Can anyone recommend me a book or tutorial that instructs on the basics of Photoshop CS4?

Also, if you have the time check out my clothing company Disco Valante, http://www.discovalan...

Hi Disco... my best recommendation for getting to know photoshop is to get a monthly subscription to Lynda.com. books are hard to get started with for tools like photoshop because they are such visually intensive tools and trying to convey what to do with them is hard (not to mention boring).

there are easily 30 hours of photoshop video training on Lynda.com. i think you can download some try out vids.

The other learnng site i recommend is Kelbytraining.com. That site is fantastic for people who already know photoshop and want to get better at it. But, there are some full fledged courses in there, too.

Lynda is more about overall cradle to grave learning... and has more about all the adobe tools, like Flash or Dreamweaver.. also Lynda has Photoshop Elements training (which is different enough that beginners should use the right course for their software.

Lynda also has several courses on Corel Painter, which is THE tool to have for digital painting, versus photo manipulation.

Kelbytraining is more aimed at photographers, plus it has less basic stuff but more intermediate to advanced stuff. Kelbe is HEAVILY into photoshop and photography.

Well i hope that helps you. Both these online training sites run $35 a month or less .. and neither requires more than a monthly obligation to use them.

Kelby training site
Lynda training site

Regina's right Lynda.com is a great resource.

I also love the Advanced Photoshop, Creative Photoshop, and Layers Magazines. ( I get mine at Borders but they all have websites too with the tutorials and articles on the sites) They always have at least one issue that goes through the new additions to Photoshop. ( CS4) They are expensive but I've learned a lot from them.

Lisa