Digital Art

Using Photoshop has inspired me to explore the realm of digital art, wallpapers and digitally rendered graphic design projects.

Photoshop is no easy software to master, however, the vast quantities of tutorials available out there on the internet, and the learning videos released by organizations such as Lynda and Total Training, make the job quite a bit easier for a rookie like me.


Traditional art is still my main area of expertise.


However, digital takes about one-hundredth of the time to complete.

In my time between the last post and the graphical revamp of the blog (done completely by me in Photoshop), I have created some...interesting pieces of digital art.

Some were created by following tutorials to the digit.

In others, I simply let my imagination and experimentation run free.




Here they are:

Wallpaper attempt 1
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Digital Painting 1920 x 1080

A more likable wallpaper attempt (at least to me)
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Digital painting 1920 x1080

A radical photo-manipulation of my friend Marc.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Photo-manipulation 1440 x 900

A distant planet being visited by a strange starship.
Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Photo-manipulation and Digital painting, 1920 x 1080

 

Digital art is possibly...more efficient than traditional media, but I personally think that it is not as valuable as traditional art because of the ease of it.

Going digital is absolutely perfect for the graphic designer.

With digital (especially with a tablet) you can achieve the most impeccably smooth gradient effects and lighting simulations.

Most importantly, with digital, you can step backwards and tweak your designs.

Unfortunately in traditional media, you must either start over or cut out and redo your wrongs.

There is a fine line between what you can achieve in traditional and digital media.
The difference is the ease of accomplishing these tasks.

I suppose that's why traditional sells for so much more than digital.

Playing with Photoshop

Graphic design is an interesting venture in terms of the factors necessary for grabbing the visual interests of the viewers while keeping the transmitter active to broadcast the necessary message to the specific viewer.

By definition, graphic design is the process of applying visual art and communication skills to create a medium in which a specific message can be conveyed to the specific target audience this message was meant for. It's all about presentation and clarity.

I personally have an extreme fondness for working in traditional media such as pencil or pen for undertaking these graphic design challenges, but recently, I have tried and succeeded in using digital media. 

Namely, Adobe Photoshop CS4.

However, don't get fooled, I haven't come anywhere near to doing what the professionals can do with this software suite (using Adobe Illustrator along with Photoshop).

But at least I'm trying some text effects.

I must say however, that the tutorials at PsdTuts are a colossal help to learning how to achieve some of these effects. The rest lies in personal touches and judgement by visual appeal.

A nice little design with a subtle indication of the value my form class will be to Hillview in Form 5.

Experimentation for creating an effect of fluid within glass.

My very own experiment (observation, not tutorial) for making TRON effects text.

A grungy, gritty, urban sticker.

Playing with effects, layer masks, expanding my brush collection, expanding my font database and many other ways of toying around with this magnificent program is the way to achieving true design inspiration.

Of course, first you need to learn HOW to use the software.

I am still going through that journey, and it is indeed a long, winding road.

I STILL cannot do anything magnificent with PICTURES!!!


I use another, simpler program to accomplish that task, but they are indeed small edits. Nothing much to be raving about.

This vacation will be the perfect time for me to isolate myself from my normal interactions and truly develop the skills needed to take myself to the next level.

Both in terms of artistic development and academics.

CXC is next year >.<

HOUSE

I am a passionate photorealist. I cannot fully appreciate pieces that lack detail unless they vividly depict a deeper, alternate meaning than what is presented at face value. I strive with all of my being to include as much detail as possible into all of my pieces. The full effect of photorealism is achieved through the application of high contrast, painstaking shadowing and the inclusion of as many details as possible.

In portrait work, it is even more important to pay attention to these principles in order to create an impressive replica of the subject in portrait.

However, one must also pay rapt attention to the details of the layout of the face and the person's features. Accuracy in this department will aid in ensuring that the portrait looks just like the person.

A fellow blogger, Portia Subran (a.k.a. DeadEyes), has experience in developing portraits.

