. However, it should be mentioned that I was unable to download the video file as an error occurred at the time of this writing. The files that I was able to download were nicely laid out within chapter folders and include native Photoshop files (.psd), images files, and an example for actions and styles.
The writing style of author Corrie Haffly works well for an instructional book of this type. She keeps most of the talk limited to steps on how to accomplish the goal at hand, but also throws a few notes and explanations in where necessary. An excellent supply of imagery accompanies the text, and annotations in the book and the constant listing of hot keys for both PC and Mac are a welcome addition. Finally, the author usually takes the standpoint on showing vector-based and other non-destructive workflows that all artists should embrace where possible.
Photoshop CS6 Unlocked, 2nd Edition is a very good book and is easy to pick up and read. As mentioned, seasoned digital artists may not get as much out of the content as novice to intermediate users. However, with a focus on web design elements, the book does have enough to offer that warrants a quick skim at your local bookstore to see if you like the style and content that it supplies.
