GTS Overview - What's In The Book?

Chapter 1: An Overview of Graphic Tablets 
Chapter 2: Installing Your Tablet 
Chapter 3: Customizing Your Tablet And Tools
Chapter 4: Working With Objects (Selections, masks and so on) 
Chapter 5: Photo Editing 
Chapter 6: Working With Color 
Chapter 7: Basic Drawing Techniques 
Chapter 8: Creating Graphics 
Chapter 9: Creating Web Graphics 
Chapter 10: Shadows, Depth And Special Effects
Chapter 11: Drawing Weather And Nature
Chapter 12: Textures And Patterns 
Appendix A: Graphics Tablet Software (Filters, Plug-ins etc.)
Appendix B: Tablet Web Resources

Graphics Tablet Solutions is divided into four parts. These parts are further divided into twelve chapters, plus appendices. 
The appendices have Web links and information about various software packages and filters. Here are the various parts:

Part 1: Your Tablet and Tools
Chapters 1, 2, and 3 - Part One guides you through selecting your tablet with an overview of graphics tablets, including size and compatibility issues. 
This part continues with installation procedures and reviews various
input devices for Wacom tablets.
You can use this information to customize your tablet and tools. 

Part One also has a thorough overview of the many pressure-
sensitive tools in applications like Photoshop (6.0, Elements and 5.5), Painter, and Illustrator. You'll also get a few practical tips regarding tablet placement and desk clutter.

Part 2: Objects, Photos, and Color
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 - In Part Two, you'll learn everything you need to know to work efficiently with objects, selections, and backgrounds. Various tools and tips used in working with selections are also discussed. You’ll learn about layers and how to work with them; creating both quick and advanced masks. 
Paste-into techniques and other creative procedures are presented, and you’ll find out about Photoshop
6.0’s layer styles and effects. You can also investigate how to use masks and why a tablet lets you manage masks without plug-ins.

You’ll learn to adjust illustrations professionally - editing photographs, retouching images, and improving photo composition. Transformation tricks, adding depth and interest to a photo, and creating perspective are all there. You’ll also find out the necessary techniques for creating photo collages and removing red eye with Photoshop Elements’ Red Eye Brush.
You’ll work with color and explore how to adjust and replace colors in images. You’ll also read about color management and color modes. 

Part 3: Creating Graphics
Chapters 7, 8, and 9 - Part Three starts with basic drawing techniques and drawing with brushes and pens (Basic Drawing Techniques). I'll also show you how to create cartoon characters and compose an illustration. Then, we'll cover understanding and creating vector graphics and bitmapped images; you'll also learn to combine them. There is also a section that covers paths and strokes, shapes, and applying effects. You'll see how and when to use clip art and icons.
The secrets of optimized Web graphics are likewise revealed in this section. Learn how they can look good and load fast. Compression is discussed here, too. You'll read about type on the Web and how to do effective workarounds to get the results you want for the Web pages you create.
[Sample chapter: Download the PDF file (1.8MB) here ]

Part 4: Special Effects and Filters
Chapters 10, 11, and 12 - In Part Four, you'll learn to draw realistic shadows and cast shadows, create depth and light, and how to make metal effects like brushed metal or gold. You’ll also discover how industrial-looking objects are made, and then you can use the tutorials to create them yourself.
Natural weather effects, such as clouds or stormy weather, are spelled out in detail. You'll create a beach scene, leaves, grass, and other natural objects. Because you may need your own brushes to create natural effects, we'll create our own brushes.
In the last chapter, we'll walk through the advantages of textures and patterns used correctly. You'll become a pro in editing patterns or creating your own.

Appendix A and B
The appendixes contain web addresses to suppliers and manufacturers, plus short reviews of software, filters and other goodies you can use with your tablet.

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