You can find her at The Art of Wisdom and War

Anyway, its my turn to show 'off' my portraits too.

It's been a while since I've done a proper portrait. 

Not counting the one I've just completed, the last portrait I created was completed on the first of September last year.

Wow....it's been a while.

Personally, I think that I have definitely improved upon my techniques and my rendering capabilities but I definitely have to continue working hard at improving my accuracy and proportion mapping.

The following picture shows the first portrait I EVER completed:

A 'failed' portrait of Dr. House  

 

House M.D. (Portrait 1), Graphite on paper: 14" X 17".
I definitely have improved since then.

If you take a close look at the portrait, I signed this piece over a year ago.

Since then, things have changed.

My ability to achieve shadowing has improved and I am proud of what I am able to achieve nowadays in my artistic studies and exploration of expression.

I was heavily advised to stop doing portraits of these famous people, so I thought I would let them go out with a bang.

One year later, I decided to take Dr. House for a spin again...

 

I definitely am proud of my improvements, but I leave the verdict up to my readers to tell me where I have to continue the physical practice and research necessary to become a better portrait artist.

Simply more than a year has helped me improve my techniques to a level beyond my own expectations.

On the 22nd April, 2011 This is how the NEW House M.D stands:

House M.D. (Portrait 2), Graphite on paper: 17" X 22".
Improvements galore.

So concludes another vacation in the life of a dedicated student and a very tired human being. The trials of academics and art help make me stronger at least, so there is some good that comes out of hard work.....

This is my last portrait of an internationally famed person who is not locally based.

In the future, I may post some pictures of my previous portraits which include the likes of Queen Latifah, The Joker, Taylor Swift, and last (but not least) Ellen DeGeneres.

Due to my return to the hectic life on Tuesday, my posts may start to dwindle in frequency, but I will try to update as best as I can.

The Testing Period

As the school term has basically come to a close, assessments for all subjects were in order.

There were exams, there were assignments and there were...presentations.

For our Visual Arts assessment this term, we were given the opportunity to present four of our pieces for critique and subsequent marking.

The first piece of the puzzle was the graphic design effort towards creating album art for a musician's debut album release.

As such, it is supposed to clearly reflect on the type of person/group presenting the music; while also showing the distinct genre being offered.

The next critical piece was a self portrait to be done in the student specific media assigned.

I was able to select the option of completing my portrait in ink.

I have developed a fondness for the high contrast possible with penned pieces after completing the Alfred Codallo copy last term.

This is my completed self portrait.

I personally love the maze effect...

Being a 'dedicated' student, I clearly followed my teacher's instructions on the specific time period in which to pursue the construction of the T- shirt designs and the application of it to the textile.

As such, I missed out on the opportunity to paint various Hillview landscapes from observation.

While the other students could have submitted this landscape study as their fourth piece, I was pressed to find one out of my portfolio that was of the same standard as my other pieces while it could be allowed for presententation (for example, not one of my casual portraits or any work from last term).

As such, I decided that a suitable still-life would be the most efficient method of gaining a suitable fourth piece in the space of two days.

I assembled the composition myself using art materials from the studio and I worked tirelessly at completing my work.

At the end of a smooth presentation on Monday, I was pleased to learn that my hard work earned me an acceptable 93 in Visual Arts.

I suppose I will have to work harder next term to get even closer to my goal of a perfect score.

The Art of Design

Artistic expression can take many forms.

There's drawing, there's painting, 3-dimensional imaginative pieces, 3-dimensional craft and textile work.

The influence of fashion in today's world has far extended beyond the boundaries of the female.

Men are becoming more conscious of their appearance and we artists can EXPLOIT these...wonderful opportunities for some extra creativity (and revenue).

Fashion is a cutthroat facet of life.

It's either you have the best, or you have nothing at all.

The common thought among er...wealthy fashion addicts is that "I'm only wearing originals! No imitations or franchise clothes."

What's more original than a piece of clothing created by an artist?

