Architectural Photoshop Course

Lesson 1 • Configuring an Architectural Workspace

Teaches custom workspace creation, color settings, and performance preferences for high-resolution renders. Directly reduces lag and color errors in production.

Lesson 2 • File Formats and Document Setup

Explains PSD, TIFF, PNG, and PDF formats in the context of architectural deliverables. Students set up documents with correct resolution and color mode.

Lesson 3 • Navigating the Photoshop Interface

Covers panels, menus, toolbars, and canvas navigation specific to large architectural files. Establishes baseline comfort before any editing begins.

Lesson 1 • Pixel, Vector, and Smart Object Layers

Distinguishes raster, vector, and smart object layers and their roles in architectural post-production. Smart objects enable non-destructive scaling and filtering.

Lesson 2 • Understanding the Layer System

Covers layer types, stacking order, blending modes, and opacity for architectural images. Provides the structural foundation for all compositing work.

Lesson 3 • Layer Masks and Clipping Masks

Explains pixel masks, vector masks, and clipping masks for precise, reversible compositing. Masking is the core non-destructive technique used throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Layer Groups and Organization

Teaches grouping, color-coding, and naming conventions for complex architectural files. Organized layer stacks reduce errors and speed up revisions.

Lesson 1 • Color Range and Luminosity Selections

Uses color range and luminosity-based selections to isolate skies, glazing, and lit surfaces. Enables targeted tonal and color corrections on specific material zones.

Lesson 2 • Basic Selection Tools

Covers marquee, lasso, and polygonal lasso tools for selecting geometric architectural forms. These tools handle straight-edged facades and rectangular elements efficiently.

Lesson 3 • Pen Tool Paths for Precise Cutouts

Applies the pen tool to create vector paths for hard-edged architectural cutouts. Delivers the highest precision for facades, columns, and geometric forms.

Lesson 4 • Select and Mask Workspace

Explores the Select and Mask workspace for refining edges around foliage, glass, and people. Produces clean cutouts critical for sky and entourage replacement.

Lesson 1 • Adding Atmospheric Depth and Haze

Creates aerial perspective and atmospheric haze to add depth to architectural exterior views. Depth cues make large-scale renders feel spatially convincing.

Lesson 2 • Manual Sky Masking Techniques

Teaches manual masking of complex skylines including rooftop equipment, trees, and railings. Manual control surpasses automated tools for intricate architectural silhouettes.

Lesson 3 • Sky Replacement Tool Workflow

Covers Photoshop's automated sky replacement tool and its settings for architectural images. Provides a fast baseline before manual refinement techniques are introduced.

Lesson 4 • Matching Sky Lighting to Architecture

Adjusts sky color temperature, direction, and intensity to match the building's existing light. Consistent lighting is the key factor in believable composites.

Lesson 1 • Curves for Contrast and Color

Uses curves adjustments to control contrast, lift shadows, and introduce color shifts. Curves are the most powerful tonal tool in architectural post-production.

Lesson 2 • Reading Histograms and Tonal Range

Teaches histogram interpretation to diagnose exposure, contrast, and clipping in architectural images. Accurate tonal reading precedes any correction workflow.

Lesson 3 • Color Balance and Selective Color

Applies color balance and selective color tools to shift material hues and unify scene palette. Selective corrections target specific tonal ranges without affecting others.

Lesson 4 • Consistent Grading Across a Project

Teaches techniques for matching color grades across multiple views of the same project. Consistency across views is a professional deliverable standard.

Lesson 1 • Sourcing and Preparing Entourage Assets

Covers sourcing high-quality cutout people, vehicles, and trees from stock and dedicated libraries. Proper asset preparation prevents quality issues during compositing.

Lesson 2 • Color and Light Matching Entourage

Adjusts entourage color temperature, exposure, and contrast to match the scene's lighting. Mismatched lighting immediately breaks compositing realism.

Lesson 3 • Shadow and Ground Contact

Creates cast shadows and ground contact shadows to anchor entourage to the scene surface. Shadows are the primary cue for spatial believability.

Lesson 4 • Scaling and Perspective Matching

Applies perspective grids and vanishing points to place entourage at correct scale and depth. Incorrect scale is the most common error in architectural compositing.

Lesson 1 • Enhancing Material Texture and Detail

Uses high-pass filters, sharpening, and overlay blending to enhance material texture in renders. Texture enhancement compensates for the flatness common in 3D outputs.

Lesson 2 • Artificial Lighting and Glow Effects

Adds artificial light sources, lens flares, and glow effects to night and dusk renders. Lighting effects define mood and communicate the building's illumination design.

Lesson 3 • Bloom, Depth of Field, and Lens Effects

Applies bloom, depth-of-field blur, and chromatic aberration to simulate photographic lens qualities. Lens effects bridge the gap between renders and real photography.

Lesson 4 • Night and Dusk Scene Compositing

Converts daytime renders into night or dusk scenes using color grading and lighting layers. Night scenes require a complete rethinking of tonal and color relationships.

Lesson 1 • Building a Presentation Board Layout

Assembles multiple architectural views into a cohesive presentation board within Photoshop. Board layout skills complete the full workflow from raw render to client deliverable.

Lesson 2 • Image Cropping and Composition Refinement

Applies compositional principles to crop and reframe architectural images for maximum impact. Strong composition elevates technical post-production into compelling visual communication.

Lesson 3 • Sharpening and Final Detail Pass

Applies output sharpening calibrated to screen and print media for maximum detail clarity. Final sharpening is the last destructive step before export.

Lesson 4 • Exporting for Print and Digital Media

Configures export settings for high-resolution print, web, and presentation file formats. Correct export settings prevent color shifts and resolution loss in delivery.