Archive for October, 2006
Tuesday, October 17th, 2006
Technique, Language are vehicles – Intent is from Within
Fifth-Focus – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 1998
This is the fifth digital painting I created on the computer. I couldn’t control the mouse very well. I couldn’t control the opacity of the color or the palette for that matter.
Whatever I could grab that was already in the computer program – that is what I used.
It is both remarkable how much I have learned since then and also in some ways how little it matters.
When I finished this piece, I thought it was quite cool – I would have never dreamed of anything like that with conventional painting. But with this program this vibrant abstract somewhat three dimensional piece came to life.
No matter how big your vocabulary, you still have to say something with it.
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Tags: Art, color, painting, prints
Posted in Promoting the Creative World | No Comments »
Monday, October 16th, 2006
abstract world viewed close -mountains from a distance
Madras Mountains – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2004
We are both at a slight disadvantage with this piece. This is intended to be quite large – large enough to be on a large wall and viewed from a distance and large enough to be able to see the abstract and pleasing art style up close.
I have the advantage of having seen sections while painting it and even seeing a print with a 12.5 x 16 inch image.
However, I have not printed this large – I have deferred to other pieces which are also more interesting small – figuring they are better pieces.
But I know this to be quite cool – and perhaps someday I will get the opportunity to place the piece in a setting which will do it justice and allow for the size print it warrants.
See Also
- Madras Mountains
See what a big original art print would cost – for the giant wall aching for some Madras Mountains
- Understanding Abstract Art
Sometimes artist does a good job at explaining abstract art – good selection of pieces to illustrate – his own work is generally about feeling – color – texture -and no or little form
Tags: Art, color, mountains, painting, prints, texture
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Monday, October 16th, 2006
Impression of scene accurate – piece falls a little short
Shades of East Boronda – digital painting – Dan Beck
Creating art is a lot of times about solving a problem. What I saw was a crazy incline of dirt and as a result – nothing behind it except the Gabilan mountains.
I saw it as a glance – quickly while driving but it was a rather profound image at the time.
Having said that – I don’t think this is one my better pieces. It achieved exactly what I set out to do – but turns out in my eye to not have been enough.
Despite that I like the feeling of the mountains and the feeling of the dirt – even the composition is ok – balanced but not too symmetrical. And of course, the art prints are also better than the digital painting.
I see art as a metaphor for life – I am not alone in this – I did what I set out to do – perhaps this is akin to "being careful what you wish for".
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Tags: Art, composition, mountains, painting, prints
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Friday, October 13th, 2006
enhancing feeling of seasonal sunset
Glowing Sky – digital painting -> Art prints – Dan Beck 2004
I have always loved this digital painting. It is one I really felt like I had hooked right after it was done. My impression was my impression.
The gradient colored sky with the intense pink clouds – it gets that way here – at sunset – right about this time of year. And though the translucency in the mountains is my thing, it enhances the feeling rather than altering it.
We actually just stepped into sunset season – if there is such a thing – not that that is something one hears about – but here in the Salinas Valley – not only is the weather the best in the Autumn and early winter – so are the sunsets.
Fall is a great time of year everywhere I have lived – but sunset time – I don’t recall.
I have shown this digital painting in a couple of shows – 24 x30" matted frame – it makes truly beautiful art prints – with or without my bias.
See Also
- Glowing Sky
gallery page – enlargement/details and availability of art prints and purchasing options for Glowing Sky
- Photos of Sunset
Though this strikes me as someone’s journal – there are some striking sunsets photographed – and I think not that far from here
- VectorPoint Photography
sunrise/sunset photos from area photographer
Tags: Art, color, mountains, painting, prints, Salinas Valley
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Thursday, October 12th, 2006
experience of the mouse is mightier than the pad
Color Pick – digital pen painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006
This is my second attempt at using at pen pad for digital painting. The colored sweat shirted pickers I had seen earlier in the day – and I thought I would take on the harder challenge.
I feel very uncoordinated using the new tool – compare:
Harvest Depth – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006
I actually like some of the looseness of the top piece, but the bottom is fluid and controlled - technically superior.
