There is no question that computer technology has changed the face of art and how traditional art such as painting, drawing, photography and sculpture is created. Many artists are familiar with the newer tools of the trade – Photoshop, Corel Draw and Painter, Illustrator, Wacom tablets, and a slew of others. As well, out of these new technologies, new forms of art have emerged including net art, virtual reality, and digital installation art.
Recently, I came across a news story about artist Jorge Colombo and his June 1st New Yorker cover artwork. Having a major magazine publish your artwork on it’s cover is an amazing accomplishment in itself. Even more amazing is the fact that his painting, (created while standing outside Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Times Square), was made on his iPhone in less than an hour using a $4.99 digital painting application called Brushes.
The advantages of using digital technology to create art are abundant: preparation time and clean up time are virtually eliminated, you can create anywhere, error correction is a quick “undo”, and in the long run, the expense may be lower.
I’m a big fan of using digital software to create and manipulate pencil drawings, paintings, and photographs. Having these technological tools certainly makes creating easier, but it doesn’t make one an instant artist. You won’t create a masterpiece if you don’t know how to use the tools and if you don’t have artistic vision. Education (formal or otherwise), committed practice, and perseverance are still the most important ingredients in succeeding as an artist. I’m still learning.
The video below shows all of the brushstrokes in the making of Colombo’s New Yorker image (yes the software can do that too). To view more of his iPhone and traditional art visit JorgeColombo.com.