there is a paint effects tutorial for download,
so the image was "started" with it, ie: I had no idea
about the effects, or how to use them in conjunction.

so created some "Nurbs-plains" textured (trees),
displaced an image out of photoshop onto it,
then duplicated the terrain, and "scaled" the newer one
just to offset it, and place a new texture on it, (rock)
so that's the backgound.
rendered it as an image,
that's then used as an image plain on the camera
(just to save time on the overall rendering time)
couple more nurb-plains, textured them
and then "paint" on the grass etc...
converted them to polys
and render the final image.

the hardest bit is trying to get the lighting and shadows
corresponding to the background image...
still working on that, lots-a-trials.