metal letters
This is a tutorial on how to make metal letters, now I don't stick to this, my style never does the same thing twice but this will give you the gist of it. This is one of my many ways of making metallic stuff. 
  
Step #1 Make your letter (or shape) and fill it in with the paint bucket using a mid tone color, not to light or dark. 
  
 
 
Step #2 Choose a light direction (in your head, not the program!) and Highlight the appropriate areas with transparent white for light and black for dark with whatever tool (I used line on 2 pixel setting) 
 
 
 
Step #3 Add  vertical lines around edges with line tool with low opacity and use the dodge tool on the lowest brush setting and do vertical strokes to give the metal texture. Then add gashes with low opacity black lines I used about 15-20 opacity. Add white lines parallel to the black ones at the spot the light would hit from whatever direction. If you don't understand just skip it. 
  
 
 
Step #4 Whip out the burn tool at about 10-15% and add shadowing then go back over the gashes and touch up. Take the dodge tool to the other side. 
  
 
 
Step #5 Make the gashes more distinct and cut the ones out at the edges a little. Touch up the vertical lines with the dodge tool with the smallest brush setting and medium opacity. 
  
 
 
Step #6 Do a final touch up and add some rust using the Air brush with brown and about 3% opacity. 
  
 

Your done!