Photo editing pros, I need an oppinion

I'm posting here because it's not a technical question directly related to TCS.

I'm trying to edit Mooch and Noodles into a pic that I want to paint. I like printing out the picture larger when I try to paint stuff. I have ArcSoft Photostudio and I'm getting really frustrated trying to use it. I've played with it before but I'm not getting how or if this can really be done.

So my questions are:

1. Have you ever used this product and what do you think of it?

2. If you know, can what I'm trying to do really be done?

3. Is there a better software you can recommend? Or something to help me learn this? I'm not looking to spend a fortune on it, but I would like something of good quality.

4. What software do you use now?

Thanks guys. I hate getting in these creative moods, and then it gets squashed because I get frustrated with this. And of course these moods only get to come when I have some extra time off, which is like never! Except that I have tomorrow off, so I wanted to indulge myself! Gosh I miss staying at home!

Wow, I would love to see your paintings when you're finished!!

I use Arcsoft as well, but unfortunately can't help you out there, as I'm not that proficient with it!!

OK, trying to help out here.

I had no idea what package that was, so I googled it. Just to understand your question better, a few Q's of my own...

You're trying to get two seperate digital (or scanned) photos of your cats together into one digital photo? (possibly like in your avatar?)

This merged photo of selected parts of the two photos will then be printed out as large as possible so you can either paint over the photo or use it as an example to paint a real painting of?

Do you have any experience using layers and blending modes with any graphic software? Or using selections from a digital photo?

Are there any online tutorials that you are aware of showing similar examples of what you are attempting to do?

I use Paint Shop Pro, but most decent packages follow the same design and usage model.

Originally Posted by Bikeman

OK, trying to help out here.

I had no idea what package that was, so I googled it. Just to understand your question better, a few Q's of my own...

You're trying to get two seperate digital (or scanned) photos of your cats together into one digital photo? (possibly like in your avatar?)

This merged photo of selected parts of the two photos will then be printed out as large as possible so you can either paint over the photo or use it as an example to paint a real painting of?

Do you have any experience using layers and blending modes with any graphic software? Or using selections from a digital photo?

Are there any online tutorials that you are aware of showing similar examples of what you are attempting to do?

I use Paint Shop Pro, but most decent packages follow the same design and usage model.

Click to expand...

Basically I am trying to use a photo of a garden as my background, and take a pic of mooch and a pic of noodles, and put them in that picture, which I will print to use as a reference for my painting.

I've used layers before with Autocad (completely different goals there though) and a bit with this program, but not too sucessfully.

I looked for tutorials on the arcsoft website and they didn't have anything, but the online manual.

At this point I may just print all 3 pics and litterally cut and glue the cats into it! Although I really would like to be able to use this software too.

I don't know much about ArcSoft Photostudio but its definitely something that is fairly easy in PSP or Photoshop. Both offer a 30 day free trial it might be worth downloading to see if you find it easier to use.

This is all I can find on blending (adding images)
http://www.now-n-then.net/forum/printthread.php?t=639

WAhooo! Thanks for your help! I got it to work! It was much simpler than I thought. I had to play around for a while to find the things I wanted to do. it took forever for me to find how to mirror Noodles' image in here. So here it is! Hopefully I can start painting soon! The garden is in my grandparents backyard. I took the photo in 2004. You can see where I 'painted' leaves over Mooch to give myself an idea of where the plant was that I want her to 'hide' behind.