Re: Feedback for a newbie?

[DogsGhost]

Photoshop is pretty much the industry standard, though a lot of people get turned off by the price if they don’t do design or something related full-time. Adobe did just start some kind of leasing program for their software, though doesn’t look as cost-effective as it should be imo. Anyway, here’s a read, paint.net’s on this list:
http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/10-excellent-open-source-and-free-alternatives-to-photoshop/
a lot more recommendations in the comment section of the article as well.