Thanks to everyone for their kind words and thanks for the helpful criticism too, really improved my work. Criticism, taken properly is one of the best learning tools, so thanks GeoBen.

Figuring out how to do effects is the fun of Xara, it is problem solving. The other is honing observational skill and not staying static, finding what is challenging to yourself and setting one's self to master a technique. Once you know what your tools are, you just have to find which tool can be used to make the effect you need or used in combination to make the effects come alive. If you have a "Happy Accident" note what happened so you can reproduce it when you need to do it again.

I used to work big, thinking I had to for print, but now have found the advantage in working small in order to save memory and enhance Xara's performance. If I want to print the work, I can resize later, it is all vectors so I can output whatever size I want.

What limits us is we say, "It is beyond my skill level." This was when I started. But am amazed at what I've done because I tried it anyway. Working on another drawing I was sure was beyond my skill level. Don't worry about it, just draw the next thing I see and leave anxiety behind, just do the next step as I get there.

We look at each other's work and say "Isn't it great what Valery is doing." or what Molucca is doing or Grafixman or Egg or Gary, and I say to myself, I can't do what they do. And don't try. Great pick apart drawings, and yet so often I don't spend the time to say: "I'm going to do that. At least I can learn from it."

The only problem is not trying. Not trying is what wastes my time, not trying until I succeed.

We have each one of us, one life of which we are sure of, any other is speculation. Not knocking faith, but that's why it is faith, no one is entirely sure. Be what for what you can be, do what you can do. Challenge yourself. Find a drawing buddy and chat outside of the forum and you will conquer the learning plateau each of us reach.

Don't do everything the same as you did. It is a new day, start fresh and see a new world and draw in a new technique.