How hard is GIMP to learn and use in a few days to create three samples of graphics?

It's the worst. Srsly, it's a study in "all the functionality, none of the usability". Very rich, very awkward.

What are your requirements? It might be simple enough that it's not hard to GIMP, or that might help suggest a better alternative.

You're Windows, right? I think it's less bad for Windows, since until recently it smelt of port.

Good to know. I need to create 3 graphics, not complex, for a possible position web content gig. Like, making quotes look cool.

I have a PC, Windows XP, and NO money for software.

I learn fast and am motivated. I just...this isn't my area of expertise, but I am willing to work it and shag ass to create 3 graphics samples.

Open Office Draw is not as powerful as Gimp, but it can do quite a lot and - while far from the user friendliest thing in the world - is about 200,000 x more user friendly than gimp. What exactly do you mean my Graphic samples? Cause there is lot that can be done by software less powerful than Gimp and and if you want to learn soemthing in time to produce stuff or a job you are better off not doing so with some of the most difficult software ever if you have alternatives. Again, sample of what? Full fledged printed posters, ads , magazine pages? 3 graphic rich web pages? graphic samples consisting of 3 what?

Stuff like this: [link]

And this: [link]

I'm interested in this position: [link] ypo!

ETA: and thanks for the info and help, ita ! and typo!

The important questions are--will you be manipulating photographs, maybe with text, or will you be actually drawing pictures? If you are drawing (which I'm guessing you're not, having caught up in SPN), there are two different ways to go with that, depending on if you're mimicking physical media, or getting a little bit more down in the weeds with what computers can do (3D, pixel work, or vector graphics, for instance: InkScape: [link]

You can do things like that online today--I can only report, not recommend, because I've never tried, but read here: [link] But Photoshop Express is probably damned good, by heritage: [link]

You can also try Picasa: [link] from Google, or Paint.net: [link] Photo Pos Pro: [link] PhotoPlus: [link]

Do you have Office? Of what version, if so? You can do a bit of stuff there too.

You definitely don't need the Gimp for that. I've never been able to get results quite that clean looking or the fonts looking that good, but I don't know that office can't do that - only that I can't. At any rate Open Office will let produce very good looking mixed text and graphics along that line. You probably need some other tools which others can help you with.

Open Office is definitely good for part of it. You want an HTML editor and (since you don't want to try and learn HTML overnigh) maybe an HTML generator. There is an on-line tool that was suggest to me for Woobly? Something like that. One of the pages was pretty much straight html with a bunch of graphics. The other use graphic text (that is the text was actually a picture) with a transparent background (so that the background of the graphic was invisible so that there it looked like just text, and with no graphic background. It is pretty straightforward to generate a graphic with a white background and then turn "white" transparent.

At any rate you do NOT need Gimp, and you don't have time for Gimp. I will let others who know more about this give you suggestions. But one way you could impress them is by using images you can prove you actually have licenses for. Morguefile is one place to get those: [link]

Open Clip Art is another [link] and stock.xchange [link] This is not a side quesiton. Mostly in this kind of work you use at least some stock images, and showing you know where to get high quality images that are legal to use is a real plus. Since you are creating your own samples, you can browse for neat and striking images and build your samples around them.

There are many other places for images, but those three are what I found lets me find high quality images that offer truly free licenses, and with a huge selections. Many other place to find good images, but either with poor selections, or good selections, but free mixed with pay and high quality mixed with poor. These three are my goto (as someone without graphic talent) when pressed for time.

Manipulations photos with text -- no drawing!!

I have Office 2010: I don't think I'll need to get down in the weeds. I'll research and play around with the suggestions you linked, ita ! And thank you.

You can do things like that online today--I can only report, not recommend, because I've never tried, but read here: [link]. But Photoshop Express is probably damned good, by heritage: [link]

You can also try Picasa: [link], from Google, or Paint.net: [link], Photo Pos Pro: [link], PhotoPlus: [link]

Typo, I appreciate the link. I've had to use legal usage stock images for my site, so I'm aware of the legalities, but I haven't heard of those sites.

You guys have been so helpful! I really appreciate it!

New skill -- good thing I like tech and love knowledge...

Buffistas -- I adore you. What would I do without you? Besides muddle about for a zillion years.

Mille grazie.

The sites linked are really graphic dense. Stock.xchng and morguefile are about 99.99% photos. Open Clip art are is, as far as I know, 100% drawings. With Stock.xchgn and morguefile you do have to read the licenses, cause every now and then a creator will stick in a custom license rather than the standard license that is default for the site. Open Clip Art makes submitters agree that what is submitted is submitted into the public domain. Also Stock.xchg and morque file have been bought by commercial sites, you have to beware during searches than don't get bumped over to the commercial sites where everything is pay without noticing. I find these minor nusiances not deal breakers cause you can avoid the problems easily enough if you are careful, and get really great selections of legal, free images on generous terms including including ability to use for commercial purposes.