Curves Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn more about using curves. Curves improve your image quality and change colors. However, they do require some practice and time to get adjusted to.
What You Need:
- Photoshop (I use CS4)
- Advanced Knowledge about the Program

1) Select your image. Here is mine:



2) Press CTRL + M or go to Image ---> Adjustments ---> Curves. This should pop up:



3) Play around a bit. When you raise the line adjustment up and the contrast, the image turns brighter:



4) The opposite happens when you lower it down. It becomes darker, like so:



5) Time to get serious! Create patterns and adjustments with the contrast in your image so that you can get a different shading. Here is an example:



6) Once you get to understand this process, try new effects and ways. You can alter colors and change contrasts using curves. Here is another example:

Play around and practice more :) Curves are good for brightening and darkening an image mostly.