It’s “Guest Blog Wednesday” featuring Deke McClelland!

Wednesday

Jul
2009

Photo by Jacob Cunningham

Hello Scott. And friends of Scott. Not to mention you people who know friends of folks who at one time thought they knew Scott or saw him once. As if in a dream.

My name is Deke. But enough about me. What’s more important is what I have to offer. In celebration of The Day After Scott’s Birthday, I bring you the most special Eighth of July gift ever. A video. A Web-based, streaming video. With a mouse cursor moving around the screen and me talking and everything. (!)

The topic of this video is masking. Over the course of things, we’ll take this girl:

With all her hair and rambunctious attitude.

And blend her into this composition:

Granted, the end result is over the top. And a bit silly. (Forgive me, I learned design from Mad magazine. Or was it Super Mario Brothers? I forget.) But it’s impeccably executed. And it demonstrates a point: If you can merge that hair and that dress and that girl against that background, you can do anything.

And by “anything,” I mean anything. Turn lead into gold. Climb vertical walls. Fly. With glistening, radioactive abs of steel.

I call my intensive video “The Essential Approach to Masking in Photoshop.” It’s not a step-by-step recipe. It’s not a magic bullet. It’s an overarching roadmap of the tried-and-true approach to masking a complex image. In about 30 minutes (I told you it was intensive!), you and I will create a full-blown mask—from scratch, mind you—and employ said mask to composite a complex foreground against a foreign background. In Photoshop.

This is not an inspirational video. This is a training video. (I’m sorry, but it’s what I do.) It’s carefully crafted and tightly produced. And believe it or not, it moves along at a fairly brisk pace.

Definitely click the full-screen button for every bit of gloriously compressed detail in this 1280 by 800-pixel movie.

Watch. Rinse. Repeat.

Along the way, I mention some links. They are these:
-For the images, fotolia.com/deke
-For the videos, lynda.com/deke
-For the books, deke.oreilly.com
-For more free masking videos, dekedotcom.blip.tv
-For still more videos, youtube.com/dekepod
-For 24/7 love action, deke.com

Now stop reading this and watch the video. And have a really awesome day.
–Deke

related: Guest Blogger 73

Posted by Brad Moore

I'm Scott Kelby's photo assistant and studio manager. I also help out with the guest blog series and Free Stuff Thursdays here at ScottKelby.com. When I'm not at the office, I'm probably at a concert or hanging out with friends.

Website | Google + | Facebook | Twitter | More by Brad Moore →

http://www.flickr.com/photos/black-dog Mike Le Gray
Awesome job! Many, many thanks, Deke! This is something that I always find daunting, but no more!
That was really impressive – and very helpful in giving insights in an area that so far has been much of a mystery to me! Thanks a milion. It was even fun.
http://www.bretography.com/ Bret Linford
Awesome Deke! Thank you!
http://www.anderswester.com/en/ Anders Wester
Many thanks Deke, a great tip which looks so simple when you do it. I have used several ways before including plugins but doing it your way seems so much easier!
Jack Flemmings
Deke, great, great, great! Whets my appetite to learn more about channels. Thanks. Wonderful imagination by the way.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/inbangkok Grant Cameron
Absolutely superb; spellbinding. Guest Blog Wednesday’s just get better and better, and this is going to be one tough act to follow. Cheers to Deke and Scott.
http://ajwood.com A.J. Wood
DEKE = GENIUS. The genius that is education plus entertainment. Well done.
http://www.shinnphoto.com Andrew
Thanks, Deke! Cool to see that Scott learned from you in the early days just like I learned from him in my own early days. Scott’s Photoshop 7 Down-and-Dirty Tricks books (and it’s hilarious introduction) motivated me to learn PS for the first time and eventually become a working pro photographer. BTW, Deke, I’m impressed that you’re able to train in Photoshop and Illustrator with the same grace and ease. Someday I’ll know both as well as you….
http://www.istockphoto/numbeos numbeos
Thanks Deke..That’s what expected from you…Awesome…
Roger D
Deke rocks! I have always enjoyed learning things from his many lessons, Dekepods, and rants. If you can’t learn from Deke and Scott, you should get a different hobby.
Kim C.
That was great! I’ve always had a mental block with the calculations button… “Now what was I supposed to do with that???” Thanks for reminding me.
Martin
Thanks a lot I just learned something new.
Bob Koss
It seems I’m the only one here who can’t figure out where to click to see the video.

