I am new here, but have been reading the forum for a while. I draw images on paper, scan them and sell them as digital stamps to crafters. I want the images to be able to be smooth like vector, but they also must be saved in .JPG, and .PNG files. I have also just recently started saving them as .EPS. I am not sure of the best method is to do a quick trace (and if so which setting) and then fix the flaws, or jsut manually draw it into vector. Right now as it stands, I draw the image in pencil, trace with a sharpie, scan my image and edit it right away in PhotoPaint, deleting the extra lines, adding the others, etc. After the editing, I do a trace bitmap and usually play aorund with the image until it is okay- There are usually a lot of lines and sharp points, etc that are not up to the high standard I want.

I have the Advanced Artist DVD's and watched almost all of the videos, among others, but because of the unique nature of what I am doing, I don't know which way is the best way- what steps should I be doing, where do I look for the best way to make these images clear and error free. I have attached a .jpg file of the before and after editing. I didn't take the usual time to edit the vector image as I usually do, but wanted to give the basic idea.

Please guide me in the direction I need to go. Oh, and in the end, I want to color them to show how they can look colored as an example. What do you recommend I do?