COGT 1213 Photoshop Digital Imaging Syllabus H01 Fall 2026

Credit Hours 3.00 Lecture Hours 3 Clinical/Lab Hours 0
Type of Credit
CIP Code
10.0303
Course Meeting Time

Tuesdays, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Course Description

This course explores the generation and manipulation of photographic and graphic images using industry standard software, Adobe Photoshop(R). Topics include: Bitmap vs. vector - painting and design, photo correction and manipulation, selections and masking, filters and special effects, and text and layer styles. Students will use effective visual communication as they explore various publication scenarios. This class is geared toward the cultivation of work to be included in the student's final portfolio.

General Education Outcomes

General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:

  1. Communication
Explanation of Course Alignment

Course Outcome

Create a poster by generating and manipulating photographic and graphic images using Adobe Photoshop.

Course Objectives

* Recognize the PS workspace 

* Implement design principles and copyright rules 

* Create and apply selections to transform an image 

* Understand and create a basic layer system for artwork 

* Utilize filters and adjustments to improve an image 

* Create masks and channels to reveal/hide parts of an image 

* Input and adjust type in an image 

* Design and draw vector graphics for a logo 

* Transform a bitmap image into a painting with brushes 

* Create a working photo­graphic slideshow

* Understand and define a high­-quality image and its methods of output 

* Design a multi-layer composite for inclusion in an entry-level portfolio 

* Demonstrate using a Wacom tablet

Faculty Contact Information

Faculty Name
Amber Gocken
Faculty Email
Faculty Office Number
815-802-8850
Faculty Student Support Hours

Tuesdays, 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM, or by appointment

Faculty Information

agocken@kcc.edu

Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Recognize the PS workspace
  2. Implement design principles and copyright rules
  3. Create and apply selections to transform an image
  4. Understand and create a basic layer system for artwork
  5. Utilize filters and adjustments to improve an image
  6. Create masks and channels to reveal/hide parts of an image
  7. Input and adjust type in an image
  8. Design and draw vector graphics for a logo
  9. Transform a bitmap image into a painting with brushes
  10. Create a working photographic slideshow
  11. Understand and define a high quality image and its methods of output
  12. Design a multi-layer composite for inclusion in an entry-level portfolio
  13. Demonstrate using a Wacom tablet with PS
Topical Outline
  • Welcome to the Land of Creative Cloud
  • Designing for the Client
  • Graphic Design Documentary
  • Getting to Know the Work Area
  • Basic Photo Corrections
  • Working with Selections
  • Layer Basics
  • Quick Fixes
  • Masks and Channels
  • Typographic Design
  • Vector Drawing Techniques
  • Advanced Compositing
  • Painting with the Mixer Brush
  • Editing Video
  • Working with Camera Raw
  • Preparing Files for the Web
  • Producing and Printing Consistent Color
  • Exploring Neural Filters
  • Printing 3D Files
  • Preparing for Composites
  • Making a Super Composite
  • Blending Fire
  • Atmosphere, Grit and Demolition
  • Fantasy Worlds from Everyday Images
Textbook/s and Course Materials

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book

2026 Release

Chavez

ISBN - 13:

978-0-13-549500-1

Methods of Evaluation

1000-900 = A

899 - 800 = B

799 - 700 = C

699 - 600 = D

599 - 0 = F

 

Projects - 400 points

Assignments - 300 points

Quizzes - (Low score drops) - 100 points

Final Exam - 100 points

Attendance - 50 points

Participation - 50 points

Academic Division

Business, Technology & Human Services

Dean, Paul Carlson; 815-802-8858; V105; pcarlson@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8650

Course Policies

Late Work - Late work will be accepted, but with a point penalty. Any work, including homework, projects, and study questions, will have a 15% point deduction given after the work is graded. For example, if you hand in late work and it is given a 90%, then your final grade would be 76%.

