I learned most of my tooling knowledge from books currently available on the market. With the internet the way it is nowdays, this opens our resource loop even bigger plus you have this site. This forum (thanks to Johanna, Kate and the gang) is a wonderful resource for learning how to craft or tool leather. I have learned a lot on this very forum. To increase my skills, I have taken advantage of one leather show every year to take my work and hunt down the true masters in this craft for work evaluations and suggestions or recommenations. So far it has worked for me and it is something I continued to this very day.
As for what you call what most of us do here..........you will see varies names..........carving, tooling or stamping depending on what type of work you are into. For instance, you was to do pictorial work, so most of us would refer to it as 'figure carving.' Don't ask me where these terms came from, but I have learned to refer to them as such. For a resource to help you out with the type of work you want to enter into, I would highly recommend the figure or pictorial carving books that Al Stohlman produced and still available at Tandy Leather Factory. Also, one of your very own by the name of Peter Main who is in my opinion regarded as a true 'master' has several books printed and still available. In fact, he was a student of Al Stohlman, but no doubt a true artist in his own right. One recent book that I received directly from Mr. Main is called "Austrailian Leather Carving." Awesome book.
Finally, it is my opinion and my opinion only that there needs to be some form of artist sense when it comes to any art medium. I am by no means an "artist." I cannot draw or paint to save my life. I would literally starve if I had to depend on these skills. So with that, I am resourceful and have learned ways around this disability through the advice of many people. This is why I still struggle to this day with freelance drawing of my designs......I can't see it so I cannot draw it. Again, many will disagree or agree, but this is my opinion only.
Well, I wish you good luck and if I can help out just drop me a line!
Happy Carving!