Jeff
Perhaps you need to upgrade to the newest version of Flash? Then, you’ll see the button just above the text “Definitely click the full-screen button for every bit of gloriously compressed detail in this 1280 by 800-pixel movie.”

Jeff
Fantastic demo. I’ll probably need to re-watch this a dozen times to soak it all in. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.johnslaughterbeck.com John S.
WoW, I’m going to have to watch this a few more times.
Nas
Amazing stuff. Thank you.
Now, a question: does it matter what colour you choose as a fill for the very top layer that you used the advanced blending on or does it have to be reddish? I detected some of the colour actually affecting the image (or is it just me?).
Thanks
Nas
http://Www.markroberg.com Mark
Hi Deke,
I just wanted to tell you that I learned much of my Photoshop skills from your “Photoshop 5 for Dummies” book way back a long time ago. I loved your teaching method and your humor! (this was back in the day when Photoshop books were printed in black and white) :)
thanks for being such a great teacher.
-Mark
http://www.istockphoto/numbeos numbeos
Yepp..certainly he’s a great sense of humour indeed..:)
http://www.jasonmanchesterphotography.ca Jason Manchester
Great video… thanks!
Wade
Thanks Deke. You present material in a way that really allows me to learn and have fun while it’s happening. In this video, I especially appreciated you mentioning that things are easier because of the solid background. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen demos (not just PS) where things are shown using a simple example but the presenter doesn’t acknowledge that at all. It can make me feel like the presenter is out of touch with the fact that new users (OK, I really mean myself) would and should struggle when trying to apply the technique to a real life problem.
Regards,
Wade
Paul
I love listening to a genius – and Deke IS a Photoshop genius – speak. I don’t understand it all, but I enjoy it.
I learned so much Photoshop from his CS2 DVDs, and his flair for the dramatic and theatric make them so entertaining, in addition to educational.
Bring us more Deke! Kidnap him from lynda!
http://flickr.com/photos/91833771N00/ Leslie Clement
Hey Deke! I’ve been taking your Advanced Masking and Composition training class on Lynda.com. I’ve already been able to use my new knowledge at work to blow everyone away! Your PS training videos have taken me to a high level of proficiency and knowledge, and for that I am truly grateful.
Thanks and keep up the great work.
Leslie C.

http://flickr.com/photos/91833771N00/ Leslie Clement
Oops. I meant Advanced Channels and Masking class.

GT
Hi Deke, still amazing and still love you sarcasm funny style of teaching. I have learn so much from you Lynda.com series. You are the reason why I have a subscription to Lynda.com :) Thanks again for the tutorial today and looking forward to more of your teaching on your blog.
Cheers,
GT
http://www.herscruples.com jenny heart
This is awesome…I have learned so much with that one tutorial.
JCA
I can only watch the first 5 minutes of this video and it then jumps to the end! Any ideas?

GT
Maybe check you Flash Player version.

