To answer some of RR's questions, the switch to CS5 isn't that jarring if you know CS3. Sure there's some great new features, but if you know how to make a good design, you could do still be doing everything on Photoshop 6.0.
As for the "how long it took" questions. A given cover and label set ranges anywhere from probably an hour to 10 hours using this template. If I have a great selection of artwork available (the main hurdle), a vector title treatment, a buttload of stills to choose from, quick-to-find comic art, and a clear vision of what I want to see without spending a lot of time "experimenting," I could crank one out in about 1-2 hours. Other covers that require vectorizing the TT, designing my own keyart, scouring the net for comic art and stills, and thinking of something to put in that circular logo area on the back cover, could take a day or two or roughly about 10-12 hours of work. Then throw in a hour for the Blu-ray conversion, an hour or two for the labels, and the uploading time. And that's all while working within an established template. The reason I don't do many standalone covers is because I overanalyze it and some covers can take several weeks. Given all the time it takes to make these, I hope that helps some folks better understand why I don't just click my heels and fill their requests. Maybe I make this look too easy...
As for how long did it take to learn Adobe programs and master them, well... I doubt anyone is truly a master. I feel like I know Photoshop like the back of my hand, but I'm constantly finding new parts to the back of my hand that I never knew existed. I've been using Photoshop for 10 years, Illustrator/After Effects/Dreamweaver for 8 or 9, and various others for about that same time. I don't think I really started getting any good at it until about Year 5 or 6. And this is coming from a guy who spent his time earning his degree in Graphic Design actually goofing around in and learning the Adobe programs and not getting p155-a$$ drunk on weekends (well, there was some of that too).
In Malcolm Gladwell's book
Outliers, he talks about the "10,000 Hour Rule," which is essentially how much time a person must spend practicing something to achieve success (he cites Bill Gates and The Beatles as examples of this phenomenon). Now, I've never counted, but I'm sure I've clocked that in Photoshop. So I recommend getting a stop-watch and start practicing, practicing, practicing. A couple video tutorials won't tell you much other than where your basic tools are.
If you're serious enough to take classes, I'd recommend taking a Two-Dimensional Design class before any Photoshop classes, you probably won't do much on the computer, but you'll learn some fundamental design concepts like layout, color theory, and maybe some typography if you're lucky. Photoshop is a tool, a means to an end, but you have to know design first. A man might be able to use a brush, but he might not know how to paint... if that makes any sense.
I talk too much... :doh:
