Today was our first ‘hands on’ lesson with digital art. Our tutor showed us how we can use our digital skills to bring together different areas of our artistic practice. For example combining a sculpture and a painting into one piece of digital artwork. He also explained that we can bring together music, video, conventional and digital art work. This can take us into a new dimension of original and exciting artwork.
Fired up with enthusiasm, I was impatient to get started. However, I came down to earth with a bump when I realised the enormity of possibilities that Photoshop offers! I felt a bit disheartened to discover it was going to take some time, (maybe forever,) to master. In fact, it would probably be a case of learning as I go with it, rather than trying to master the whole thing. It is an amazing, but huge programme.
Our first lesson, introduced us to a few basic techniques. We started with this image on Photoshop (which had already been put together for us to work with). As you can see, it is just three items on a plain green background.
We learned that the three items were not, (as they appeared to be,) all on the same layer. They were in fact, on three different layers. We were instructed to move them around a bit and used to moving them around. I decided to re-position them so the layering was obvious…
Then we learned how to make a screenshot to document our work. Next, we learned how to make the items bigger or smaller and how to rotate them.
Here you can see the boat has been made bigger and the layers have been changed. Originally the plug was on top, the fish in the middle and the boat at the back. I changed them around so that the boat was on top, the plug beneath and the fish at the back. The thin white line was an accident! oops!
Then we learned how to change the background colour. I chose blue for the sea and decided it might be fun to reverse the image of the boat too.
Towards the end of the lesson we were shown how to select a digital paintbrush. Then select a colour of paint and paint over the image. As we moved away from design into painting,
I suddenly felt at home :0)
This was fun! I selected a different paintbrush and the complementary colour, orange. Then I tried out some mark making to balance the design a little. The dots echo the drainage holes in the plug. The swirls of orange paint remind me of the sea which fits in with this image. The spirals and swirls are symbolic of feminine energy, which is something I am working with in my artwork at the moment.
A few more dots…
… and then I discovered this lovely pattern making effect. The result reminded me of netting which fits the watery seaside theme of these objects quite well.
Finally, I changed the direction of the fish and reduced it in size. How quickly that lesson flew by! It was time to end the session, we concluded the lesson.
My final piece; the best artwork I’ve ever made but a useful exercise which showed me some of the tools Photoshop offers.
So, how did I feel at the end of this first practical session? Well, to be honest, I just wanted to dash home and play with Photoshop!
It felt like being five years old again and being given a box full of toys at Christmas!
Future Possibilities:
Endless possibilities for ways in which to use these tools on Photoshop. Being able to isolate items and move them around gives a lot of freedom and opportunity to do things previously unimaginable. Adding to that the online painting and drawing facilities takes art into a whole other dimension. The possibility of painting without a physical paintbrush etc. Along with the vast array of possibilities it also means that art doesn’t have to be messy or take up much space. It could save a lot of time and the marvelous fact that mistakes can be removed instantly – because work is built up over different layers. Layers can be removed or duplicated easily.
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