JCA
Flash 10 – happens in Firefox, Safari and Opera

http://billyoungphoto.com Bill Young
Deke, that rocked. Thanks for the time you put into it, especially the attention to all the little details that tend to get glossed over in normal tutorials. Plus, you’re definitely on my list of “people I’d like to have a beer with”! Scott, I hope this stays in your blog archive forever cause I have a feeling I’m going to be referring back to this again and again. That red overlay with selective blending at the end was very cool.
– Bill
http://www.flickr.com/photos/balliolman/ Balliolman
Very good, indeed!
Balliolman
Loopsta
I have watched the 30 hour channels and masks for CS3 a couple of years back. Its a mammoth undertaking but i guess sometime soon you will be revising it Deke? for CS4. For everybody else I would say to you if the end of the world is nigh and you have only one last training video to watch, then the CS3 channels and masks training series IS the one to watch.
I have the hugest amount of respect for you Deke, Dont change what you do, you are still Don Corleone and i,m sure Scott can be happy being Frank Sinatra :)
http://www.crashtaylor.com Crash
Deke is the man with the master plan! I learned so from Deke over the years, he rocks!
Crash Taylor
http://www.stephensugg.com Stephen Sugg
Solid – as always – thanks Deke!
http://www.flickr.com/trevjillustrator TrevJ
Wow! So you’re the guy, Deke, who got in line twice when God was handing out the gift of the gab! ;-)
Well, that and plenty other “gifts.” Very impressive explanation of a complex topic!
Steve
Thanks Deke, now how about a masking song?
John Lewis
Thank you so much, that is a brilliant tutorial. Great!!!
Christine Morgan
Deke – that was fantastic – and funny too! Thanks for sharing it – I know I’ll be watching it over and over again and taking notes. And the written intro put a big smile on my face too! I’ll now have to jump over and watch more of your videos.
Best wishes
Matt
Wow – that was awesome!!
I’ve seen the 33 hour Channels and Masks series on lynda and it’s what sets the men apart from the boys!! If you’re serious about PS then it’s a must-see.
Nice work!!!!!
Jeff
Thanks Deke. Amazing as always. You are a wonderful teacher. In fact, you were my spark to start learning Photoshop when I saw that Photoshop learning series where you were a blackjack dealer. I have been a fan since …. not because of the blackjack gig (that was …. shall we say, “marginal”) but because of the teaching that went on in those videos. Personally, I don’t think you, Deke, can be beat for teaching Photoshop. Lynda.com is the ultimate online video learning resource IMHO, and much of that is due to your talents in the Photoshop department.
For other readers, Lynda.com has a TON of teaching videos that are SO very well done in all the major software, not just Photoshop. The site is amazing and no, I do not work for them ! :-) They are just that good.
Thanks much.
http://earballvisions.blogspot.com/ Scoop
Man! Lots to remember, but that was immensely helpful. Thanks!
Oh, and reddish does have two Ds. (I was working as an editor back when Deke was learning photoshop, methinks.)
Tim
Thanks for this Deke.
Extremely easy to follow tutorial on a difficult to do task.
Martijn
What an amazing video! And all of that for free… Thanks a lot for sharing this Deke.
Jorge
Deke rocks!
william sheck
Deke — your companion articles on masking in the recent issues of Photoshop User magazine were so profound that I actually had them laminated and they are within arms’ reach at my workstation. You are a pros’ pro!
Hamilton
Thanx man!!! It will save me hours on my current job!
http://ozarkphotos.blogspot.com Mike Young
Deke, very nice lesson! I will have to go back through it a couple of times but this really hit home. Might just have to take some shots tomorrow where I can try this out!
anthony Hall
I love your trainings. I’ve watched countless hours of your trainings and still can’t wait for the next one. I love how your trainings move right along, the pace is perfect, and of course the content is top notch. I’m also a super fan of your ADHD dekepod vids too. Thanks for the years of motivation!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bush Marianne Bush
holy sxxx, my mind is spinning. Awesome tutorial which calls for more than one re-run. Thanks a bunch, Deke.
arod
Scott thanks for the great site!
And Deke,That was awesome!I learned a lot.calculations,clipping and channels
what great fun Photoshop is,Thanks guys!
I had the trail version for 30 days……..and now I’m jonesing for Photoshop CS4!
Claus Pohl
Hi Deke,
Enjoyed this very much. However, there is a lot to digest for a hobby CS4 enthusiast. Would this video be available in written form, so I can take my time to fully understand all ideas and suggestions?
Claus
http://www.ilifephotography.co.uk KarlB
very helpfull….www.ilifephotoblog.com
Bob Martin
Deke,
Thanks for the great post!
Now, for the real important stuff – Scott, let’s hear about the new Les Paul (pics?)! My wonderful wife got me a new strat for my birthday a few years back. I’m still working on the Les Paul angle…
Mark E
You rock Deke!! I learned a few things I didn’t know here. Thanks man!
http://www.morethanwords.be/blog Piet
Thanks to Deke and kudo’s to Scott for hosting this. It’s like Mercedes would offer their clients a test-drive in the new BMW.
Unless… one of these days we get a blogpost saying Deke moves to Kelbytraining or Lynda is taken over by Kelbytraining or vice versa. I don’t know who’s got the most cash.
Probably Scott :-)
http://www.pathwaysoflight.blogspot.com Joe Bridwell
Deke and Scott,
Although you apologized amidst this fine masking presentation, Deke, it came at
the right time for an upward spurt in masking growth for me. In effect – it jumped me to the next level in using sophisticated masks. I have been looking at compositing � this tutorial clears up some of my concepts which are much more klunky ~ then points me to a smoother work path. Thanks�
Once again, Scott, your reaching out (Power to the People) has enhanced our Photoshop World. Looking forward to the WorldWidePhotoWalk �
My Hat�s OFF�
Ted
Thanks for the tutorial, but may I make a suggestion? There’s so much extraneous “DJ talk” and goofyness that it’s hard to concentrate on what the actual steps are. I MUCH prefer the style of RC or Scott who are excellent educators. Deke sounds like he loves his own voice and is hosting a radio show in the mid 1980′s. The tutorial could have been half the length that it was with more careful attention to the instruction. And no, I don’t lack a sense of humor. I just prefer the tutorials I watch to help you get the steps you need to know, in a reasonable amount of time, without rapid fire wacky. :( Sorry.

