ASS4 - Project 3 Digital illustration
Research point
Is there a clear distinction between digital and non-digital illustration? This might be in terms
of style, production or the use of interactivity. Picking up on Steven Heller’s quote, what is the
future for digital illustration? Note down your thoughts in your learning log.
As a starting point you might want to look at Computer Arts magazine which celebrates digital
illustration in all its forms.
In my opinion there is a distinction when looking at a traditional hand created illustration compared to a digital illustration. Here are a few examples below:
The question in my mind then becomes so if you have scanned a traditional image in to amend and edit does this then turn it into a digital image? Yes in one way it does as the image is now created in pixels (tiny squares that come together to create an image digitally) and once editing it you are digitally amending it. So with that being said yes there is a difference in style on the basis of comparing a real hand created traditional illustration compared to a digital illustration but if you were to then scan in your traditional art to edit it the two ways of illustration become one and work together to create an illustration which has both non digital and digital aspects to it. It is then so much harder to notice a difference and realising if it is digitally made or traditionally made.. This research has really got me thinking about the differences and how each way creates different styles.
For this task, I have thought a lot about what I want to do. I have looked online for inspiration and thought of the top thing that I associate with pixels. My reaction to this exercise is that I have always loved gaming since I was a little girl. Gaming has come so far and everything that I played when I was young was very pixelated. One of my favourite games was the Lion King on the Sega.
I always had a lot of fun with this game however the pixels really use to annoy me as it made the characters blurred. For this task my idea is to create a series and pick out three of the characters sketch them out and then use a coloured pencils to add pixels - the sketch of each will be black and white. I want the image of each to look as though they are in the middle of changing into a pixelated image. Showing half of the normal sketch and then from left to right the character starts to get more pixelated.
Here above is what I tried to do with one of my first attempts with the character Simba. I was playing about and something came to me. I realised what would be a good idea would be to cut the pixel squares out of the paper my sketch was on. I thought I was on to something but I noticed my pencil sketch kept getting smudged while cutting the squares out. I tried having a spare sheet of paper under my hand whilst cutting but it did not help much. What I then decided to do is redraw the character out again but with markers and add details with fine-liners. I thought this would make the sketches easier to do so I can then concentrate on the pixels.
I tried my second attempt with Pumba to give it a go and I was really happy with the result of the drawing and the pixels cut out. Its something I have never seen before and looking at it as a whole it makes the image blurred just like when I use to play the game.
I then thought about the idea of leaving it as it is with the square holes in but then thought taking photos of it will be hard as you would see what is behind it. Perhaps I could take a photo with a gaming console in the background to appear through the pixels? but a lot of them would be the same colour where the task asks you to make each pixel a different colour.
I then decided I could get another sheet of paper and work out where the pixel squares are and colour them in then once finished put it behind the character drawn image so that the pixels will be filled with colours that represent each character. I also thought about again doing another sheet and doing different mark makings in each pixel using the fine liners so instead of using different colours mark makings will work in the same way to make each one look different.
I attempted to do the pixels in marker pens but as I was going along realised I did not have many browns and blue to fill all the squares in. I them tried using coloured pencils which worked out a lot better. Once finished each one, I then used double sided tabs to stick them together and at the same time adding depth.
Final Images
Here below are my final pixelated illustrations.
I really enjoyed pushing my imagination for this task with my idea and think that I have produced a series of illustrations that showcase the mid transformation of an image to pixels.
I then also scanned my images in and had a bit of an experimentation in Photoshop to see if I could distort them further.
This series of illustrations still includes my use of paper as a medium but in a different concept that I have not done yet. It was very interesting to see the out come and go through the process to create something a bit different. What this task has made me realise is that there is still so much to learn and always room to develop my ideas with paper and the content within my work.
In my opinion there is a distinction when looking at a traditional hand created illustration compared to a digital illustration. Here are a few examples below:
As you can see from the above comparisons there is a difference in style. The differences I can see are the colour differences. Digital uses more intense colours and fills in the areas more, whereas traditional can sometimes look fainter and also has a scratchiness to it when colouring with pencils. As a traditional artist myself I use colour paper in my paper art to create bold colours and then use tools on top to add details. So my work comes out far more bolder that these pencil traditional drawings. I think depending on what medium you are using some ways can create a clear difference than others.
