Mainly I use colored pencils, layered over a pen-and-ink "skeleton" drawing. In some cases I stick with pen-and-ink, or mix ink with graphite shading for more subtle black-and-white shading. Occaisionally I add a layer of acrylic paint, if I think the lighter parts of a picture need to be brightened signifigantly.
I never use airbrushes, digital effects, or any other technological shortcuts. There's nothing wrong with those methods, but I prefer the older ways. Even all of the text in my graphic novels is rendered by hand.
I primarily stick with imagery that moves me emotionally. Sometimes the emotions feuling my work are intense: love, pain, grief, and rage. Sometimes they are more light-hearted. I love to laugh, and humor is an element in much of my work. I delight in absurdity, random juxtapositions, and in pointing out the folly in much of the status quo.
Why do I choose the specific images that I do? That is rarely a deliberate, conscious process. Normally, a feeling will occur to me embodied in a torrent of imagery, and I simply try to convey some of what I'm seeing in my heart. I never know whether the images that move me will affect others in the same manner, but I hope that by rendering them faithfully, I am creating a transmission of the soul that will be felt and unpacked by a kindred spirit viewing my work in the future... I'm making emotional time capsules.
Of course, some of the details, usually the supporting, rather than the primary imagery, are deliberately chosen. I frequently insert hidden pictures or encoded messages into my art just for fun. I want to reward and entertain the people who have the patience to really study my work. Chances are, there are also intuitive messages in there of which I am not even aware. It's a partnership between my mind and the Muses. The Muses are wiser.
Yes. Yes, and Yes again. What is more, lots of people use magic even if they aren't aware that they are doing it. "Magic" is simply the act of causing change in the world, or of obtaining information, without using ordinary means. This is possible because "reality" is a maleable web of energy, and all of us are part of that energy. By affecting ourselves, we inevitably affect the world. In this way, what we believe, especially about ourselves, tends to come true, again and again. Want to change your life? Learn to believe differently about yourself, open yourself to new possibilities, and watch the miracles rain down. Best of luck, and Blessed Be! --NS