It was hard finding a version of this application compatible with my Windows 7 computer, but I still like it (have found nothing better for sprites). Still, it kinda sucks that the one program I used to know that did a better job than MSPaint at letting me touch up my lineart and then bucket-fill the drawing changed itself to the point of being practically useless.

And all the other art programs I get recommended either don't address this and the other general issues I was already having with Paint.net anyway, or are expensive commercial software ($11 being the cheapest!) that I can't be sure will even work the way I want until after I've purchased them.

This came up in conversation in IRC last night and I was basically told that my problems with anti-aliasing are because I was "using layers wrong". That I'm not supposed to use the bucket tool, but instead use the paintbrush tool to fill the colors in on a separate layer. I see absolutely no reason why I should have to make dozens of clicks where one would suffice if only the drawing tool wasn't designed to make blurry edges.

Maybe I really am averse to advancing as an artist, if "doing things right" means making extra work for myself to achieve the same intended results.