Attendance - Students are expected to be in class on time. Don't be late. Students are responsible for all materials presented during their absence(s). 
Check CANVAS if you are absent, all due materials will be listed according to weekly modules. Regular attendance is expected to all scheduled classes, there are 
NO excused absences. 
If you need to contact me, PLEASE EMAIL ME. 
I typically check this course daily, but on weekends 
it isn't my top priority. That in NO WAY means that I don't want to hear from you if you have a question.

Plagiarism  - KCC defines plagiarism: Representing the words or ideas of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else. MoMA defines appropriation: 
the intentional borrowing, copying, and alteration of existing images and objects. A strategy that has been used by artists for millennia, it took on new significance in the mid-20th century with the rise of consumerism and the proliferation of images through mass media outlets from magazines to television.

AI Content  - In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly) t complete coursework with­out proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. If you are unsure about whether something may be plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please contact your instructor to discuss the issue .First violation will result in a zero for the assignment. The second violation will result in "F" failing of the course.

Final Exam The final presentation 
in this class is mandatory. It is worth 100 points. 
If you fail to present, you will lose your attendance and participation points (100) and your final grade will not be an "A" or a "B."

Computer Graphic Technology Lab Safety - Students will be allowed to work in V107 (Graphic Design Lab) outside of scheduled COGT 
class times during open building hours. Lab schedules are posted on the door. 
Students will not be allowed to work in V111 (Innovation Lab) outside of enrolled class times without prior approval or consent of instructor or program coordinator and direct supervision of tutor, instructor or program.

Obligation - At a minimum, the average person can expect to spend at least three to six additional hours outside the classroom dedicating time to studying for quizzes, and working on homework assignments and projects.

 

Expectations for Classroom and Online Behavior

No games, no Facebook, no Instagram, no phones, no X - no socials! We are all adults. You paid money to take this class for a future career. Don't waste your time when you can do that other stuff at home. Learn what you need to learn and then go home and space out!

Course Calendar

Week 1 (Tuesday), 8/20/2024 — Welcome to the Land of Creative Cloud; Designing

for the Client; Graphic Design Documentary

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• REVIEW SYLLABUS

• REVIEW E-MAIL AND CANVAS INFO

• THE MAC OS ENVIRONMENT

• MAC AND WINDOWS WORKING TOGETHER

• MANAGING FILES AND FOLDERS

• ORGANIZING YOUR DESKTOP

• ADOBE FIREFLY

• ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

• DESIGN PRINCIPLES

• DESIGN STAGES: FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

• IMAGERY

• UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOR

Week 2 (Tuesday), 8/27/2024 — Chapter 1 - Getting to Know the Work Area; Chapter 2

- Basic Photo Corrections (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• STARTING TO WORK IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

• ADDING AN IMAGE

• TOURING THE PHOTOSHOP WORK AREA

• USING THE TOOLS

• COMBINING ELEMENTS USING LAYERS

• ADDING TYPE

• ADDING A SOLID COLOR LAYER

• OPENING A FILE WITH ADOBE BRIDGE

• STRAIGHTENING AND CROPPING THE IMAGE IN PHOTOSHOP

• EVALUATING THE IMAGE FOR EDITING

• CORRECTING TONE AND COLOR

• CLEANING UP WITH THE REMOVAL TOOL

• RETOUCH A DELETED AREA USING GENERATIVE FILL

• SHARPENING THE IMAGE

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• STARTING A NEW DOCUMENT

• Discussion: Creative Cloud, Adobe Photoshop

• Assignment: Photoshop Practice, Due Week 3, Tuesday 9/3/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Shadowbox Collage, Due Week 4, Tuesday 9/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 3 (Tuesday), 9/3/2024 —Chapter 3 – Working with Selections; Chapter 4 –

Layer Basics (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• ABOUT SELECTING AND PIXEL SELECTION

