Are you familiar with DeviantArt? There are a lot of tutorials on there for all sorts of techniques, and the search function works fairly well. I'm not able to recommend any single one, but it may be a good start.

That's a good idea, thanks! I've got a DA account, although haven't been there for years. I shall have a poke around. ^_^

Its where I've learned some techniques, and there are lots of people offering free brushes, patterns, and textures. Its also my main source for stock and references.

That's very handy to know, thanks! ^_^

Youtube is fab for tutorials too! c:
i use it when im stuck on how to make the fur look more realistic or how to do an animation etc.

But when it comes to digital art, it's best to just experiment before looking at tutorials c:
or at least i found that easier when i first started XD

Thanks, will poke around Youtube as well. ^_^

Paint tool sai is also a good beginner program. It is a lot simpler than photoshop and easy to use.

I've been playing around with Paint.Net, but find that it's missing some of the elements of Photoshop, which I know to be useful from having watched my friend work her magic on Photoshop. Alas I can't pump her for information on a regular basis, since we live in different countries and only meet up a couple of times a year.