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Q: What inspired you to become a professional digital artist?I have been a traditional artist all my life. As a child, I used pencil and paper. As an adult, I explored other mediums such as oil, chalk, and watercolor. When I became a photographer, I was introduced to Photoshop and realized what a great medium it was for painting.Q: How has your work evolved over the years?I have been creating digital art for over 15 years. When I first attempted to paint in Photoshop, it was not very painter-friendly, and I had to work with the tools that were available. My first painting was a black-and-white piece created with the smudge tool. It took several years and the demand from more artists before Adobe introduced the Mixer Brush, which was the tool I had been waiting for. After the Mixer Brush was added, my painting and teaching became much easier and more efficient.Q: Can you briefly describe your process for creating a digital painting from a photograph?The first step in creating a digital painting is to decide whether you want to paint a single portrait or create a composite from several images. Retouching is unnecessary since you will be painting over the image. The painting should be sized at no smaller than 8x10 inches at 300 dpi. Start by making a copy of the original photograph to paint on, keeping the original as your negative. As you paint, you will create layers to work on different parts of the subject.Q: What are your favorite tools in Photoshop for digital painting?I love all the tools in Photoshop, but the real game changer is the Mixer Brush. I use it differently than Adobe intended, primarily for mixing rather than painting. Students find it helpful to use one brush for mixing and another for painting. The smudge tool is also highly valuable as a detail mixer, despite being one of the least used tools. My main tools are the regular brush, the Mixer Brush, and the smudge tool.Q: What motivated you to start teaching Photoshop paint classes?I was enjoying painting with Photoshop and decided to enter one of my paintings in the Professional Photographers Association%u2019s national yearly competition. The image scored very high and generated much discussion. A sales rep from a print company asked if they could sponsor me for teaching. I told him I didn%u2019t teach, but he informed me that I would be as soon as people saw the image and wanted to know how it was created. After that image was viewed, people asked me to teach them how it was done. From there, I have taught in many states and in the Bahamas for over 15 years, teaching countless people how to turn their images into art pieces. One of my regrets is not keeping track of the number of people I have taught. During the COVID year, I taught 300 people in a Zoom class.Q: What tips do you have for beginners looking to improve their digital painting skills?One thing I always tell my students is that if they don%u2019t practice what they have learned, they will forget much of it. Find an artist whose work you admire and take classes from them.Q: How do you approach enhancing and retouching photos using Photoshop?I retouch all images using my painting skills. I teach my students that it is not necessary to clone; painting can be used in all areas of retouching while maintaining the photographic look.Q: What common mistakes do you see students make when learning digital painting, and how do you help them overcome these?A common mistake in digital painting is the fear of failure. I tell my students to remember when they were children and brought a coloring book page home that their parent put on the refrigerator. Then one day, someone told them it was not pretty, their feelings were hurt, and they quit coloring. We actually work on overcoming this in my classes. No one gets left behind. By the end of our class, everyone is helping each other to feel better about their work.Exclusive Interview 62 MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 48