Well, if you want my input, everybody starts off at the amateur level (which, duh, is obvious).
But, with the right equipment, you have great potential. I know, because I've seen a website of a guy who also does this sort of thing, and he does it to make digital wallpaper backgrounds. They started off rough, about this same level you're at, but now, they're above and beyond amazing.
Since I found out about him, I've been a huge fan.
Digital Blasphemy.
“…Judge not what a man has done, but judge what he could have done if he was a different bloke altogether. For art thou a leper? And a leper can changeth his spots…” --Rudy Wade, Misfits (Series 4, Episode 8)