Isn't your goal the same as your alternate reality option ?
My brother has a degree in illustration; basically there's a piece of paper out there that justifies your ability to draw on a piece of paper. His gf dropped out of a computer animootion program to get the same piece of paper.
You should get that piece of paper. Then you can give other people (ahem me) that piece of paper with their names on it.
I should learn how to do line art on photoshop. Maybe I can ask my brother for a tut.