To actually finish this bundle, follow this weekly plan:
The Phlearn Pro 32 Tutorials Bundle 2014 is a masterclass in digital imaging. It strips away the crutches of modern automation and teaches you the hard skills required to call yourself a true retoucher.
For the photographer who wants to stop relying on presets and start building images from the ground up, working through this bundle is akin to a semester at a digital art university. It remains a highly recommended resource for anyone serious about mastering Adobe Photoshop.
Note: This article is for educational purposes regarding the contents and value of the tutorial set. Phlearn is a registered trademark.
The Phlearn Pro 32 Tutorials Bundle (2014) was a comprehensive collection of advanced Photoshop and photography courses released during Phlearn's transition into a top-tier educational platform. While many of these individual tutorials have since been integrated into modern Phlearn PRO Learning Paths, the 2014 bundle was specifically curated to cover high-end retouching, complex compositing, and professional workflows. Guide to the 2014 Pro Bundle Contents
The bundle typically includes video instruction and downloadable assets (RAW files, PSDs, actions, and brushes) for each project. Key tutorials often found in this specific era include:
High-End Retouching: Advanced techniques for skin, hair, and wardrobe, such as Commercial Portrait Editing and Glamour Portrait Retouching.
Creative Compositing: Flagship projects that teach how to merge multiple photos seamlessly, including: The Blacksmith: Focuses on lighting and atmosphere. Island of Morel: Covers environment building and scale.
The Perfect Composite: A foundational course on matching perspective and color.
Special Effects & Toning: Tutorials dedicated to cinematic looks, such as Film Noir and Dark & Moody Coloring. Phlearn Pro 32 Tutorials Bundle 2014
Conceptual Art: Advanced editing for surreal results, like The Beginners Guide to Levitation and Through the Mirror. How to Use the Tutorials
Assess Difficulty: Phlearn Pro courses are generally categorized as Medium to Advanced. It is recommended to have a basic understanding of layers and masks before starting.
Follow Along with Assets: Each tutorial includes the exact source images used by the instructor. You can find these assets within the tutorial folders or through the Phlearn Welcome page if you have an active membership.
Non-Destructive Workflow: A core theme of these tutorials is "non-destructive" editing—using Smart Objects and Adjustment Layers to ensure you never permanently alter original pixels. Modern Alternatives
Since 2014, Phlearn has released updated "Ultimate Guides" that consolidate many of these older techniques into structured paths:
The Ultimate Guide to Retouching: Covers essential skin and portrait work.
30 Days of Photoshop: A modern, step-by-step foundation for beginners.
Everyday Compositing: A specialized path for mastering realistic photo merging. The Ultimate Guide to Retouching - Phlearn
The 2014 Phlearn Pro 32 Tutorials Bundle offered a comprehensive suite of advanced Photoshop courses, focusing on high-end portrait retouching, complex compositing, and creative color grading. The collection included essential resources like RAW sample files, layered PSDs, and specialized actions for techniques such as frequency separation. Learn more about Phlearn's professional post-production techniques in this SLR Lounge review. To actually finish this bundle, follow this weekly
Introduction
The Phlearn Pro 32 Tutorials Bundle (2014) is a collection of 32 intermediate-to-advanced Photoshop and photo-retouching video lessons produced by Phlearn. Aimed at photographers, retouchers, and creative professionals, the bundle teaches practical techniques for compositing, portrait retouching, color grading, special effects, and workflow efficiency using Photoshop (CC/CS6 era).
What’s included (high-level)
Key topics and exemplar lessons
Who it’s for
Pros
Limitations
Tips for using the bundle effectively
Suggested blog post structure (if you want to publish this as an article)
If you want, I can:
A common question is: "Is a 2014 tutorial bundle still useful in the age of AI and Photoshop 2024?"
The answer is a resounding yes—and here is why.
While Adobe has added new features like Neural Filters and Generative Fill, the core pillars of professional Photoshop work have not changed. The Phlearn Pro 32 bundle focuses heavily on the fundamental logic of pixels, layers, masks, and blending modes.
Aaron Nace teaches "why" something works, not just "which button" to click. Because the "why" hasn't changed, this bundle remains a timeless asset.
One of the crown jewels in this bundle is "Selecting Hair – The Complete Guide." In 2014, masking fine hair strands was a nightmare for most amateurs. This tutorial changed the game by teaching the "Calculate Channel Method" and "Refine Edge" (the precursor to today’s Select and Mask). You will learn how to extract a model from a chaotic background in under ten minutes.
Before the days of one-click AI smoothing, retouchers relied on frequency separation and dodging & burning. The 2014 bundle teaches these non-destructive techniques in depth. You learn how to smooth skin while preserving texture—ensuring your subjects look human, not plastic.
This multi-hour series is the crown jewel of the bundle. It moves far beyond the Spot Healing Brush. Students learn to sculpt facial features using Dodge & Burn, create realistic skin texture using custom brushes, and enhance eyes and lips using non-destructive layer techniques. It teaches the "clean commercial" look—sharp, vibrant, but believable.
While many people use the Magic Wand tool, professional use Alpha Channels and Calculations. This tutorial demystifies the Channel panel, teaching you how to extract fine details like lace, hair, and smoke in seconds. It is a masterclass in efficiency.