What's the best program for digital painting/illustration?

I finally got a Wacom intruos tablet a few months ago and I've really gotten into digital painting. The only problem is I'm limited to Photoshop Elements 2.0. I'm comfortable with it and I've been able to make some things I've been pleased with. I'm a little nervous about learning something new, but I want to improve and I think a program that's actually *meant* for digital painting might push me in a good direction. I'm also on a pretty tight budget, but I'm willing to save up if the program I decide on is worth it.





So that's my question... what program is the best? Advice appreciated! :)What's the best program for digital painting/illustration?
Photoshop is the best program. If you are a student or a teacher you can get it at a fraction of the cost at several onlne sites like www.academicsuperstore.com or www.campustech.comWhat's the best program for digital painting/illustration?
Hi,





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Karl
Hi.





AM's post is spot on I use the same set-up I find it very simple to use it's great.





Regards Frank.
I don't know a lot about these programs, but I like using the computer to doodle, and when I went looking for something beyond the built-in Paint program, I went to http://www.tucows.com to see what was free and downloaded Ability Photopaint Studio. It has all the stuff Paint has plus layering and superimposing functions, and an interesting set of filters and effects, custom colors, lots of stuff I will use ';one of these days';. You might very well like it.
If you are really interested in digital painting, my advice is to check out Corel Painter X (formerly MetaCreations Painter). It is probably the best, if not the only, natural media emulation art software on the market. It is truly amazing. I use Photoshop a lot, and you can actually use these two programs in conjunction with each other. I understand what you mean about having to learn something new, but with Painter it's so much fun experimenting with different tools and media. It's almost as realistic as picking up paints, charcoal, pencils, etc. and messing around in the studio. Look at www.corel.com and download a trial version if you want. The software is sometimes bundled with scanners, or if you happen to be a student or teacher you can get a pretty substantial discount on software. Or you may be able to catch it on sale at an online auction site...maybe even pick up an older version for cheap just to play around before you invest in a full new version. Good luck, and have fun!!!