Here is a tutorial about how I make my illustrations. I hope it's helpfull to some other artists :) I make my illustrations with Adobe Illustrator CS2.

- First I sketch a drawing with pencil and paper and scan it in.
- Then I create a new document in Illustrator. Don't care about the size of the document, because while drawing you can make it smaller or bigger. (this is much different than other programs)
- I import my sketch with:   file -> place, select your file and check on "template" (this sets the opacity lower, and locks the layer, and creates a new layer)
- Click on the new layer that is on top of your sketch layer, so you draw in that new layer.
- Select the pen tool. Make sure the fill is set to "none" and lines set to black, and weight to 1pt. (or maybe 2 if you want)
- now trace your sketch. Click with your pen tool somewhere to start, then click on a second point, but keep your mouse pressed down. and then drag it up or down, so you edit the line. Then let go. Click on the second point again. (so you get only 1 handle instead of 2) And then click on a third point, keep mouse down and drag. let go. Click once on the third point. etc.
- continue untill all the outlines are done.
- Then you have to color. Select all lines (ctrl+a) and then go to: object -> live paint -> make.
- go to object -> live paint -> gap options and select "small gaps". This fixes all your little gaps automatic!
- Select the bucket tool and fill everything with the colors you want.
- Now you have to make shading and highlights. You want shadows to go over your base color, but not over your black outlines. You can do that this way: select all (ctrl+a), object -> expand, object -> ungroup. This seperates the black lines from the fills.
- open the sublayers and you see they are seperated. Now create a sublayer above the fills and under the outlines.
- select the pen tool and set line to none, and the fill to the color you want and make shadings and highlights.

done !!!
if  you have any questions, feel free to ask

I have a problem with the fine details in going from paper > digital or digital > paper.

For example, i'm making a small painting this week, which features a disco-style font on it. The paint is acrylic, which if you've used it before, you know it's rather thick and stubborn to be precise with.

So I need to do this really detailed, geometric font on the painting. I figured i'd do it in illustrator, print it out on paper, then cut it out with scissors. Proves to be harder than I thought. This is really a technical painting problem, but I also have the same problem going from paint or illustration into digital: sooo much time spent on cleaning up. You start to wonder whether it'd be quicker just to do it in digital to start with, instead of trying to import..

I've worked with acrylic before. (there is a topic in the general subforum about tradtional art, maybe share your paintings there?)
But I figured out that if you add more water to the paint you can work more precise.

But going from a painting to vector, is not easy.
I just use a pencil to make the outlines. And then I import that sketch and go over the outlines with the pen tool. and after that I color it. (there is no color in the sketch!) Making a painting is too much work and not very handy.
I suggest using a sketch instead of a painting. It's difficult to sketch in illustrator. I don't use live trace, just the pen tool. So no cleaning up!
But if you need to clean up I suggest the "smooth tool", if you hold down the pencil tool it will show up. That tool is very easy for cleaning uplines you made with the pen tool.

And from going digital to paper... is cheating ;) (just kidding)
But I suggest choose a font (maybe download a free font), type what you want, print it. And then using transfer/carbon paper, trace that font on your drawing. And THEN paint it, using a small brush.

Nice tutorial. But I got problem with the first one, I can't sketch like you do (pretty good drawings you showed here). However, I get the point. It all starts on paper. I've never done that before. Thanks for the tip.

I have problems going from paper to digital. I can never really get my lines right. Is there something I can do about it or just get a tablet?

My tablet has been collecting dust for a while. I tend to just buy a bigger monitor and zoom in more to get the desired fidelity driving the mouse.. maybe I just have a cheap tablet though. I know that the best illustrators live on their tablet so it must be something I'm doing wrong..

Thats the problem I have, I can't sketch, I have so many ideas that I want to implement but I'm not a drawer though.