March 21st, 2007 by Dan Beck
limits, language, and symbolism
Symbolic Language 7 - digital painting - Dan Beck 2007
I thought this was pretty cool when I just finished - interesting, layer upon layer. I tried coloring only by tinting sections - the most subtle way of coloring I have at my disposal.
At the end, I couldn’t take it any more and changed my own rules adding some touches of pure color. But with all that I find the digital painting a bit too subtle and drab - but like the old joke - good though.
It was intended as an exercise, intended to be fun, intended to be unpressured learning - and it was.
I could probably do things to make it brighter - improve upon what is - but successes come in different forms - and the limits and language are intended to be symbolic of that as well.
See Also
- Abstract Art Gallery - some of the other abstract art work at Outhouse Studios
- Moose Turd Pie - my father told this joke a little differently - but it the same story - though Utah Phillips does really personalize it.
- Pure Color - I looked up pure color for the heck of it - there really is no such thing - color is relative - but good information here plus nice images.
Relevant Tags:beck, colors, digital painting, no such thing, pure color, symbolic language, symbolism, tint
March 10th, 2007 by Dan Beck
Mediums Which Always Have Good Results
Symbolic Language 6 - digital painting & art prints - Dan Beck 2007
Not particularly related to the above digital painting, but noteworthy to me - today is the day my family always celebrated my parents’ birthdays - actually a three day celebration with birthdays on the 9th and 11th of March.
Neither of my parents is still alive, but I for one am very glad to have known them - in addition to the most obvious reason.
The painting above came from the concept of art where you can’t fail. In many mediums, this feels true. I did some
silk painting over the last year and found that to be so as with
batik in other years. I also used to mask areas of a painting and then unveil at the end and that also seemed that way.
An art teacher or motivator looks for that kind of exercise where everyone feels success. The piece above was created without any freehand drawing - just the
shape fill tools, box sections and manipulations - never done that before - don’t know if I will again.
But it felt like a no lose proposition.
See Also
- Creative Arts - another Primary School batik project
- Another Play - early work I was reminded of as I wrote article
- All the Daze - Autumn Theme - to do silk painting, one doesn’t need a frame - iron and attach silk to butcher paper - I couldn’t find an article - but did find numerous non-fail art projects on this site
Relevant Tags:art mediums, art prints, art projects, batik, digital painting, mediums, silk painting, symbolic language
March 7th, 2007 by Dan Beck
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 ยป 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
Relevant Tags:abstract art, abstract work, art prints, digital advantage, digital medium, digital painting, mystical symbols, symbolic language, symbols
March 6th, 2007 by Dan Beck
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
Relevant Tags:abstract art, Art Prints, Dan Beck, digital painting, digital paintings, here lies, rubbing, symbolic language, texture
February 28th, 2007 by Dan Beck
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
Relevant Tags:abstract art, abstract art gallery, abstract pieces, art work, digital painting, madras, symbolic language
