Brush, Palette, Mouse....Ready For the Louvre

Last year I was black-balled from entry into a Facebook group of artists - condemned for being an "events photographer". I suspect it was also because I was unable to speak Artish and would not get a tattoo or a man-bun.

Whatever, it set me out on a quest to become an artist in spite of the critics. I thought long and hard about what art I would pursue. Making miniature scenes was all very well, and taking pictures of weddings and hot rods and pretty girls might be a good training ground, but something more was needed. Something that would say Art loud enough and in a condescending enough manner to allow me to sit in a coffee shop and fill out Centrelink forms...What to do...What to do...

Then I had it. Digital art. Prints derived from images that I have taken, suitably modified until either they resemble other media or I resemble other artists.

Armed with that determination I ordered this book:

Focal press books are generally good, though they have had some authors who seem to have spent too much time in coffee shops filling out Centrelink forms. But in this case, Susan Roddick Bloom seems to have hit upon just the right level of communication to help the novice. And fortunately , Camera Electronic equipped me with the rest of what I needed.

Of course, I needed the images in the first place, and I've a Drobo full of them. And a Wacom Intuous tablet - CE had those too -  and a new iMac computer. I also had the Epson printer I got from CE and it is calibrated with the Spyder Express, so I was nearly all set. Final piece in the chain was the image editing program...and I went with my faithful Photoshop Elements 14.

It proved to be a good choice. Ruddick's book is several years old, but the basic procedures that she outlined in Photoshop itself are now quite do-able in the latest Photoshop Elements. There have been no procedures or techniques mentioned in her text that cannot be done in PE, and very few of the references she makes to specific things need to be translated to another wordage. Adobe have been decent enough to keep the same things in the same drawers in the digital desk.

Ms. Bloom covers sketches, pastels, cont, oils, watercolours, and illustrations. She has a chapter on some of the commercial plug-ins that also simulate drawn art...and she is not too prissy to admit that they can be a good jumping-off point for fast starts. I've tried a little from many of the chapters and found her advice to be excellent. it was money well spent.

The Photoshop Elements 14 program was also money well spent - and if you are at all interested in getting into digital shooting and manipulation I can recommend it.

Now it will be a case of experiment, practise, and time. One day I hope to be refused entry into ever more prestigious art groups. If I can be ejected from the Hermitage, Tate, or MOMA I shall consider myself a success.

Uncle Dick

Hidden Asset - The Intuous Ink Well

Wacom Intuous Pro graphics tablets are wonderful. They let you edit pictures and do artwork on the computer screen with a facility that far exceeds that of the mouse and a precision that baffles the trackpad. They are electronic drawing pads and if you have any dexterity at all - or can develop it - they make it your artwork...work.

The kit that comes wit the Intuous Pro tablet has a stylus or pen that really is pen shaped - fits the hand well and has the heft of a real instrument - it also has a pen-rest that is shaped like a little fake ink well. Fun to use, and a real comfort at the end of an unsuccessful editing session; you can slam the pen down into it and stalk off...

But it also has a secret. Unscrew the base of the ink well and these stylus tips appear. There are a number of plain plastic ones that you can use for everyday poking but several - the grey ones that you see in the accompanying image - are made with a different texture. Some actually feel like a felt tip pen! There is also one that has a rubber tip for use on iDevices like screens and pads where you poke away instead of using your finger.

The central well of the stand has a metal ring that functions as a set of tweezers to pluck out and replace the different styli.

It's a clever sort of accessory for a clever sort of product.

No Need To Be Gloomy - Buy An EIZO

There I sit in my dark little room - drinking. Alone. With nothing but my memories to comfort me...

This would be a very sad post unless you realize that I am writing about sitting in my former chemical darkroom - long converted to a computer and printing room - with the lights down low, drinking espresso and editing photos on my iMac. And happy as Larry.

