Heather Wayne's Retrospective

Armed with my pencil, sketchbook and the skills I had honed in my rigorous drawing classes, I entered the Paladin office this fall for my first issue, glowing with the naive confidence of the utter neophyte. Less than five minutes later-thumbing frantically through my copy of "Photoshop for Dummies" in an attempt to unearth life's greatest mysteries (such as how to resize an object)-I realized taking on the job of graphics editor may have been a grave and ultimately fatal mistake. Several hours and frustrated exclamations later, I had finished my first cartoon. I staggered back to my apartment and went unceremoniously to sleep, dreading the inevitable pain of the following production week.

To my shock and relief, the next issues came much more easily. Eventually, the process of manually creating my drawings and adjusting them on the computer became intuitive and-dare I say it-fun. Interminable Tuesday nights and the subsequent computer-induced headaches aside, life at The Paladin has been amazing. Besides the opportunity to learn Photoshop and sharpen my drawing skills, I have also been able to work with an enthusiastic editorial staff that never ceases to encourage my creative efforts. Few things are more gratifying than seeing the reaction to my manifestation of one of their cartoon ideas. Everyone at The Paladin has been wonderful to collaborate with, and those who are graduating or retiring will be missed next year.
For next fall term, I pass along the torch-and "Photoshop for Dummies"-to my sister Danielle, with the hopes that by the time I return in the winter, she will have had just as much fun, and perhaps a few less headaches.