Applying textures

I'm a complete noob in Photoshop, I'd like to add some depth into my stuff and was wondering how you would blend textures and what not onto areas of an image, also how to fade them etc. and what I should use to cut out areas I don't want, as when I used an eraser it looks disgusting.

Any help is appreciated.

 

Using blending modes is the best way to incorporate textures and messing with the opacity is the easiest way to get it to blend well. Then you use a soft brush eraser at a large-ish size to erase what you don't want and it will look like it just fades out.

 

Ah great, also I was wondering how to change the colour of something but keep the tones, if you see what I'm saying?

 

Use the color adjust layer filter. That should get the effect you're looking for.

 

Thanks a lot mate, appreciate the help. One last thing, do you know of any good websites that provide good textures?

 

Deviant Art is great, http://www.deviantart.com/ search for "texture packs".

 

Just searching "texture" on google images will give you some very nice things to work with Good luck!

 

DA textures are decent but lost and taken textures has the best ones.

 

I also wanted to know how to make this more interesting, it's absolutely shit but I was wondering whether there was anything other than textures I could do to make this better?



Thats as far as I've gotten

 

Depends on your taste really... As Photoshop experience is a must to make good graphics.

 

Start off by following some basic Photoshop Tool tutorials and get to know the program.

As for as making the text look better, play with the blending modes adjusting the bevel and emboss, contour, drop shadow etc to achieve the effect you're looking for.

The "easy" way is downloading layer styles, but I suggest you try making you're own or else you will never learn.