10/08/2007: "Software, Hard Heads" by Bruce Price

Say you want to plunge (deeper) into digital. You might start by visiting digitalart.org to look at all the sci-fi, goth, fantasy and commercial stuff being done. No matter what your goals, it's inspiring to see what some of these "pixel pushers" can do.

If you register to put art on that site, there's a pull-down menu to indicate your software. It lists more than 135 programs! With names like Blender, Chaos Pro, Maya, Curvey 3D, Satori. I'm always amazed there are so many. Each has its own personality and bag of tricks. (I've played with only a fraction but I'll nominate ZBrush from Pixologic as the program that most gives you the sensation that you are dealing with genius.)

Remember, you can get a trial version of anything on the planet. I'd say download several and play, play, play. You can make something interesting with even the minor programs. Check this out: I somehow built a whole career on two programs so minor they are NOT on that pull-down menu. This shouldn't be possible.

The beginning, about 1996, was PhotoMaker, now called Color It!, from Microfrontier. A wonderful small program; I could have spent a lifetime with this thing. But at that time it didn't have layers, which I thought I needed. (The developers kept saying they would build a new site with a gallery of my early work, but they haven't.)

The weird luck continued. I'm a Gemini, I like schizoid things, so I fell in love with the early ads for Canvas: IT DOES EVERYTHING. I finally bought Canvas 7, 8, 9 and 10. All the art I placed in 35 shows was done on Canvas, with seasoning from ZBrush and Eye Candy. It seems I was the only artist in the world using Canvas for fine art. The owners, in Miami, said, "Great. We'll show your work on our site." But at that moment they sold to a company in Vancouver. People who decided to market the world's most versatile program as a one-trick pony: technical illustration. To me they said: "Art???" These Canadians decided that technical illustrators wouldn't care to know what the program can do around the edges. Hey, Canvas, you broke my heart, but I still love your program.

Here's my second, even bigger digital disappointment. You'd never guess. Timex. I had many a Timex analog, the best cheap business watch made. Back around 1990, I started salivating: "Boy, it'll be SO great to see what Timex does with the digital watch. I can't wait!" I'm still waiting. Timex, Casio and the rest evidently decided that digital was synonymous with 1) ugly and 2) hard to use. (I've owned a bunch.) Timex, you great American company, what are you thinking? I wish l had been your design strategist all these years; help keep you ahead of the competition. I do consult. (I just redesigned my art site ArtNorfolk.com, trying to make it aggressively elegant and easy to use--which is what your watches should be.)

BTW: ArtNorfolk.com now shows three kinds of art, not just digital.

Replies: 8 Comments

on Thursday, October 11th, BradMM said

Correction: From; So in the early mid-1980's, Russell and I listened to digital for the first time... to, "So in the early mid-1970's, Russell and I listened to digital for the first time."

on Wednesday, October 10th, BradMM said

As an artist, I was first "touched," by digital dabbling in the music business, while I also photographed, and wrote. My best friend, Russell Berger, and I built up to a 24 track analog home recording studio in Dallas Texas (Highgrove House Inc.). We cut demos for individuals, and groups, & songwriters, who'd then get their works rerecorded in LA, or NYC, or Nashville. There was a lot of talent in musical Texas - but you had to find your career elsewhere. Russell and I provided a service, and enjoyed the hell out of keeping company with so many people of creativity who could paint, or sing, or play the piano, or wordsmith a great lyric. Artists are creative, and living around creativity is like polishing a bronze knob - the more you rub against it - the shinier it becomes - the residue is a part of that shining you carry off as your effort for being there – surrounded in the life.

When digital began to reach its fingers into the world of creatives at our level – the wind was sort of let out of the sails and a rendering came to stand in its place. Digital hit the music biz about 10 years earlier than it did the world of photography. So in the early mid-1980's, Russell and I listened to digital for the first time. We knew everything about the medium was going to change - not just from the hardware aspect - but also from this newest vision of resonance that came from comparing digital to analog reproduction. At first, some people that thought that even listening to a digital reproduction sound would somehow coil up your brain cells - much worse than acid... It was a hard sell early on - like anything new and improved that threatens to change the habits irrevocably of people hardened in old ways and learned habits of expression. Russell and I could see the writing on the walls. Eventually, I moved to LA - expecting to get closer to the music industry as a visual artist - instead, I got caught up in the beauty of the earth, and veered further into landscapes and wildlife – moving farther from images of humanity. Russell decided to use his engineering talents, and the art of his ear, and imagination, and went on to become one of the world's most renowned acoustical engineers and music studio, sound environment designers. Check him out Russell Berger Design Group (RBDG)… Russ makes me a proud friend. Anyway, that's my Timex story. It prepared me for ten years later when digital began poking it'd nose into the realm s of the visual arts. I knew it was an inevitable invasion - but the capture aspect developed so much fasted than a printing counterpart. Likely a reason I took time out in the early 1990's to work with my hands in sculpture, and 3-D projects that incorporated sound (analog) and kinetic qualities whenever possible. Now, we are all soo digitalized – even when we try to avoid it – it imprints upon everything we must come into contact with in this ever-growing age of digital information – stored and rendered. Still, there is no end in sight.

I imagine myself finding the day where I can purchase ocular implants to project images from my, "other," Nanotechnology implants. Imagine, recording your dreams for playback in the morning when you wake up! Artists have a lot on their plate, and as time goes by - there might come the day when nothing will be left unseen of our imaginations.

on Wednesday, October 10th, Ellen said

Bruce-
Several years ago I embraced the computer as a marvelous tool with which to augment my art and/or explore options for art, design and photography. The various software programs are FABULOUS! Last spring I attended a two day Adobe conference and was dazzled, but there are many, many other companies that are also producing great programs. As a relative novice, it's hard to keep up with the technology, but a wonderful ride! In the immortal words of lynda.com "May all your pixels be bright", Burce!!

on Wednesday, October 10th, jose said

Keep it up Bruce, Digital is here to stay, at least in our life-time, and something worthwhile looking into for artists in all fields. Thanks for the tip, Photoshop is my work horse, the one I get the quickest results from for use in my cd and dvd presentations, but I'll go check those out.

on Tuesday, October 9th, Bruce Price said

ArtNorfolk was for five years a digital art site--now it's mixed. That's news.
Somehow the name of the BLOG got left out--which is DigitalRising. I explain digital developments.

In a somewhat longer version of the column, which I cut, I discussed how I built the new site with iWeb, and carried on about how iWeb is a fine example of digital empowerment.

I think my unrequited love afffair with Timex is a fine example of digital heartache.

on Tuesday, October 9th, Mark said

Brad, I understand when one works in a particular medium it is good to find new things, hope you find something.

on Tuesday, October 9th, Brad Michael Moore said

I don't know Mark - however, as a digital artist, its always good to know there are newer toys on the block that might offer something more than PhotoShop, etc...

on Monday, October 8th, Mark said

ArtNorfolk.com......Blog or add? AA, we have seen a lot of blog/adds lately, at least in my humble opinion. But then maybe that is what blogging is all about. Getting one into the view of others via blog or add. Is there realy a difference?

Art Blogs - Artblogs - Art Weblogs - absolutearts.com - wwar.com

10/08/2007: "Software, Hard Heads" by Bruce Price