No company branding, no chance of a replica and the highest level of DESIGNER ORIGINAL clothing available...

As the title states, The true process is all in the design.

As can be seen in TODAY'S society, brand name doesn't mean much anymore.

The quality assured by the brand before has been almost entirely removed by get rich quick schemes which skimp on quality but care about quantity.

Some of the most beautiful designs are best kept in small quantities so that a level of appreciation can be felt when these are seen.

They're almost magically rare...

And so begins my tale of the t-shirt.

This abstract looking t-shirt was the final product of an accidental design (this seems to be an everyday occurrence for me these days :/ ).

I decided that we live in a bright, steaming hot tropical island, and this t-shirt should reflect some of that.

In contrast to international designs which use straight edges and sharp corners (which I like by the way), CURVED edges were used.

I have a progress picture of the garment with about half of the work already completed:

I hope to have it 100% completed soon and have some model shots of it!!

This is my re-introduction to textile design.

It's quite fun and this will be my new favourite t-shirt store, my room.

Victory always tastes sweet...(Conclusion)

Well, I think I've kept you in suspense for long enough...


That fateful day when we received that phone call...

I remember it well.
I was sitting there in Add Maths lessons, wondering about my painting, thinking about the fact of not being in receipt of any information on whether it made it or not. Wondering if I didn't make it.

I felt a bit disheartened..


When I got home, I saw that I missed a call.
A voicemail message was also present.


It was Mrs. Davis, my art teacher...




On Saturday 29th January, my parents and I walked into the head office of Republic Bank Trinidad and Tobago on Park Street, Port of Spain.


I had to wear my Hillview College formal uniform and my parents of course had to dress up in their fine formal attire to attend this event.


After the welcomes were given on the ground floor, we were ushered up to the second floor where the ceremony was going to be held. 


Upon entering the room, we were greeted by these:

Ooh, one looks like a portrait......

There were four more on the other side of the room, but what struck me at first was that there was ONE portrait oriented piece there.


If I remember correctly, I DID A PORTRAIT PIECE...

But, I had to remind myself....


'You know what, just shut up Johnathan, you're just going to disappoint yourself...'


The awards ceremony started with a bang, they were clearly not wasting any time at all. This was probably to combat the period of time they took to actually begin the proceedings. We were supposed to begin at 3p.m. but absolutely nobody can prevent the emergence of our world famous 'trini time'.


Everyone was given a certificate of excellence and participation. A nice memoir of the experience in this competition.

THEN.....


THE UNVEILING...


It was only fitting for the General Manager of Marketing Communications of Republic Bank, Mrs. Anna Maria Garcia-Brooks to present the winners with their prizes. 


All seven first place prizes were to be presented...


In order of the room going left to right,


The first was unveiled...


An interesting composition showing the local way of life through the capture of a local vendor's stall. This painting came from the International School of Port of Spain.

The second painting to be unveiled also went to the International School. This painting showed a coconut vendor's stall:

And then...


I heard the description of my painting being called out...
I got through, the prize was mine. 
My painting was going to be exposed on an international scale..
I did it...

"The Monarch butterfly, seen in the Lopinot valley of Arouca, where colourful houses dot the hills of the Northern Range and majestic trees accent the skyline, exudes a certain magical flair as it flirts from flower to flower.

This magic is reminiscent of the Moko jumbie, a symbol of the Merry Monarch of our Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

One of our traditional carnival characters, the towering moko jumbie, is an African spirit that is said to roam the country, protecting its people and he performs acts that are unexplainable to the human understanding. The magic released by this character embodies the vibrant connection between the natural beauty of our landscapes and the culture of our people which makes this country so magnificently unique. The moko jumbie shares the magic with the monarch butterfly giving genesis to the title, 'The Magic of the Monarch'.

I was more overwhelmed than I looked

(From left) Mrs. Anna Maria Garcia-Brooks, my art teacher Mrs. Davis, MEEE and my Principal Mr. Leslie Mahase

As you can see, I was the only dude there....:)

Ahh, me chilling with my lovely painting

 The following spot on the airbridge was claimed by St. Joseph's Convent, San Fernando:


This painting showed a baby iguana lying on a fig leaf, relaxing in the tropical climate of this island.