Initially the styles are different but with that being said a lot of people once done there traditional art, they scan it into a computer to then be worked on digitally. This helps to tidy work up, change colours remove areas which you are not happy with and use effects to change the images.
Initially the styles are different but with that being said a lot of people once done there traditional art, they scan it into a computer to then be worked on digitally. This helps to tidy work up, change colours remove areas which you are not happy with and use effects to change the images.
The question in my mind then becomes so if you have scanned a traditional image in to amend and edit does this then turn it into a digital image? Yes in one way it does as the image is now created in pixels (tiny squares that come together to create an image digitally) and once editing it you are digitally amending it. So with that being said yes there is a difference in style on the basis of comparing a real hand created traditional illustration compared to a digital illustration but if you were to then scan in your traditional art to edit it the two ways of illustration become one and work together to create an illustration which has both non digital and digital aspects to it. It is then so much harder to notice a difference and realising if it is digitally made or traditionally made.. This research has really got me thinking about the differences and how each way creates different styles.
Technology for art is so advanced that it is hard to tell if a traditional illustration has been worked on in a digital art program. Photoshop for example has the brush tool which you can edit to make it produce the same textured effect as certain traditional mediums such as ink, paints and pens. There are so many mediums you can duplicate in digital form from real life to create the same styles as traditional. This also makes it harder to differentiate the two apart.
Production
My initial thoughts are that there is a difference in production. The main thing is that non- digital illustrations are one offs. It takes a long time to keep creating the same illustration and identical if you have tried it is just not possible there will always be a slight difference. Digital illustration production however is a lot easier as you can print off many copies of one illustration which is great for selling prints of your work. It takes a lot less time to do and once you have the digital image you can save it and always easily print it out to make reproductions of it. Digital art in itself has different styles it can also be made into 3D objects and also animations can be created to then give illustrations movement over a series of images that are sped up to create movement. That being said there are ways of turning a traditional image in to prints either by photographing it or scanning it in to a computer to print copies from it.
Digital art is also built up in layers such as in Photoshop. Traditional art is the same but you cannot select a layer like you can in Photoshop to edit. In traditional art an illustration is built up on one layer.
Interactivity
Both ways again have similar interactivity I prefer traditional because its more hands on. Feeling a pencil or a paint brush and drawing directly on to paper is something that I love. I think in traditional art you are more prone for mistakes which are harder to hide and I think this adds character to your work such as an area of colour that you are not happy with or a sketch hard dark line which will just not rub away. Compared this to a digital where when you use the eraser in Photoshop it totally clears the area with no trace of what was there before.
In digital art there are various ways to interact with what is on your screen, You can use a tablet and pen, This use to be used a lot by artists and still some do use it today. When I get my tablet out and attempt to draw it takes me a while to get use to it as you are drawing with your hand on the tablet but then you are looking at your computer screen to see what you are creating which is quite hard if you are not use to it. Another way and a show of how technology has evolved is now tablets with screens or actual computers that you can bend the screen down and with the digital pen you can draw directly on to the screen I have not had the privilege to attempt this way yet but I am hoping to invest in one or see if I can test one out to see if its something I would find useful for myself.
Also with digital all the tools are built in to the program so all you need is your PC and your art pen to create art. Compare that to traditional where you end up with a lot of different tools in your art room. For example when I am looking for a certain colour of marker I have to test a few first to maker sure they are correct where as digitally you have a pallet of so many colours to choose from which is easy just to select one colour your happy with.
Steven Heller’s quote
“Can we really say with confidence that the computer will only be a silent partner? Can’t some visionary artist create an illustration form that is unprecedented? Or is illustration an antiquated art that defies change and so will vanish? Film is an integral storytelling medium that bears no relationship to painting. Can the computer be an integral medium that changes the way we perceive and practice illustration?” - Steven Heller 2000
What is the future for digital illustration?
