David,
I used to be a partner in a now defunct CG site. First, best advice: Don't let the software intimidate you! It seems overwhelming at first, and the learning curve is steep—but fun.
Adobe Photoshop documentation is probably better than almost any software documentation I have ever seen, for any program, anywhere. Adobe also has forums, IIRC, but if not, many graphics arts sites have forums specific to photoshop, and often are quite friendly to total noobs. Don't waste your time or money on books that tell you how to use the software—Adobe's documentation is better and free.
Before you try doing a tutorial, or even as you are doing a simple one, experiment with the various tools in the software to see what effect they have. This is absolutely the best way to learn. The experimentation will lead you to specific questions like: "What the heck is a gamut warning?" or something similar, which you can go to a CG forum and ask.
It's been years since I was involved with the online community, but here's a link to an About.com site that might prove useful. Also, Robin Wood is a very good professional artist whom I know personally, and she has some good photoshop tutorials on her site.
You can also ask questions in the Painting or Decaling forum. If I see them and know the answer, or part of it, I'll reply.