Beginning graphics

I want to begin programming 2d graphics. The only graphics I've ever dabbled in were java applets (which barely count). I've practiced java for a year and a half, but I know enough c++ to get by.

My question: How does one go about getting into programming 2d graphics?

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Strangely enough, the chief architect behind both Allegro and XNA is the same person: Shawn Hargreaves.

The difference being is that Allegro was first designed for the Amiga when Shawn was a teenager and then ported to DOS and later Windows 9x when he was attending University.

By the time he had joined Microsoft and began work on XNA, he had 15 years of experience under his belt as a professional game and graphics programmer. The end result is that XNA is beautifully designed whereas Allegro a cobbled together pile donkey excrement.