• UTOSIONLGS THE MAGIC WAND TOOL

• USING THE QUICK SELECTION TOOL

• MOVING A SELECTED AREA

• USING THE OBJECT SELECTION TOOL

• MANIPULATING SELECTIONS

• SELECTING WITH THE LASSO TOOLS

• ROTATING SELECTED PIXELS

• SELECTING WITH THE MAGNETIC LASSO TOOL

• SELECTING FROM A CENTER POINT

• RESIZING AND COPYING A SELECTION

• CROPPING AN IMAGE

• ABOUT LAYERS

• USING THE LAYERS PANEL

• REARRANGING LAYERS

• APPLYING A GRADIENT TO A LAYER

• APPLYING A LAYER STYLE

• ADDING AN ADJUSTMENT LAYER

• UPDATING LAYER EFFECTS

• ADDING A BORDER

• FLATTENING AND SAVING FILES

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 3, Tuesday 9/3/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Assignment: Photoshop Practice

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Quiz #1 – Toolbar Quiz

• Project: Shadowbox Collage, Due Week 4, Tuesday 9/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 4 (Tuesday), 9/10/2024 —Chapter 5 – Quick Fixes; Chapter 6 – Masks

and Channels (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• IMPROVING A SNAPSHOT

• ADJUSTING FACIAL FEATURES WITH LIQUIFY

• BLURRING A BACKGROUND

• CREATING A PANORAMA

• FILLING EMPTY AREAS WHEN CROPPING

• CORRECTING IMAGE DISTORTION

• EXTENDING DEPTH OF FIELD

• REMOVING OBJECTS USING CONTENT-AWARE FILL

• ADJUSTING PERSPECTIVE IN AN IMAGE

• USING SELECT AND MASK AND SELECT SUBJECT

• CREATING A QUICK MASK

• MANIPULATING AN IMAGE WITH PUPPET WARP

• USING AN ALPHA CHANNEL TO CREATE A SHADOW

• CREATING A PATTERN FOR THE BACKGROUND

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 4, Tuesday 9/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Quiz #2 – Quiz #2 – Layers and Photoshop Muscle

• Project: Shadowbox Collage, Due Week 4, Tuesday 9/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 6 Magazine Cover Image, Due Week 5, Tuesday

9/17/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Magazine Cover, Due Week 7, Tuesday 10/1/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 5 (Tuesday), 9/17/2024—Chapter 7 – Typographic Design; Chapter 8 –

Vector Drawing Techniques (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• CREATING A CLIPPING MASK FROM TYPE

• CREATING TYPE ON A PATH

• WARPING POINT TYPE

• ABOUT BITMAP IMAGES AND VECTOR GRAPHICS

• ABOUT PATHS AND THE PEN TOOL

• DRAWING A SHAPE WITH THE PEN TOOL

• DRAWING A PATH TRACED FROM A PHOTO

• CONVERTING A PATH TO A SELECTION AND A LAYER MASK

• CREATING A LOGO WITH TEXT AND A CUSTOM SHAPE

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 5, TUESDAY 9/17/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 6 Magazine Cover Image, Due Week 5, Tuesday

9/17/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Quiz #3 – Favorite Adjustment Layers and Filters

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 7 - Magazine Cover Font, Due Week 6, Tuesday

9/24/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Magazine Cover, Due Week 7, Tuesday 10/1/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 6 (Tuesday), 9/24/2024 —Chapter 9 – Advanced Compositing; Chapter 10

– Painting With the Mixer Brush (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• ARRANGING LAYERS

• USING SMART FILTERS

• PAINTING A LAYER

• ADDING A BACKGROUND

• USING THE HISTORY PANEL TO UNDO EDITS

• UPSCALING A LOW-RESOLUTION IMAGE

• SELECTING BRUSH SETTINGS

• MIXING COLORS

• MIXING COLORS WITH A PHOTOGRAPH

• PAINTING AND MIXING COLORS WITH BRUSH PRESETS

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 6, TUESDAY 9/24/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 7 - Magazine Cover Font, Due Week 6, Tuesday

9/24/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 10 - Painting a Digital Image, Due Week 7,

Tuesday 10/1/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Magazine Cover, Due Week 7, Tuesday 10/1/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 7 (Tuesday), 10/1/2024 —Chapter 11 – Editing Video; Chapter 12 – Working

