Archive for the ‘Digital Paintings’ Category
Wednesday, March 7th, 2007
symbols underneath and choosing one’s ending
Symbolic Language 2 – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
So this piece like its predecessor is an abstract work built upon some mystical symbols found by opening a computer cache in a program that didn’t deciper it correctly – at least I think.
But I really liked the symbols and I copied and pasted them into a painting document – with having some fun in mind. Above is where this particular piece was first finished – I had an afterthought to add some texture – which I did – something one couldn’t do with oil painting for instance.
It almost feels unfair to prefer the first finished version above – if it were another medium I would have had no choice. But different rules apply to digital painting and its art prints – and though I think it incredibly important to maintain some limits – this is not one I’ve agreed to.
See Also
- Jazz 3 – kind of reminds me of this digital painting though I arrived at it quite differently
- DaniDraws.com » The Ten Commandments of Digital Painting – I found this pretty amusing – needless to say I don’t agree with it all – resolution in the program I work is only 72 dpi – I have had no difficulty printing large – but had many objections from people with similar understanding. And tablets are more difficult for me since I started using a mouse – though normal drawing is still more natural.
- Amateur Illustrator : Illustration Community – I wasn’t sure at first about this article – but I did find the progression of how this artist works rather interesting – perhaps you will too
Tags: Art, painting, prints, texture
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Tuesday, March 6th, 2007
expression leads to copy commonality
Symbolic Language 3 – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
Here lies the rub, and by this I don’t mean a rubbing ’cause these I think are cool. Despite being a tracing, (see yesterday’s article) or a copy – rubbings can be lots of fun like digital paintings.
So the issue here is more a quest for when the piece should be considered finished or rather which version I like better. I created art prints of both just to be able to decide.
The above is the last stopping point – last finished version. I had stopped previously – signed the digital painting – and wanted to see some texture in the piece – though I think it’s a little more interesting I tend to like the other version more.
Tomorrow’s article.
See Also
Tags: Art, painting, prints, texture
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Monday, March 5th, 2007
time equates to value – should art stand on its own?
Hoe Dance – digital painting / art prints- Dan Beck – 2005
I think it is pretty obvious that my artwork is not starting from a photo. I think by definition digital painting is starting from scratch. But I also think the lines are blurred.
On the one hand, a work of art or music for that matter should stand on its own – one likes it or doesn’t. On the other hand, it seems to have more value as we grasp the amount of time that has gone into the preparation (study and practice) and the actual amount of time spent on a piece.
The general formula and thinking is the more time the more valuable – an equation like we use for most work in our world. Curiously, some of my best music and best art comes quickly at the time – but that does not take anything away from the work which lead up to it.
I am sure that I have taken some shortcuts along the way – I think that actually is normal . But I am proud of the work I have done to hone my skills and develop my vocabulary in both art and music – it is not pressing a button for a bass line or tracing a photo as the author of this article (which prompted today’s discussion) was so disturbed by.
But as much as I believe in my developed skills and taste, I want my work to stand on its own.
See Also
Tags: Art, digital painting, music, painting, prints
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Saturday, March 3rd, 2007
whimsical, architectural, and speculative
Over the Top – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck -2003
My son Clif has a birthday today and that is enough reason to feature this piece. Though never one of my all time favorites, it spoke to him – not sure if it was color, the mix of abstract and representational or what – but I know this to be a favorite of his.
For me, I have mixed feelings about it – I like the looseness – the quality of the hill-mountains in particular and even the way the sun is squished up into the top of the digital painting.
The piece is both whimsical and architectural somehow – reminding me of the opera house in Sidney or a bandstand shell. And the colors are quite pleasing.
See Also
- Sidney Opera House – take a virtual tour of the opera house – complete with tennis ball sounds and graphics with each click of the mouse
- Original Art-chives – pieces moved to make room for others – much of the earlier work – but some real gems here – gallery where above piece is located
Tags: Art, color, mountains, Original Art, original_art, painting, prints
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Friday, March 2nd, 2007
exaggeration as explanation
Blue Clouds at Evening – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
I haven’t made art prints available for this yet – of course, with a brand new piece, I can’t tell if anyone will groove on it like I do. Plus I have yet to get a good print – my first attempt had some unwanted printer lines in it.
I actually saw this! I’ve exaggerated some – to create the drama that was really in the evening – sharpening the sky’s color and making the clouds more dimensional and clear blue.
But that is what makes art – it is about conveying what one sees – what one understands – with the confines and enhancements of the medium one uses.
