Just remember, it's not the tools that make the artist In order to make something that looks very much like someone elses style it may help to use the same tools they use, but it's okay to develop your own style as well.

Just to give an example, we have one member who used MS Word to create a series of maps - almost as unexpected a tool as you can get But they made it work, and a lot of people are (still) going "oh neat".

that having been said, oh yes, definitely try out as many tutorials as you can get your paws on, the more tricks you learn (and Ascension is an excellent guru to learn from, goodness knows he's had a heavy influence on me, heh), and the more your own style will develop.

As much as photoshop gets used, there are a number of alternatives out there, and don't be afraid to go back to your corel roots at some point to give something a try