With Camera Raw (Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• ABOUT THE TIMELINE PANEL

• CREATING A NEW VIDEO

• ANIMATING TEXT WITH KEYFRAMES

• CREATING EFFECTS

• ADDING TRANSITIONS

• ADDING AUDIO

• MUTING UNWANTED AUDIO

• RENDERING VIDEO

• PROCESSING FILES IN CAMERA RAW

• APPLYING ADVANCED COLOR CORRECTION

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 7, TUESDAY 10/1/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 10 - Painting a Digital Image, Due Week 7,

Tuesday 10/1/2023 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Magazine Cover, Due Week 7, Tuesday 10/1/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Quiz #4 – Photography and Compositing

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 12 - Raw Picture, Due Week 8, Tuesday

10/8/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Photoshop Video, Due Week 10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 8 (Tuesday), 10/8/2024 —Chapter 13 – Preparing Files for the Web; Chapter 14

– Producing and Printing Consistent Color; Chapter 15 – Exploring Neural Filters

(Chavez)

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• CREATING PLACEHOLDERS WITH THE FRAME TOOL

• USING LAYER GROUPS TO CREATE BUTTON GRAPHICS

• AUTOMATING A MULTISTEP TASK

• DESIGNING WITH ARTBOARDS

• PERFORMING A “ZOOM TEST”

• ABOUT COLOR MANAGEMENT

• SPECIFYING COLOR-MANAGEMENT SETTINGS

• IDENTIFYING OUT-OF-GAMUT COLORS

• PROOFING DOCUMENT COLORS ON A SCREEN

• BRINGING COLORS INTO THE OUTPUT GAMUT

• CONVERTING AN IMAGE TO CMYK

• SAVING THE IMAGE AS A CMYK EPS FILE

• PRINTING A CMYK IMAGE FROM PHOTOSHOP

• EXPLORING THE NEURAL FILTERS WORKSPACE

• IMPROVING COMPLEXION WITH SKIN SMOOTHING

• COMBINING NEURAL FILTERS

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 8, TUESDAY 10/8/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 12 - Raw Picture, Due Week 8, Tuesday

10/8/2023 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 13 – Make a Web Page Layout, Due Week 9,

Tuesday 10/15/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Photoshop Video, Due Week 10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 9 (Tuesday), 10/15/2024 —Printing 3D Files; Preparing for

Composites

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• UNDERSTANDING THE 3D ENVIRONMENT

• POSITIONING 3D ELEMENTS

• PRINTING A 3D FILE

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 9, TUESDAY 10/15/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 13 – Make a Web Page Layout

ITEMS TO ADDRESS

• Quiz #5 – Prep and Organization

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 15 – Create an Image for T-Shirt Print, Due Week

10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Photoshop Video, Due Week 10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 10 (Tuesday), 10/22/2024 —Making a Super Composite

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• QUICK AND THOROUGH SELECTIONS

• MASKING WITH SUBTLETY

• CURVES FOR LIGHTING CHANGES

• COLOR MATCHING ADJUSTMENTS

• COMPOSITION BALANCING

• USING ADOBE BRIDGE FOR MULTIPLE IMAGES

• CLIPPING TO A GROUP FOLDER

• USING CLONE STAMP NON-DESTRUCTIVELY

• EXTRA CREDIT: PHOTO MANIPULATION SOFTWARE

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 10, TUESDAY 10/22/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Assignment: Chavez, Chapter 15 – Create an Image for T-Shirt Print, Due Week

10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Photoshop Video, Due Week 10, Tuesday 10/22/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Project: Dali Surrealism Canvas, Due Week 12, Tuesday 11/5/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Tutorial: Extra credit – Photo Manipulation Software, Due Week 15, Tuesday

11/26/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 11 (Tuesday), 10/29/2024 —Blending Fire

