Part TWO!
2. Scan and convert the drawing...
I scan most pictures at 300 dpi, which works just fine. Any smaller and you may lose detail when you convert to vectors. Much bigger is just overkill. After you scan your picture, save it as a TIF file, then open it with Streamline or the vector convertor of your choice. I find that the default settings for Streamline work perfectly with black ink and the whitest of cheap computer paper, but otherwise you can noodle with the threshold settings for fine tuning (under Options>Color/B&W Setup). For instance, if you inked over pencil, set the threshold a little higher to knock the pencil marks out.
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Once you hit convert (ctrl+r in Streamline), you will see all of the paths that the program has created:
Use the lasso tool to select the image, then copy (ctrl+c). At this point, open up a new Flash file and paste that sucker (ctrl+v)! You will be amazed at how crisp and clear your drawing looks, unless you did it incorrectly (in which case you will be deeply ashamed).
What you have pasted is grouped together, and before you can edit it you will need to select all and "Break Apart" (ctrl+b) until you can break no further. It should look like this, ultimately, when selected:
You are doing excellently! I think you are ready to color!
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This is the official site of illustrator/designer/artist Vin Rowe, aka Vincent Rowe.