well the easy way is to only build from the same object by pulling and necking, if you use 2 or more objects to builed with then it counts 2 objects poly count, but builed from one piece and it stayed at about the same.remember you have the sliders at the bottom, so if you point pull on the end slide it back and forth to get difrent effects.plus there is three buttons on the left, low, mediun, high, only choose low.import texture in for the paint part by acsesing the import folder in your models directory, usully in my documents. if the model is really tight together as in looking smooth then its high poly, its all really in experamenting, there are relly good tutts, ill get the link for you.plus there is point poke, this is how you add to the object without getting to high pollys
Dsw