In my opinion, I think that digital illustration will become even more versatile. Illustrations will no longer be a still image but will also be 3D images, interactive and include motion. I found this online book called Scrawl http://scrawlmagazine.com/ which is a great example where even the illustrations on the front of the book moves. Its actually quite exciting to see and is another opening where digital illustration can venture into. They also have illustrations where there are games called hide and seek which you have to interact with to solve the puzzles. I really like that idea.
As technology evolves it opens up more possibilities to digital illustration, new platforms and ways to interact with the viewer.
Based on my research I think digital illustration will become even more bigger than the present, it will be more needed. Creative opportunities in digital channels on the internet are always evolving which is where digital illustration will have to keep up with the time to keep in date with the modern world.
Finally Steve Hellers quote got me thinking about digital illustration and that I don't think the computer will be a silent partner and actually in today's world I don't think it is. It is seen as a wondrous machine that aids so many illustrators today that it should be in the limelight. I think because technology is ever evolving, there is plenty of room for artists to create something unique and of the unknown.
Because of where we are today and how vast technology is digital illustration will only become more popular and as technology evolves digital illustration will become more interactive.
Exercise: Pixelated images
Using a grid format of pixels, create a series of illustrations that explores your relationship to digital technologies. This might be a love or hate relationship, a document of all the forms of technology you engage with, the games you’ve played or pixel portraits of your friends on Facebook. Be imaginative with how you approach this.
You may want to work on graph paper or create your own grid on the computer or by hand. The size of your pixels is up to you. For example the animation DEADLINE (available via YouTube) uses post-it notes as pixels. But stick to the rule of only using one colour per square. You may want to limit your palette or perhaps work in full colour.
Production
My initial thoughts are that there is a difference in production. The main thing is that non- digital illustrations are one offs. It takes a long time to keep creating the same illustration and identical if you have tried it is just not possible there will always be a slight difference. Digital illustration production however is a lot easier as you can print off many copies of one illustration which is great for selling prints of your work. It takes a lot less time to do and once you have the digital image you can save it and always easily print it out to make reproductions of it. Digital art in itself has different styles it can also be made into 3D objects and also animations can be created to then give illustrations movement over a series of images that are sped up to create movement. That being said there are ways of turning a traditional image in to prints either by photographing it or scanning it in to a computer to print copies from it.
Digital art is also built up in layers such as in Photoshop. Traditional art is the same but you cannot select a layer like you can in Photoshop to edit. In traditional art an illustration is built up on one layer.
Interactivity
Both ways again have similar interactivity I prefer traditional because its more hands on. Feeling a pencil or a paint brush and drawing directly on to paper is something that I love. I think in traditional art you are more prone for mistakes which are harder to hide and I think this adds character to your work such as an area of colour that you are not happy with or a sketch hard dark line which will just not rub away. Compared this to a digital where when you use the eraser in Photoshop it totally clears the area with no trace of what was there before.
In digital art there are various ways to interact with what is on your screen, You can use a tablet and pen, This use to be used a lot by artists and still some do use it today. When I get my tablet out and attempt to draw it takes me a while to get use to it as you are drawing with your hand on the tablet but then you are looking at your computer screen to see what you are creating which is quite hard if you are not use to it. Another way and a show of how technology has evolved is now tablets with screens or actual computers that you can bend the screen down and with the digital pen you can draw directly on to the screen I have not had the privilege to attempt this way yet but I am hoping to invest in one or see if I can test one out to see if its something I would find useful for myself.
Also with digital all the tools are built in to the program so all you need is your PC and your art pen to create art. Compare that to traditional where you end up with a lot of different tools in your art room. For example when I am looking for a certain colour of marker I have to test a few first to maker sure they are correct where as digitally you have a pallet of so many colours to choose from which is easy just to select one colour your happy with.
Steven Heller’s quote
“Can we really say with confidence that the computer will only be a silent partner? Can’t some visionary artist create an illustration form that is unprecedented? Or is illustration an antiquated art that defies change and so will vanish? Film is an integral storytelling medium that bears no relationship to painting. Can the computer be an integral medium that changes the way we perceive and practice illustration?” - Steven Heller 2000
What is the future for digital illustration?
