Female Kame Karp

Picture of a Female Kame Karp

[link][]=kami

I used the model from a free site I found on the net to make it and then colored it in DOGA. I would have done a male fish however I am not sure how to do texture skins in photoshop for fins. In fact most of my work has been guess work of trying to figure out how to do things with lackadaisical advice from others. I have neither prior 3D modeling experience and programming experience nor do I have any guides or books to help me.

Anyways the male fish is supposed to be basically a golden orange fish but with red tips on its fins. I am really not sure how to paint red tipped fins using only gimp, metasequia, and DOGA L3. Does anyone have any suggestions about learning the basics of making custom textures or a person they could recommend that does free textures?

P.S. I have thought about other modeling programs; however, those where the one's suggested to me, and I really don't have money to buy more or the time to start learning a new program. Learning how to even apply paint and render things was hard enough and took me 4 weeks.