mfgraphics
The Reason Deke is my favorite Photoshop trainer is the way he incorporates his own jargon into the tutorial in a way that makes the lesson really stick. I basically learned photoshop from Deke on Lynda.com, and to this day when I do certain things in photoshop, I can still hear Deke and remember the goofy story he used to illustrate it. Thanks Deke, and thanks Scott for hosting this on your blog!
John
Sorry, I have to disagree, too. It’s the humor that makes it fun and fun makes learning far easier. I don’t feel like I’m slogging through yet another tut that’s dry as a bone. Deke’s over the top, and that makes him and his lessons memorable.
Hey, and don’t dis the 80s!
Joe
Deke is the man. He’s the only instructor that keeps me awake and interested. It’s fun learning from Deke and more of a chore learning from the other top instructors.
Matt
I have to say I disagree.
There’s nothing worse than a video lesson being a set of instructions with a one-tone machine reading them. Deke adds flavour and personality to the subject, and it truly helps me learn faster and more effectively than any other method.
http://desaindigital.com jeprie
scott is a great tutor, but deke is greater.
Leonard
Agree 100%

Dean
Deke. That was awesome. Learned alot.

Leonard
didn’t learn that a lot is two words

http://semrumoaofim.blogspot.com Renato Rea
Awesome!
http://micmac.redbubble.com/ Micmac
I have to keep that video forever…thank you so much …a real jewel…Micmac
Robert Hatalla
I must say, Deke, you have been my favorite Video Educator for a reason. You put your slant on everything. I have 30 or 40 dvd’s on various subjects and the ones I learn from have always been with a good bunch of humor and Deke has that hands down, the others I have donated to friends and such.
And yes, Kudos to Deke’s photoshop shortcuts video on deke.com, episode 2. Awesome, I still listen to that (while I’m Driving around town) imagine how I must look singing “Who knew X stood for change”, lol.
Hey Deke, don’t switch to Kelbytraining.com, (although if you did, you would probably raise their income substantionally) I have absoutly noting against Kelbytraining.com other than some of the tutorials are dry.
Peace out,
Robert
Silentman
Deke your the best of the best buddy, your teaching style is very refreshing and i love the way you get straight to the point. I got 2 big shots out of this one, thanks for hosting it Scott :D
http://www.imperial-crystal.com Doug Smith
Fascinating tutorial. I love his presentation style and enjoy his books. (I’m just starting his InDesign One-On-One book.)
I have a neophyte question I hope someone can answer. Why not use something like OnOne software’s MaskPro to create the mask? It seems to be a lot simpler. Does it do fundamentally in the background what Deke is doing with channels? Does Deke’s approach result in a superior mask? And if so, is it sufficiently superior to be noticable in the end result?
Pamela
Today is my lucky day :)
My mom had promised me to gift a nintendo wii this christmas. But I got it for free, yeee. While looking for some place where I could get it cheap or with some discount, I found this website http://bit.ly/5PYFPX which offered a chance to win nintendo wii, as a special christmas promotion. All I needed to do was to enter my mobile number to enter into the contest. And yup, I won it. Lucky me. Now I am thinking what to ask my mom as a gift. :P
What do you guy’s suggest?
http://www.propeller.com/member/louisbweaver80/ Caden
Considerably, the article is in reality the sweetest on this notable topic.
http://teenhobbies.wordpress.com/ Heaven
You gave nice ideas here. I done a research on the issue and learnt most peoples will agree with your blog.

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