Have you ever looked at the graphics on a game and thought, "Hey, I could do that, and better!"? Well, now's your chance to put your money where you mouth is (so to speak) with Idea's Saracen Paint.

One of the nicest things about computers is that you can create landscapes, towns and characters which exist only inside a computer program. But to bring the feel of the real world into a computer you need to be able to give the whole thing an image.

The only way to create the special atmosphere is to design some nice graphics. So how do you do it? Learn how to program and enter complex routines? That's one answer but a bit long-winded, don't you think? So what else can you do? Simple, you can use a graphics program. Enter Saracen Paint.

There are already a few graphics design packages for the C64 but, in most cases, you still need to be able to find your way through a complex series of option screens. Idea have side-stepped this problem to put together one of the most straight-forward art packages yet seen on the C64.

Load up Saracen Paint and you're presented with a panel covering the right-hand side of the screen. This contains a colour palette on the left and a menu bar across the top. Calling up functions is simplicity itself; you just move the pointer to the menu bar, hold the Fire button and let go when you've selected the option you want from the menu.

Once you've done that, pick the colour you want to see, then hit the stripy bit on top of the option box. The panel then disappears to display the whole screen, and you can start to paint. Dead easy.

The options are split into these four main sections:

1. File
   From this menu you can load and save pieces of art. The program comes with a selection of drawings to give you some idea of what can be done, just to give you the feel for painting.
2. Paint
   This is where the main drawing options are held. Paint allows you to change entire areas of colour at the click of the button; Draw lets you scribble away freehand; Fill is a straightforward flood fill. The Circle, Ellipse and Box options are used to draw empty or filled geometric shapes with ease.
3. Zoom
   This menu contains two options, Zoom or Byte. Zoom brings up a new screen which magnifies a large area of the picture. From here you can pick a colour and change single dots to correct any little mistakes or draw more detailed sections. Unfortunately, one restriction of the C64's graphics screens is that you are limited as to how many colours you can have in various sections. This is where the Byte mode comes in. C64 screens are split into sections of 8x8 pixels. In each of these blocks you can have four different colours. Using the Byte option, you can move a box around the picture to highlight a single 8x8 block and edit the colours it contains.
   
   To get the best effect, a combination of the two modes is useful, since you can do the main editing in Zoom mode, before correcting the colour glitches using the Byte option.
4. Options
   In the last menu, a set of miscellaneous options is held. These include being able to look at the whole picture; to pick up and copy blocks; or even to flip areas of the screen.

Although the asking price may seem expensive compared to some other art packages, its strengths make it worthwhile. Most C64 art packages try to cram as many options into a single user-interface as possible. But this tends to make them confusing to use, so it can take hours to produce the simplest picture.

Saracen Paint puts all the options onto an easy-to-use menu system. You can get straight into creating your masterpieces instead of wading through a manual to find out how the Fill option works.

Saracen Paint also has an edge over most art programs in that it features a sensible zoom mode, so that you can adjust mistakes with ease. The Byte function is an added bonus: you can use this to edit a single block of the screen effortlessly.

If you're a beginner to C64 art, you may not be able to cope with the complexities of other packages, but with Saracen Paint you could be the new digital Rolf Harris. On second though, you might not. But you'll probably be able to tell what it is you've drawn on Saracen Paint.

1. Not the cheapest around...

1. ...But certainly the best.
2. The simple control system couldn't be easier to use. If you're a seasoned C64 art-freak this will come as a luxury. For beginners it really is a must.
3. All the functions you need to get painting.
4. One of the best zoom options ever seen on a C64 art package.
5. Contains a neat range of pictures for you to mess around with.
6. The versatile drawing option lets you be accurate as well as creative.
7. Well-priced really, considering how much you get.