Well, if you were my next door neighbor and I had loads time, then perhaps I could. Since that isn't the case, all I can do is tell you how it works for me.

First of all, you have to have a burning desire to do it. Without that, you're doomed to failure right off the bat. Drawing isn't something that can really be taught unless you already have a God-given talent. I have been an artist in various forms since I was a child and have always been moved to create. Learning to draw graphics for the web, etc., is no different. Some of us are born with an innate desire to be creative and it stays with us our entire life. If your only motive is to profit, I can almost guarantee you that your success will be minimal. Creativity comes from the heart. It's not something that can be faked, imitated or forced. There are days when I couldn't draw a stick figure and it has to do with my mood more than anything. I have to be in the mood, or inspired by something I've seen. If I try to draw just because I think I should get something new up on my site, I end up with second-rate results that are not true to my skills.

As far as learning how to use a graphics program, that's probably where that "burning desire" will be most useful. Most computer programs baffle me and unless it's something I really want to learn, or have to learn, I don't usually bother. If you really want to learn your program of choice, be prepared to tear your hair out, cry, get angry, frustrated, and annoyed...BUT....don't ever....ever.....ever GIVE UP! The small successes will put you over the moon and before you know it, you'll know more than you ever thought you could learn. The last thing you should remember is that art is subjective and beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Do your own thing and you will find your own following.

How did you learn to write HTML?

The short answer? www.draac.com  I have recently switched to using Microsoft Front Page because it's a real time saver for me.  However, I recommend that everyone learn the basics at least.  It comes in very handy at times.

Do you need a special computer to do graphics?

I've only been asked this once, but it is kind of an important thing to consider when you are planning to run graphics programs. I have a Sony VAIO with 1.3 gigs of RAM, which stands for 'Random Access Memory', which is the memory a computer needs to store the information it is processing at any given moment. I also have a front side BUS speed of 512 MZ. BUS speed is very important. It is the speed, measured in megahertz, at which information or data can move across the bus on the motherboard, or the speed or frequency at which the data on the motherboard is moving. In terms of speed, if your BUS speed isn't fast enough, it won't matter how much RAM you have, because your BUS speed determines how fast commands are processed. This is the way I understand it anyway. A 512 BUS speed should be sufficient for running most graphics programs, as my experience tells me. 512 mb of RAM should also be sufficient for most things. The only time I ever experience very slow processing is when I'm working on very large graphics for scrapbooking, however, I can still get the job done.

I also highly recommend a good CD burner and an external hard drive. CD's can fail and computers can crash, so I back up all of my work to a CD and also store a copy of them on an external hard drive. If you have a crash or need to reinstall windows just for clean-up purposes, you can unplug the external hard drive and after you reinstall, just plug it back in and everything is still there. It's very convenient and safe.

In terms of CD burning software, I use Roxio's EZ-CD and DVD Creator 6 Platinum. My favorite for all CD and DVD burning operations. It also has a recovery wizard that can recover data from a damaged disk.

A good monitor is important too, because you want to have a clear picture of what you're graphics are going to look like. I have a 17" Sony flat panel which I absolutely love! The resolution on a flat panel is far superior to that of traditional monitors and since their creation, they have come down to an affordable price. Some traditional monitor users have complained about eye strain when they first get a flat panel. The screen tends to look convexed at first, but you will get used to that and it will go away. Once you get used to it, you'll never go back.

Some artists use a pen and tablet to draw their graphics, which is the digital equivalent to pencil and paper. I bought one once, but just couldn't get used to it, so I went back to my good ole mouse. I use a wireless, optical mouse and it works great for me. That's pretty much personal preference, so you may want to try both.

I have had three completely different computers since my first one and I have kept this one the longest. It works great for me, is very stable and I feel no need to change.

Could you make the green background blue.....the blue background green, and redraw the girl on the bike to match my eye and hair color?

This isn't exactly the question I've been asked, but I think you get the gist of it. I don't mind making minor alterations to my graphics, if it can be done quickly and easily. However, I am not open to changing an entire set of graphics to fit one person's wants. If I were going to do that, I might as well just wait for people to ask me for custom graphics, which I am not currently doing, due to lack of time. For the most part, my graphics come AS IS and aren't meant to be changed in any significant way. I don't mind adding text to something or moving things around slightly, but that's the extent of it. It never hurts to ask, but please don't take it personally if I decline.

Can I call you on the phone so we can talk about graphics?

Honestly......I have had people I don't know write me up cold and ask this question with no other detail given. Number one, with all the crazy things that take place in the world and on the Internet, I don't give my phone number out to total strangers. Number two, I do my business online, so I feel that anything we need to discuss can be done in e-mail. It's not that I am antisocial or unfriendly, it's just that I am extremely protective of my privacy. I have made exceptions to this rule when I was doing web design, only because I did large, ongoing projects and it was more convenient at times to speak by telephone. Other than that, I find it pretty much unnecessary.

I don't have any money, so would you consider donating your graphics to me or giving me a discount?

My close friends and long time customers are very aware of my generosity where my graphics are concerned. I have given a lot of things to people I know well for free, and I have done special projects for causes and charities without charging for it, but for the most part, I do not give my work away to total strangers with a hard luck story. It's nothing personal, but if I don't know you from Adam, how do I know if you are telling me the truth? Don't take it personally, but that's just good business sense.

Do you do custom work?

I have done custom work from time to time, but in general, I don't take on custom projects other than a few custom adoptions here and there. I am a wife and mother who runs two businesses and it's purely a matter of time for me. I simply don't have the time to devote to doing custom work. If this were my primary source of income, I would certainly do customs, but the money I make from this venture is pretty much just mad money for me and is secondary to other things in my life. Whatever I do, I try to give it a 110%, so the lack of time would surely prove problematic for both myself and my customers.

Where do you get your inspiration for the graphics you draw?

Oh boy, that's a question that could take days to fully answer, but I'll try to condense it. Inspiration can come from just about anything. I have been inspired to do an entire collection based solely on a pleasing combination of colors that I saw somewhere. I might see some soft pastels that remind me of a spring day and it just flows from there. A good example would be my Pettibone bears. My daughter was drawing some pictures one night and she drew a bear that was the inspiration for my bears. Hers looked nothing like mine, but it was the shape, angle, tilt of the ears and a bit of my own imagination that came into play. As an artist, I probably see things differently than most and I can find inspiration just about anywhere.