3/2 Reflection on Digital Painting

-
Digital painting seems to me to be a sketching tool for painting or drawing with concrete materials later on. The digital interface allows mistakes to be impermanent. You aren't wasting expensive paint or charcoal when layering, or worrying that you don't have the right colors- they're all there for you to use. There's also no waiting time for materials to set or dry. Someone with little to no art experience could create anything they want because there's not much to get used to- the material isn't fickle. It won't warp, dry cracked, run because of water damage, or become muddy unexpectedly. Every interaction is the same- despite different "kinds" of "brushes". I can layer with thin opacities quickly- quick being the operative word. The problem with digitalized painting and drawing is that I can do everything immediately. I don't have time to think and just look while my painting is drying- it's there for me to do whatever I want whenever I desire. I would have to look at the "painting" on an interface where photoshop wasn't in order to keep myself from constantly editing. Yes, I can step backwards and undo what I've done- but that forced amount of time while I'm waiting for the material to be forgiving again has been removed. I now have to force myself to wait and reflect, observe, in order to make thoughtful decisions. 
Another issue is unless you've mastered digital painting- and even if you have- the painting is never going to have the same quality as if you had done it by hand. The layered paint changes the colors, but you can't see the labor, or the thick creamy paint stacked on top of each other. Real texture isn't there- nor is it's interaction with lighting in a room. If you felt the painting printed out, it would be flat and smooth- quite disappointing and unsatisfying. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7/2 Reflection on Sound

-
There is a large variety of sounds in my life, from the noises of the courtyard of my building when the window is open, to the meowing and purring of my cat, to the television, people talking outside, the bangs as I walk up and down the stairs, subway trains grating and whooshing, music I put on, and my own breathing. I have a high sensitivity to noises, especially when I'm trying to sleep. Some sounds are a pleasant background hum, others make me cringe. Daily sounds that make my skin crawl: gum chewing, chewing of food during lectures, snoring, nail picking/biting, tapping, and scratching. I love hearing my cat greet me when I come through the door because it's a wonderful sound. I know that she needs me and I'm not alone.  Sounds in the arts that I love are melodies coming from a saxophone, clarinet, cello, or trumpet. Jazz music, real jazz music, and that big band sound- those are the best sounds to flow into my ears. The music is playful, deep, subdued, and relaxing....
Read more

4/1 Creative Assignment Part 1: Ideas

-
Image
First Idea: I think my image has the potential to be part of a horror movie because of the dark lighting with a spotlight. I am interested in making a creepy gif in which I take the viewer down a dark tunnel and into the light, like a suspenseful movie. It will feature musty hallways, creepy stairwells, and a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not sure how well it will cross fade as this isn't a continuous shot of images from the same place. Second Idea: I'd like to present a series of spotlight images on mundane objects. I think the focus should be close enough that you can't necessarily tell what each object is. The low light part of the images will have subtle outlines and the spotlight part will feature a lot of texture and bright color. I'm hoping that these images, together, will force the viewer to notice light patterns they wouldn't necessarily examine on a daily basis.
Read more

4/2 Creative Assignment Part 2: Creepy Gif

-
Image
I decided to make the creepy down a dark hall gif. My friends rejected my second idea because it had no drama involved and it was difficult to understand the objective for the lay person. My gif idea is much more straightforward and helps transport the viewer to a new place. It also creates suspense in an exciting way. The flow of the gif is stilted as I anticipated. Each frame doesn't fade into the next well because these images are not taken in one continuous shot in the same place. They are an amalgam of images I found on google when I searched "scary basement hallway" and "light at the end of the tunnel". I think the slight delay between each image, while awkward, gives the gif a cinematic quality- almost like a dramatic sound effect (attached below), only with images. It is meant to get the viewer's heart racing.
Read more