Want to learn how to create your own word shadowing technique? Here it is in four easy steps: 1. Open a new document. (The size I used is 500x100) Now type some text, doesn't really matter what. (I used Arial Black 36pt) 2. Now hit CTRL + A(=select all), CTRL + C(=copy) and then CTRL + V(=paste). You have now copied the layer. Move the new layer exactly above the original text layer. Hit CTRL + T(=transform) and click the right mouse button, select "flip vertical". Now move the layer down by dragging it or using the arrow keys. 3. Hit CTRL + T again and now select "Perspective". Move the lower right box to the right. 4. Now simply go to the layers window and lower the opacity of the "reflection layer" to whatever you want. (I used 25%)

A fun way to add texture to your photo is by adding lines overlapping the picture. This will create a cool effect often seen in photo albums and slide shows. You can one of the most interesting sites out there. Grids can be used in headers, pictures anything you want really. The first thing you would do is: 1. Open Photoshop. Open an image to apply line effect. 2. Desaturate the image by Image > Adjustments > Desaturate 3. Create New file with 1 pixel width, 2 pixel height and transparent background. 4. Keep Black as a foreground color. Fill the top 1 X 1 pixel of transparent background using Pencil Tool. 5. Select All using CTRL + A 6. Create a pattern by Edit > Define Pattern. Name the pattern. 7. Close the Pattern file and go back to image file. 8. Edit > Fill (Choose "Pattern" from "Use" drop down menu and again in "Custom Pattern" you will find newly created pattern) 9. Select newly created pattern and fill the image.

Having fun with graphics is one of the best things to do if you enjoy playing with numbers and fading things in and out of focus. It is easy enough to do, creating a lightning bolt should be like this: start by creating a new image and then right away create a new layer. Also set the background color as black, (the image size I used here is 350X500). Now make a selection one pixel wide and make it cover the whole length. Fill this selection in with white. Next you have to go to Filter > Distort > Wave. The settings are as follows, [Generators - 5], [Wavelenth - 225/299], [Amplitude - 5/35], and [Scale - 100/100]. Now you have a wavey line, Apply an outer glow and transform and duplicate it a bit (Or experiment, I am just giving you an idea of how this is done.) I made the light balls with the gradient tool set to "radial." You can now start to add detail, smaller particles and some dodges. This effect is easy, but it really depends on how much time you want to spend doing it. It really starts to look good on 3D explosions in abstracts. I went ahead doing a little more detail using the same techniques and styles.

Lots of people enjoy decorating their pages with fun little interfaces like chords and screens, they use things like gradiaents and shading that make it look difficult to do. In truth it is quite easy. To create a chord all you have to do is create a new document, make a 2 pixels line, black color. Then Filter > Disort > Shear. Play around with these settings until you see something you like. When you are done with that duplicate the layer and move it 1-2 pixels to the right to get this effect on the left. Now just give it a Drop Shadow Color = black: Layer effect = Multiply 66%: 120 Angle: Distance = 13: Spread = 0: Size = 10 And you done, it's that easy! You can do some pretty crazy things with chords, use them as string, extension chord in your graphics. Long gone are the days of hunting for good graphics online.

You know those images that bring some things into focus and shove others out? Well this is easily accomplished. These photo techniques can be used for anything really. Were going to start off by choosing a image. I used one of a piano. Feel free to download it and do the same as I did with it. Now press the "Quick Mask Mode" (Q) button. Double-click to choose color and opacity. Now grab the "Brush Tool" (B) and start coloring. You can either color what you want to select or what you don't want to select. Doesn't really matter at this stage. Go back to "Standard Mode" (Q , button left to the "Quick Mask Mode" button) and now you'll see that either the part you left blank (and thus didn't paint red) is selected. NOTE: If you colored the part you wanted to select you'll see that is that part is NOT selected. You'll have to press SHIFT CTRL i or Select > Inverse. Now go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and I used a 2,5 Pixel radius. (Experiment with it!) As an extra you can press CTRL U and set the "Lightness" to -15. And now you have a shaded picture.

Airbrushing can be really fun sometimes, you can create spectacular photos using shading, airbrushing and mixing these techniques. Here is an airbrush technique right here: Set the brush as above and brush across the canvas until you have a similar look to the one below. Apply the filter > Distort > Ripple Effect with the standard settings repeat a further four times. Apply the Filter > Blur > Radial Blur Zoom 50% click Edit > Fade Radial Blur > 75%. Set the eraser as above and brush lightly across the canvas until you have a similar look to the one below. Apply a Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the radius so you get the required detail of airbrushing Apply Edit > Transform > Distort to create the required shape depending on the blur applied it should come out something like below.

Creating images out of airbrushing techniques, gradiants, image editing is a lot harder than it sounds. Guess whatI am going to give you a step by step way to create a popular image: Create a normal gradient fill Layer 2 Duplicate the gradient layer and apply Filter > Render > Difference Clouds 5 times. Set the layer to soft light. Layer 3 Duplicate the gradient [layer 1] and set to multiply. Layer 4 Usings the render Apply Filter > Distort > Twirl : -75 degrees. Set the layer to soft light opacity 65% Layer 5 Usings the original render apply Filter > Distort > Twirl: +75 degrees. Set the layer to soft light opacity 65%. Layer 6 With the render, Apply Filter > Distort > Radial Blur: Zoom 100%. Apply image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100 , Contrast -100. Layer 7 Another render copy, Apply Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur: Radius 10. Apply image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast: Brightness -100, Contrast -100. Move the layer slightly to offset the shadow. Layer 8, 9 Create an area of simple airbrushing. Duplicate and offset. Layer 10, 11, 12 Create a smaller area at the center of simple airbrushing. Duplicate and reduce in size twice. Layer 13 With a black brush create a large area of airbrush in three lines at the center bottom of the image. Layer 14, 15 Create two sets of tenticles on either side of the center. Layer 16, 17 Create 2 areas of more detailed airbrushing at the start and sides of each of the tenticles. Layer 18, 19 Create 2 areas of exploding pixie dust. Set the layers to soft light Layer 20, 21 Create a basic layer with the render on again. To lighten the render duplicate this layer and set to screen, opacity 50%. Layer 22 Duplicate the render again. Apply image > Adjustments > Color Balance. Setting the highlights to yellow and mid to green. Set the layer to hard light, opacity 65%. Layer 23 Create areas of more detailed airbushing over the render, using the Crafted Light Tutorial to pick out key pertruding areas of the render. Layer 24 Duplicate the original gradient layer and carefully erase the central part, so that the image comes through from underneath but fades towards the edges. Layer 25 Create a Hue/Saturation layer: Colorize with saturation set at 0. Set the opacity to 55%. Layer 26 Create a color balance layer: Highlights: Yellow: -80, Magenta -10 Midtones: Blue +67, Green +40 Layer 27 Create a Color Balance Layer: Highlights: Yellow: -55, Midtones: Blue +60. Shadows: Cyan -40. Finally apply a gradient mask to the layer so that it applies only towards the top left of the image.