Becoming A Digital Artist On A Budget

So, you want to become a digital artist but paying several hundred dollars for Photoshop seems too much. Don't worry, there are dozens of very inexpensive tools you can use available on the Internet.

Icon Constructor

Icon Constructor converts BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PSD, TGA and TIFF formats into Windows icons. You can find many images on the Internet and convert them to icons for use on your Windows desktop, in applications and much more. The program supports Windows XP icons in 32-bit color depth with an alpha channel; now you can create semi-transparent XP icons easily. With just a few clicks, any image you find on the Internet or create in a paint program can be turned into an icon. Plus, proprietary FriendlyLINK technology allows creating icons using pictures of your friends and family.

Free Download: http://www.deprice.com/iconconstructor.htm

Pics Print

Pics Print has a built-in photo editor that lets you crop, resize, rotate, and color-correct images. Users who enjoy adding artistic effects to their photos can blur, emboss, and sharpen the images, add borders, and produce an unlimited variety of creative touches. There is even a red-eye remover that takes out the red circles that the camera's flash often adds to portraits.

You can create instant greeting cards with Pics Print's card wizard. Simply select an image, add text, and print. Using the built-in templates, or templates which you create yourself, you can create family album pages, sales sheets, and any kind of printed pages in just a few minutes. In addition to that, Pics Print lets you create huge posters that are up to 20 sheets tall and 20 sheets wide.

Free Download: http://www.deprice.com/picsprint.htm

Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker

Why let the record studio artists have all the fun? Create your own CD/DVD labels and jewel cases with the ultimate in ease and flexibility. If you have CDs or DVDs with no cover and are sick of guessing what songs are on what CD, get the label maker that automatically puts your track list on your CD/DVD label.

Acoustica CD/DVD Label Maker comes with a chock full of custom art for holidays and special occasions like Christmas, Valentines, birthdays, vacations, weddings and more. You don't need to be a real artist or designer to user the software.

The software automatically imports your track information from Acoustica MP3 CD Burner, iTunes, WinAmp, Easy CD Creator or any other popular play list or previously burnt CD. Print the cover on standard paper or stock sticker labels and jewel case templates for more professinal-looking results.

Free Download: http://www.deprice.com/acousticacddvdlabelmaker.htm

John Deprice maintains a vast collection of software for amateur digital artists and designers. All software is available for free download at http://www.deprice.com/design.htm