[kaeae]

haha

yeah, using the brush/smudge tool needs getting used to. photoshop has 3rd party filters that produce specifically swirl/pinch/spiral effects but its fun to create your own. I know how it is trying to get the effect perfect and ending up with lots of redundant layers. the trick is to maximize results with minimum steps, its all about getting the hang of the program.

also, its normal for different guys to come up similar result but using different techniques. thats where personalization comes in.