So having said that, I think it is a fun digital painting.
See Also
- Crazy Light – in lieu of art print options for above piece – another crazy sky
Tags: Art, color, painting, prints
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Thursday, March 1st, 2007
passing impression and live oak tree character
Monterey Hiway 1 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2005
I thought I would pick a piece today that I don’t believe I’ve written about. I remember looking over my right shoulder as I drove by this scene – an impression, yes.
The live oak trees on the hillside always gets me. I love the shape of these trees and the character they have. I have never seen these trees anywhere else – at least that I recall.
I have a couple in my own yard and I really enjoy them – the canopy of one is exquisite. But here by the side of the road, they are are similar to the cows which occasionally graze.
See Also
Tags: Art, hills, painting, prints, trees
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Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
converting indecipherable language into art
Symbolic Language 1 – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
Small, it looks like a madras material – I think I’ve had a few shirts like that over the years. If you look at it fuller sized if you didn’t already click on the image, you will see symbols underneath the colors.
I went searching in the browser cache to see if I could retrieve an article which got lost/destroyed. I was not able to find it, but I did open something in a plain text editor which revealed these really interesting sideways, upside down, mirror imaged – what to me are nonsensical but beautiful symbols.
I don’t know if it is decipherable – and I am not sure I care, but I couldn’t resist copying and pasting to make the backdrop for a few abstract pieces …
I have been sadly lacking on my abstract art work these days.
See Also
- Abstract Art Gallery – examples of some of the other abstract art work at Outhouse Studios
- Madras – examples of Madras materials for the uninitiated
- Madras Mountains – an earlier digital painting of similar theme – please enlarge image
Tags: Art, color, mountains, painting
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Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
watercolor transparency with digital overtones
Two Pick 2 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2006
Since this image is in the center of the blog banner, I thought I would feature it again. This piece shows off some of the digital nature of its inception.
Many people looking at my finished pieces think that they are watercolor – in many ways they have the characteristics. They are layered and the colors are somewhat translucent and that quality of water comes through.
But then again – there is just about always something which cannot be done using watercolor. And my position, is one of using what I have to express myself.
In the above digital painting, I used patterns as part of my paint on the strawberry mounds. And I think that is a bit of a digital give away.
See Also
Tags: Art, color, composition, painting, prints, strawberry
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Monday, February 26th, 2007
drive by landscape – fields, sky, and texture
Valley Colors – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
There is a spot which this is loosely based on – I drive by it fairly regularly and it has a good view of the valley extending to the Santa Lucia Mountains and Mount Toro.
Like a lot of my work, it is more of a drive by impression – I saw color, and a few barns or houses, a few trees – but mostly the colors of sky and fields.
This is not a piece which knocked me over when I was finished – I wasn’t really sure about it – but there are many things I like: the short field growth in the front, the way the cloud twists like a ribbon, and the beautiful texture in the green field.
My eyes and mind move around the landscape well – so I guess I did ok.
Like all but a couple of my pieces – I started with a blank page and painted and created the digital painting by the strokes of a mouse.
See Also
- Big Valley 1 – another digital painting taken from an impression of pretty much the same spot
- From the ground up – an image of the Salinas Valley brought me to this site – good article about small organic growing in the area and the group ALBA
Tags: Art, color, fields, mountains, painting, Salinas Valley, texture, trees
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Saturday, February 24th, 2007
painting a scene one’s own
Sky Over Mountains – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
No it doesn’t look like this and yes it does look like this. A couple of days ago when the sun was setting I glimpsed the most magnificent sky over the mountains – I couldn’t really position myself correctly to see it fully, but I know…
The sky was streaked with pink. Portions of the clouds were incredibly bright white; and a blue sky was still apparent in places. I didn’t make this up, I just made it my own.
Like when a musician takes another person’s song and takes it to his own place; it is my goal as an artist to take a scene or portion of a scene and give a feeling and twist that only I would give it.
I am very pleased with this latest digital painting – hope it works for you too.
Happy Birthday
See Also
- Valley Sketch – similar sky – not quite as intense but a good example of a somewhat similar piece
- All Along the Watchtower – video form the Isle of Wight – Jimi Hendrix plays Dylan like it’s his own song – even if you are not a Hendrix fan, it is worth checking out the colorful outfit
- Butterflydancing: Photo’s - site with the “magnificent sky” photo also has some other shots worth taking a gander at – pretty fun really
Tags: Art, color, mountains, music, painting
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