My first blend..(?)

Okay now..remember..this is the first time i've done this.

First i started off with this picture of a dwarf from WoW http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/dwarf.jpg

Then after cutting it out and throwing it on rendered clouds..
i have this -> http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/dwarfclouds.jpg

Next..by altering a tutorial (because it didn't work right) i grabbed the lasso tool and set it to feather-25px..And performed the next few things..

A simple selection of the whole left side of the dwarf gives this circle
http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/cloud11.jpg
Then by hitting the delete key to get this effect
http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/cloud2.jpg
Now on the otherside..with a shotty outline of the right side of the dwarf i get this then delete delete delete..
http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/cloud3.jpg
(That was a different render with different selection of the pic..which would turn out different then my final piece)
And here it is! Criticism please? (Focusing on the blending since i didn't focus much on the text, but all is welcome) Also, is there any easier way to do it?
http://www.imagemonster.org/getimg/dwarfgrunge.jpg

it looks good.. but try adding on to it.. like to the left.... try putting some abstract brushes... i like the picture

Hah, that was going to be my next post..i do not exactly understand how to brush/grunge brush (whatever you call it) to get the effect of it being blended..ive tried tutorials but i get lost..

But i know what you mean..because you can actually see the fine line of the image..if i could get rid of that i bet it'd look alot better.

download some abstract brushes in deviant art.--- link--- save them in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 7.0\Presets\Brushes
then open your document and select your brush tool:
http://www.imghst.com/uploads/soniclnd/brush.gif

then click on the brush selection on the top:
http://www.imghst.com/uploads/soniclnd/select.gif

click the right-pointing arronw and choose your brush set:
http://www.imghst.com/uploads/soniclnd/select2.gif

then brush away my friend..........

I have gotten that far..i have a few brushes..but the part i can't do right is..do i leave it the size they have set in the brush set?..do i just click once inseead of holding the button and dragging? Should i use one brush for one or two dabs..then switch? What kind of colors do i use?

you can resize it as much as you want... to change the color just change the foreground color.... and i don't understand what u said about tabs

Cool ideas, and i like the method of blending aswell. It ususlla ylooks best if you don't drag when you grunge brush ...

don't drag when using any pre-made brushes. you should click once and then maybe another somewhere else, then change it to another one similar. then brush again.

i find the easiest way by far of adding colour is to make the entire sig in black and white, then add a colour balance layer on top. (make sure you de-saturate the render too otherwise the colours look odd.)

Yep that's what i do aswell, sometimes i add a normal colour layer .. then later on a colour balance . Just gives it a nicer effect sometimes..

Not bad not bad at all! Looks very nice, you did a great blending job. Amazing for a first attempt

hey.... maybe my post on using brushes could be a tutorial.... (just an idea)

Yeah, definately would be helpful..but from my experience of going through pages and pages of P2L, make sure that you actually go in depth on a example saying one click with this brush here and then switch to another...understand meh?