From Beginner to Master: Photoshop

Overview

If you’re new to Adobe Photoshop, our Getting Started with Photoshop course is the ideal introduction to image editing and creative workflows. 

Across the two sessions, you’ll learn how to navigate Photoshop’s interface, personalise your workspace, open and move around your images, and make quick adjustments. You’ll then explore how to prepare images for print and online use, work with layers and adjustment layers, and apply effective colour and tone corrections. 

Course details

By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of Photoshop’s core tools and features. They will feel confident navigating the workspace, making essential adjustments, and using non-destructive editing techniques. Students will also understand how to prepare images correctly for both print and digital platforms, giving them the skills to enhance and edit their own images with ease. 

​​Session One (3 hours)

Introduction to Photoshop and Essential Tools 

• Understand what Photoshop is and what it can do 
• Explore the Photoshop workspace and panels 
• Personalise settings to suit your workflow 
• Open images and navigate using zooming and panning 
• Apply quick tonal and colour adjustments 
• Undo steps using different methods 
• Save work correctly and export images for web or print use 

​Session Two (3 hours)

Image Preparation and Essential Adjustments 

• Check image quality and resolution for print 
• Optimise images for web and social media 
• Learn how layers and adjustment layers work 
• Improve tone and colour using Curves, Hue/Saturation, and Vibrance 
• Apply adjustments to a single layer using clipping 
• Use the Camera Raw Filter for exposure fixes and noise reduction 
• Make targeted edits using the Adjustment Brush 

"I thoroughly enjoyed doing the Photoshop course and it’s taught me a whole host of useful skills and techniques. The teaching pace, teaching methods and course materials were all fantastic and my tutor was incredibly helpful and experienced."

Overview

Our Go Further with Photoshop course is ideal for learners who already understand the basics and want to build more advanced Photoshop skills. Across the two sessions, you’ll learn how to repair and enhance images using a range of retouching tools, fix imperfections, remove unwanted objects, and bring photos back to life. 

You’ll then explore Photoshop’s powerful selection tools to isolate subjects, refine details, and apply adjustments to only specific parts of an image — as well as learn how to replace skies quickly and professionally. 

By the end, you’ll feel more confident handling complex edits, giving you the skills to take your image enhancement and creative control to the next level. 

Course details

By the end of the course, students will be able to retouch and repair images using a variety of traditional and AI-powered tools. They will know how to remove distractions, restore areas of an image, and enhance lighting and detail. Students will also learn how to make accurate selections, refine them, and combine them with targeted adjustments — allowing for more precise and professional editing. 

​​Session One (3 hours)

Healing and Retouching Techniques 

• Learn how to crop and straighten images 
• Explore essential retouching tools and when to use them 
• Fix imperfections using the Spot Healing Brush and Patch Tool 
• Remove objects with the Remove Tool and Content-Aware Fill 
• Clone parts of an image using the Clone Stamp Tool 
• Enhance highlights and shadows using Dodge and Burn 

​Session Two (3 hours)

Mastering Selections and Sky Swaps 

• Understand what selections are and why they’re essential 
• Use Quick Selection and Magic Wand for fast selections 
• Try Object Selection and Select Subject for automatic cutouts 
• Refine edges and edit selections for accuracy 
• Select and replace skies using Photoshop’s Sky tools 
• Handle more complex cutouts and selection workflows 

"After doing this course I feel so much more confident using Photoshop The information is delivered in succinct, manageable chunks. Lisa is a brilliant teacher - patient, approachable and very knowledgable. Can't recommend enough!​​"

Eligibility or prerequisites

​​​​​We require the completion of a short questionnaire. This assessment will help ensure the course content is appropriate for your skill level and learning goals​.

Overview

Our Propel Your Photoshop Skills to the Next Level course is ideal for anyone who already understands the basics of Photoshop and wants to move into more creative, advanced techniques. 

Across the two sessions, you’ll deepen your understanding of layers, build eye-catching compositions, and learn how to work confidently with text, blending modes, and layer styles. 

You’ll also explore Photoshop’s creative tools — including gradients, brushes, shapes, and patterns — to help you produce richer, more polished designs. 

By the end of the course, you’ll feel more confident combining multiple tools and techniques to create layered, professional-looking artwork. 

Course details

By the end of the course, students will be able to build complex compositions using layers, text, and effects. They will understand how to organise and manage multilayered documents, how to apply styles non-destructively, and how to use blending modes creatively. 

Students will also gain hands-on experience with Photoshop’s drawing, painting, colour, and pattern tools — enabling them to create custom artwork, shapes, gradients, and seamless patterns with confidence. 

​​Session One (3 hours)

Working with Layers and Building Compositions 

• Build montages and multi-layered compositions 
• Manage, organise, and reorder layers effectively 
• Work confidently with type layers 
• Apply layer styles non-destructively 
• Use blending modes, opacity, and fill 
• Export individual layers as separate files 

​Session Two (3 hours)

Creative Tools: Colour, Shapes & Patterns 

• Remove backgrounds and fill layers with colour 
• Create and style gradient layers 
• Use the Brush Tool with confidence 
• Explore Photoshop’s drawing and painting tools 
• Create seamless repeating patterns 
• Draw and edit basic shapes 
• Clip images to shapes and edit shape paths 

"The course was a learning curve, but one that the tutor delivered in an upbeat way and used language that was easy to understand. It will be so helpful going forward with my work."

Eligibility or prerequisites

​We require the completion of a short questionnaire. This assessment will help ensure the course content is appropriate for your skill level and learning goals​.

Please note: To enrol in this course, attendees must have completed "Getting Started," "Go Further," and "Propel Your Skills to the Next Level" in the same subject. Additionally, there is a mandatory fee of £90 for the ACP exam and support materials, payable before the course begins. These prerequisites and fees are required to ensure participants are well-prepared and can fully benefit from the course content.

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Overview

Our ACP Revision & Exam Prep course is ideal for learners who want to strengthen their Photoshop skills and prepare confidently for the Adobe Certified Professional (ACP) exam. 

In the first session, you’ll learn advanced, industry-standard techniques using masks and smart objects — essential tools for professional, non-destructive editing. 

The second session then focuses entirely on revision and exam preparation, giving you the chance to revisit key skills, practise targeted tasks, and work through mock exam questions. 
By the end, you’ll feel fully equipped and ready for certification.

Course details and outline

By the end of this course, students will have a solid understanding of how masks and smart objects work, and how to apply them confidently in real editing scenarios. 

They’ll also complete structured revision exercises, review all core topics from earlier courses, and take practice tests to prepare for the ACP exam. 
This course brings everything together, ensuring learners are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. 

​​Session One (3 hours)

Harnessing Masks and Smart Objects 

• Understand how layer masks work 
• Create and refine masks for controlled editing 
• Use gradient masks for smooth, targeted adjustments 
• Apply clipping masks to limit edits to individual layers 
• Learn what Smart Objects are and why they’re useful 
• Convert layers into Smart Objects 
• Understand linked vs. embedded Smart Objects 
• Work with smart filters for flexible, non-destructive editing 

​Session Two (3 hours)

Exam Prep and Final Review 

• Prepare for your certification exam with focused revision, practice tasks, and mock exams. 
• Revision activities across all Photoshop topic areas 
• Final preparation checklist 
• GMetrix practice exams to simulate the real test environment

"Taking this course with the tutor has been life changing for my art career. The course is presented in manageable bite size chunks with lots of interactive tasks, and the tutor's gentle & clear approach made me feel really confident."

Eligibility or prerequisites

​We require the completion of a short questionnaire. This assessment will help ensure the course content is appropriate for your skill level and learning goals​.