Professional art program?

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Does anyone know of a professional paint program where I can do abstract album cover art? I'm not talking high school garage band stick figure art, I mean real legit looking art? I'm hoping for something either reasonably priced, free if possible but reasonably priced will be good enough.

I've got a really neat and wacky idea for something; I'll let you guys know what I'm intending to use it for when I get it up and running.

You mean something like GIMP?

Dunno. If its what I described then perhaps. I'll be home tomorrow morning. I'll research it then and let you know.

Big thanks for the input.

BTW, I tried GIMP - do like it a lot. Good youtube tutorials as well.

Glad you like it.

Real professionals use Photoshop & Illustrator

GIMP is for amateurs.

Suits my needs just fine though. I was really looking for something to make album/release cover art for a blog spot. If I do get the urge to reckon myself a commercial artist and try to compete for my lifeblood with 12 and 13 year olds who grew up breathing this kind of code like fish breath water, a professional suite might be a good investment. If not I'd say I'm throwing significant money out there that won't be coming back.

There are ways of obtaining Photoshop without dropping tons of cash, but I shouldn't discuss how to do that on this forum.
Some folks may have moral trouble with those methods though.

And about the age barrier you speak of, I've had no problem with that. I know for myself I'm not threatened by the kids who grew up on this. I grew up on digital art programs too, I have decades on those kids. I got my start in the mid 80's with mac paint and deluxe paint on the Amiga, then I started using Photoshop in 1994 with version 2.5, before it even had layers.

The real challenge in making a living as a graphic artist is a social one. Graphic artists survive on freelance work, if one is not able to socially "network" for jobs, things will be tough. That's why I don't work as a graphic artist anymore, I have too tough of a time finding work.

GIMP is capable of most of what Photoshop can do, but it's interface is really clunky.

I think overall I had specific use in mind. As for artistic expression; nah, there's hardly such a thing as subject matter, color selections, textures, or anything that a person can try that hasn't been done 10x better than they ever could by someone else. When I started this thread I had an idea for a blog, issuing each post like a record label release, and having some type of corrolary artwork; however the idea's already kind of scrapped since I see that the formatting we have now doesn't drill down well for that kind of format.

Regarding the five finger special on software though; I've had some really nasty things happen to my computer and - if its the developers intentions - you get the kinds of trojan horses that stop anything from resolving the problem whether its uninstalling the program, trying to repair Windows (which will error out), and you're pretty much left to format your harddrive and spend days reinstalling all your programs. I pay for things partly for peace of mind, partly for support, and perhaps even moreso to avoid the HIV.

You don't necessarily have to download it from a WAREZ site, you can find older, (and completely Legit) copies of Photoshop and Illustrator readily enough through either eBay, or any place that sells used software. If you do this, you can later purchase an upgrade to the current version from the retail Vendor of your choice, and still have these programs cheaper than buying a full new copy.

I've built professional websites on GIMP. Bad blanket statement.

EDIT: Dare I say, amateurish blanket statement?

And you never make blanket statements?
Then you say it's an amateur blanket statement? Are you a professional at making blanket statements?

Gimme a break, I'm only human.

I just personally don't like GIMP.

Not saying you do! I apologize if you took offense, just trying to get to the meat of it.

Truthfully, whatever it is I'll be using it maybe three times a year; at this point probably just when I get a little bored.

Yes, I did make a blanket statement, unfairly judging all GIMP users.
I was in a pissy mood the other day.

But one thing I can say is that many potential employers will also unfairly judge GIMP users as well. The professional graphic arts world is full of a lot of snobbery (which I suppose I am sometimes guilty of). And there is a kind of Photoshop/Adobe software snobbery out there, not just that but with a blind bias towards the mac versions.
Graphic arts is HIGHLY competitive, and even if someone may be able to create great stuff with GIMP, if they don't use Adobe software, that could make the difference between getting a job or not. Using Photoshop on windows as opposed to mac could make the difference between getting hired for non freelance work. But then maybe an employer who would make a decision like that wouldn't be a good one to work for anyhow.

But as for the original topic, anything will do for the task the OP was talking about.
Heck, MSPaint would work fine if the user has the ability to make a bunch of pixels look nice together. It doesn't really matter. The only thing that really matters is having the proper image file format for whatever the final product will be.

The real advantage Photoshop has is a good user interface that has been refined over decades for an efficient workflow in production environments.

As for the "discounted" versions of photoshop, that all depends on the source. Direct downloads off of web sites is the most hazardous source, but the internet isn't just web pages, there is P2P & usenet as well. It does take a little know how to find clean versions out there. Actually, for the most part photoshop/creative suite is clean. Adobe takes the same approach as microsoft when it comes to that, where they combat "less than legit" versions with strong authorization software rather than seeding virus laden versions on the torrents like smaller software companies do. Most likely if one found a version of CS5.5 out there, it would de-authorize itself within a few months rather than be infected. Older versions may be a better option for a more lax authorization system, like CS2 or something. Anyway, there have been very few remarkable new features in photoshop for years.

But it would be "better" to go legit..., look for a used version as someone else suggested. Or see what you can do to qualify for an academic version, or maybe have someone who qualifies make the purchase for you.