Photoshop is arguably the best software to use for creating and manipulating graphics and photographs. Never has tweaking images been so easy, thanks to the tools and advancements Photoshop has provided. If you've always wanted to learn more about Photoshop but don't know where to start, you don't have to pay for classes to fine-tune your skills. You can get all the tips and techniques you need from some of the best illustrators and Photoshop experts on the web. Here are a few sites you might want to start with:

www.good-tutorials.com

If you need online tutorial on the most popular software in the market, this is a good site to start. For Photoshop alone, this site lists more than 13,000 single tutorials. That's enough to take you from your beginner state to full-blown Photoshop expertdom.

In case you're wondering where all these tutorials come from, this site accepts tips and tricks from hundreds of sources. If you want Photoshop tutorials from the site, check the homepage and click on the links. Tutorials include Photoshop basics, using buttons and color, drawing, adding effects including photo and text effects, photo retouching, scripting, using textures, web graphics, web layouts and animation.

If you've always wanted to learn how to watermark, add a realistic magnifying glass effect, create a paint-by-numbers drawing, this site will teach you how. Photoshop tips and techniques are added daily, so you'll need to check the site often for updates.

www.photoshopcafe.com

Photoshopcafe.com is one of dozens of sites dedicated to nothing but Photoshop. You not only get tutorials online, you also get textual tips, reviews of new tools, sneak peeks at Photoshop books and new releases and info on video tutorials as well. If you have a special Photoshop conundrum, you can even join a forum to post your question.

Tutorial categories include: effects, text, photo, using texture, using Photoshop for the web and a miscellaneous link for those Photoshop tricks you can't put a name on. There are also 9 video tutorials from Photoshop expert Colin Smith, all for free.

Just in case you're not satisfied with the tutorials onsite (highly unlikely), you can click on their links to find out more. If online tutorials are not enough, the homepage displays links to the latest DVDs and tutorial videos. You can check out their product reviews before you buy. This is a great, comprehensive site that has enough tricks to offer to beginners and the more experienced.

www.sketchpad.net

The tutorials on this site are clear and straightforward. For beginners, this site is a big help, especially if you have little or no prior knowledge about how Photoshop works. If you're a moderately experienced Photoshop user, there are retouching tutorials you can learn in three different levels, enough to improve your skills. You can also challenge yourself with the online projects.

www.tutorialized.com

This site specializes in Photoshop and Flash tutorials. Everything you want to know about these two softwares you only need to click on the site to learn. Get info about integrating vanishing point and creating three-dimensional filter using one of the newest Photoshop versions, CS2 or transform a photograph to black and white while keeping other areas colored. Or follow what fashion magazines do with their models and create flawless, near-perfect skin by photo retouching.

This site offers all tutorials for free, although you'll need to sign up to gain access to the links. You can even submit your very own Photoshop tutorial to get your work published online, also for free.