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back to comfort of mouse painting and familiar landscape

Valley Comfort - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

When I first started this piece and decided to save and title it (although unfinished), I called it “Mouse Play”. The last two digital paintings I did - I used a pen and tablet instead and found it incredibly awkward (to my surprise) - so this was both a relief and fun to use my normal painting tool.

This was not of any place in particular but is very much anywhere in the Salinas Valley. Although, I did notice yesterday a spot which I have been eyeing for quite some time which has a similar mountain terrain and field structure - half is even plowed up - so perhaps I was unconsciously referencing that spot.

The really dark earth in the center I have never tried to portray before. After discing a field - the soil is turned over into big dark chunks - looks like some kind of moon terrain. I think we see it more now because most of the soil will not be replanted right away - as agriculture is moved to warmer areas for the winter.

For art prints or availability of the above digital painting, please email: specialorders@outhousestudios.net. Setting up auto purchasing options for new pieces is more complicated than time will allow right now.

See Also

• Field 2 Mount
  very pronounced plowed fields - slightly different style - early work - some of same fascination
• Plowed Field
  the corrugated cardboard connection - I really liked this
• Remote Sensing Tutorial Page 19-6
  History and images of man on the moon - the moon terrain connection

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.

See Also

• Before You Buy a Graphics Tablet - Advantages and Features of Graphics Tablets
  Looks like might be worthwhile to check out - if these interest you - course I might have one to sell
• Second-Work
  without digging in my computer for first mouse painting - this is the second and accesible - nice piece despite lack of coordination

Digital, Computer, Painting, Giclee

Irrigate 1 - Mouse Painting - 2004

Stepping back a bit, it seems to me I have never quite accurately come up with a name for what I do. I have been using the term "digital painting" because the painting is both stored digitally and created on a computer.

However, even I would wonder by such a term whether the artist was starting with a digital photograph. Digital encompasses a very large world. The work I do starts with a blank page and I am not using photos.

"Computer art" or even moreso "computer generated art" implies the computer is doing the work. The computer provides some of the palette and some of the painting tools, but doesn’t generate anything.

As you can see from above, I kind of like "mouse painting", but my guess is that this term is even more obscure.

Truth is - I see this medium as an alternative in all sorts of ways - but particularly love the fact that every print is an original as intended and that the work does not have to be transferred to be rendered.

See Also

• Digital Painting - Wikipedia
  Quick definition and delineation
• Digital Art - Wikipedia
  Further explanation and delineation
• Introduction to digital drawing and painting
  quick intro to using photoshop for such application
• LompocRecord.com
  In last week’s news - Point of my contention -”photo-based digital painting”