This is a more exhaustive version, giving instructions specific to the available equipment in the classroom.
Note that these are intended to be used in conjunction with a physical class, so they’re not necessarily complete.
Begin with a line drawing in pencil or pen.
Scan (these instructions are for the Epson V600, but most artwork scanners are similar).
1: Switch scanner on.
2: Connect it to the computer.
3: Place image face-down on platen.
4: On the computer: Open Image Capture.
5: Select: RGB/ 360dpi/ Full Platen/ Scan to: Desktop/ Select a name for the image (this will help you find it if it disappears somewhere).
6: Hit Return. This will SCAN the image.
Adjust Scanned image.
1: Drag your image icon into the Photoshop App Icon in the Dock.
2: This will open the image in Photoshop.
3: Save the image (⌘S) into Photoshop (psd). Let’s call it asher-01.psd
4: Menu> Image Mode> RGB
5: Menu> Adjustments > Hue-Saturation (⌘U)> Select Yellow, and lighten it.
6: Menu> Adjustments > Levels (⌘L)> Use arrows to adjust.
7: Menu> Adjustments > Brightness-Contrast> Use arrows to adjust.
You can repeat any of these steps to get a more contrasty black and white image.
8: Save a copy (⌘-shift-S) as a jpeg. Let’s call it asher-01.jpg
9: Save your progress (⌘S).
Color Scanned image.
Even if you don’t have a tablet of some kind you can still add flat color to your line drawing.
1: Open asher-01.jpg.
2: Save it as asher-01-color.psd (⌘-shift-S).
3: Select All (⌘A)
4: Cut (⌘X)
5: Paste (⌘V). This will put the image on a layer above the background, which just gives you more flexibility.
6: Save (⌘S).
7: At the bottom of the Photoshop toolbar, click on the upper of the two squares. This will bring up the color adjuster. Select a color.
8: Find the paint bucket tool (G) in the toolbar. Click on a space in your image, bounded on all sides by a black line. This should fill the space with color. If it spills out, you probably have a gap in your black outline. Undo (⌘Z) and use the brush tool (B) to fill the gap and try again. You can also play around with the tolerance.
9: Keep filling until the image looks the way you like it.
10: Save, and and save as a new jpg.
This is about as far as you can go without a tablet.
If you have a tablet you can add shadows.
1: Open asher-01-color.psd
2: Add a new layer (⌘-shift-N) above your color layer.
3: Adjust Layer opacity to 25%
4: Adjust Layer Mode to Multiply.
5: Select ‘Black’ from the boxes in the toolbar.
6: Select photoshop brush (B).
7: Adjust the size of the brush using the [ and ] keys.
8: Open the brush palette from the Menu bar> Window> Brushes.
9: You can choose a hard-round, soft, or calligraphic brush (most of the others are of little use for the moment, but play with them, and you may find something you like).
10: Draw your shadows onto the new layer. You can adjust the opacity if you want your shadows darker or lighter.
11: Very Important. Try the eraser tool (E). You will probably have already made a mistake, so erase it. You can also use the Undo tool (Z), which will give you one step back––or the History panel can allow you to go back multiple steps.
12: You can also use a soft eraser to soften the edges your shadows. Don’t overdo this or you’ll end up with over-soft shadows.
13: Save as a new jpeg (asher-color-shadows-01.jpg).
Making the PDF Dummy.
1: Open Photoshop.
2: Menu Bar> New> New Image (Document).
3: This will bring up and options box.
For a double page spread of 8.5 x 11 select: 17 x 11 Landscape format, 360 pixels per inch, RGB.
Hit Create.
4: Menu> View> check Rulers.
5: Create guides: Click in a ruler, then drag the cursor across the image. A guide will appear. Place a guide to mark the gutter in the middle fo the spread.
6: Save as a Photoshop document (psd). Let’s call it dummy01.psd
7: Place your desired image onto the spread. There are a number of ways of doing this, but the simplest is to drag the image icon onto you spread. The image will open on the spread with a bounding box. Use the bounding box to adjust the size and shape (holding Shift will keep it in proportion). When you are done, hit Return. You can go back to adjusting by hitting ⌘T any time, which will bring back the bounding box.
8: Save.
Add text.
1: Hit T this will bring up the text cursor.
2: Using the text cursor, click anywhere on your image.
3: Type your text. If you can’t see it check you are on the top layer, adjust the font size and color.
4: For a picture book you will have to use use black type, but you can play around with the font size and the font.
5: You need to click out of the type layer to save, so open the layers panel, and click the empty space in the panel below the layers, then save.
Ed Asher Briant 