The Extra-Strength Tips for the Clients and Friends of Ben Willmore (www.digitalmastery.com):

In a hurry? Want some no-brainer ways to jazz up your images? Well, quicker than you can say "Of course your fool!," we'll explore some rapid-results techniques you can use to add some zip to your images. Just one caveat--you'll have to experiment a bit with the settings I use in order to come up with results that you like.

If you ever need to create something that resembles cowhide, try the following:
1). Type D to reset your foreground and background colors to Black/White
2). Choose Filter>Render>Clouds
3). Choose Filter>Artistic>Smudge Stick and set the three sliders to somewhere around 2, 0 and 3.
4). Choose Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation, turn on the Colorize checkbox and set the three sliders to 35, 25 and 0.

If you'd like to add a sketch line effect to a photograph then do try these steps:
1). Choose Filter>Artistic>Colored Pencil (experiment with settings)
2). Immediately after applying that filter, choose Edit>Fade, set the pop-up menu to luminosity and adjust the Opacity setting if necessary

Here's another variation on the previous technique:
1). Choose Filter>Artistic>Dry Brush (experiment with settings)
2). Immediately after applying that filter, choose Edit>Fade Dry Brush, and set the pop-up menu to Hard Light
3). Choose Edit>Fill, set the Use pop-up menu to History and set the Mode pop-up menu to Color. (if History is not available, then you must have changed the mode or dimensions of your image since you've opened it... don't do that!)

To add an interesting edge to an image, do the following:
1). If the layer you're working on is called Background, then double-click on its name in the Layers palette and change it before proceeding (that's because what we're going to do won't work on the background layer)
2). Use the Marquee tool to make a selection that is somewhat smaller than the document you have open
3). With that selection still active, choose Layer>Add Layer Mask>Reveal Selection
4). Choose Filter>Brush Strokes>Spatter and experiment with the settings (I used 20 and 5)
5). Choose Filter>Blur>Radial Blur, set the Method to Zoom and then experiment with the Amount setting (I used 2)

To add a high-contrast, soft-focus look to an image, try this:
1). Choose Filter>Noise>Median and adjust the slider until you wipe away most of the fine detail but can still recognize the subject of the photo (I used 14 for a high-res image)
2). Immediately after applying that filter, choose Edit>Fade Median and set the mode to Hard Light
3). Next, choose Edit>Fill, set the Use pop-up menu to History and set the Mode pop-up menu to Color
4). Repeat all the steps until you like how soft the image looks

If you like these type of "fast-food" short techniques I've shared with you today, but would like more detail and some visuals, then you'll probably like my newest book How to Wow: Photoshop for Photography. In that book, I (along with my co-author, Jack Davis) show you dozens of quick and easy techniques that can radically transform the look of your images (none of the techniques in this e-mail are from the book though). You can order a signed copy at www.digitalmastery.com/book

Next week marks the start of my first on-line Photoshop class. This is a rare opportunity to be able to not only get weekly lessons from me, but to be able to get your questions answered via e-mail. You can find details and sign-up at http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/BEN01.asp

I'll be interviewed on InsideMacRadio.com this Saturday, so visit the web site at 1pm Pacific Time.

-Ben Willmore