Intermediate Photoshop CS5

Learn to more creatively and productively use Photoshop. This course explores the more advanced features of Photoshop CS5 including layers, layer masks, Smart Objects, and others that let you re-edit images and create templates for professional-looking images that are print or web ready.

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Syllabus
Requirements
Instructor
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$119.00 USD

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Instructor-Moderated

6 Weeks Access

Study online with Instructor moderated discussion boards.

April 15, 2026

May 13, 2026

June 17, 2026

July 15, 2026

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$119.00 USD

Instructor-Moderated

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Details

If you're already using the basic tools in Adobe Photoshop CS5, take your photo-editing skills to a new level!

In this course, you'll become an expert at using layers, layer masks, and other advanced features that let you change images easily long after you create them (and long after the Photoshop "undo" command expires).

Non-destructive editing lets you work faster and reuse parts of images over and over. In these lessons, you'll learn how to save every single pixel in your original image so you never have to say, "I'm sorry—I tossed that information." In addition, you'll discover how to use Smart Objects so you can crop or resize an image and return it to its original size months afterward. (You'll even learn some clever tricks for warping Smart Objects!)

After that, you'll find out how to add shadows or embossing non-destructively. And if you want to design page layouts you can fill with different images, you'll learn how to create templates you can reuse.

Whether you use Photoshop to edit photos, make scrapbook pages, or design original artwork, this course will give you all the skills you need to let your creativity shine. Once you see what non-destructive editing can do for your projects, you'll never look back!

Syllabus

Lesson 1 - Introducing Layers

Layers add a new world of possibilities to using Photoshop. In this lesson, you’ll create, view, and hide layers. Why do layers matter? Well, they open so many opportunities for fine-tuning your images. You can edit a layered image nondestructively, so you don’t have to start over if you make a mistake or need to change something.

Lesson 2 - Manipulating Layers

Today we’ll focus on the clues Photoshop gives to explain exactly what you’re doing to a layer as you’re working. You’ll create, move, duplicate, lock, unlock, cut, and paste layers. Knowing this information will let you alter images quickly and nondestructively . . . and the lock commands will help you prevent others (and yourself!) from accidentally altering your work.

Lesson 3 - Introducing Smart Objects

Take advantage of Smart Objects—the most awesome and significant innovation in Photoshop since the layers feature was introduced. You can place a RAW-format photo (or JPG or TIF) file inside the Smart Object and re-edit it in Camera RAW anytime you want. You’ll discover how to crop and resize photos nondestructively using Smart Objects, and you’ll love the way they let you make a protected package out of an image.

Lesson 4 - More Smart Effects With Smart Objects

Today you’ll see how you can make an individual layer in an image larger or smaller, rotate it, and use the amazing Warp command. And you can reverse all these changes anytime you want—if you make them on a Smart Object layer. You can even use filters nondestructively, so long as you apply them to a Smart Object (gee, those come in handy!). You’ll also create a pear that, when cut open, has an orange inside it.

Lesson 5 - Using Adjustment Layers

Each time you edit the exposure in an image, you lose image quality. But what if there were a way to edit the exposure as much as you wanted and not hurt the quality? There is! An adjustment layer makes no permanent change to the image, and you can stack up these layers as you wish. You won’t ever want to apply a regular Levels command or Adjustment command directly to an image again.

Lesson 6 - Introducing Layer Masks

In this lesson, you’ll find out about layer masks—another way that Photoshop lets you have your cake and eat it too. If you bring a picture of little Johnny onto a new background image, and you erase all the stuff that was in the background, what happens if you change your mind? You’d better hope you have the original image somewhere, and then you’re in for a lot more work. However, if you use a layer mask, you’ll keep every pixel that’s in the original image and hide the parts of the original that you no longer wish to see.

Lesson 7 - Image Restoration and Retouching

Did the dog eat Grandmother’s portrait? Or did time and water do that damage? No matter. Using layers makes it easier than ever before to restore some of your treasured family heritage. You’ll get ample practice with that today, plus links to websites that specialize in image restoration. Again, the theme of this lesson is nondestructive editing—working in layers so that you can always change your mind about a correction without having to begin again.

Lesson 8 - Grayscale and Gradient Masking

What happens if you want to place a person into a swimming pool or the ocean using Photoshop? To make the composite realistic, you need to transition from total opacity above the water line to total transparency below it. You'll learn that skill today as you work with grayscale and gradient masks. You'll also experiment with vignette edges and other edge effects, plus you'll create a Web page header.

Lesson 9 - More Masks Panel Techniques

One of the most common ways to lose sleep while using Photoshop is to try to add a new background behind a model with wispy, flowing hair. Hair and fur have always been the bane of Photoshop users. CS5 introduces an ingenious new command to make this process easier. That's one of the tricks you'll learn today when we explore some new commands on the Masks panel.

Lesson 10 - Clipping Masks and Layer Groups

Have you ever wondered how to put images inside type, like those old postcards for various cities? You’ll find out today. It’s called a clipping mask, and it’s a digital version of spreading glitter onto a paper that has a design drawn in glue—the glitter only sticks to the glue. In this case, the new layers only stick to the base layer in the clipping mask. Making a clipping mask is easy, but it provides one of Photoshop’s “wow” moments.

