Hi, first post here!
I used to do graphics and illustration for many years, then became a stripclub DJ after those many years' frustration at working for cheap bastards built up to the point where I couldn't stand drawing anymore. That may seem beside the point, but it's not (sorry to seem obtuse lol).
I had always dreamed of starting an erotic website, and finally got started just this month. But despite my years of experience with hand drawn graphics and illustration, I was entirely ignorant of how to do it on a computer, or how to build a website. Basically, I have taught myself how to use Photoshop and Dreamweaver in a double crash course.
I have had to hurry to prove to this model that I could back my talk by doing the walk, or whatever, and get her to sign the damned model release forms and get them back to me pronto--like a damned fool, I have paid her a couple grand for videos without the release forms. I was a little too trusting.
I don't think that's going to be a problem now, because the preview website I built looks pretty good, with two pages, a front and a preview page, with some pretty snazzy graphics if I do say so myself, and links to three preview videos.
Obviously it's going to take a lot more than that to produce a money-making website, but after what I have learned so far, I think it will be doable without too much more effort.
I bought a somewhat dated book on Photoshop, that helped a lot. Dreamweaver was pretty tricky to teach myself quickly, but I found that by using the w3c tutorials, and combining that with Dreamweaver, I was able to get it done, after a lot of trial and error (and much loud cussing lol!).
It's pretty easy also to do a google search for tricks on how to use Photoshop.
One bit of advice, there is a way to save your completed Photoshop project for web use--you definitely want to do that!
I would also highly recommend you use Hostgator for your domain name and hosting--their technical assistance is so much better than you can imagine! They really helped me get through the first rough nights trying to get it all down. Their page editing feature is also fantastic--they have a code editing option, and also a very simple to use interface for webpage creation.
Basically I used all of these programs in combination in a mashup that somehow worked for me through trial and error, and when I got frustrated (which was frequent at first!), I would do a search or try what I was doing on another program.
Another bit of advice--copy the html code that Dreamweaver will produce for you and look closely at how it's structured. I still don't understand a lot of it--but for instance by finding where the 'center page' command was located in one page I had Hostgator help me with, I was able to enter that section of code in all other subsequent pages I made and thereby center the pages myself. Etc, etc.
Good luck! Don't get too frustrated lol...