This week’s technique is going to seem boring a hell or wickedly wonderful as hell depending on your state of mind. Good old fanciful old Hell. It’s either hideously horrible or astoundingly attractive based on your momentary whims.

But here’s the idea: I start with a flat image file from a talented artist who does great work but isn’t particularly skilled at Photoshop. And you have to edit it. Specifically, you want to select a detail and have your selection automatically contract around said detail, without you having to expend a lot of unnecessary effort. (You’re on deadline, after all!) Well, this extremely button-down technique shows you how it works.

Here’s the official description from lynda.com:

This week, Deke takes a break from his fabulous and often just-this-side-of-sane effects and gives you Designer-Types a quick tip on how to move, transform, and recolor items effectively—even if all you have to work with is a flat image. Imagine, if you will, that you’re presented with the graphic below, completely flattened, and thus any impulse you had to rearrange or change the colors of the elements inside the file the image are thoroughly thwarted. Well, temporarily thwarted, until some simple tricks from Deke show you how to use a combination of the standard Marquee tool and (believe it or not) the much-maligned Magic Wand to regain your Designer’s Power.

First off, Deke shows you how to simply the relocation of the words “for Design” to a more interesting location, without threatening the descenders in the word “Photoshop.” Next, he demonstrates a similar technique with the addition of Layer via Cut, Free Transform, and the Eyedropper tool in order to not only move but also resize and change the color of the brushstroke flourish below the text. The result is this simple but effective transformation:

Yes, sometimes Deke tries to encourage your wilder notions. But sometimes he just knows you have to get everyday important work done. Either way, there’s a technique that’s free to all every week. And for lynda.com members this week, an exclusive members-only video in the Online Training Library gives you a little creative bump by showing you how to add a magnifying glass that “actually” magnifies. Here’s a preview:

Sassy or smart, or often both, there’s a new technique every week from Deke.

Next week? Healing one eye onto another. After that come common symbols and Camera Raw filtering and wicked-cool ambigrams and Halloween effects. Oh boy, Halloween! I can’t wait! Keep watching.