I draw in coloring pencil and use a digital camera, I've made some animated toons and might put one or more up soon. This is my first week and hope Halloween and Christmas cards sell. I try to put some drawings up or photos or both each day. I've looked at a few artist here and they have really great cards. I like to draw cute stuff and people keep telling me to do greeting cards for them. Soooooo. Here I am . My storefront is at :           http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/firebirdscardstore  

That's nice. I draw and use coloring pencils and computer colorize meny of my drawings and or just scan them in. I also take pictures. Though, I can't seem to get my pictures to go at 300 DPI and have not got anyone to help the last 2 days to figure what's making that not work as it used to work well before. Why you might ask? Cuss they are trying to help and I still can't seem to get them up. I'm making dinner now and have to let them try to figure something new for me to try. So I'm at a stand still for now. I'm 47 years old, not young. Should I give up? Hmmm. Still waiting.

There are many "vector" tools in Photoshop to use for designing illustrations and "hand drawn" objects. Separate object and then be combined and also re-sized on your digital illus board. Some of these vecor tools are the "shapes" tool, the "pen" tool and any brush. Many of the coolest brushes are "hidden" in the alternate palettes and you've got to dig them out to use. Vector illustrations are smooth, continuous lines. They can be enlarged and transformed (using the "transform" tool)- meaning you can reshape the object. Scanned drawings and artwork are different. The image is a bitmap image made by a mosaic of different color or black and white pixels. Scanned artwork is often kinda dirty and smudged as scanner pick up the paper texture and stuff. Tablet created illustrations are also bitmapped, but they are cleaner without noisy artifacts in the background.
 
Then, my particular area of expertise is using FONTS and type as graphic elements.  
 
In Photoshop you can add color and "paint" with translucency using a brush. It takes a bit of practice but you can finess your input to look like a "real" watercolor, pastel or oil painting. Another program to use is Corel Painter. A really good digital painter is a lady named Catherine. Google: "Cat Bounds" and you will find her web gallery.
 
I encourage all traditional artists to take the time to explore the digital canvas. Unfortunately there isn't all that much in the form of publications for "advanced" artists- a manual and how-to books...think of your computer as another paint brush!

I use the computer to create all of the images I use for the cards.  I only have photoshop for a graphics program but would love to have illustrator for the vector program...maybe soon.  I am just beginning to appreciate all that I can do with photoshop.  I am very new at this, learning a little every day.  I am not very computer savvy and when something goes right am in awe.  I used to draw the conventional ways, but since I do not have a printer/scanner that is not an option for me at this point for this venue.
 
By the way...anyone getting sales?  I haven't had anything since before Christmas.  I did love that 75 card bulk sale of a New Year design though...that was a rush...I WANT MORE!!! lol.

Quote from Catherine_131549 on Aug 1^st, 2007, 8:20am:

 
 
I'd love to know what type of tablet and pen you are using---any suggestions as to which is better than others?  I've been working in the fine arts all my life--and LOVE the options digital rendering can give--mind boggling with the limitlessness, (is that a word?)
 
Thanks!
-Kerra

Quote from Leslie_131747 on Sep 3^rd, 2007, 1:46pm:

 
 
Hi, Leslie!  I draw and use watercolor, too.  I've heard that people have been scanning their images---I think I'll try that, too.  I've been photographing my images and then resizing in paint shop pro.  How are your sales going?

-Kerra

Quote from Yassine_132473 on Dec 27^th, 2007, 3:23am:

 
off topic: You´re not alone among Americans and English - I´m German. (Although having been married to an Englishman for nearly 38 yrs and having lived on the island for some time before moving back to Germany I consider myself more a "European"  )

I am an artist from the UK, all of my art is produced by hand using graphite and colored pencils, some of the automobile art pieces can take up to 48 hours.
I really love drawing the classic 50s and 60s Americam cars like the Chevy and the Cadillac with all that amazing chrome. I scan all my work to Photoshop.
I sell prints of my work through my website:
http://motornstuffart.co.uk/index.htm