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"Digital art: Making the leap from traditional to computer art"

Going from traditional hands on paper/canvas to using a mouse and a computer screen can seem daunting, if not just wrong. But one doesn't have to eliminate the other. There are many ways to take your hands-generated art and make it digital.

Just Sketch and Scan it.

The easiest way to integrate the two mediums is to sketch and scan. This means only that you take your drawing or painting and scan it into a computer file that can be opened by your digital art software (Photoshop being the most popular). After scanning resize the image to something more easily managed and then open it in Photoshop. You can use your mouse to enhance your image, or you can spend a few extra dollars on a digital pencil that will let you draw on the computer as you would on the paper.

There are many free tutorials online that can show you how to make your traditional artwork digital. It's time consuming after the initial scan, but it's just as rewarding as hanging it in a gallery. And, really, more people are likely to see your work online than they are in a gallery somewhere.

A good site to visit for ideas, inspiration, and support is www.Deviantart.com. Many of the artists that commune on that site use both traditional and digital mediums to make their visions come alive. They have a massive amount of tutorials to help you learn and there are resources to help you sell your work. Vector graphics are very popular for web site design as well as for posters, book covers, magazines, and a whole slew of other things.

Digital art and traditional art can and are converging to inspire a whole new generation of artists. There's nothing wrong with someone who is old school learning some new tricks. It might even become addicting.

Learn more about this author, Lizzie Flynn.
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