Well... at first I sucked. A LOT. Then I discovered a super, secret, highly controversial formula which I found in the bottom of an abandoned Russian Science Lab-
I'm kidding. About the science lab, not the sucking a lot.
Honestly? I just practiced. Saw a photomanipulation, or a really cool edit I liked and would hunt for tutorials. I used to try to do a page of Good Tutorials.com a week, and then practice and use them over and over again. 12 years of practice, and constantly testing to get the best out of it.
Doesn't always go perfect... I made a right hoo-haa of an edit just last night. Some things work, others don't. Trick is to keep trying through the mistakes to get it perfect.
There is absolutely nothing I do, that you won't know how to do. There is no tool I use, that you wouldn't have used before. It could be -one- colouring technique I use that changes everything, or one lighting technique with certain blending layer. Whatever it is that is missing between my skill level and say a Photoshop Newbie who turned up yesterday? Whatever it is, I plan on filling in the gaps to raise their skill level to mine.
Know what I learned that changed mine?
The movie: Sucker Punch.
i'll bare that in mind on my next Wallpaper project, should start it today seeing as i am taking a break from the Game texturing for a bit.