thats good considering you just started im experianced in photoshop and know a few sites that can help you big time.
also i would advise not to use filters i certainly dont in my work because they seem to degrade you images to the power of brushing techniques
heres a really good tutorial site hence the name
http://www.good-tutorials.com
and heres a great site for photoshop brush sets..
http://www.deviantart.com. go on browse and set the settings to resources and photoshop brushes try and find some bash sets there great.
also experiment and have fun
