Computer

The Computer is your most important tool..and most important on the computer for Graphic creation is your amount of Ram Memory.  Graphics computer use a lot of Ram Memory and if you don't have enough then you'll keep getting out of memory messages.

Upgrading your RAM Memory is easy, fast and not too expensive. 
If you can't do it yourself, just take the computer into your local 
computer shop and have them do it for you. 

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

In my opinion, the best graphic program around is Adobe Photoshop.  I don't think there is anything that you can't do with adobe.  Yes, it is expensive, but that's because it is reliable and can do just about anything in terms of graphic creation.  It allows someone who can't draw (like me) to become a digital artist..

There are hundreds of sites with tips, tricks, tutorials, and a score of books written by Photoshop lovers, so there's no end to the help you can find on the net.  Plus, Adobe has a wonderful website themselves!

Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe graphic programs are the preferred choice of special effects artists, TV and Advertising production staff, and graphic professionals around the world.  And it's definitely the program of choice for this graphic artist!

It is a pricey program, but you might find an earlier version on Ebay for a fairly reasonable price.  I did over half these graphics in Adobe 4.0 and only upgraded because I got a good deal on the upgrade. Adobe 4.0 is still a great program and will do most all you need it to do and you might be able to find it on Ebay for a lot less then Newer Versions.

Paint Shop Pro

Ok...so you want to get into Graphics, but not in such a big way. (are you sure now?). A much less expensive Graphic program  is Paint Shop Pro. There
are many sites on the net that tout the wonders of Paint Shop Pro and what it can do. I've visited some of the sites on the net and must say that they look very professional.  So if it's a budget you're on, then Paint Shop Pro is the way you might want to go.  It can't do everything Photoshop can do, but then it's also 1/5 the cost.

Wacom Art Graphire Tablet
This is your most important graphics tool
 (besides your computer)!!!

Unless all you are planning on doing is resizing images taken from the net, and adding text, then you don't need to worry about a Wacom Art Tablet.  If, on the other hand, you are going to make graphics, GET A WACOM GRAPHIRE ART TABLET and force yourself to learn to use it.  You'll never regret it!

I do most of my graphics after everyone has gone to bed
so here you see me with my feet propped up working in my
robe with my wacom art tablet.  I don't even use a mouse anymore, as
my wacom pen beats any mouse I've ever used.

The little button on the side of the pen
acts as the right and left click of the mouse.

Here is a screenshot of Adobe Photoshop and a digital photo
of a beautiful moth that I found on my porch.  With the Wacom
art tablet I can get right up to the outline of the moth and carefully
erase the background (using the erase tool in photoshop).  Then I use
the lasso tool to cut the moth out of the photograph
and put him on the moth page of Internet Clipart.

Try tracing that close to the outline of an object with a mouse!  It is
like when you were a kid and were trying to color, staying inside the lines with a very fat dull crayon!  Remember how wonderful you could color when you had a very sharp crayon?  The wacom art table and the tools in Photoshop give you a VERY SHARP CRAYON!

Don't be confused by the different sizes.  The 4" x 5" is plenty large enough for most things you'll need for the internet.

DIGITAL CAMERA

To find a good digital camera that will suit your needs go to www.cnet.com or www.pcworld.com and look up their camera reviews.  I never purchase any hardware with out first reading online reviews from one of these two sites.  The only time I did, I got a real lemon of a scanner...so I learned my lesson on that.

I started with an Olympus and then went to the Nikon 990 series (you can still get a good used Nikon 995 on the net for a lot less then when they were new.   They are only 3 megapixel, but that's all you need for creating images for the internet, and for printing up to 4 x 6" photos at home.  If you want to print good 5 x 7 images and up, I'd go for a 5 megapixel. 

Online you've got Ebay, Amazon, Buy.com, to name a few good sites to buy from.  Offline you've got Wal-Mart and Best Buy.  I usually go to Best Buy if I don't buy on Ebay.  I do like the extended warranties Best Buy offers.  I am tough on my camera!  Here's a tip,..Best Buy will negotiate if you talk with a manager!  I got free photo paper thrown in with my purchase, a savings of around 20.00 after you figure in the tax.  

We took my mom there to help her buy a laptop, and she bought a laptop, external monitor, and virus software and they threw in a keyboard and mouse for free, saving her about 30.00, which almost made the whole thing tax free!

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT GOOGLE?
They are much more then a search engine these days!

Dynamicdrive.com!  They are a great resource for fun and useful Java scripts to help your sites stand out among the millions of sites on the net!  The scripts are free to use on your own sites, either commercial or personal.  There are a few restrictions as to the use of their scripts so be sure to read their terms of usage page.  The mouse trail scripts that I used at the begging of certain categories here on this site came from Dynamic Drive.

More sites will be added as I come across them, so check back often.