*sigh*, I know I'll get flamed for saying this, but its the truth.
If you want to learn how to make graphics, do NOT use ms paint.
Get yourself a freaking scanner (or a wacom tablet mouse), learn to draw by hand, and download the GIMP. (that stands for Gnu Image Manipulation Program).
www.gimp.org
They even have a windows version, and good documentation.
Also, since alpha blending in pngs will be added for v3, it makes drawn sprites even more efficient than before.