Re: 51 year old attempting to start cartooning

[billcartoons]

In my honest, and sometimes overbearing opinion, the result is what matters. How you get there is up to whatever you're accustomed to and most comfortable with. I know just enough about Photoshop to get the results you see, but nothing more. I've been asked about vector, and for all I know it's the name of a spaceship.

[cartunes-r-us]

Sorry, I meant Ivor, not Bill! I apologize to both....

Gimp is very comprehensive, Simon, and what's more it's FREE! It is difficult to grasp at the start, though, and the layers function takes some cracking.......I have it sussed now, though.

[Simon Lake]

I've been asked about vector, and for all I know it's the name of a spaceship.

[Kathy]

I agree that the end result is the most important thing. However, I really love to learn new things so I dived right into vector, and loved it so much that I never looked back.

Now I find myself wanting to learn digital painting, and to color in photoshop. Thank goodness I took classes in both Illo and PS, so I feel like I have a good foundation to build on!

[Simon Lake]

With Illustrator CS2 (Not 4 or 5 or anything else) you can use the Autotrace feature to convert Bitmap to Vector automaticaly. I'm going to get it. I've done my research and that's how it's done.

[Kathy]

My problem with autotrace is that it creates soooo many anchor points, you end up spending more time fixing what it did than if you had simply drawn it with the pen tool yourself. It can be a huge mess. I've never found it to be a good option.

[Simon Lake]

It has to be CS2. No less. Trust me. I will provide the link shortly to substantiate my claim.

[Simon Lake]

I wish I could draw in Vector as you do Kath. You do realise that you are highly employable? All you need is a bit of direction.

I love the Christmas card btw and you look very fit. (I hope Hubby Bubbly isn't looking lol)

[Kathy]

Simon, YOU CAN draw in Vector!! Practice practice practice! Never say that you can't, it just takes some learning. When I first tried the pen tool, the lines went all over the page (and sometimes off the page!). It made no sense at all, but now it does and it's nearly as easy as drawing.

So quit wishing - get to it! I even did a little tutorial on it somewhere here, just don't recall where it ended up....

Highly employable, along with about a million other people on the globe. Lots of unemployed folks desperate for money have spent their time learning and getting really awsome in vector, I'm nothing special. Just google "vector art". You'll be blown away.

One of the great things about drawing your own image rather than a family photo - you can be young and fit! "My, what a flattering image!"