Using Digital Technology as Artistic Inspiration

 

"Linnie With Daisies"
Watercolor/Acrylic



How Digital Art Processing (DAP) can help the Artist
by Rob Nevitte

Digital photography is largely replacing film because of it's convenience, low cost, and quality.  The implications for the artist are far-reaching.  Since no film development time is required, many images can be taken in a short time and viewed, modified, printed, and most of all, used for artistic inspiration.  Images may be quickly and accurately enlarged through the projection process. This replaces the old methods of composition enlargement such as the tedious and time consuming use of a grid technique.

When applied correctly, the use of DAP, or Digital Art Processing can significantly raise an artist's awareness of many new possibilities to their artistic development, while awakening a whole new way to look at, compose, and appreciate more mind-expanding art.

Requirements:
Digital camera
Computer (Windows Operating System with reasonably good performance)
Photo editing capability (i.e. Photoshop or Microsoft Picture It Publishing software)
Inkjet Printer with transparency capability
Overhead Projector

(The last two items above can be repIaced by a digital projector, which connects directly to the computer.)

I use the following tools (some of these are older models and have been replaced in the manufacturer's lineup - alas, we must keep up with technology):
  • Toshiba Laptop with Windows XP
  • Various digital cameras ranging from 2 to 8 megapixels (higher megapixel capabilities are not necessarily better)
  • Microsoft Picture It Publishing software (note: this program is not compatible with windows 7)
  • HP PSC 500 Inkjet Printer
  • Apollo Concept Overhead Projector (Office Depot, discontinued)
A Process:

Digital images from the camera are loaded onto the computer through its USB connection.  Hard copy images, such as sketches, may be scanned in by using the printer's flat bed scanner option.

Selected images are loaded into the Photo editing software.  This is when the magic of DAP occurs: you control the recomposition of the image by cropping, zooming, or thru the application of a wide range of 'illusions' or "skins" that can soften, texturize, colorize, blur, sharpen, or imitate various artistic media, such as chalk, oil paint, water effects, edge enhancement, grouping with other images, resizing, etc.  These effects may enhance the image to an artist's eye, and suggest new and unexpected compositional possibilities for the image.  This can be of great value to both the beginner and experienced artist.
 The actual drawing capabilities of Picture It are somewhat limited.  I often use the Windows standard Paint program to further modify an image, whereupon it can be reloaded into Picture it, and modified again, any number of times.  This process may encourage experimentation as the various possibilities are investigated.
Once the images(s) are ready for printing and projection, the printer is loaded with inkjet transparency film.  The Picture It printing option allows up to 8 images to be printed on a single 8.5 by 11 inch standard size transparency film.  Printing size is important because the standard overhead projector has a minimum projection enlargement factor, which is about three times the size of the original as it appears on the transparency film itself.  (The maximum enlargement size is limited only by how far you can move the overhead projector from the projection surface.)  Once the transparency film that has the printed images is placed on the projector bed, and the projected image has been aligned onto the paper, canvas, etc., the projected image can be traced directly onto the painting surface, which completes the process.  At this point, the artist proceeds with the finishing of the artwork thru traditional means.  The possibilities are endless...

"The Flood" DIgital Photograph
"Black Dress" Digital Drawing
      
"Ahkenaton"  Watercolor/Digital