Here are just a few tips and tricks and shortcuts that can be used in PSP, and perhaps even applied to other painting applications.

It is always a good idea to keep your Tool Options pop up box open at all times. Its just a convenient way to get to the tool options rather than going through the top menu. Its also good to keep it out of site, if you have PSP version 6 or higher, you are able to make it appear only on mouseover, so it doesn't get in your way. Make sure the arrow on it looks like this with the bar underneath the arrow, pointing down:

This is just kind of common sense more than anything - you don't have to keep clicking on the erase tool button to erase, you can just use the ctrl button to grab the background color and go over what you need to correct. The background color is the default color that you are using to paint on.

Don't you hate doing fishnet stalkings dot by dot? Well, I have a very nice short-cut for you then. Click on the Paint Brush tool, then go to your tool options control box (You know, the one I have a trick for above). Click on the tab that has 2 grey gears on it, and then go down the list under you see Dither 50 pct or something along that effect, and click on it.