Is there any software I could download for free which can help me "draw" Sci-Fi like effects on photographs?

Question

I would like to download free software (if it exists) which I could use to do Sci-Fi like effects.
For example, if I have a photograph and I want to "draw" on it a lightsabre blade, laser blasts, electricity coming out of people's hands and the like, that's the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Answer 1

You can make those effects using any good graphics programs that supports layers, and utilizing the layers capability, along with various filters.

You can definitely do it using photoshop, or photoshop elements 4, both of which have trials you can download at the Adobe website.

You can also use Paintshop Pro, a trial is available at Corel website.

Some of the below programs, ALL of which are completely FREE, allow the use of layers as well ... I know paint.net and GIMP do, not sure about the others.

You can find tutorials online for help getting the effects you want.

http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus/
http://www.pabird.supanet.com/~pabird/freesoftware/brushstrokes/
http://www.ultimatepaint.com/download.php
http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/download.htm
http://picasa.google.com/index.html

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

http://www.allgraphicstools.com/soft/animation-tools/65212122.htm

does this help?