Hiya.
UV mapping and texturing a 3d object is an art all unto its own. How you go about doing all that depends primarily on what the object actually is.
Personally, I UV map the object 'by hand' in place of just hitting a pre-determined UV style ("cylindrical", "sphirical", "cubic", etc.) for the whole thing. So, for example, If I'm doing an old wooden table, I would use cubic mapping for the table top and 4 cylidrical mappings for the legs. You then place these on your 'texture area', export as a bmp, and paint away. (for the record, I use UltimateUnwrap3D for most of the mapping, and paint either in Painter for 'simple' things, or fire up Bodypaint3D for the more complex things).
Hit the net and scour for all things "UV Mapping tutorials texturing" and start reading. Trust me, it will help a *ton*.