Well, perhaps not Larry - Moe maybe, or Shemp. Now, I love my iMac, because it is simple to use and I understand where the controls are located. I use it for blogging, surfing, FB'ing, and editing. But it has one small flaw - the screen in glossy and it reflects everything that it sees - including me peering into it*. hence the darkened room - I keep the lights low and diffuse so that I get a little more accuracy in what I see on the screen.

If I was honest with myself I would admit that it is time for a second screen - a dedicated monitor for the editing tasks. The EIZO are the best choice - they have a matte surface that does not reflect the surroundings. They have a warranted 5-year even illumination behind that surface - and their consistency in this is the best in the industry - and they have the correct circuitry to maintain the colour accuracy that you set.

It would mean being able to raise the general level of illumination in the room. Of course it would use up a bit more desk space, but the iMac keyboard is pretty small and the Wacom Intuous tablet can be shifted sideways.

And the espresso comes in tiny little cups anyway...

* A startling thing if you are not accustomed to it.

Take One Tablet And Call Me In The Morning

As long as it is a Wacom Intuous Pro tablet, that is. Good news is that you can call me wirelessly...

Okay, okay, enough of this. the new Wacom Intuous Pro computer tablets are here and the real difference between it and the Intuous 5 is that the new Pro has the wifi connection built in.

I am a great fan of the Wacom tablets - I have an Intuous 3 on my home computer and a Bamboo here on the laptop. They are the preferred method of image manipulation with the Aperture or Photoshop programs - you can get a far finer control for selection than ever you could with a mouse. Indeed, I only use a mouse for some typing programs, and that is getting rarer.

You get the lot with the Pro - stylus pen, electronic inkwell (?) tablet, battery, computer link, and a cord for battery charging. The freedom of position and the absence of clutter for your digital desktop is marvellous. I believe there is also provision to get quite a number of related programs as well - creative software like Adobe Photoshop Elements and Coreldraw.

Thoroughly recommended for anyone who does ANY post production. More good than a new lens.

Etch A Sketch Updated

Do you doodle? In public? During lectures? In bed? Do you sometimes come up with a real ripper...only to misplace it when you need it. Fear nought and read on.


The Wacom people who brought you the Bamboo and Intuous desk tablets and Cintique monitor tablets have invented a way to translate your sketches to your computer very easily.

The Wacom " Inkling" is a small box that you clip onto the top of whatever sketch pad, block of paper, or journal that you are writing or drawing in. It is battery powered and light so you are not dealing with a monster. You get a real ballpoint pen with refills in the Inkling set, and this transmits your pen strokes to the receiver as you sketch. you can press a button to tell the Inkling to record whatever you have done as a layer, and then continue right on sketching on the same drawing to add more. When you have finished, you connect the Inkling to your computer and it puts your drawing in with these series of layers as separate things - you can go on and erase and correct just as you please.

It comes in a small box that packs away all the components, rather like a writing case. Indeed, think of it as such and you have a perfect backup for handwritten letters that you may send out during the day, as well as for artwork that you might produce.

Does it work? We'll find out when they arrive and we squirrel one away for the staff to play with.

Intuos 5

Remember the computer you tried with the joystick control built onto the base of the housing? Then the one with the rolling ball - then the wired mouse - then the wireless mouse? Then the tablet that you tried out in the shop? And you didn't buy any of them because you were waiting for the best thing to evolve?  Time to loosen your wallet - the Wacom Intuos 5 has hit the market.

The Intuos 5 has all the capability of their earlier product - the Intuos 4 - and has added additional features that speed up your workflow and bring a more natural feel to what becomes a real artistic tool. The ability to control your operations through touch scrolling and zooming is added - of course there are even more controls built into the Express Keys and Touch Ring at the side of the tablet. The great thing about these side controls is that the tablet is ambidextrous - you can expand your ability to rotate, pan, and apply custom operations so that both your hands are comfortable - no more cross over fiddling.

If you want to know what you are doing - as opposed to why...- the tablet can send a heads-up display to your screen detailing current settings.

