Sarablease’s Weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblogWorld Changing Website
Hey everyone, I was not sure what to tackle with the “world changing” project. Rather than dive right into a topic, I decided to look at some of my artwork from other studios to see if I could get inspired. I actually found a piece that I am working on right now in Lithography that spurred thoughts about an animal rescue website. The image is of a bulldog with a slight sadness on his face. I think that a website about animal rescue or animal adoption would be world changing because of the effect animals have on people. When animals become pets, they become members of a family – possibly your family. The companionship is what I think is world changing. Maybe not world changing in a big respect, but something that changes your world. Anyways, after researching some animal rescue adoption websites, I found that many of them use bad colors and typography – they kind of look thrown together. I have not started sketching out any plans yet, but I would love to hear your suggestions! Thanks,Sara
Becoming a Digital Designer: chapter twelve // illustration
In a broad sense, illustration encompasses all processes that produce marks, signs, and images on a surface. However, the computer is another tool that can, to a degree, mimic traditional methods of illustration. Digital illustrators have a tendency to be strongly associated with only the computer; however, to the majority of digital illustrators, the computer is a mere finishing tool for projects that are rooted in sketches.
Viktor Koen, a digital illustrator from NYC, started out his education as a traditional painter. Eventually he was introduced to Photoshop and realized how his painting technique could be transcribed with ease. The potentials of this digital medium worked greatly to Koen’s advantage. Koen states that his transition to the computer was smooth and exciting, even though the process was long and slow. Koen was impressed with how expressive he could be using digital elements. He believes that the computer is not cold and calculating, but rather a device that brings all aspects of his work together in one cohesive unit. Much of Koen’s research material comes from photographs that he takes himself. Koen admits that he quite often takes pictures of random objects and shoots them from several different angles. Through the different angles Koen explores colors, textures, and detailed parts of an object. Koen takes these photos and breaks them down to their most basic elements and then recreates them, essentially giving them a new life. One thing that makes Koen’s work separate from other digital illustrators is his state of mind. Koen combines his imagining process (which may or may not be digital) and his mental process to create works that are only his. This is a combination that drives many artists to create very personal works which are hard to imitate. Koen strives to deliver a message with his work and the computer is the best tool for this. By being able to use this tool efficiently, Koen can concentrate on the strength of the message rather than the means by which he will convey it. Even though Koen believes that the computer is a great device, he stresses the importance of drawing and being able to understand composition, shape, and positive and negative space. Learning and understanding these basic concepts often come in handy.
Ray Bartkus is another illustrator from NYC who switched from painting to digital art. His method is a very important part of his artwork. First, Bartkus begins by deciding on an idea that he would like to pursue and then usually follows up by doing some research. Bartkus also likes to take pictures of different poses for reference material. By using a digital camera he can alter the photos directly on the computer. Bartkus says he prefers the easiest and most direct way to engage his audience. While he has always been drawn to realistic details, he likes the idea of easy impact which is direct and objective. Digital media helps Bartkus convey what he wants to say. Often times Bartkus can already visualize what the final product will look like. He says that the medium he uses is just a way of getting there. Bartkus still likes to experiment with different kinds of mediums because they give his pieces an unexpected flare. Whatever Bartkus chooses to create, his style is always changing. Some art directors may find this as a disadvantage because he may not produce what they have in mind. However, I think that it is impressive that he does not conform to one style. I believe that it shows versatility and above all creativeness. He would rather explore new concepts and domains of art, than achieve perfection through repetitiveness. Bartkus hopes that the media he is working with now progresses even farther in the future.
Many artists don’t seem to welcome change as openly as Bartkus. Some artists become way too obsessed with creating perfection. It is quite clear that with constant repetitiveness inherently comes perfection. Although I believe that if you become over obsessed with perfection, your piece could loose its concept and even its creativeness. Don’t get me wrong, pristine pieces of art can be beautiful; however, sometimes the imperfections are what make the piece interesting. If they don’t make the piece interesting, then we learn from them!
Whether we are creating a stunning painting or a digital illustration, it is important that we keep in mind some of the things discussed earlier within this article – don’t forget the basics, try to willingly except change, and remember that we are constantly learning from our mistakes!
