Digital studies

Since I posted about computer art programs last fall, I've continued experimenting with digital painting and drawing, sometimes making original images and sometimes using the digital format as a supplement to real world painting. Digital images can be altered indefinitely, so you can scan a drawing or painted sketch and then use one or another computer program to change the digital copy indefinitely without worrying about the original. Then you can use the experience to complete the existing painting.

Digital persimmons (study), 2015

 These digital persimmons were  "painted" using Sketchbook Pro and an online image of an oil painting by another artist. The image was a striking one and I simply wanted to explore a similar, very warm palette. This quick study probably occupied less than an hour's time but could easily be used to construct an actual oil or acrylic painting.

Washington Square Arch, sunet (study), 2016

The study to the right is also based on an online image that I grabbed to use as my primary source, although it is much modified with figures, etc. In this case I used digital imaging as a way to decide whether or not to pursue an actual oil painting. Using an image of Washington Square Arch and the park beyond, I made this study to see how the proposed composition would look using a narrow gamut of two complementary colors. I drew the image using several values of violet for darks and yellow for the highest. This is another way I sometimes use digital programs.

Night Street, 2015

Sometimes I start and finish a work digitally. Here is an original digtal "painting" of the view from my studio window at 6 am, most winter mornings. This was created (as were all of these) using Sketchbook Pro, which I've found fits me best of the computer programs I've been trying out.

Digital images like this don't sell, of course, because in a very real way they are more ephemeral than handbills. You can print one of these onto a good support using top-quality archival inks (and there are machines that can convert it to oil paint, too) but digitally created images are a tough sell, I'm told. 











Computer Art Programs