hep? just starting

I am definently not the expert but I think basicly all you need to do alot of this stuff is a text editor and an image editor. I personally use Microsoft Pain and GIMP for images and Notepad for programming text. Theres probably better stuff to use but that works for what I do. Hmm, that might not have helped you alot. Methinks the more seasoned vetrans of the site will have better answers for ya. Good luck.

Paint shop pro or adobe photoshop. Bryce is cool too for all the 3d effects and stuff.

if you are using windowblinds you want to use Skinstudio, and the best graphics editor for use with Windowblinds skins seemed to me to be paint Shop Pro, get a copy of that. And SkinStudio is pretty self explainitory... I'd start with the template included first then work your way to making one from sratch. It's moderatly easy depending on what you do with it. If you want to make skins like Treetog, or Aleksyandr it may take some time.

you need skin studio for windowblinds and a graphics editor like photoshop, there are others but that's what I use. I haven't started Icons yet so I can't say too much about that, but you need a proggy called microangelo, I believe, and I think there are others. I started by messing around with stuff I downloaded from here way before I was able to do my own, but that's how I started learning, that and hours of looking through tutorials and the photoshop bibles. Lot's of trial and error. I just got to the point where my work is good enough to submit, at least some of it anyways, my wallpapers still suck and everything I have done could be better. I've been at it for about a year or so at a casual level and I still have a long, long way to go before I am where I want to be. check out this thread for tutorials and what not https://www.wincustomize.com/msgboard.asp?id=106595&BID=WC&page=1#110445

Thanks guys for your help and support it's much appreciated.