Thanks for those pointers, Notsonoble. I did briefly experiment with something called Puppy Linux which was supposed to be another 'out of the box' type.

Given more time to experiment, I could probably make a go of one of them. I just keep limping along with MS for now, though, cos its the path of least resistance - for now.


I've been doing some checking out, and none of those freebie programs will do what I want.

Strangely, the best I've found so far is an online drawing tool called Aviary. It looks really close, but I'm really not convinced that I want to go down the online route. It remains a fallback option, but...


Well, I WAS going to download and poke about with the GIMP this morning, I figured I'd give it a try, cos I'd be sooooo happy to eat my words if my fears proved unfounded.

...until I saw this quote from the Gimp website FAQ:

"How can I draw a straight line with GIMP?

See Drawing a Straight Line in the GIMP user manual or see our nice tutorial."

<Icy bead of perspiration forms in nape of neck>
Now why on earth would I need a manual/tutorial to draw a straight line???
In Paint, you just click the line button and drag the cursor across the page - intuitive!

If I need tuition to draw a straight line, how will I cope when trying to draw something complex?? Do I even want to start down that route?

Or this quote:
"How can I create an outline around text?

Place some text somewhere. Then click "Create path from text" in the "Text tool option" window. Then use "Edit" -> "Stroke path" and select the appropriate options in the following dialog. Please also see the Paths section in the user manual."

Four steps to open a dialogue box that presumably contains a further series of steps that you have to follow in a manual??
This is a text-box, FFS! A one-click operation in Word, or a simple click & drag square in Paint.

This is already confirming my worst fears about the Gimp before I even download it. It looks like another CC2.
I don't think the Gimp is what I'm looking for either.

Photoshop is out of the question purely in terms of cost. I'm guessing it would be my third most expensive purchase after the house and car - and if I then found it unuseable, they'd find me dangling from a rope - or with a kitchen knife in my back...

<sigh> MS Paint - with negative zoom, transparency, and two or three simple layers. Pre-XP. Is it so much to ask?

Aviary is starting to look good, and they may have an offline Adobe Air version shortly - whatever that is...

Am I alone in this, or are their other newbies lurking here who don't have a clue about drawing, and are looking for a comprehensible (as opposed to comprehensive) software package?