Yes, you can do it. I believe anyone who really wants to can master vector imaging. I know, ‘cause I been there and done that.

My first experience with vector art was with CorelDraw, back in the days when Adobe products (such as Illustrator) were only available for the Mac. I never had much time to devote to learning at any one sitting, so my progress was slow. Seemed as though I always used the method in a moment of necessity, when time was short and I had to have something.

Practice may not make perfect, but it des make a huge difference. Today, I use both CorelDraw and Illustrator, just as I use both Corel PhotoPaint and Adobe PhotoShop for bitmap images. I find that both have their great advantages. Just about anything can be done with either.

You can see a few of my drawings at www.jimsgraphix.com and www.gospelgifs.com . But most of the time I’m producing art for ads, catalogs, and websites.

The day-to-day routine of cranking out illustrations and bitmap images helps a lot. So maybe one of the best things you can do to really learn vector imaging is to hire yourself out to do simple stuff for newsletters, webpages, and other stuff for local businesses (print shops always need someone willing to crank out art). Don’t promise great things, just offer to help out. You will learn as you meet the challenges that come your way.

Pazzo