# learn photoshop **places to start learning photoshop because any help you can find is a good thing.** photoshop is a big, complicated tool that can do amazingly cool things. as a beginner it is easy to become overwhelmed by the awesome work that powerhouse designers create. remember that those artists flexing their ripped creative muscles started out as wimpy little novices just like you. learning to properly control the power of photoshop takes time and effort; it isn't something you are going to learn overnight. remember, grasshopper, that with a proper diet, regular exercise and total dedication to layer masking, you too can one day become the pixel-pushing photoshop ninja you have always dreamed of being. fortunately, there are many resources to help you on your path to total image-tweaking bad-assery. go to any reputable bookstore and you will find a bonanza of heavy tomes dedicated to photoshop. these books will be instrumental in learning the basics of photoshop as well as gaining physical muscle from lugging them around from place to place. i can't recommend any particular book over another because they all can help in different ways. instead, i advise you to pack a lunch and spend a good four hours or so looking through the different books to find one that has the right balance of pictures to words for your particular needs. be sure to do a few military push-ups from time to time to condition those hands and fingers for quick-keying your way to photoshop masterpieces. rocky balboa got into shape beating sides of meat and eating raw eggs for breakfast. much like the boxing hero, you too can punch some pixels and eat some bandwidth watching videos and reading online tutorials to get into shape. here are a few places where it is worth spending your training time getting started with photoshop: - [vandelay collection](http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/learn-photoshop-basics/) - [photoshop essentials](http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/) - [photoshop.com](http://www.photoshop.com/tutorials?keywords=&sort=relevance&product=ps&category=tutorial&difficulty=1) - [tutorialized](http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Photoshop/Basics/1) - [creative bloq](http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design-tips/photoshop-tutorials-1232677) - [planet photoshop](http://planetphotoshop.com/) - [good tutorials](http://www.good-tutorials.com/tutorials/photoshop/basics) - [photoshop star](http://www.photoshopstar.com/category/basics/) these are all a good way to get started in your photoshop training routine. there are literally millions more tutorials and resources out there waiting to be investigated and explored. now that you've committed yourself to becoming a ninja, go click some pixels and make something awesome! if you want to feel insecure and know how horrible you really are (and want a good laugh along the way) definitely go check out [you suck at photoshop](https://www.youtube.com/show/yousuckatphotoshop). --- tags: #design #resources #photoshop home: [[! graphic design resources]]