If you need something more powerful than Microsoft Paint but not as complex as Photoshop, Paint.NET is what you're looking for.
This nicely designed image editor features the simple interface everyone loves to have in applications, but at the same time offers a surprisingly wide array of tools and options you would only expect to find in large graphic suites.
Paint.NET lets you work on several images simultaneously, has support for layers, keeps an action history that lets you undo any changes, and includes a variety of drawing tools (brushes, geometrical shapes). You'll also find several special filters and effects that can turn your image into an oil painting or a pencil drawing in just one click.
That said, don't expect Paint.NET to be some kind of free Photoshop alternative. If you use the Adobe app to work on your images, you'll surely miss many tools in Paint.NET. For everyone else though, this is a perfect tool for daily simple image editing.
Paint.NET sits somewhere between a basic editor and a complex graphic suite, featuring a nicely designed interface and a bunch of handy tools for quick photo optimization and retouching.
