Friday, January 24, 2014

tablagraphic

I see you. Hey I've been pressed to give every picture some kind of title. After a while you resort to #5 sunny day. I have been pressed also to define just what is digital art. OK, now any art done on or with the aid of a computer can be digital art. The lines between disciplines can blur real easy. Like photography, dark rooms and chemicals are for the craftsman artist, the rest use Photoshop. Popular photography, the photography with webcams, iPhones, small digital cameras and other gadgets used by not so serious picture takers is very hot. We all got cams, but taking the artistic picture requires some effort or at least some awareness.

What I have discovered is that artistic pictures do not need top shelf equipment unless you want to. What am I bantering about? The little picture above was taken with my webcam on my tablet. This along with apps with artistic filters. The secret is that photographers usually have a fetish for realism. They may use the filters to enhance a picture but stay away from whole hog usage. This is great for me, I have no such fetish, filters are a cool way to make a nothing photo say something more. Like a picture in a book to assist the story being told, it doesn't take away the imagination, setting the mood or mooding the setting.

The tablet apps are quick and easy. The same effects on the computer via paint/photo programs are complicated with levers and switches. Be sure to write down your settings, you'll never remember what you did.

There was a prof at Cleveland Institute of Art, who said in their school bulletin the computer was the tool to bring together many media. This is true. Now add to this a printer output or a video display screen and you have digital art. We could go further but that's enough for now. The tablet in it's simple way does a lot to let digital art happen. Which brings up another point. Sometimes simple things force the creative juices to flow through trial/discovery, accidents, etc. Come on it's a mind game, this is why composition is so important. Composition will make you look to read the picture. Reading you will see the story. Old school no, the basics yes.