How I Fell Into the World of Digital Art (and Selling It!)

I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the basics of digital images, but I haven’t really shared much about me—or how I got started. So, let’s change that!

Like a lot of artists, I started with a good old-fashioned pencil, tracing and sketching multiple images, picking and choosing different elements to create something that felt like my own.

Eventually, I took that process digital, layering at least three images to transform them into something completely new—nothing like the originals. Over time (and through what I can only assume is muscle memory), I found myself able to draw things on my own. Well, most things. Hands? Yeah, still a struggle. Guides are my best friends.

At some point, I decided to print my images and sell them at markets alongside my other handmade items. They did well! But then the questions started rolling in—"Do you sell these as prints?""Can I get this as a tattoo design?""Do you make stickers?"

And just like that, I stumbled into the world of selling my art digitally.

Why Digital?

Printing on everything gets expensive—plus, what’s trending today might be old news tomorrow. By selling digital images, I let buyers decide how they want to use them. Want to print them on a mug? Go for it. Need them for a scrapbook page? Perfect. Love making bookmarks? Laminate them, add some ribbon, and create something unique!

That said, there are some rules. You can’t just download an image and sell it as-is. It has to be used on something—a shirt, a card, a bag, an ATC that’s been embellished. If someone wants full commercial rights, I’m open to discussion.

My Process (a.k.a. Organized Chaos)

I spend a lot of time drawing on my tablet, using a stylus on an 8.5x11 digital canvas at 600 DPI (trust me, that number matters). From there, I sell my raw, unedited sketches as Digital Stamps—the ones that actually look like something, anyway. (Hey, I’m still learning!)

Then, I take those images and run them through AI generators, asking them to spruce things up—maybe add color, maybe refine the details. I sift through the results, pick my favorites, and blend them together to create something new. These become Digital Stickers.

But I don’t stop there. I re-upload the image and start making more detailed changes—tweaking the theme, adding backgrounds, playing with different styles. Once I find a version I love, it becomes Digital Ephemera, Digital Bookmarks, or Digital ATCs.

The Background Experiment

Backgrounds are a whole different beast. It’s a mix of trial, error, and let’s see what happens with AI generators, followed by lots (and lots) of editing.

But one rule I always stick to, with stickers, ephemera, or backgrounds—I never use the AI-generated image as-is. I don’t want to risk someone else having the exact same design, so I always go back in and re-edit everything.

Once I’m happy? Voila! Up it goes on my website, ready to find a new creative home.

So, that’s my process—part drawing, part digital magic, part “let’s see where this goes.” And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.