It is true that not every Web designer is an artist. Not everyone can draw; in fact, many Web-site designers can’t draw a straight or curved line. Now the question is how can you produce a professional Web site without being an artist? Below are several solutions to trick it for the non artist Web designer.

Using Stock Photos
If you’re not a whiz at photography, don’t worry. Many photographic resources are just waiting for you to come to them! Using stock photos is an excellent way to provide images for your Web site. Whether you need an illustration of particular topics or just some decoration, stock photography can provide color and look at a reasonable price.

Stock photographs are available on nearly any subject, in a wide variety of media. You can purchase stock photos in a number of formats, such as:
1. CD-ROM image collections
2. Individual images downloaded from the Web
3. Slides
4. Individual high-resolution scans on digital media of your choice

For Web use, you typically won’t need high-resolution images, as your Web output is likely to be at 72ppi. Getting individual stock photos from the Web or as a part of a topical-collection CD is likely to be the Web designer’s most cost effective way to purchase images.

Using Clipart
Clipart is another must-have resource for Web designers, artists, and nonartists alike. Although they won’t always confess to it, most graphic designers keep a collection of clipart catalogs and clipart CDROMs for use in their own designs or in idea files. Whereas clipart can have a “same old, same old” sort of look to it, plenty of creative methods can make clipart fresh in your designs.

Clipart usually comes on CD-ROM in either raster or vector format. (Vector format is the most common.) Vector clipart lends itself to customization by the user. The clipart can be modified by changing its color, removing elements from the image, adding other clipart elements, or by processing the image (in a raster-image editor such as Photoshop) with various filters.