Can I Learn Photoshop in 3 Months?

While three months may not be long enough to become a Photoshop expert, it is enough time to gain a decent understanding of the skills. With continued exposure, ample practice, and intense dedication, you can learn foundational Photoshop skills in three months or less. This may differ based on the specialization or purpose of the class, as some may require more time and dedication. However, if you set clear goals, have expert instruction, and explore different creative avenues, you can learn Photoshop quickly and efficiently.

How Much Photoshop Can I Learn in 3 Months 

The level of Photoshop experience you can reach within three months depends greatly on your chosen learning method and the type of course format. In addition, it may depend on the course specialization since classes focused on portrait photography will provide instruction different from those that emphasize 3D design or marketing. These are just a few considerations you will want to consider before enrollment, but you may also wonder what the first few months of your learning journey will entail. Generally speaking, here’s what you can expect to learn within three months and how the course method may influence your expectations.

Specific Skills

Three months is plenty of time to gain some basic, beginner-level skills. Within this timeframe, you can easily learn how to navigate the interface and access certain tools, panels, and workspaces. You’ll also be able to use layers and masks and use photo editing techniques that adjust the saturation, exposure, contrast, highlights, and balance. You may learn how to blend, manipulate, and combine images as well, depending on the type of class. Additionally, you can learn how to work with typography within three months. This may include adding, editing, formatting, and aligning text on an image. In a Photoshop course, you will likely learn how to apply filters and effects to your images too, such as ones that change the lighting and ones that add texture to the image. Depending on the focus of the course, you may learn how to handle different projects at once, complete projects to develop your portfolio, and learn methods to optimize your workflow, such as using keyboard shortcuts.

Realistic Expectations: Self-Taught Versus Live Options

However, you will want to manage your expectations based on the teaching method you choose. For example, you will have different outcomes as a self-taught Photoshop user versus one who enrolled in a professional, live training course. Self-teaching methods have flexibility and autonomy in their studying methods, which can be a benefit and a hindrance. This method requires you to research supplemental learning materials, answer your own questions, and verify the credibility of each source. This can be challenging for a beginner, so three months of self-teaching may result in fewer skills accrued than live teaching methods.

Realistic Expectations: Part-Time versus Full-Time

There are also part-time and full-time considerations. Someone studying full-time would get the fullest immersion method. The courses are hands-on and interactive. Plus full-time classes happen frequently enough that your drive drive and momentum are not lost. On the other hand, part-time learning is effective but spans over a much longer period. This format is equally interactive, but part-time sessions may be shorter and farther apart than the full-time option. This could result in some loss of motivation, but it also makes the learning process seem much less stressful. You can easily learn the same skills from either course format; however, which method works best for you is entirely up to personal circumstances.

How Can I Learn Photoshop More Quickly?

Learning any new skill will take time, regardless of what you attempt to learn. However, this is especially true while learning hands-on software such as Photoshop. This software takes time to master but with exposure, resources, official training, and continued practice, it can be much less time-consuming. Below are ways you can learn more quickly. Below are some ways you can speed up the learning process and gain Photoshop skills in less time.

Free Resources

Free resources are one way to supplement your learning experience and gain new perspectives on design, editing, and photography techniques. These are easily accessible and, although they do not offer the same education as a professional training course would, there is a time and a place for free resources. With the click of a button, you can easily access virtually anything to help you learn Photoshop, ranging from blogs and chat rooms to social media platforms and video collections. For example, you can visit Adobe’s website to see their guidance on using Photoshop. There are YouTube creators who dedicate their content to software and digital design and may include Photoshop tutorials. In addition, you can explore Noble Desktop’s free seminar page to learn more about topics such as Photoshop, other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, digital design, graphic design, marketing, and other related subjects. You can also search for in-person resources in your area, such as free lectures, brochures, and library texts. These learning resources help supplement your learning material from class and make you more equipped to handle in-class and out-of-class Photoshop projects.

Advanced Training Courses

You can also enroll in live courses ranging in skill level and complete as many levels as you want. Many training centers offer live courses that cater to beginners and are designed to help take your skills to the next level, but there are also live courses designed with expertise in mind. You can complete a beginner course before moving on to intermediate and advanced-level courses, or you can stop once you feel you’ve reached the ideal level of proficiency. The higher the level of advancement, the more in-depth the lessons and projects are likely to go. Thanks to the hands-on format and helpful instructor, the learning process can go much more smoothly and efficiently. You can typically find live courses that last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, with some lasting a week or more. However, the length will depend largely on the type of class and its format. If you choose an on-demand class, you are unlikely to receive the same learning benefits as a live class, regardless of whether it is in-person or live online.

Bootcamps and Certificate Classes

Bootcamps and certificate classes are the lengthiest options at face value but provide the most thorough and intense instruction in as short of a time as possible. The length will, of course, depend somewhat on whether you choose a full-time or part-time option; however, these are the most rigorous learning experience that pays off exponentially in the long run. Generally speaking, bootcamps and certificate classes can last a few weeks or a few months. They are fully immersive and teach students how to complete numerous projects, diversify their portfolios, and prepare for a career that uses Photoshop. Bootcamps and certificate classes also provide students with ample resources and benefits that make the experience less challenging and more enjoyable. While each learning method has its perks and disadvantages, you will ultimately have to take into consideration factors personal to you before starting your learning journey.

A Positive Mindset

A positive mindset and a determined attitude can help you learn any new skill with much more ease. Photoshop can be relatively tricky, particularly for someone with little to no experience. If you adopt a defeatist attitude, you are more likely to give up and assume you will never learn because you are incapable of doing so. This is an incredible disservice to yourself as you can achieve professional-level skills through continued exposure, constructive feedback, expert instruction, and regular practice. 

What Photoshop Skills Will I Need to Learn After 3 Months?

Beyond the Basics: Moving to the Next Level

After completing basic Photoshop training, you may want to explore more advanced learning options. You can expand your capabilities by enrolling in advanced classes ranging in length, content, purpose, and project type. Advanced classes are a perfect way to diversify and enhance your professional portfolio and gain some insight into the field. In addition, many advanced classes emphasize job acquisition and offer portfolio development sessions, mock interviews, and career guidance during and after the class. This can serve you well in the months following your beginner training since you will likely want to expand your portfolio further and perhaps find employment in the next few months to a year.

Examples of Advanced Skills

In more advanced classes, you will explore advanced selection techniques, channels, paths, and editing tools. For example, students in an advanced class may learn how to retouch photos to a professional grade by using beautification techniques, applying skin enhancements, and removing unwanted objects. You can learn the dodge-and-burn method, which allows you to pinpoint an area that needs brightening or dimming. Additionally, advanced classes will likely cover more complex masking techniques such as luminosity masking. Advanced skills also include blending, layering, integrating 3D elements, and illustrating free-handed. Depending on the course specialization, you may learn how to edit photos for web-based design, marketing, or professional photography.

After Advanced Training

With advanced training, you can become a Photoshop professional and work in all corners of the job market where Photoshop skills are needed. This may include graphic design, digital design, marketing, photography, or web design. In addition, you can become a freelance individual and work as a photo editing professional on the side. This is a fun, rewarding, and easy side hustle, particularly if you have a strong creative streak and typically work in a field that doesn’t require or allow creative freedom.