In my opinion, I think that digital illustration will become even more versatile. Illustrations will no longer be a still image but will also be 3D images, interactive and include motion. I found this online book called Scrawl http://scrawlmagazine.com/ which is a great example where even the illustrations on the front of the book moves. Its actually quite exciting to see and is another opening where digital illustration can venture into. They also have illustrations where there are games called hide and seek which you have to interact with to solve the puzzles. I really like that idea.
As technology evolves it opens up more possibilities to digital illustration, new platforms and ways to interact with the viewer.
Based on my research I think digital illustration will become even more bigger than the present, it will be more needed. Creative opportunities in digital channels on the internet are always evolving which is where digital illustration will have to keep up with the time to keep in date with the modern world.
Finally Steve Hellers quote got me thinking about digital illustration and that I don't think the computer will be a silent partner and actually in today's world I don't think it is. It is seen as a wondrous machine that aids so many illustrators today that it should be in the limelight. I think because technology is ever evolving, there is plenty of room for artists to create something unique and of the unknown.
Because of where we are today and how vast technology is digital illustration will only become more popular and as technology evolves digital illustration will become more interactive.
Exercise: Pixelated images
Using a grid format of pixels, create a series of illustrations that explores your relationship to digital technologies. This might be a love or hate relationship, a document of all the forms of technology you engage with, the games you’ve played or pixel portraits of your friends on Facebook. Be imaginative with how you approach this.
You may want to work on graph paper or create your own grid on the computer or by hand. The size of your pixels is up to you. For example the animation DEADLINE (available via YouTube) uses post-it notes as pixels. But stick to the rule of only using one colour per square. You may want to limit your palette or perhaps work in full colour.
I always had a lot of fun with this game however the pixels really use to annoy me as it made the characters blurred. For this task my idea is to create a series and pick out three of the characters sketch them out and then use a coloured pencils to add pixels - the sketch of each will be black and white. I want the image of each to look as though they are in the middle of changing into a pixelated image. Showing half of the normal sketch and then from left to right the character starts to get more pixelated.
Here above is what I tried to do with one of my first attempts with the character Simba. I was playing about and something came to me. I realised what would be a good idea would be to cut the pixel squares out of the paper my sketch was on. I thought I was on to something but I noticed my pencil sketch kept getting smudged while cutting the squares out. I tried having a spare sheet of paper under my hand whilst cutting but it did not help much. What I then decided to do is redraw the character out again but with markers and add details with fine-liners. I thought this would make the sketches easier to do so I can then concentrate on the pixels.
I tried my second attempt with Pumba to give it a go and I was really happy with the result of the drawing and the pixels cut out. Its something I have never seen before and looking at it as a whole it makes the image blurred just like when I use to play the game.
I then thought about the idea of leaving it as it is with the square holes in but then thought taking photos of it will be hard as you would see what is behind it. Perhaps I could take a photo with a gaming console in the background to appear through the pixels? but a lot of them would be the same colour where the task asks you to make each pixel a different colour.
I then decided I could get another sheet of paper and work out where the pixel squares are and colour them in then once finished put it behind the character drawn image so that the pixels will be filled with colours that represent each character. I also thought about again doing another sheet and doing different mark makings in each pixel using the fine liners so instead of using different colours mark makings will work in the same way to make each one look different.
I attempted to do the pixels in marker pens but as I was going along realised I did not have many browns and blue to fill all the squares in. I them tried using coloured pencils which worked out a lot better. Once finished each one, I then used double sided tabs to stick them together and at the same time adding depth.
Final Images
Here below are my final pixelated illustrations.
I really enjoyed pushing my imagination for this task with my idea and think that I have produced a series of illustrations that showcase the mid transformation of an image to pixels.
I then also scanned my images in and had a bit of an experimentation in Photoshop to see if I could distort them further.
In my experiment I tested out different modes and some came out really well. I really like the negative modes as they swapped every colour for the opposite eg: white to black. I think my favourite test has to be the one of Pumba above which is green and red. I think the contrast of the colours enhance the pixel illustration and make it more distorted.
This series of illustrations still includes my use of paper as a medium but in a different concept that I have not done yet. It was very interesting to see the out come and go through the process to create something a bit different. What this task has made me realise is that there is still so much to learn and always room to develop my ideas with paper and the content within my work.
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