How Photoshop changed Rex’s life

Today is the 20th anniversary of the world’s favourite image manipulation suite, and chief tool used in the making of lolcats, Photoshop.
Let’s raise an overly lens-flared champagne glass in celebration!

Computer Arts interviewed a selection of pixel-loving doodle gurus about how Photoshop has changed their lives, including our very own Rex Crowle. Here’s what he did say to them.

What was the first version of Photoshop you used?
Version 5.0 as far as I remember, before that I’d been using Corel PhotoPaint (as it came free with my “Multimedia PC”) and before that, Deluxe Paint on the Amiga.

What were your first impressions?
Initially I was a little disappointed, as it had less plugins than PhotoPaint and no animation features. But, I hadn’t learnt at that stage that plugins are generally pointless, it’s how you use the basic tools that matters!

How would your job be different if Photoshop didn’t exist?
I would destroy a lot more forests-per-day than I currently do.

What do you hate about Photoshop?
The ease of undoing! It can be easy to obsess over redrawing tiny elements to get them perfect, hammering away on the Apple-Z keys, and completely losing the flow of the main piece.

If you had to give one Photoshop tip, what would it be?
Keep it simple and don’t get too distracted by software features. A good idea should still work even if you draw it in MS Paint with a trackball. Although it’ll look rubbish, so don’t do that.

Head on over to Computer Arts to check out all the other similar interviews, including one with our friend Jon Burgerman.

Oh and remember, Photoshop is a powerful and dangerous ally, and not everyone should be allowed to use it.