Don't let the dents worry you. Pick up a quality hammer and utility dolly. Also pickup a book on body work. I started too big...so my advice...start with the little dings caused by rocks and gravel that dinged up the top of the fender. Take your time...dolly on one side and hammer the other. The small dents will disappear.
Straighten your fender so the tears line up. That will require a lot of hammering. Using light taps...a lot of them, you should be able to re-align the fender. If you can't weld, bring it to someone who can. I tried the MIG. The guage wire I used was TOO big and I blew holes in my fender. I am going to try torch welding for my other small tears unless I learn to MIG a little better. I have not welded in 20+ years..unlike riding a bike, my skills have gone to the dogs.
With a shaping hammer, you can make your own repair panels. It will take you a lot of time and work, but worth it in the end I think.
Hang in there. Since you have them blasted, you have the benefit of knowing what is really there. They can be fixed....
