Ask an artist
February 7, 2008 by mercuralis
In an effort to try to make this blog as useful for people as possible, I’d like to invite you to ask any questions you might have regarding digital art, Corel Painter, Photoshop, Illustrator, digital painting techniques, etc. I’ll try to answer as many as I possibly can, or add them to my list of “tutorials to-do” list.
Wow, thank you. You heartiness touched my heart. Your willingness to give people all they are dreaming about inspires - I think that’s the definition of the art.
What’s regarding digital art, Corel Painter, Photoshop, Illustrator, digital painting techniques, etc. - I am intersted in everything. We need to know the tools we are using.
You asked us to ask you ANY question we might have. Thus I am happy to invite you to my blogs where I am sharing my pictures. Your feedback (any your remarks) will be the most desirable support to me. Please have a look at all four my blogs. Thank you in advance.
Thomas: Your artwork is much more abstract than I’m used to critiquing, so I’m not sure how helpful I’ll be. Your work is colorful and very liquid and soft, almost dreamlike. I think the works that I like best are the ones where that quality is enhanced, and it’s not very obvious that you’ve used filters to create them. The images that are particularly soft, without the jagged hard edges, or defined pixels, really stand out in my mind.
The best advice I can give you is to work larger. Use a higher resolution and higher dpi (especially if you do print work) when working on your images. This will help reduce artifacts and pixilization in your work, make your edges softer and more gradated and creamy. Try to avoid obvious filters, anyone with any experience with using Photoshop or other photo imaging programs will be able to pick them out easily and dismiss them. (I would give this same advice to anyone just starting to work digitally, whether creating their work from scratch or working with photos. Filters are useful tools, however they should never dominate your work.)
Also… while it’s not exactly the same kind of work you’re doing, it reminds me of two very cool artists whose work might inspire you. Check out http://www.liquidsculpture.com/fine_art/index.htm and http://www.mummeryschnelle.com/pages/oriselector.htm
Dear mercuralis
Thank you for so comprehensive reply to my humble note. It was great luck for I don’t miss it - I was looking for your reply on my blogs that are on blogspot.com…. your reply there could be beneficial to my readers too.
What concerns your advice to work larger … the original format of my works is much larger. My prints are about 1 meter in high size (sorry for my Lithuanian-English) thus the originals differ fro what was reduced for a web.
Thank you for the links. The artworks are great there. There are lots of what to learn. These artists are the masters who decorate the web and are worthy to represent the digitals.
However, it would be fine in case we would share not only our works but the ideas too. Why do we depict one or other - what inspires us and what are we seeking for? The literal presentation of our artwork could be very beneficial as to us so to our viewers.
The classic form exhibit the pictures well, but makes the artwork just something for selling. Meanwhile the artwork is much more than that.
Respectfully yours
http://www.captains-bridge.blogspot.com and all other locations on web of Tomas
Personally, I’d like to see a tutorial in regards to your workflow in portraits including the favorite tools you use. You’re able to produce a lot of great works in a short span of time from my pov.
Okay, using Photoshop or Corel, how to draw clean, even lines (though do you do much linework? most of what I’ve seen is very painterly)? And do you think art programs in general are better for detailed, planned work or for impromptu inventiveness?
Here via Epilogue.