From Idea to Complete!

While browsing around the Etsy Forums there was this questions that popped out about whether the artist keeps the original or not. I thought about it... all my drawings are first done by hand using pencil and is usually incomplete and rather messy. For example the one above is the pencil drawing of my newest print. Most people would consider that the original.

I scan the pencil drawing and set it up on photoshop where I use the tablet to basically redefine and redraw the whole thing again. It took me a while to learn to use the tablet because unlike doing pencil and paper it's different visual connection between your hand/pencil and what you draw. I'm still learning to do finer motions. Then I fill in the solid colors of the drawing then putting in the proper shading and shadows.

It's amazing what shading can do to a drawing. It makes it come to life. It took me a long time for that to click in my head. Determine where the light is coming from and see what will be brighter where and where it would be darker and the shadows they will cast. I'm still learning. Two hours later is the completed version of the pencil drawing =D. One day I'll take some screen shots of my work in progress so people can see how it works. I also managed to find some very nice frames for my prints that I will be selling as framed prints. One problem I noticed from doing a few craft shows I've done is most people thought they were cards and hopefully by having several framed prints hanging around and selling some it would be more clear =D. I'm going to be at the Brooklyn Flea this Saturday so hopefully it'll be good .. so if you're in the Brooklyn Area stop on by.

So speaking of my artistic methods how about you? Where there any surprises when you're learning to work with your medium? How do you work?