May « 2006 « Outhouse Studios Weblog

Archive for May, 2006

Creating the Right Size Digital Image

Monday, May 15th, 2006

digital painting template changes for different size art prints

Sunset for Andrea – digital painting – 2005

On this particular night the view of the sunset sky was so wide that I felt I needed to fill the length of the paper – making the original digital image fit the length and width perfectly when printed.

This was not the first time I had done this, but this template was different – in the hopes of the digital painting looking complete printed at 13×19".

If the template is too large – too many pixels – some of the intent and image will be concealed until printed larger. If it is too small, it will not be possible to print very large. In fact, I made the template larger right after this piece for that reason.

So getting the right flexibility and versatility in a digital image has been almost as important as the digital painting itself.

I don’t think any image can be printed at any possible size, but it is nice to have many good options.

It is also kind of nice that this piece as well as its template will remain unique – as it was dedicated to the memory of a friend – Andrea Moore.

Inspired by Morning Light

Monday, May 15th, 2006

the problem and thinking behind the artwork

Morning Light – digital painting – 2005 – Dan Beck

I chose this piece today – because it came up when I clicked image roulette. I had not written about this particular piece and I can’t always write about brand new pieces.

This particular digital painting has some really wonderful qualities. It was inspired by the incredible light after sunrise that morning – the slight pinkish glow and crisp air making promises of a wonderful day.

I am particularly happy with the clouds in this piece and the way it feels like it is morning.

Because the view was disturbed by buildings from strip malls and full malls alike – I opted to represent them as these giant slabs of rock. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time although I haven’t done it since.

It must have been summer here in Salinas – everything is so brown.

Abstract Jazz Color

Friday, May 12th, 2006

image searches indicate piece should be featured

Jazz 1 – Digital Painting and Art Prints – 2005 – Dan Beck

People who don’t own a website probably don’t realize that there are statistics available as to what site referred a visitor or what search engine and even what was being searched for.

I have recently noticed a large number of people coming to my site based on one of a number of Google image searches showing this piece.

Unfortunately, Google refers image searchers to the main page of the site and the original article was written in November and not easily found.

So I have done a couple of new pieces along this line All that Jazz and Vertical Jazz – to try to put some kind of music and art connection that is current.

The above piece was the first piece like this I did and I have to say it has stood up well since I created it. I have an an art print of it framed and matted above my piano.

Minimalist Jazz

Thursday, May 11th, 2006

Less abstract vertical jazz landscape in a portrait setting best viewed large

Vertical Jazz – digital painting – Dan Beck -2006

This is a new piece. I created as a possible piece for a show – which may or may not happen. But that is neither here nor there.

Sorry, I just couldn’t resist saying that – it was too much fun.

Anyway, I felt I needed to do an abstract jazz piece with a different orientation – portrait rather than landscape. In my mind, I immediately saw this sax extending down the page.

And I imagined stark – sax, drums – bass maybe, maybe not – reminiscent of Ornette Coleman or perhaps Eric Dolphy.

I created a new template – so that this likely could be enlarged up to 28×36″ comfortably – but definitely look sharp at a 24×30″ size framing.

How many pixels determines how big the piece can go – but also how small. Digital painting and printing options are quite open but not without limitations – there are optimum sizes for all pieces.

Since “Vertical Jazz” is a new piece – you will have to email specialorders@outhousestudios.net to order an original art print.

Teaching Inspiration

Thursday, May 11th, 2006

individual relationships and critical encouragement nurture creativity and self-esteem

Beyond the Mirrored Veil – digital painting – 2005 – Dan Beck

If we are lucky, there is someone in our lives who opens up our eyes, forces us to see, and inspires us to be.

I have actually been lucky to have had more than one good teacher in my life. But I was also lucky to have one particular one – Allen Sutherland.

Last month, my high school teacher died. Though there were other teachers, he impacted my thinking abilities the most. Years after Shortridge High School we took walks together – sharing our understandings of the world and life.

I always felt I had an individual and special relationship with him. But the wonderful thing is, I happen to know he made many if not most of his students feel special and unique.

When I first knew Allen, I was not playing music or doing artwork. When I started again after that hiatus, most people thought I was barking up the wrong tree – I was a top student and a talented tennis player – how could I be an artist or musician?But Allen always took me seriously – respected my thoughts, respected my feelings. I hope I can carry out that attitude even half as well.

For it is this attitude which nurtures creativity and makes for a better world.

Thank you, Allen.

Digital Art Prints

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

digital image size and art prints results – specific to piece

Day Scene – digital painting and art prints – 2006 – Dan Beck

Yesterday’s article discussed tackling of similar problems in new ways and the general creation of this piece above.

Today, I hope to talk about it from a different angle. But like the previous article, I will be looking to take on a topic I have touched on before.

