Select, purchase and download a graphics art program with your computer. Common advanced art programs include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Quark Xpress. Meanwhile, programs like Microsoft Paint require little to no experience to be able to use, but also have far fewer capabilities than advanced art software.
Open an art program that is capable of creating the type of art that you will be designing. Use Adobe Photoshop to create photos with text or overlays of other photos. Access Adobe Illustrator to create line drawings and shapes, similar to the act of drawing. Open Microsoft Paint, or another basic program, to simply create colors and textures by themselves or combined with text or imported photos.
Use the tools within the program to create a visually appealing piece of artwork. This could range from a computer-generated painting to a post card or wall hanging generated using Adobe Photoshop. Refer to the instruction manual that comes with the purchase of more advanced graphic-arts software to take full advantage of the software's abilities to create new colors, blend lines and create artistic effects, just as you would with standard art media.
Download the piece of art that you would like to enhance if it is already available on the computer, or scan it into electronic format using a flat scanner. Open the scanned image using the graphic arts software of your choice.
Enhance photos in Adobe Photoshop, or the photo-editing software of your choice, by cropping them to size, adjusting the brightness to mimic natural lighting effects, or adding borders to the image. Improve the appearance of subjects in the photo by using color-correcting tools to remove blemishes or adjust the brightness of their faces. Use the tools within the program to enhance the original picture and create the look that you find most desirable.
Open other pieces of scanned art, including paintings or drawings, in an application-specific graphics-art program. Enhance the piece by adjusting the colors, adding elements such as text or additional graphics, or removing any blemishes on the scanned image like discolorations or scratches.
Print the finished artwork using a high-quality color printer loaded with paper appropriate for the specific type of art. Watercolor paper may be used for art reminiscent of watercolor work, while photo paper should be used for enhanced pictures. Use an online, mail-order printing service for large projects or special printing surfaces such as canvas.