January 10th, 2007 by admin
a traditional subject with some prompting
Self Portrait - Dan Beck - digital painting 2007
I was asked to do my self portrait. An artist friend of mine was interested in seeing how I would deal with the face I think. Seeing all the color in my work made him wonder - since (I am guessing) most of his current work is about portraiture.
So there I am - with the obligatory somewhat troubled artistic look - not that I am happy all the time - but probably more than appears here.
But then again, I think this is accurate to how I view myself when I am alone - there is intensity and desire for something better - but there is also a slight smile.
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January 4th, 2007 by admin
movement and color for a field in the hand
Field Hand - digital painting - art prints - Dan Beck 2006
I am realizing that this is the last piece of last year for me. I wanted to take the concept of the man with dirt in his hand to another level.
Obviously, I could not resist the Field Hand pun. I worked on this piece quite a lot - sometimes a mistake as many will attest. But I don’t really care about that today. Suffice it to say that although the piece was fun - it did not come easily.
As a result, I am not sure if I hooked it or not - but I do know that there is a great deal of movement and a great deal of color …
and I think Marc Chagall would be pleased -certainly not the same but quite reminiscent.
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Relevant Tags:Art Prints, color, digital painting, field hand, Marc Chagall, movement, prints
September 19th, 2006 by admin
printed piece improves upon monitor image - despite being original canvas
Field Flat - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006
I really like the colors in this piece. I like them on the monitor and even more printed with archival ink on watercolor paper. But as I have said, that is the nature of this medium.
The work has the light quality viewed on a monitor and is actually closer to viewing the original canvas than any other medium, but it doesn’t really look finished until printed.
It may well be our bias for paper or canvas - but I think that one just needs that solidity to really pull it together.
Despite that I am happy to share my work over the internet. Like everybody’s art, it generally can’t do it justice - but it is still wonderful to be able to see so much.
If you are interested in owning a printed version, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net.
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September 18th, 2006 by admin
no longer featured on website home page - image has great color and qualities
Cloud Over Sprinklers - digital painting / art prints - 2005 - Dan Beck
I just did a little update on the website homepage and this piece is no longer shown. I figured it was time for a little change.
And no matter how much I like a piece, it is important to keep moving things around and of course keep creating new.
With that said, there are things I particularly appreciate about the above digital painting. The colors themselves have that wonderful Autumn clarity. The clouds wisp over an artificially large round sun - yet the size works well.
The irrigation could be easily misread unless of course you are privy to this type of view - because it is very textural and very much of a “what is that?” if you haven’t seen it before.
Finally, this piece also manages to capture the hilly terrain. It is simple but says a lot. And the colors are every bit as luscious printed - actually more so.
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Relevant Tags:Art Prints, autumn clarity, clouds wisp, color, digital painting, hilly terrain, irrigation, luscious colors, sprinklers, textural
June 8th, 2006 by admin
Color and Specialness Speak
A State of Sky - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2005
There are times when I don’t want to say anything about a piece of art - a digital painting - an art print.
There are times when I want it to stand on its own.
When the color, the vastness, the specialness are only clouded by words - when the lone silhouette of a figure says just how small and how great we are.
And like those times - I have said more than I needed.
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June 8th, 2006 by admin
Creating a landscape of color and harvesting
Pickin’ Start - digital painting - Dan Beck 2006
Painting the fields is comfortable at this point. My approach with this was to just start painting - creating hills, creating waves in the landscape, but not so much caring about conveying a particular place - more of a particular area - the Salinas Valley.
The landscape was fun to create - unfortunately I don’t think the overlap of colors comes through - so I am going to step back and offer up this detail which would otherwise only be seen in an art print.
There is a vastness to this land - and clearly I am trying to show it. There is also something remarkable about the people who work the land and how they appear when one is casually or not so casually looking.
If they appear in a line, it is because they are frequently in a line. If they appear to be acrobats, it is because that is also they way they look. If they appear to be in a swarm, it is also because it looks that way. If they appear to be lost within the landscape of the valley…
I have great respect for the strawberry harvesters that dot the land around me.