The art prints from this digital painting are special in several ways:

they fill the 13×19" sheet of watercolor paper – leaving a very tiny margin of white
they look complete at the 13×19" size, but also look enhanced when printed larger
they are printed with archival pigment inks and will last for generations
each print is an original – as it is not practical to frame the digital image
each print has color, depth, and texture which surpasses the digital image.

If you have interest in this piece or any others on the blogsite, please email specialorders@outhousestudios.net and indicate the artwork of interest. Thanks.

Creativity: Window to Seeing Ourselves

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

still enjoying own music and creative capacity to see

dansingnew art – digital painting – 2005 – Dan Beck

I write today about seeing oneself. I have felt that a lot of our mission as humans is to be the eyes and ears for our self and each other.

We have the rare gift of being not only conscious of ourselves, but also able to appreciate and critique ourselves.

The above piece, which is actually a self-portrait (well- couple portrait), is available only as the cover of my most recent CD – 1danband|dansingnew. Five months after completing it, I am still able to enjoy it every bit as much as when I first completed the recording.

One of the things that is so wonderful about creating – is that it gives us a chance to see ourselves in a way we could never otherwise – and for those looking at that creativity, it is a window into the part of the person we seldom get to see.

I am shocked and sometimes even embarrassed by how much I can appreciate my own creativity, but I have little doubt I am not the only person with this capacity.

Jazz 3: Art Printing

Tuesday, May 9th, 2006

Art prints improve upon digital image – experimentation improves even more

Jazz 3 – digital painting and art prints – 2005 – Dan Beck

I just printed this piece today. I had printed it once, but for some reason not large – 13×19″ watercolor paper. I printed it today because I was considering hanging it in a show with some other pieces which reference jazz.

I have already written more extensively on what went into the creation of this piece, but I did not talk about the printing.

Today, I find this art print to be surprisingly nice. I am printing a little differently than I was at the time of painting this piece. I have found that if I save the image as a photoshop document instead of a bitmap(bmp), I get richer results – tiff files tend to be too crisp and take away from the painting and jpg’s are compressed by their nature.

I have experimented a lot with this medium and I am really proud of the printed results I have been able to achieve – results which are always much better than the monitor image.

Painting the Scene a New Day

Tuesday, May 9th, 2006

Tackling same problem, interpreting the world differently

Day Scene – digital painting – 2006 – Dan Beck

I think I was just saying how I always want to do something new. Tackling the same problem, but solving it in a new way is what I think the creative process is about.

There are many solutions and many paths and the viewpoint from being creative is taking the different paths – savoring the trip – and interpreting the world a new way each time and as a result of the journey.

The road I live on is winding. There are hills with fields, in front of hills with fields – and down to the right most recently was a crew harvesting strawberries – slowly, painstakingly, harvesting – I know this not because I saw it, but because it has been so wet.

After the fields have been harvested, there is a sea of fruit in between the rows. When you drive by fast, their work does not appear tedious, if it even appears at all.

Digital Painting the Hill Mountains

Monday, May 8th, 2006

capturing the feeling of a fogged in day through abstract references

Hill Mountains – digital painting -> art prints – Dan Beck – 2003

I remember when I did this piece, I was quite pleased with the results. I set out to do nothing, but found myself painting the characteristic mountain and hill shapes anyway.

The title comes from the fact that the mountains are small here and sometimes they look like extremely large hills. It doesn’t matter where one draws the line really.

But the above piece is kind of whimsical. It doesn’t really settle in on anything – but it does seem to capture the line between mountain and hill and probably between mountain and sea.

The piece was supposed to abstractly represent the terrain around here: hills, mountains, ocean, and sky without depicting any particular scene.

I do think it feels like a fogged in day on the Central Coast, but different enough to be worth getting lost in.

Outhouse Studios Weblog

Archive for May, 2006

Creating the Right Size Digital Image

digital painting template changes for different size art prints

See Also

Inspired by Morning Light

the problem and thinking behind the artwork

See Also

Abstract Jazz Color

image searches indicate piece should be featured

See Also

Minimalist Jazz

Less abstract vertical jazz landscape in a portrait setting best viewed large

See Also

Teaching Inspiration

individual relationships and critical encouragement nurture creativity and self-esteem

See Also

Digital Art Prints

digital image size and art prints results – specific to piece

See Also

Creativity: Window to Seeing Ourselves

still enjoying own music and creative capacity to see

See Also

Jazz 3: Art Printing

Art prints improve upon digital image – experimentation improves even more

See Also

Painting the Scene a New Day

Tackling same problem, interpreting the world differently

See Also

Digital Painting the Hill Mountains

capturing the feeling of a fogged in day through abstract references

See Also

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