Where it all started!

So, I guess I really can't say this is where it "all" started - because there isn't really an "all" yet. The fact that my first post is, in-fact, titled in this way is more about what I want to do, rather than what I have done. Anyways, here is the story:

My birthday was nearing and my fiance was probing me for ideas about a birthday present. I of course would always do my best to reply with something completely not-revealing, not because I expected her to read my mind or anything, but I am just not a guy who really thinks about things that I want to possess. For her this was especially difficult because I come from a world of technology and computer programming, and she comes from a world of literature and academia - (did I even spell that right?).

Having no clue where to start or where to end my fiance ventured forth on a mission to find a gift to please her aging house-geek. I'm not actually sure where her adventures lead her but after a very long work-week I came home to a big, silvery present on my bed. Truly unsure of what to expect I opened the gift the way any gift should be opened - which is with as much torn and destroyed packaging as possible. When I saw the gift she had chosen I realized she had found something about technology I knew absolutely nothing about. It was a tablet input device - you know, that thing the artists at my company use instead of a mouse!

I do admit I was a little at a loss when I saw it. I mean I really, really wish I could do the things that I see artists do but haven't had day-one of training or experience. I also had kind of always wanted one of these things to be able to play around with it - not because I know what I'm doing, but because they are just cool! It was a big one too! Not one of those little "starter" ones that you see in the store and wonder "how would you even draw on something so small?" - It was really nice!

Anyways, I immediately set to work discovering what all the buttons on it do, how to configure things, and how to make it work with Paint.Net (you know, that freebie art program that is better than windows paint - but not as powerful or confusing as Photoshop). I think my first order of business was to trace the picture of my face on my security badge to see how accurate it is - (which being able to "trace" stuff is just all sorts of awesome btw). Then My cousin and I found a picture of Angelina Jolie which also required tracing. Finally we each tried to draw stuff free-hand, but that failed miserably.

I kept at it, though, trying to learn new things - looking stuff up on the Internet and such. Then one early Saturday morning I got the big idea that it would be fun to kind of post to a blog as I go. Sort of a "this is what you get when you give hi-end artist tools to whatever the opposite of an artist is" thing.

So here I am - posting my horrible (possibly painful) art to the entire world wide web for all to fear - I mean see. I'm even going to start off with the stuff that I've done so far before starting this blog (which isn't much - but it is more than nothing).

Aaaaand - should some artist or pretty much anyone that knows anything about this stuff happen to find their way to my humble blog I would sure love to hear what tips or advice you may have for me!


- Mark