A simple addition of an accessory also means that this tablet can be wireless - one less electrical hose snaking across your desk. Fortunately the tablet uses the same excellent electronic brush as previous models - no need to retrain your hand.

Three sizes will be available - Small                ( 6" x 4")   at $ 255
                                             Medium           ( 9" x 6")   at $ 385
                                             Large               ( 12" x 8") at $ 529

As a long-time Intuos user I can readily testify that this is the best way to employ the retouching and compositional features of major image editing programs. The conversion from a mouse hold to a pen hold takes about 4 seconds to feel better. The effect on the arm and wrist are also magic - you don't realize how unnatural it is to try to draw with a bar of soap as opposed to a pencil until you try it! Different of course in the shower....

NEW Wacom 24in Cintiq HD Tablet

The Cintiq 24HD combines the best in high-definition LCD performance with the ability to work directly on screen. Its generous 24 inch display, wide colour gamut, and widescreen aspect ratio make this an ideal choice for colour-critical work. In addition, the new, adjustable, ergonomic features of the Cintiq 24HD assure hours of comfortable and productive use. 

 

 CINTIQ 24in Features:

• The ergonomically designed, counter-weighted stand allows users to adjust the incline and height of the Cintiq for multiple working postures, even allowing the display to extend over the edge of the desk and float in an ideal working position above the users lap. The intuitive handles and spring-assisted lift make display adjustments quick and easy.
• The wide frame of the Cintiq 24HD not only gives users a natural resting place for their hands while working, but also provides easy access to the five customizable, application-specific ExpressKeys™ and Touch Ring that are located on each side of the display’s frame. Featuring Wacom’s most advanced pen technology, which includes 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and 40° pen tilt recognition, the Cintiq 24HD Grip Pen offers natural control and creative expression.
• The Cintiq 24HD pen features Wacom’s proprietary Tip Sensor technology, which offers users near-zero (one gram) starting pressure and virtually the same natural experience as one working with traditional brushes or pens. The pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two side switches that can be customized for common commands, such as double-click and right-click.
• The front-mounted, finger-sensitive Touch Rings serve as a natural way to control up to 3 different application-specific functions each such as zoom, brush size, and canvas rotation.
• Compatible with both Mac and PC platforms, the Cintiq 24HD works seamlessly with your computer’s configuration, including another Cintiq, Wacom Intuos tablet, or your existing mouse. The Cintiq 24HD can also be installed as a single monitor or as part of a multi-monitor combination.

DISPLAY SPECIFICATIONS
Package Size	93.5 x 73.5 x 33.5 cm
Package Weight	38.5 kgs
Description	Cintiq 24HD Interactive Pen Display
Platform	Dual Platform: PC or Macintosh
Overall Dimensions	76.93 x 46.37 x 6.4 cm)
Display Area	24.1 inches (51.84 x 32.40 cm)
Screen Size	24.1 inches (61.21 cm)
Native Resolution	1920 x 1200 pixels
Unit Weight	29 kgs with stand
Aspect Ratio	16:10
Pen Pressure Levels	2048 on pen tip and eraser
Pen Tilt Range (Pen)	40°
Stand Adjustability	Stand arm incline adjustment: 2° to 77°, Range: 75°; Display incline adjustment: 88° to 165°, Range: 163°
BUNDLED SOFTWARE
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements	For selectively applying lighting and photo enhancements with the pen.
Autodesk® SketchBook® Express	A natural media drawing program, artists can sketch naturally and create effects similar to traditional materials, due to the pressure-sensitivity features of Wacom Tablets.
Corel® Painter™ Sketch Pad	For recreating the natural feeling of sketching and painting by hand.
Nik Color Efex Pro	Color Efex Pro filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Operating System	Windows 7, Vista (SP2) or XP (SP3); Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later
Connections	DisplayPort, DVI (VGA Adapter included), USB Port (pen data)