Like I said, I use Preview.app most of the time, and I get great results.That, or PhotoPad should work just fine. I'll give PhotoPad a try because I like free software, but especially free and open source.
Kids and students should not have to pay a ton for software. Free and Open Source has great offerings.
If there's ONE or two things that you need in Photosop, GIMP (get an older version from the download link I sent) has all the goodies. I especially like the light curve tool. The very old Unix "xv" program did this in the 80's and I like it a lot.
Keep it simple. My Dad was an artist in oils. Until the 70's and beyond, cheap consumer cameras cameras were clunky. He did portraits of his favorite movie stars and only one family portrait, my niece. I think he worked from movie posters (I saved some) and probably from a nice photo for his granddaughter.
I did a pencil sketch of my daughter in 1994. And that's all. 
Pics of me and my brother were taken with a Brownie Reflex. A lesson in humility.
Edit history
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
= new reply since forum marked as read