The Chi-Sepia Effect - aka Dragan

Only the order in which the steps are done is important. The values of each step re: opacity, saturation, hues, sizes etc are near-as-dammit estimations, and your own ‘eye’ should guide you to what you feel is appropriate.
Open a photo in Photoshop. A headshot with some shadow is good to start with. Fit on screen and enlarge once.

I hope you are using Windows, as I do not know the Apple Mac shortcuts.

Step 1. Pour yourself a Whiskey and relax

Step 2.Duplicate layer – Ctrl J
Image-Adjustments-Invert
Go to Layer Window and select Overlay Blend
Adjust Opacity down until you’re satisfied with the result. I found 50-60% opacity to my liking.

Layer – Flatten Layer

The next two steps are critical to the final result and you should really apply a steady hand. They are also the steps that take the most time, so be patient and thorough for the best end-result.

Step 3. Duplicate layer
Select Burn tool in your tool window. (The hand) We’re going to enhance the shadowed areas, like wrinkles and such. The size of your brush depends on the width of the shadow-line. The range should be midtones, and exposure about 13 to 15%.
Using your mouse, brush over the shadowed areas. You will see the result after one or two runs over the same area, and this should give you an idea as to how far you want to ‘push’. If clothing is visible, do the creases as well. The more of the shadowed areas you do the better the final result. If you’ve overdone the Burn, adjust the opacity until you’re satisfied with the ‘look’.

Flatten Layer

Step 4. Duplicate layer – Again
Select Dodge tool from the Tool window. (The lollipop) Now we’re going to enhance the Highlighted areas. Like shiny parts on the forehead, nose and ears, and places where natural or studio lights catch the face. Again touch on the lighted areas of clothing as well. Use Opacity to get the desired level.

Flatten Layer

Step 5. Duplicate Layer
Image-Adjustments-Hue/Saturation or Ctrl U.
Select Colorize
My choice – Hue-35 Saturation 32
Select Softlight Blend in layer window
Adjust Opacity till satisfied
Select contrast and adjust until satisfied.

Flatten Layer

Step 6. Duplicate Layer
Image-Adjustments-Variations
My choice – More Yellow and Darker. Your choice here remains largely your own, but we are leaning towards the Dragan effect, and I’d use the same selections.

Select Hue blend - Adjust opacity if necessary.

Flatten Layer

Step 7. Duplicate Layer
Layer-New Fill Layer – Solid Colour
Make sure your foreground colour is set to Black
Click OK

Bring Opacity down to about 60%
Select Brush from tool window.
My choice – Mode – Colour, Brush 60%, Flow 100%

This is called ‘painting with light’ Use mouse as a brush and brush over the light areas. Let your eye guide you, and if you mess up, just redo.

Flatten Layer

Step 8. Almost there!
Duplicate Layer
Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur
Set Radius to +-45%. Select Opacity and bring down to about 35%.

Select the Eraser in Tool window. Mode – Brush, Opacity - +-50%, Flow – 60%+. Brush on the detailed areas or areas you want to accentuate.

Flatten Layer

Image-Adjustments-Levels
Set levels until you are satisfied.

Step 9. Pour another Whiskey and sit back. You’re either very satisfied with yourself, or need to play over the steps a few more times, until you are happy.
Please publish your first sample, no matter how bad. Each photo is different no matter how well you follow the steps, and that's what I feel makes the Dragan effect so, well.. effective!

This is the one I did while putting the steps to paper. I took the photo in Kimberley a few weeks ago. It was terrible and the light was quite bad, but through Dragan I managed to save a little of the atmosphere.