Following on from the thread on Icons, I thought I'd post some related info that might interest others.
I use a program called The Logo Creator (TLC) (available from
http://www.thelogocreator.com/) to create a lot of my graphics like icons and splash screens. I know there are many graphics programs such as PSP and Photoshop, but TLC is inexpensive (USD 19.95), has many additional resources and has been updated free for years. It's best point, for me, is that it is easier to use to quickly produce great graphics which I can use in Opus.
IMHO, it's worth a look. And, No, I do not receive a kickback for mentioning it.