Have you tried ArtRage?

I love ArtRage! It is a great little graphics program that is super easy to learn! On the surface, it doesn't look like much. It has a very clean interface and isn't cluttered up with a bunch of ugly boxes and tabs all up and down the sides. The nodes are all soft and organic, with rounded edges and you can even change the colors to something that appeals more to you. ArtRage is amazingly easy to load up and start painting right away.
I would highly, highly recommend this if you have a youngster. I think ArtRage is perfect for children. Lot's to play with!

                                   Jon Hodgson is also an ArtRage lover and he's put together a few neat vids. This one on how to make and use stencils, happens to be my favorite. Don't forget your weak lemon drink!

Also, pick up Jon's excellent book on Amazon. You can use all you learn from his book and practice it in ArtRage!

Check out ArtRage. Oh, yeah it's only eighty bucks.

Till next time, keep it real!