I'm looking for a paint program to do my own skins but I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars either. Is there a decent program which I can paint the templates for around $50? Thanks.

Spend the $50 on an S2 license, and get a free editing program.

http://www.gimp.org/

http://www.getpaint.net/

Out of the two, I use Paint.NET. I have not used Gimp as Paint.NET fulfills my needs currently. I would recommend downloading the DDS plug-in for Paint.NET as this means you can edit the interior textures too. Google "Paint.NET DDS Plug-In" to find it, then follow the installation instructions.

Happy Editing!

I recommend using Paint.NET to start with, however when you get the hang of the stuff, GIMP is the way to go.

Quote from Haupman :

I'm looking for a paint program to do my own skins but I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars either. Is there a decent program which I can paint the templates for around $50? Thanks.

I try Paint.net. It's Free. I use it for all my skins now.