Step 4: Back to photoshop

Step 4: Copy smart object and bring back to photoshop

Make a new layer in photoshop and paste your smart object. Create a new blank layer underneath and you are ready to color! Congrats!

Step 3: Bring into Illustrator

Step 3: Copy and paste into illustrator

Copy and paste your improved image into illustrator. Go to object -> live trace -> tracing options and a window should come up. In that window, change the preset: drop down menu to "comic art". It will create a smoothed smart object from your drawing.

Step 2: Scan and Open

Step 2: Scan your picture and open in photoshop

take the image you want to turn into line art and scan it. Your scanner probably came with some software to help you do this. It also probably put a shortcut on your desktop, so put the picture in your scanner and click it.

Once you've done this, open your picture in photoshop and polish it up a little. Is there anything you want to change about the image? Any soy sauce stains you want to dab out? Make it as clean as presentable as possible.

What is digital line art?

Digital line art is a process one puts a scanned drawing through so that they might color it efficiently and attractively on their computer. To the left is an example of uncolored digital line art drawn by me.

Step 1: Create a pencil drawing

Step 1: Create a pencil drawing:

This step may be the hardest to direct as it takes the largest personal effort. You basically must learn to draw and draw something worth coloring. Teaching drawing is not the focus of my blog, however, and there are many books that can help you learn. You could even make line art from a friends' drawing.