Back in 2012 I wrote a post on how to learn Photoshop. The core idea still holds — learn by doing — but in 2026 the resources and methods are completely different. Both versions below.
Original post (2012, translated):
Photoshop is an Adobe app for editing and improving photos. How do we learn it? Which techniques get us there faster?
You can’t learn Photoshop overnight — you need effort and imagination. “I have no imagination, so I’ll never start” — that’s just laziness. Everyone has imagination; you just have to work.
People who say “Photoshop takes talent” are also wrong — Photoshop does everything for you. You just add images, pick colors and erase.
First, make a deal with yourself: “I’ll do this.” After working patiently for a while you’ll have Photoshop memorized.
Start by watching tutorial videos online. Not piece-by-piece (“how to use the brush tool”) but end-to-end projects (a web design from start to finish). If you train tool by tool, you’ll only know Photoshop by the end of your life.
Photoshop takes patience. You’ll spend hours making 1 MB images, but you’ll be happy doing it. As you learn, you’ll see ads in the street and immediately recognize which techniques were used.
2026 — A New Way to Learn Photoshop
In 2012 our resources for learning Photoshop were: a few YouTube channels, pirated PDF books, trial and error. Today it’s a totally different landscape.
Step 1: Free Official Education
Adobe now offers official Photoshop Tutorials — free, end-to-end, visual. This didn’t exist in 2012. Best starting point.
Step 2: Structured Courses
- Coursera + Skillshare: 30-50 hour project-based courses (with certificates).
- Udemy: Photoshop courses, often $10-15 on sale.
- Domestika (Spain-based): professional creative courses.
- YouTube: PiXimperfect, Phlearn, PHLEARN, Photoshop Training Channel remain dominant.
Step 3: Project-Based Practice
Pick one mini project per week:
- Use Select Subject to remove the background from a real product photo.
- Color-grade a landscape photo in Camera Raw.
- A poster manipulation (light, shadow, composition).
- A social-media cover image (Figma → Photoshop workflow).
Step 4: Modern Alternatives
Worth knowing before diving into Photoshop:
- Photopea: browser-based, free, opens/saves PSDs.
- Affinity Photo 2: one-time purchase, no subscription. Roughly half the price of Photoshop for similar power.
- GIMP: open-source, completely free. Became professional with GIMP 3.0 in 2024.
- Krita: focused on digital painting.
Conclusion
My 2012 thesis still holds: learn by doing. The only difference is in 2026 the teacher isn’t on YouTube anymore — it’s inside Photoshop itself, responding to natural-language prompts like “remove the background and add a tropical jungle”.