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• BLENDING MODE TECHNIQUES FOR LAYERING AND TEXTURING

• COMBINING CLIPPING MASKS AND BLENDING MODES

• NON-DESTRUCTIVE DODGE AND BURN WITH OVERLAY MODE

• FIRE SCULPTURE WITH SCREEN MODE

• COLOR CONTROL LAYERS WITH COLOR MODE

• DUPLICATION AND VARIATION

• COLOR RANGE MASKING

• USING THE BLEND IF FEATURE FOR REMOVING BACKGROUNDS

• SHAPING WITH PUPPET WARP AND LIQUIFY

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Project: Fire, Due Week 12, Tuesday 11/5/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: Dali Surrealism Canvas, Due Week 12, Tuesday 11/5/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Introduce Final Presentation, Due Finals Week, 12/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 12 (Tuesday), 11/5/2024 — Election Day - No Campus Class

Atmosphere, Grit and Demolition ONLINE LESSON

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• REMOVING DISTORTION WITH THE ADAPTIVE WIDE ANGLE FILTER

• ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE

• HAIR SELECTION WITH SELECT AND MASK

• COLOR AND LIGHT ALTERATION

• TEXTURING FOR MUD, DIRT AND DECAY

• BUILDING DEMOLITION

• DEPTH SEPARATION

• CREATING SUNRAY

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 12, TUESDAY 11/5/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Project: Fire

• Project: Dali Surrealism Canvas

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Project: In An Ideal World…., Due Week 15, Tuesday 11/26/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Introduce Final Presentation, Due Finals Week, 12/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 13 (Tuesday), 11/12/2024 —Fantasy Worlds from Everyday

Images

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• INSPIRATIONAL IMAGERY

• MASK PAINTING

• CLIPPED ADJUSTMENTS

• SEAMLESS DETAIL WORK

• HEALING AND CLONE STAMP

• GROUP FOLDER MASKS AND BLENDING

• PAINTING ATMOSPHERE AND DEPTH

• COMPOUNDED SMART OBJECTS

• BLURRING METHODS

• COMPOSTITION STRATEGY

• OVERLAY COLOR EFFECTS

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 13, TUESDAY 11/12/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Project: The End of the World

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Project: In An Ideal World…., Due Week 15, Tuesday 11/26/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Final Presentation, Due Finals Week, 12/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 14 (Tuesday), 11/19/2024 — Final Project Production

WEEKLY OBJECTIVES:

• CREATE AND COMPLETE FINAL PRESENTATION

• PRINT FINAL PROJECTS

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Quiz #6 – Composite

• Tutorial: Extra credit – Photo Manipulation Software, Due Week 16, Tuesday

12/3/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Project: In An Ideal World…., Due Week 15, Tuesday 11/26/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Final Presentation, Due Finals Week, 12/10/2024 at 6:00 PM

Week 15 (Tuesday), 11/24/2024 — Final Project Production

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 15, TUESDAY 11/26/2024 AT 6:00PM:

• Project: In An Ideal World…., Due Week 15, Tuesday 11/26/2024 at

6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Tutorial: Extra credit – Photo Manipulation Software, Due Week 16, Tuesday

12/3/2024 at 6:00 PM

• Final Exam Presentation

Week 16 (Tuesday), 12/3/2024 — Final Project Production

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 16, TUESDAY 12/3/2024 AT 6:00 PM:

• Tutorial: Extra credit – Photo Manipulation Software, Due Week 16, Tuesday

12/3/2024 at 6:00 PM

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• Final Exam Presentation

Finals Week (Tuesday), 12/10/2024 — Final Exam

WHAT’S DUE TODAY, WEEK 16, TUESDAY 12/10/2024 AT 6:00 PM:

• Final Exam Presentation

ITEMS TO ADDRESS:

• FINAL EXAM - Final Exam Presentation

Copyright

The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes

associated with this course. Further Information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at

http://www.kcc.edu/students/collegeinfo/copyright/index.asp .

Syllabus Disclaimer : The instructor may change this syllabus according to instructional needs

College Policies, Resources and Supports

College Policies

For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide. 

Resources

KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:

  • Clubs and organizations
  • Counseling and referral services
  • Office of disability services
  • Student complaint policy
  • Transfer services
  • Tutoring services, etc.