my first attempt at using a computer to create a picture, other than simple microsoft paint programs, so if you have any hints/tips for me, they would be much appreciated, thx.
The only thing I could say really is maybe tone down the sun just a tad. That's a personal taste thing and the next person commenting will probably say leave it alone. You did a nice job.
I'd say you did a fine job here. For future you might explore using interesting grunge brushes to dab in subtle texture. For example with the sky you could take a grunge brush (you can find them all over the web for free) and make it a very very slightly different blue and just rubber stamp it a few times...better yet get a collection of brushes and stamp different ones so there's no discernable pattern. I look forward to more of your work. My very first digital painting is "Pensive Frog" if you go to my archive here.
-P-