I finished the first tips and tricks article for the October issue of CompuQuickTips (due out the end of this month). It is going to be a fascinating ride. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on a graphics program, certainly get GIMP. It's free and, very competitive with the likes of PaintShop Pro and Photoshop.
Pick it up at http://www.gimp.org/windows/.
And make sure you save the next three issues of CompuQuickTips. They will help you cut to the chase and give you a good start.
