Does anybody know what program artists use to get high quality 2d art like in Baldur''s Gate or Starcraft or Commandos?

well, it''s not program, but maybe programs.. or the program doesn''t matter at all.

a great bitmap can be made in MSPAINT if you''re good enough with the program... though highly unlikely.

You can also make commerical quality graphics using Paint Shop Pro.

Though many game artists use Adobe Photoshop i believe.

I prefer the Corel Draw/Photopaint suite.. it''s more ''PC-Thought-Process'' oriented, as opposed to the Adobe Suite, which is ported from a MAC, so it''s ''MAC-Tought-process'' Oriented.

Also many modern graphics are modeled in a 3D program, like 3D Studio Max, or Maya, or even Blender, or Milkshape. Then the images of that finished model are saved as bitmaps, and put into the game.