i agree to answer of all question u have . but there is no secret . you should practice and practice , find your style ( c/p and drawn ) , practice all level of brush , filter, etc... to find what talks to you . make your own templates . after that what you need ? nobody can draw the line for you .
if you used c/p , make a big pics bank of all color , texture , shine etc ...
and that's all of what i think yet