Gimp

[jfrazierjr]

One of the best things in my opinion is to learn how to use layer masks. See jfrazierjr's tutorial on masks as understanding how to do this will save you pain in the long run. It took me a while to see the value but it's so worth it.

hmm.. normally, I would not want to puff up the ego of the lout that wrote that tutorial, BUT... I have to agree with Jax's assessment above. In my opinion, layer masks are the most critical feature in GIMP to learn and put into use as soon as possible. With that said, it may take several read-throughs and lots(for some it may be days and for others it may be weeks or even months) of playing with layer masks to really "get it", but once you DO, it's (in my opinion) like that moment when you were told you just won the lottery(or win a part in a movie with your favorite actor/director/franchise, or get to be onstage with your favorite band during a concert, or whatever really gets you going.... Of course, I am quite a bit of a geek and more than a bit odd.. so perhaps others will just think I am overstating the importance...)