Posts Tagged ‘texture’
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
simple but ambiguous
My Series 4 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2005
This piece looks better to me than the last time I wrote about it.
I have written a number of times about how color is relative to its neighbor – just as art is relevant in relation to its context. So it should not be a surprise that the conditions of the viewer are probably just as big of a factor as the art itself.
Today it is calm out – overcast and mellow. I am sitting at a computer screen playing my own image roulette – because it is time to write even though my mind is on music.
Trying to keep things simpler – not adding more than is necessary – is a mantra right now – so the simpleness and directness of the above digital painting has more appeal than before. I love the smoothness of color on the textured background.
And for whatever reason, I find more than enough ambiguity to satisfy my imagination today.
See Also
- My Series 4 – art print options and availability for above digital painting
- Dream with Mantra – not sure if this is the artist’s real name or a persona – but always worth taking a look at other people’s art
- How to Change the World: Mantras Versus Missions – found this rather amusing – but also curious about the blog title – without reading much further – seems more about status quo than changing the world – but than again what isn’t?
Tags: Art, color, digital painting, music, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Saturday, April 21st, 2007
transcending the confines of canvas stereotypes
Sky Over Mountains – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
I wrote a page for my website in which I go into detail about what digital painting is and how it differs and is in many ways the same as other types of painting.
Much of my focus was in pointing out the painterly similarities. Composition, color, and form as well as a clean canvas to start with are all the same. The above is a good example, because it too is much the same as traditional painting in its gradations and intensity of color – but it differs as well in the way lines and texture are created.
To me the computer connections and origins are rather apparent. I am not out to hide the nature of these works, but I am more concerned with what they are trying to communicate than the language of digital or even the language of art.
Feeling and beauty are meant to transcend technique and for that matter transcend the art – their success is not something which can luckily or easily be measured.
See Also
- Digital Painting – discussion of how it is same and different – insight into how it is viewed at Outhouse Studios and part of why it is such an exciting new medium
- What is Art? And why does it Matter? – open house questions – Yale University Art Gallery – thought these quotes rather enlightening as far as some across the board thinking
Tags: Art, color, composition, digital painting, mountains, painting, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Thursday, April 12th, 2007
color, texture – bumps, bends and growth
Hillside Spin 2 – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
Thought I would revisit this piece. When I wrote about it last week, all I discussed was the new technique and how much fun or too much fun I had.
But in truth, I think the digital painting is quite pleasing. It is not that representative of my work in general, but so what. I like the playfulness. I like the bumps and bends my eye takes looking at it.
The color I was able to impart is also fun to look out – there is tremendous texture and this was intended to be a double print – so to get a better sense of what it would look like printed – I captured a section at the right size.
Art is always about process and growth -
I used to always say “the more we live the more we die” – an odd paradox, but true. Today I think of youth and growth and that perhaps we are not dying as long as we are growing.
See Also
- Houses on the Hillside – for some reason, the above painting keeps making me think of this one – a drive by moment on the 101 near San Jose – art prints are set up for purchase for this piece
- Exhibit Helps the Creative Growth Process – not a current exhibit, but article shows how art affects both the artist and the viewer – helping us to see ourselves on many levels
Tags: Art, color, hills, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
looks done versus being done
Grape Rows & Mountains – digital painting / art prints- Dan Beck 2005
Irrigate 1 – digital painting / art prints – Dan Beck 2004
There is a quality that both of these digital paintings share. They have a similar amount of detail, a similar amount of translucence, a similar amount of simplicity in conveying what was there.
Looking at my work, I tend to take things further most of the time these days. Adding texture and shading and whatever else I can think to throw at it.
Every artist knows that knowing when to quit is probably as important as beginning – but part of creating art is being true to oneself and one’s vision. You have to feel like you are done as well.
With the two paintings above, I knew they were done – sometimes I know something looks done, but I am not done – so I must continue. I am sure there is a life lesson in here somewhere, but since I am not seeing it, I must continue.
See Also
Tags: Art, mountains, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Friday, March 9th, 2007
technology’s quirks yield frustration’s art
Palette Crap – digital painting – art prints – Dan Beck 2007
As a result of upgrading my Mac’s operating system to something more fashionably late, my painting program has new and improved quirks. This seems to be the norm for technology – as I think about all the various pieces of equipment (not restricted to computers) that have such little quirks – even the locks on my car – rather mechanical – but still.
So the above digital painting was born somewhat out of frustration – it was about being able to build new texture/colors and save the palettes. In my attempts to not have the program crash, I tried removing all sorts or things – getting it to work and systematically putting them back until it failed again.
But as the way with logic sometimes – my successes did not have to do with my interventions but something different I cannot see.
But I was able to have fun scribbling and did save some new palettes finding out if I saved the piece first I had a much better chance of success – and at least a couple of fun new digital paintings and accompanying art prints.
See Also
- Process – gallery piece about finding out how to paint with paint from a section of one’s own painting – part of my current struggle to be able to save
- FUMARE: And Now For Something Completely Different – one of my blog practices is to do searches for phrases which I have written in an article that I like – searching for “something different I cannot see” this I found interesting – even though it is not otherwise particularly related – barring perhaps the human factor in all technology
Tags: Art, color, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
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 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
Tags: Art, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
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
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
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
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
Quick Study 0 – digital painting – Dan Beck 2007
Thought I would break the ice with this new blog category by sharing the precursor to the last digital painting I was able to blog about. I got to the point above and thought the piece might be complete.
Declaring a piece finished is no different for the digital medium than any other – but I have found that with digital art, I can create and save a number of different endings.
What struck me about the above stopping point was how pleasing the textures looked and how balanced in the degree it was worked.
The rawness reminds me of a woodblock print or a monoprint. And though I wasn’t done, I like the way this piece looks and feels – enough so to save and share.
See Also
Tags: Art, digital medium, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Digital Paintings | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007
transient life, celebratory sky
Sunset for Andrea – digital painting / art prints – 2005
Not feeling much like writing today – sure I am not the first one. I played the random image game and came up with this painting twice.
Since I was thinking about Andrea earlier today – it should not really be a surprise. Her life ended way too young but her presence like the record of this painting continues on.
This painting reminds me of a blanket – it has warmth and texture and covers the viewer in a glow. The sunset was of course more amazing -but then again – it was transient like a life.
Despite the sad day – this was a celebratory sky.
See Also
Tags: Art, painting, prints, texture
Posted in Art Prints | No Comments »
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