Computer is Just a Tool to Make ART!

Here are some, free great graphics arts programs to Art it up with.

Sculptris is virtual clay modeling. It is a very easy way to model in 3D. I have taught 6 year olds how to create using this program.

InkScape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw

http://www.inkscape.org/download/?lang=en

Gimp is a GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a raster or bitmap graphics editor used to process digital graphics and photographs. Here is a free great alternative to Photoshop

http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Artrage
The best actually real painting program I have seen for any price.
You can actually blend colors, just like real oil paints."
Starter edition is very basic and free however their 30 free trial of "Artrage 3.0" is incredible and only $60
$1.99 on the iphone or $5.99 for the ipad. Give it a try.

http://www.artrage.com/artragedemo.html

Google SketchUp 8

Create 3D models and share them with the world

Google SketchUp is software that you can use to create 3D models of anything you like. Build models and add them to Google Earth »

Get started right away.
Most people get rolling with SketchUp in just a few minutes. Dozens of video tutorials, an extensive Help Center and a worldwide user community mean that anyone who wants to make 3D models with SketchUp, can. Check out our training videos »
Model anything you can imagine.
Redecorate your living room. Design a new piece of furniture. Model your city for Google Earth. Create a skatepark for your hometown, then export an animation and share it on YouTube. There's no limit to what you can create with SketchUp.

Get models online for free.
You can build models from scratch, or you can download what you need. People all over the world share what they've made on the Google 3D Warehouse. It's a huge, searchable repository of models, and it's free. Explore the Google 3D Warehouse »

http://sketchup.google.com/download/

We have access to a 3D Printer, go to http://www.dimensionprinting.com/ to see the possibilities. So when you create something in a Google Sketchup you can have it made into a real object.

Andrea Mosaic
Welcome to the official page of AndreaMosaic, a free project to create digital art using images and computer software. With AndreaMosaic you can create your own photographic mosaics made with your own pictures. A photo mosaic is an image composed of many tiled photos.

http://www.andreaplanet.com/andreamosaic/

Processing
Processing is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and interactions. It is used by students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists for learning, prototyping, and production. It is created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook and professional production tool. Developed at MIT

http://processing.org/download/

Blender

Blender is a software 3D animation program. It can be used for modeling, texturing, rigging, skinning, animating, rendering, UV unwrapping, particle and other simulating, non-linear editing, compositing, and creating interactive 3D applications. Blender has a robust feature set similar in scope and depth to other high-end 3D software such as 3ds Max and Maya.

http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

Bamboo (Small) Pen Tablet with Pen Only
If you really are planning on working creating "art" on a computer, then you need this great tool for inputting your ideas. Using this with "Artrage" is the most realistic way of painting on a computer screen I have experienced.

Amazon has the best price $49.99 or direct at Wacom for a reconditioned one which just had a packaged opened by customer then returned .

http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Small-Pen-Tablet-Only/dp/B000V9T2JA