Who knows what the future holds – I may learn to like the graphics tablet more … or less.
If you are interested in art prints from either of these digital paintings or any others that are on the blogsite, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
See Also
Tags: Art, color, painting, prints, strawberry
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Thursday, October 12th, 2006
First attempt reminiscent – openness part of creativity
Pen 1 – digital painting 1st try with pen pad
This is more like a fabric than a painting – process than finished piece. I was offered a graphics tablet at about a third of its normal cost and as much as I’ve been proud of using a mouse for my art all this time, I thought I should try it.
What is fascinating to me, is that I am every bit as uncoordinated with the pen pad as I was when I first started painting with a mouse – laughing – thinking – no one could paint with one of these.
I continued because I liked the results.
Whether the graphics tablet becomes my friend or not isn’t the issue – but it is noteworthy that part of being creative is not to close oneself off to things which are new.
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Tags: Art, creativity, painting
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2006
three different endings reveal a quandary and open an opportunity
Fennel Field & Sky – 1 digital painting, 3 endings, Triptych
Having already written on these three pieces, this is in some ways redundant – but not really.
This is very exciting to me – every artist always struggles with when to call a piece finished. When I reached the first stage, I knew I liked the piece as is.
But I wanted to continue working on it. I knew there was more to my vision. more to my impression, and more to be said. But it was also done.
The second piece has depth and texture and detail that is also exciting to look at – but it has necessarily lost the strong contrast of color.
The third piece goes on from there – capturing more of the original scene – truer to the experience – truer to the original intent – but not necessarily a better finished painting than the other two.
Perhaps their art prints should be displayed in sequence as some sort of triptych – and commentary on when to call it done.
See Also
Tags: Art, color, fields, painting, prints, texture
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Wednesday, October 11th, 2006
more original impression – poles, harvest, and light
Fennel Field & Sky 2 – digital painting / art prints – DB 2006
Above is the final version of this digital painting. The first two should be below. This is more of the scene that I saw the morning that inspired me to do the piece.
I was never sure I wanted to include the fennel harvest, but it was pretty cool that morning. It looked like bulbs were flying everywhere – a fennel frenzy if you will – licorice in the air.
I also tinted the whole piece to give it more of the morning light feeling and to make sure it was different enough. I have been leaning towards keeping the colors brighter these days.
But the tinting does pull the whole piece together in a way that is quite profound. And the telephone poles look like the field was planted right up to them – a wonderful bit of perception.
If you are interested in availability of art prints of this or any other digital paintings on the blogsite, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
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Tags: Art, color, painting, prints
Posted in Art Prints | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
same and different painting – both can be shared
Fennel Field & Sky 1 – digital painting / art prints – DB 2006
This is both the same and a different painting from what can be found below.
This piece is more developed – the mountains have a distinct shape and some depth – the fennel field has more of its distinct texture – and the sky is more the way it looked that morning – with a crazy shimmering and shifting quality.
I am quite intrigued with this multiple pieces along the way approach – I don’t think it will work in a lot of cases – but here I have distinctly different finished stages which I can share independently or together.
For availability of art prints for this digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
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Tags: Art, mountains, painting, prints, texture
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Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
saving early stage of digital painting as complete
Fennel Field & Sky – digital painting / art prints – DB 2006
This is a fun piece for me – because I decided to create 3 pieces out of one. I stopped at the above place and saved it – because I knew I really liked it where it was.
As the artist creating the piece, I was neither done painting or done trying to create my original vision or intent.
What a great thing to be able to save a piece but continue taking it somewhere else. I like the idea of different stages of calling something done.
As an art print, I find myself particularly drawn to the undulated field of fennel and the equally worked sky and mountains – very pleasing with the blue, purple, and green.
If interested in art prints or availability for this digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
See Also
- Longfield
an earlier work which is reminisent of this piece and nice in its own right – please view enlargement for texture
- Digital Art
artist comments on when it is done – in collage section – different methods of course – but interesting to understand some of his process
Tags: Art, mountains, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Art Prints | No Comments »
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