Lesson 11 - Luminosity Masking

Photoshop can use the values in an image to correct the image. That sounds scary and mysterious, but it’s actually easy to do. Today, you’ll create luminosity masks and use them to correct images and to develop false duotone images and wonderfully creative image composites. This lesson should nurture your creativity and yet give you some solid ways to add punch to an image or to create stunning sepia tones.

Lesson 12 - Creating Complex Composites

Do you like the look of double-exposed images? Would you enjoy creating a seamless composite of your vacation images? Then this is your lesson! It’s one of my favorites in the course. Up to now, you’ve masked images so that you can either see the image in the layer or not, or you’ve used a gradient or paint in the mask to get a grayscale transition. Now you’ll use photos in the mask to get a hide-and-seek look to layer visibility. You’ll also create an image that has a different photo in each color channel. And you’ll finish the course with a fun assignment that lets you put together everything you’ve learned.

Requirements

You will need Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Windows or Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Macintosh. This can be part of the Creative Suite in Standard or Extended editions or it can be a standalone version of either Standard or Extended. However, no features from the Extended version will be taught.

Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins. If you want to use the 30-day free trial software provided by Adobe, you will need to wait until the third week of the course to install it and actually begin working through the course. Otherwise, your trial will end before the last four lessons are released.

You can also obtain a one- or two-month subscription for the product at a cost of $49.00 per month. This allows you to use the demo for one month if you like and then buy a one-month subscription so you can take the course for its full length.

This course can be taken on a PC or a Mac. On the PC platform, any of the following are acceptable: Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 3; Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (Service Pack 2 recommended); or Windows 7. On the Mac platform, you will need Mac OS X v10.5.8 or v10.6.

You will need to have a working knowledge of the basic tools in Photoshop and be able to make selections, use the Clone Stamp tool and Healing brushes, and do elementary color correction. If you are new to Photoshop, you should start with Introduction to Photoshop CS5.

In addition, you will need to have a program that extracts the example files from the Zip file provided with each lesson. You also will need to know how to create a new file folder and locate files on your hard drive.

Instructor

Sherry London is a noted Photoshop and Illustrator expert, an artist, a writer, and a teacher. Her fiber art has been featured in magazines and exhibitions. Her published works include Photoshop CS2 Gone Wild, Photoshop Magic, Photoshop Effects Magic, Photoshop In Depth, Photoshop Textures Magic, and Illustrator f/x and Design. She wrote the Tips and Tricks column for Photoshop User magazine for many years and is a two-time nominee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame. She has taught for the prestigious Thunder Lizard Photoshop Conference and the Professional Photographers of America seminars, as well as for Drexel University, Moore College of Art, and Gloucester County College. Sherry holds a Master's Degree in Information Systems and has taken doctoral-level courses in curriculum design.

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Reviews

This was a very challenging class and you are a great instructor! I took your first class and then this one and enjoyed both. I would recommend this class to anyone. Thank you so much for giving us plenty of assingments to help get us more aquainted with the program and not restricting the amount of postings. Even though I wasn’t in a classroom I felt I could get help when I needed it and that is most important.

Some very challenging and heavy stuff in this excellent final lesson. So much more to master in the months ahead it makes my head spin…The sky's the limit for using this very artistic concept as well as the use of luminosity masking. This course was more than challenging, and it was worth every penny. A tremendous educational value! Kudos to Sherry London and staff!

I am glad I got the chance to use CS5 with all the assignments. I learned so much from them all. There were a few assignments that I did not do, however I plan to review and take advantage of all assignments. This was a really great class. You and Beth are wonderful instructors. I have an artist friend who has taken classes online under your expert instructions, and she also praises you highly. I hope to be able to take more of you classes in the future.

Thank you so much for a wonderful course! I looked forward to every lesson and have just received my copy of Photoshop Gone Wild in the mail. I also plan to take further coursework on ed2go so I'm sure to meet you again. Thank you so much, I can't tell you what this course has done for me.

Thank you for a truly wonderful class. I have learned a lot and feel a little more confident about tackling some of the old photos I have wanted to retouch.

I've really enjoyed this class and appreciated all the feed back you've given us along the way. As I worked my way through the exam, I could see the wide range of skills you've taught us over the past eight weeks. It was good to be reminded of them again! I've learned a lot, and I'll miss our online community. Now I just need to keep practicing and build some confidence!

I want to thank you Sherry for sharing your expertise and knowledge of Photoshop. Up to this course everything I learned was self learning from reading books, online tutorials from different websites ect... But know the things I learned from your course open up a lot more abilities, creativity ect... Thank again

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with me during this course and during the intro course I took with you a couple sessions back. I learned so much...more than I dreamed possible...and I leave with enough resources and recommendations from you to keep me learning for many months to come. I attribute my success to the quality of instruction, the design of the course, and the flexibility of the program offered by ed2go. As a high school English and Journalism teacher with more than 20 years of experience in the classroom and as a peer mentor, I know "quality" when I see it.

Thank you, Sherry (and Beth)! I learned so much from this class and will definitely use these techniques personally and professionally in the near future. I really appreciate the quality of your instruction and your presence on the discussion boards.

I have taken a couple of beginner's courses online prior to this one. I will confess, your style was so different then my other classes, and I took a little time to surrender and just go with your flow. So happy I did! Once I let myself just follow your step-by-step instructions, it led to "playing around" with different commands and ideas. I really feel you walked me through each lesson. And, for an online class, it was almost like being in a classroom. Thank you.