Part 4: Research - The Future of Digital Illustration

 Thinking about digital art and traditional art and the distinction between the two, I believe that as time goes on and technology continues to advance the distinction will get harder to define in terms of how we view the illustration. You won't necessarily be able to tell the difference but the process for the artist will be what distinguishes it.

For example in animation which started with stop motion from hand drawn illustrations, created over and over again in very slight adjustments to make the character move, back then it was very obvious that the image was created with traditional mediums due to the textures and overall look. When drawn traditionally lines are harder to get perfect, there is a simplicity to it and of course in the days of Steam Boat Willie, animation was still quite new and the team at Disney did not have the equipment we see now to create detailed illustrated characters. This does not take away from the skill of the animators but is evidence of the nature of hand drawn work.

When you compare Steam Boat Willie with Disney's Frozen 2, you can see just how much animation has evolved with the use of computers. Backgrounds and scenery that once were painted by hand are now created to the most life like accuracy. So much so, hair or fur looks so real you can almost feel it through the screen. Water and ice look so realistic and each element has been skilfully built through the use of initial sketches right through to mapping movement with software to gain accuracy down to the last drop. Each movement has been timed and shaped by the computer.

It's not just animation that shows the advancement of technology so well but also drawing programs such as Procreate. Allowing us to draw on an iPad just like you would with a normal sketchbook and using a pen that looks and feels like a real pen. The brushes offered in the program are created to be life like, from the simple 6b pencil through to washes of gouache, acrylics, textures and more.

Artists are now making their own brush packs for Procreate and they are becoming more like the real thing all the time.

If you want a brush that looks like a wash of watercolour you can find it on this app. Of course there are some limitations in that they aren't 100% accurate yet but they are certainly very close to it.

As a painter myself, I have wanted to try bringing my painterly style into my digital work and this year tried out the Max Pack Gouache brushes which are amazingly accurate like real paint strokes. I was able to create that painterly look without using a drop of real paint.

I don't personally feel like there is a clear distinction between digital and non-digital illustrations these days. The advancement of technology right now is so accurate that you could easily be fooled into thinking that an illustration created digitally was not traditionally made.

This video is a good example:

However, it does depend on the intention of the artist, some digital illustrations are obviously digital and others like the illustration above are made to look like non-digital but are in fact created digitally.

I don't believe digital art will ever completely take over non-digital because both mediums are very different and have their own skill sets. Depending on the artist and what they enjoy working with will determine what is used to create the artwork. 

Despite being able to create art that looks traditionally made doesn't mean that traditional is dead. You can't create the feel of real paper or the messiness of oils on a computer. It may look like the real thing but to the artist it won't feel like it. Some artists like being messy and using traditional supplies and some prefer the portability and cleanness of digital. You can love both and I personally do.

Part 4: Exercise - Pixelated Images

Researching Pixel Art:

I began this exercise by researching current pixel artists on Instagram to see what the styles were like and gain inspiration for where I might take my own illustrations. These are the works I found most inspiring because of their simplicity, simple colour palette and the themes, which are all themes that I enjoy working with too. In my research I also included more detailed pixel art, including portraits to show the scope of what can be achieved in this medium. 

Even with the simpler illustrations, for example the ice cream sundae by tabsky_ and the pastel coloured wrapped chocolate bars by umikopixel show that shadows and highlights can be shown effectively with colour gradients using lighter and darker tones of the same colour. Both of these illustrations have a retro feel about them due to the colours used and the fact that they are pixel art rather than more smoother lines we use today. These pixel art works remind me of the simple computer games I used to play as a teenager.

https://www.instagram.com/tabsky_/

https://www.instagram.com/nonnano_ss/

https://www.instagram.com/sarahaqparast/

https://www.instagram.com/bamsartdump/

https://www.instagram.com/oharu3haruka/

https://www.instagram.com/umikopixel/

https://www.instagram.com/dimensionx_nftgallery/

https://www.instagram.com/aloof_cat/

https://www.instagram.com/grand.pixelart/

Pixel artist art_pixasso has created a game to colour your favourite paintings in this pixel style. This artist has re-created several famous art works using the pixel painting technique. These are some of my favourites:

Monet, Sunrise

 Van Gogh, The Starry Night

Klimt, The Kiss

Matisse, Blue Nudes II

Hokusai, The Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa

https://www.instagram.com/art_pixasso/

It's amazing how instantly recognisable these paintings are and how our eyes fill in the scenes to inform us of what they are.

