OK here is a simple guide to my method of CGing. Follow the steps carefully and you'll see that achieving results of good quality is actually quite easy!

A pencil, rubber and pen.
Any PC, Mac or other computer with a graphics card capable of handling *large* graphics.
At least 64 megs of ram.
A scanner.
Scanning software.
Adobe photoshop (any version after 2.5 is fine).
Adobe Streamline.
A program to convert your image to a JPEG.
About 20 megs of free Hard Disk space.

*** MY CONFIGURATION ***

Draw the pic and scan the 'inked' version at 300 dpi in greyscale. Drop it into 'Adobe Photoshop' and clean up and dots, smudges or unwanted lines. The result should look like 'fig-1'

Open it in 'Adobe Streamline' and convert it to an eps with the amount of smoothing set to maximum. You'll need to play around a bit to get the line thickness exactly as you want it. The result should look like 'fig-2'

Open the eps in photoshop and change the 'mode' from greyscale to RGB colour. Next create a backgound layer coloured white if there are any 'invisible areas' . Painbucket each area with the appropriate base colour leaving the backgound white. If possible, obtain an official pic of your character and pipette the colours from there. The result should look like 'fig-3'

Find an appropriate shadow colour for your selected base colour and use the 'Line Tool' to gradually draw a series of small straight lines, outlining the shadows you wish to create (See 'fig-4').

Do the same for every colour in the pic and repeat the process for the highlights. The result should look like 'fig-5'

Paintbucket each shadow/highlight outline with its appropriate colour The result should look like 'fig-6'

Use the 'Airbrush Tool' on the edges of the shadows and highlights to smooth out anything you feel appropriate. Don't do this in *every* place possible, just here and there. Set the airbrush pressure to 8% and use a brush with a diameter between 60 and 120. So as not to get any of the airbrush 'paint' on the back lines, use the 'Magic Wand Tool' on the colour you are airbrushing (See Fig-7).

The result should look like 'fig-8'

Use the smudge tool on any highlights in your character's hair. This will make it look much more silky and realistic. You may also use this tool on any other areas which may need to be smoothed out but are too small for the airbrush. It might also be an idea to use the 'Softening Tool' to achieve this effect. (see 'fig-9a' and 'fig-9b')

Check your pic for any inaccuracies and correct them (you wouldn't believe how important this step is :P). Next fill in the background as you feel appropriate, possibly adding a light source in the correct place. Sign your drawing. The result should look like 'fig-10'

Scale the eps down to a realistic size, convert it to a jpeg, re-name it and you're done! ^-^ The result should look like 'Natsume-Abra'

I hope this has proved a useful tutorial. You can thank Natsume for getting me to make it! ^-^