Don't waste your time with Paint... try the Gimp (a free image app), or Paint Shop Pro (not free, but much easier on the wallet than Photoshop).
Good luck... be sure to show us your finished work :)
Photoshop is king, but it's expensive. Paint Shop Pro is good, not sure how much it is though. I'm sure both have trial versions so you can decide what you like.
You could also get Gimp for free.