Download the Gimp. It's free. Once it's installed, follow the instructions in this very thread, starting
halfway down page 2. You'll get a set of textures that used to work but doesn't now except for the skirt. That skirt shape has proven remarkably popular. On the way through, you'll use most of the tools in GIMP, but not much transparency. My preferred way to achieve transparency is to draw the desired object opaque in a layer of its very own, then make the layer transparent using the slider at the top of the Layers window.
Use layers. I didn't bother at first, but once I started playing with them I decided they are the best tool there.
There's a "fade out" option on some tools. I've been using it for the little wrinkles fading out from seams lately. It works a little better than just abruptly stopping. You can vary the fade length.
By the time you've worked your way through all those clicks you should be terrified for life or fully comfortable with it, anyway.
