Hi! I have been doing some picture editing for some time now, but i dont see any progress, anything i make comes out the same, not good enough...
Im just wondering if anyone could give me some tips when it comes to making/editing pictures.
(also, im not using photoshop ATM, im using gimp becouse i do not want to spend much money on it before i see some progress...)
First of all I'd recommend not requiring too much of yourself, especially when you are starting out. Bear in mind that all of those amazing photoshops you've seen are done by people that have years of experience and practice they really know what they want to do and how to do it. Photoshop can be really alien when you are starting out, and it is difficult to pick up. Don't get upset when you can't exactly replicate the picture you had in mind. It is unrealistic to think someone without years of practice could.
Rather than looking at the things you couldn't get just right, try looking at the things you did. Remind yourself that you are only a beginner and note how much more you can do than you could have done a month ago.
Try showing your edits to people, I'd recommend starting out with friends. You'd be surprised at their feedback, they will be capable of telling you how to change, but mostly, notice everything you did well (Which in my case, I usually overlook). Bringing your edits out into the world, no matter how good or bad, will get you the feedback you require to get better.
Its hard at first, but learn to take criticism properly. If you start to show off your work people will tend to tell you what they think, no matter if it is good or bad. Especially negative comments can be helpful to you, don't dismiss them as trolls or try to defend your work. Try to understand their quarrels and learn from it. There is no shame in asking skilled people how to improve (Skilled people mostly tend to give harsh but useful criticism, don't be afraid to post one of your images and having it shot to pieces. As long as you are willing to you can learn a lot).
In the end though the most important part would be to have fun, watch tutorials on things you think are interesting to create with photoshop, follow these and observe how the others use the program. Play around a bit yourself. If you want to create something and it doesn't turn out like you wanted, there is no shame in trying again. It doesn't matter how many times you fall down as long as you get up again. Trial and error and playful experimentation are the easiest ways to learn. Following tutorials can be a good learning experience but in the end you'll have to experiment with the program yourself.
At least that is what I can tell you from my experience, I am far from a photoshop master but after a few years I know my way around the program well enough. Starting out can be really hard and discouraging when you don't get what you want right off the bat. So instead of focusing on that try to have fun and you'll get there in the end.
By the way, your request is pretty vague, if there was anything specific you wanted help with you are better off posting some pictures, so people can see your work and help you out with work-specific issues. Without anything to go by its all guesswork.
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