MY BIG FAT ART DUMP!

Not much to write about, except that the holidays overtook my life and I needed to attend to family. However, now that I’m back, here are some of the work that I did over the past couple months. Oil work on the top and digital on the bottom. Enjoy!

Works in Progress with ProCreate

Hey everyone, these are the things that I’m currently working on with ProCreate. Some of them are in various stages of completion and some of them may not make the cut. Also I have been stoked to get several requests to do a follow up feature blog about painting with non-toxic mediums. Later this week I will share my thoughts on this process that I’ve kind of gone about and hope that it will help those who are looking to paint with toxic free mediums.

Eva Mendez

ProCreate Portrait Demo 16x20

Eva Mendez Detail

ProCreate Portrait Demo 16x20

Álfrún

ProCreate Portrait Demo 16x20

Álfrún Detail

ProCreate Portrait Demo 16x20

Venice WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

The Black Douglas WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

Girl and Bus WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

The "EL" WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

Bruce WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

Der Wirblewind WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

Tata WIP

16x20 ProCreate Demo

New Digital Prints and Works In Progress!

Hey Everyone!
I’m really excited to share with you that I have a new digital print store up (click here). These prints are ready to hang right out of the box and onto your wall, no framing needed! Also the last three are works in progress that have been on the drawing board. I’ll elaborate more about my prints in my next post, but I just wanted to share the new work with you all.

Using digital painting as a study for a painting.

I had done a digital painting that I was really happy with, but I knew that is could be better in oil. My first pass in oil was not close to the digital, but I was able to work out the mechanics of the figure, especially the tilted shoulders. Using the model photo and my digital painting as my two sources of reference, I finished this yesterday rather quickly. Was it because I had a digital painting to keep me on course with staying fresh and spontaneous? I would think so. As I photographed it, I noticed three things that needed fixing and I literally spent the early morning going from computer to easel and back to camera to get things right. Funny how one tiny stroke placed just right can make all the difference in the world. Wouldn’t you agree? I like the oil painting, what do you think? Digital or Oil?

Latest Digital Paintings with Procreate

I have to say that with creating new brushes using Procreate has allowed me to bring my digital painting closer in line with my traditional oil painting. All of the standard brushes are nice, but going beyond those and customizing and creating new brushes has really allowed my work to evolve in new and exciting ways. That said, I am happy to say that my new digital paintings will be available to purchase very soon. Below are a few that I hope you will enjoy with some time-lapse videos to see the a little into the creative process.

My first digital portrait of Heather using my new newsprint brush I created to use in Procreate.

A digital portrait painting using Procreate with custom brushes.

Thoughts on Digital Painting

My first digital painting using Procreate of my son drawing.

I have spent a great deal of time and thought on trying to convey my thoughts on the digital art form as a medium on equal level to traditional media. But after multiple writing and rewrites, I have come to the simple conclusion that perception of this medium may never change without thoughtful discussion and dialogue. Yes, traditional media is an original work of art; however, does it demand a higher price? Due to it's exclusivity, yes, I believe so. But creating digital art is a direct equal to painting. The same thought process and demanding mental awareness occurs. Being in the zone in front of the canvas with brush is the same as me holding a tablet and stylus. The exact same. Sure, there are apps that claim to emulate oils, watercolor, pen and ink, but they are invariably different from the real media they are trying to copy. The tools that the app developers make are unique unto themselves. 

My daughter sleeping. I was able to paint this during a flight to San Diego on the plane. If only I had this during all my commutes on the DC Metro Orange Line!

Why does digital art have a stigma? It's likely because of the art published that was traced, or painted over in some program like Photoshop. Apps that make photos mimic paintings through programmed filters are very popular. It's easy to see why artists feel threatened by this. I totally understand why some collectors or even artist themselves don’t want anything that can be mass produced. Rather they desire something that is handcrafted, one of a kind. After all, a digital drawing can be mass produced with ease. But let me argue this point, fine art has been reproduced for a long time. So what’s different with digital art? If drawn and rendered by the artist, is it not art to be appreciated and admired? Some artist go the route of only reproducing limited prints or even limit it to one digital art print. What's the difference between that and a clay sculpture made from a cast? 

Nick's Restaurant

A plein air study from the shelter of the Monticello Arcade archway during a rain storm.

Norfolk Light Rail

Will the digital art form ever rise to the level of traditional methods such as oil, watercolor and pastel? There are many artists that use the digital medium. Is it because it's ability to reproduce an exact copy each and every time? Andy Warhol made reproductions and used the argument that with each pass, the image itself changed, making it a unique piece. Thomas Kincaid made mass reproductions of his work with people embellishing paint on the print to make them individualized. I won't make any other comparisons to these artists, but you get my point, slight alterations can make anything "unique".

Over the past year, I have been approached by people wanting to purchase the digital art I've created. Some people are unaware that the artwork is digitally made. I truly believe that my drawing, color, design, and composition have been improved by digital painting. I have been perplexed with how to reproduce it in a way that is ready to hang. It is been quite frustrating to know that prints of my traditional paintings purchased by friends are still boxed up, unframed years later. I myself am guilty of this and know that the cost of a frame can be at times more than the cost of the print. There are services for printing digital art ready to hang with out the fuss of going to a framer. I look forward with seeing how the results pan out.

Let's look at the benefits of digital painting. I have found an outlet to create visual comps for ideas to paint and flesh them out. With the assist of a television to project them on, I can see if they will work as a large scale painting. Seriously, how cool is this? For oil paintings that I personally am stuck on, digital painting over a photo allows me to work out ideas to complete the painting and solve problems. Plein air digital painting is even being offered now by artists that work professionally in movie and gaming industry. The digital art form is a tool and medium unto itself and deserves equal respect for those that choose to create work in it.

Plein air study from Norfolk Waterside Marriott.

Imagined street scene of Hong Kong using Zen Brush II.

I created this study and then used this as a guide to create a larger painting with oil paint.

Another study based from my sailing experiences.

Using ArtRage to prep colors for another painting in the near future.

Using ArtRage to prep colors for another painting in the near future., originally uploaded by Liquidmethod.

"Chica y Coche" : a digital sketch inspired from random internet photograph.

"Chica y Coche" : a digital sketch inspired from random internet photograph., originally uploaded by Liquidmethod.