[Betty]

I learned how to use photoshop by using the help menu and free online tutorials.

To begin I experimented a lot to see what each tool did and how the different filters affected things.

Then I would learn how to do different things like make text look like it was on fire or making thing look like glass. Look up: photoshop tutorial glass - and you'll see what I mean about the number of tutoritals.

Anyway, you'll see that some are much better then others. Find a few sites you like and see what other tutorials they have to offer.

In the process, you'll learn all sorts of tricks along the way that you can utilize to do new things.

Also handy are the recorded macros you can download... that's not what they're called though and I don't have a copy of photoshop on this computer to look... oh wait - I think they're called actions. Do a search for photoshop actions and you'll see a bunch of other cool things.