There are a lot of great Photoshop tutorials online that will teach you all kinds of techniques and tricks, but sometimes you may find that the basics of the tools are not always covered in the tutorials. If you’re looking to step up your Photoshop skills, understanding the basic tools and knowing how they work will make a huge difference in your work.

This post features more than 20 tutorials that will teach you essential techniques in Photoshop. In addition to tools, we’ll also showcase some tutorials that cover the Photoshop basics of layers and actions.

Pen Tool:

Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide

Become a Master of the Pen Tool in Under 30 Minutes

Making Selections with the Pen Tool

All-In-One Pen Tool Resource

A Different Pen Tool Technique

Pen Tool Extraction

Selection Tools:

Selection Tools Photoshop Tutorial (part 2, and 3)

Unlock the Full Power of Basic Selections in Photoshop

Using Photoshop CS3’s Quick Selection Tool (Video)

A Comprehensive Introduction to Photoshop Selection Techniques

Brushes:

Define Brush Photoshop Tutorials

Tools & Tips: Photoshop Brushes

Painting Tools Photoshop Tutorial

Photoshop’s Painting Tools

Photoshop Brush Tutorial: Brushes Overview

General:

Photoshop’s Toolbox

Layers:

Photoshop Layers Tutorial: Life Without Layers

Saving, Loading and Reusing Layers in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop Tutorial: Understanding Layer Masks

Working with Layers in Photoshop

Actions:

Tools & Tips: Photoshop Actions

Automating Actions to Save Time

Lights! Camera! Photoshop Actions