any experienced pixel artist is going to tell you paint is fine for what it is, but as far as it not being good, it isn't when compared to much, much better programs like photoshop.

@Calus:
Wow. That guy is good. I can only hope that was from a photograph reference. I liked his other stuff at the end, too.

@.crimson:
99% of the time (with straight up pixel art) I'd be using only a few tools in either Paint or PS, but, yeah, that 1% of the time I would really miss some of the features PS, Gimp, or Gale have.

@D5:
Tablets rock. If you're used to drawing on paper, they're well worth every penny.

Well, when you get right down to it, every single digital image is made up of nothing but an arrangement of variously colored pixels... Everything from the simplest pixel art to digital camera pictures to Photoshop-created art...

So it is technically possible to create any image with any tool capable of editing pixels, whether that tool is PSP, Photoshop, Gimp, or MS Paint...

Theoretically, a person using MS Paint can do almost anything someone using Photoshop can do (barring alpha transparencies and such) It's just that tools like Photoshop do these things automatically, and it would take a person using MS Paint a huge amount of time and effort (and skill!) to emulate most of the effects PS does for you...

So it's not really a surprise that people can get that level of performance out of Paint... It's always had the ability if someone was willing and talented enough to bring it out...