Learning to develop good quality ancillary tasks

After experiment with Photoshop I have realised it is very difficult and complicated, so I did some further research into what you can do on Photoshop and I have found some tutorials I want to consider using for my ancillary task to make them look effective.

Here is one tutorial I have found and I am considering experimenting
with this as I think it looks very scary and if I created more shadows
I think it would appeal to my target audience. Due to my questionnaires
on the magazine and poster I know my audience like shadows and dark
colours. 

Here is the other tutorial I am considering following I would want
to use this for my background to make it look more frightening
and to fit with the conventions of a horror film. Again from my
questionnaire research I know that my audience want colours
such as red being used.