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Relevant Tags:art print, color, digital painting, field painting, landscape art, landscape painting, painting fields, Salinas Valley, valley landscape
April 15th, 2006 by admin
Digital Painting Works at Different Sizes
Digital Painting - Valley Work Dan Beck - 2005
Like many pieces, when I first finished this I wasn’t quite sure if I pulled it off - even though I was pleased with it. After two artist friends both said they liked the work, I realized it had captured what I wanted and the liberties with color and portrayal did not take away from the end results; but in fact, made the finished piece that much more interesting.
This piece was designed to be printed large - and from what I can tell would look its best at the largest 32×40" size - measure it sometime - it is a big piece. In order to grasp all that is contained - please look at the enlargement and the details which follow.
For this medium, one of the things that indicates success to me is whether a work looks good at all sizes. Valley Work has a nice balance of both color and form and is pleasing even small - but the figures, though visible in the smallest size print remain pretty obscure.
They were intended to be swallowed up by the landscape - but not go unnoticed.
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March 28th, 2006 by admin
Colorful, Brilliant Glow, Quick, Powerful Look
Bold Glimpse - Enlarge - Digital Painting - 2006 - Dan Beck
It wasn’t so much sun as color that protruded under the clouds. I couldn’t stay out long - the wind was ferocious.
Even bundled up and being a transplanted Midwest/East Coaster who has picnicked in worse weather did not make me want to persevere.
But that was quite a while ago and I have grown accustomed to mild unassuming weather.
The painting above is a record of the boldness of the evening - the intense billowing dark clouds with brilliant glow beneath. It is a record of the nondescript fields which one barely noticed because the show was on the horizon.
It is a record of the nature of a glimpse - a quick look that only allows you to grasp the essence - and perhaps all that really matters.
It was an incredible sky last night - I only allowed myself moments with it without windows. I didn’t even set out to paint it when I started on the computer - but I couldn’t help myself - it had been that powerful.
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March 23rd, 2006 by admin
Color, Doing Without Ingredient, Experiencing New
Black & White Vision - Full Size - Digital Painting 2006
I generally paint using color. Color for me is much of the fun. I find great joy in using color. To paint with only black, white, and grays, however, is also fascinating. It is an exercise perhaps like cooking without garlic - which will of course be lost on those who don’t care for garlic.
But the idea - is that it requires one creating without an ingredient one depends upon.
I didn’t set out to do an exercise. I woke up with a vision of the mountains and this bold white area. It wasn’t a completely clear vision, but it was without other color.
It was enough to make me feel like I had to embark on this piece. And even in its finished state I am tempted to add color - another thing I don’t normally do. I am not sure about it yet - but if I do - the “colorized” image will be along soon enough.
And if I do, I hope I pull it off better than adding color to black and white movies - well at least the ones I have experienced - but then who else’s experience are we to draw on?
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December 8th, 2005 by admin
Creating Feeling, Beauty, Appeal - Artistic License
Desert 1- Route 66 (Second stopping point, unfinished)
In the first phase of this painting, the general composition, colors, shapes, and space have been defined.
If one compares, one can see that there is now a lot more definition in the mountains, the desert floor, and the mesa. Texture, color, suggestions of vegetation now make this a much richer production.
There are always two things I try to balance when I am creating this type of artwork. Since it is intended to capture a specific time, place and feeling - the feeling is paramount - meaning, as I am painting, I am trying to assess whether my additions add to the feeling I am trying to communicate or are taking the piece further away.
The second thing to balance is that I want a piece to be aesthetically pleasing and interesting to the eye. This might mean adjusting colors, tweaking the composition for a better eye flow, and even adding colors or objects not there to make a piece more enjoyable.
The rules are one’s own making here and just about everyone has heard of artistic license. My rule is about furthering feeling and making a piece be more appealing and beautiful.
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