I sat down and wrote out some ideas recently about web development and the current boundaries of what is possible with CSS & HTML. Things have certainly moved on a long way in the last few years, and popular websites such as Smashing Magazine and CSS-Tricks consistently feature articles that feed the imagination.
On many occasions to learn something new you need to experiment. About 13 years ago I began to learn Photoshop. The first version I got my hands on was Photoshop 5. I used to read tutorials in Computer Arts magazine on how to create metallic effect text, how to add gradients to images and how to use layers to create opacity effects. This learning period gave me a great foundation in the software and indirectly led to where I am today, working as a professional web designer.