The next spot on the airbridge was won by St. Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain:

This painting shows a cocoa house nestled in the bushes. It reminds us that Trinidad Cocoa is among the best cocoa on the planet and is used as a premium product.

The sixth painting to be unveiled belonged to Naparima Girls College.

It was a representation of the temple in the sea:

The final piece was also from Naparima Girls College.

This one was more abstract, but it truly reflected the diversity of the country:

This was truly an amazing experience and a wonderful opportunity to showcase my art to the wider branches of society.

I want to thank the bank for providing such an opportunity to young artists.

The journey was a long, tense one, but my parents, teachers and friends all brought me through to where I am right now, being able to relate an experience like this to you.

Has anyone seen a brain running by here?

Ahh, after a long week of school, its nice to relax and do some art. Thankfully, we've had full art class periods through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so I'm even more relaxed.

I've been working on my self portrait for the past couple of days and I've received help from almost everyone I know (yay!).

I was extremely joyous to work in pen again....

This self portrait was supposed to be the inverse of a typical self portrait.

The least detail was to be within the face, while outside was blossoming with finely printed details of my life.

In case you were wondering about my curious title, I was hunting for a Biology textbook which contained a suitable picture of the human brain during school today. 

Unfortunately, I found none.

So, I found the brain a couple of minutes ago online.

It should be fun to put that inside....

I forgot to talk about mono-printing before I posted this....

Ugh, I'll make my next post about that technique.

Its pretty fun, but I'm more of a draughtsman, so printing like that does not..uh......appeal (yes, that's the word) to me as much as other artistic techniques.

My Prodigal Child

I am about to present my pride and joy to the world.

I worked tirelessly on this piece for as long as I can remember during the term.

I am excessively proud of my baby and the delivery was long and hard. 

She was fighting me until the last stroke of the pen.

Ladies and Gentlemen......

May I present my Artist's copy of Alfred Codallo's pen drawing done in 1956...

Drumroll please.....

May I present..... THE BONGO WAKE

I have been accused by many of having printed this and saying that it was done by my hand. By the way, this is a picture of the copy I did. I did not have a suitably large scanner to digitally recreate this piece.

I assure you my dear readers, IT IS MY REPRODUCTION.

Alfred Codallo - The Bongo Wake (1956)

This was the longest I ever took on a single piece of art, approximately three weeks of labour in total.

That is, with breaks in between etc.

I truly admire Alfred Codallo's work and it is unfortunate that he has passed on to the other side already. It would have been an honour to have met this master artist. He's the undisputed king of composition in my opinion.

Oh, I almost forgot...this is my first pen/ink piece.

I await comments...

Divali's coming....

Sorry for the late post...

I've been a bit delinquent when it comes to updating the blog.

Well...Divali will be soon upon us and I can't wait to get my hands on some barfi, kurma and jalebi. Mmmmm....

The lights and sounds of this time of the year will be out in full force by next week Thursday. Unfortunately, that also means my dogs will be having a hard time with all the noise from fireworks and scratch bombs...Poor things...

Now back to business....



We've been recently exploring compositional aspects of everything around us.
One way of easily spotting this is by creating a viewfinder out of literally anything.
To do this, just get something with which you can see isolated parts of your surroundings.

Another way to see this is by simple photography....

By arranging the elements of your photo correctly, beautiful compositional effects can be created.

Some samples of what can be achieved are as follows:

Note: All photos are taken with just a simple 4.0 megapixel digital camera in the Hillview College Art Studio.

After seeing what a couple of changes in materials and lighting arrangement can do...
I'm sure that the mysteries of photography and composition on the whole now seem less like big words and more like the 'ten commandments' of creating your photos, drawings, paintings etc.
The application of these skills is what separates a regular artist from a great one.