Thanks ToffeeApple, that really makes me happy that at least someone thinks my advice is useful! :) I think we're essentially on the same page here in that we both think composition and lighting are critical to making environments look good and I wholeheartedly agree with you on that. Even if you've got the best looking…
I would echo what Goat Justice says here in that you want to start off in small scale in terms of knowing how to make a sweet looking prop first then you can worry about a whole environment. 1) Start with just a basic prop like a crate, barrel, gun, rocks, chair, etc. Learning the high poly to low poly workflow first is…
This is kind of how my own understanding evolved. Might be forgetting a few things. The Basics -- prop creation: create small and medium sized props with 1:1 textures. Get a feel for proper modeling and texturing techniques. Develop a solid understanding of normal maps, and how to create them. Might also be good to try…
This is a tremendously broad question, but I'll take a shot at it. Lighting and composition. As others have stated. Tiling textures. This is a large one, but learn how to make tiling textures with values and surface details that will work well with a defined palette. Use of photos with good color correction, sculpted/high…