Books to recommend on adobe photoshop drawing/graphic and texture design

Hey

I was wondering if anyone would care to share any great books they have read or know of on adobe photoshop so I can improve my knowledge and skills.

After starting to make clothes I realise just how much you need to understand adobe to get great results like the many very well designed items in SL.

Books that teach how to use the draw/ paint tools and create textures, basicly any book that helped you to make clothes will be appreciated.

im aware theres alot of reading ahead of me

thanks

I would go to Borders, and look at all the PS books--each has their own unique style...most of them are quality, it just depends on what you're looking for.

Also, I recommend running through a gamut of tutorials online--those sometimes are the best, because they fit your desired needs more closely.

3D Game Textures by Luke Ahearn. ALthough it is more geared towards making environments and props, it is still a great book for learning photoshop.

and then, when you look up Ahearns book on Amazon, be sure to check on what all the people who bought that book also bought.

There are so many great books on Photoshop , its hard to pick the best. If you need to learn Photoshop starting from complete beginner, the Classroom in a Book series is great at taking you step by step through every feature ands giving you a good solid knowledge of the program, but its a little bit dry

Ben Wilmore is a really great instructor. His Photoshop Studio Techniques series is a fantastic way to learn the program step by step
http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS3-Studio-Techniques/dp/0321510461/ref=sr_1_5/002-0912388-5696044?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190990873&sr=1-5

Anything from Deke McLelland I would highly recommend. Especially his Photoshop One on One series. He really knows his stuff and he has a very engaging style that makes reading these dense books fun.
http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-One-One-Deke-McClelland/dp/0596529759/ref=sr_1_1/002-0912388-5696044?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190991126&sr=1-1


If you already know basic Photoshop and want to learn 3d Texturing specific information, then "3D Game Textures: Create Professional Game Art Using Photoshop"
by Luke Ahearn is a great book, as the other posters have saidhttp://www.amazon.com/3D-Game-Textures-Professional-Photoshop/dp/0240807685/ref=sr_1_3/002-0912388-5696044?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190991453&sr=1-3 . Its focus is mainly on environment texturing, but the information applies to doing clothes too.

I'll put my stamp on the 3D Game Textures book as well. It's really great for helping refine your technique. That said, I'm not sure I'd recommend it to the complete beginner. It's geared towards teaching very specific things about texturing, not necessarily towards familiarizing you with the ins and outs of Photoshop itself.

Once you're comfortable using Photoshop, by all means read the 3D Game Textures book. It's a must-have if you're serious about texturing. I just wouldn't start with it at the very beginning is all. Wait until you already have a little knowledge before building on it with that particular book.

As others have stated, there are hundreds of good books out there about getting started with Photoshop. Michael's suggestion is a good one. Go to a nearby Borders or Barnes & Noble's and start reading. You'll find that different authors have different teaching styles. Pick one that feels like a fit to your learning style.

I might also suggest going a different route, video. From what I've seen of them, the Total Training DVD's from Adobe are quite good. Somebody gave me the CS2 set about a year ago, and I watched the first couple of sections. They're a little hokey in places, with this weird Leonardo looking guy as the instructor, but the lessons are thorough, well planned, and easy to follow. The DVD's are a little pricey at $129 a set, but it seems like a great way to learn quickly.

I really like the WOW! Photoshop book by Linnea Dayton and Cristen Gillespie.
~Ari

If you like video training, and can afford $25 a month for all you can cram into your skull, you might really enjoy the Lynda training.

You'll find it at http://www.Lynda.com, and there are hundreds of titles there. You can watch an unlimited number for your $25, and there are new ones all the time.

On the other hand, for $99, or about the cost of two "regular" computer books with a CD in them, you can get a year long membership to the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, or NAPP.

You'll find them at http://www.photoshopuser.com/ and I can highly recommend them.

They have all kinds of wonderful training videos and tutorials on the member's part of the site. You also get a magazine with all kinds of great stuff in it, a help desk that is there to answer specific questions (you can see the answers to other people's questions, too,) and discounts on a lot of things you might be getting anyway, including computer software and hardware from places like PC Mall and Office Max. Personally, I save more than my $99 membership fee every year.

(And I learned some of my best PS tricks there, too! )

Hope this helps!