Technology allows for some very interesting possibilities in visual art. Artificial realism is possible, as are many ways to be abstract. I have divided my efforts in this medium between making abstract compositions and making images that attempt to fool the eye. Working in realism is helpful in improving my technical skills using the various softwares.
Working on an abstract piece is often more interesting and fun to me, but at the same time, more daunting because I feel there are many, many more directions in which the piece could go in.

Color choice and manipulation are extremely important to me. A way to easily and quickly strip any realism from an image is to change its color. Also important is that the image feels organic and not sterile. It is easy to let a computer generated or manipulated image look like something spat out by a machine. I found that using scans and photographs of my drawings was a great way to add a more human touch, and was extremely inspiring to work with.