Help me learn

[lance-tek]

I want to learn how to do imaging. I am a programmer who has an interest in learning to animate images and create new images.

I would like to know what programs are good for creating new images as well as learn how to manipulate images. I am a rather fast learner but I need to know where to start.

I have a website that is looking pretty shabby right now and I want to start doing some imaging to spice it up a little bit. I know flash is good but I am not having much luck on getting it to do what I want it to do.

Thanks for your help,

-lance