You have surmised correctly, sir. Any good texture map will basically be a set of views of the object shot "straight on" from all applicable angles. If you plan to use photographic sources, rather than use a graphics program (like Photoshop or Paintshop Pro) to create the images, you'll need to take those straight on photos and create a map from them.
since you're working with a cylindrical object with varying circumferences, your map, represented in 2D, will experience some "separation", especially around the nose area. You may need to create your map by "unwrapping the object" (or, better yet, copies of the object, so that you don't mess up your 3D model) and getting screen grabs of the various views. Unwrapped, the body will look something like this:
Then, you can cobble them together to create your texture map. After that, how you "paint" your texture is up to you. There are also options to consider to create "depth", uneven textures and whatnot... but first things first.
By the way, you should gain some kind of understanding of
UV mapping, as you'll probably need to make use of it if you plan to create your own 3d models. You might also want to learn something about "materials" and "textures" if you plan to get nice renders of the results.
I might be able to help you with this; I know it's hard to fathom when you're a newbie... I was exactly in your shoes once! PM me, and perhaps we can set up a Skype meeting where I can show you some of these concepts, rather than attempt to describe them in printed words.