Further Pixel Art Inspiration:

These cute bluetooth speakers are very popular right now, showing an emergence of pixel art among       younger people who perhaps missed out on the trend in the 90's. 

A new artist I found Kindy, recently created this pixel illustration which I found really inspiring because of the colours, ducks and computer game feel. The detail Kindy has achieved shows what can be achieved despite the limitations of the square brush.

Sketchbook pages:

At first I didn't know where I would take this exercise. My relationship to technology has covered many things over the years but one theme that came out more than the rest was gaming. Since a teenager I've had consoles and a keen interest in computers. After testing a few ideas I decided to base my inspiration on the game Animal Crossing which reignited my love of gaming during the pandemic. Everything about the game is cute and cosy, nature themed and animal characters. My illustrations have featured cottages many times over the years and one of the features in the game is to build and decorate your own home. Home to me is a visual representation of myself. The style, colours, simplicity and that feeling of comfort you get from your own space. I decided to use this as a starting point for my pixel illustrations.

Final Pixel Illustrated Icons:

To create my pixel icons I first researched how to create them digitally on Procreate which is the drawing software I use for a lot of my illustrations. I have made pixel art in the past using grid paper and coloured pens and so I wanted to try this digitally, especially as it fits with the gaming theme so well.

I learnt how to create my own square pixel brush and how to set up the grid by following tutorials on YouTube. It was a bit of trial and error at first and I practised just making marks on a page before starting the illustrations to get used to drawing in this pixel by pixel way.

After importing my sketches from my sketchbook into Procreate I began drawing with black to create the outlines, but soon realised that it looked too harsh and didn't fit the cosy theme I wanted to portray.

I chose a limited colour palette from my favourite pastel and muted tones because I wanted the colours to represent what I like as the icons are an expression of me over the years with gaming.

Once my icons were complete I had the issue of them being blurry when I exported them, so I followed a tutorial to fix this and have therefore shown both sizes for the final illustrations.

Winter:

Icon Size

Adjusted to Show Larger.

Spring:

Icon Size

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Icon Size

Summer:

Adjusted to Show Larger.

Autumn:

Icon Size

Adjusted to Show Larger.

Reflection:

After completing these pixel icons I concluded that these would be great for gamers who love that cute and cosy feel. Depending on the age of the person would possibly determine which icon they related to the best.

I am really pleased with how these icons turned out and how they visually communicate the advancement in technology via the seasons and amount of details used in each. The colours work well and I have been able to introduce more shades of colours for the latter ones. Working in pixels was both challenging and fun and I think with more practice I could get even better results. Overall I am really pleased with them and how they represent my journey. These would look great as profile icons for games consoles.

My approach to this exercise was to take on board my tutor's comments to spend more time in the research and planning phase. I made sure to test several ideas and really think through how I wanted to communicate and tell the story visually of my journey with gaming. This testing and thinking phase was crucial to the overall end result. My initial ideas were too complex and weren't personal enough. By narrowing my ideas down, I managed to come up with a concept that was from my true voice and style and meant something personal to me.

References:

Store.steampowered.com. 2022. PIXASSO on Steam. [online] Available at: <https://store.steampowered.com/app/1706610/PIXASSO/> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Youtu.be. 2020. Pixel Art for BEGINNERS [Procreate Pixel Art Tutorial]. [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/rURt1YyEbJQ> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Youtu.be. 2020. MAKE A PIXEL BRUSH IN PROCREATE - complete walkthrough. [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/gDuUvIHt66s> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Youtu.be. 2020. Procreate Pixel Art Class & FREE brushes!. [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/JicplHq6l44> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Youtu.be. 2022. How to export your Procreate pixel art (GOODBYE BLURRY IMAGES). [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/ktjiYjwHp5k> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Youtu.be. 2019. Pixelart on iPad [COMPLETE PROCREATE TUTORIAL] (+Pixaki). [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/WepVBzhYoP8> [Accessed 27 July 2022].

Yatzer. 2022. Art History Pixelated : New Watercolour Paintings by Adam Lister | Yatzer. [online] Available at: <https://www.yatzer.com/adam-lister-art-history-101> [Accessed 10 August 2022].

Creative Bloq. 2022. Pixel art: 30 great examples. [online] Available at: <https://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/examples-pixel-art-2132036> [Accessed 11 August 2022].

Youtu.be. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/Jf-YYPur5q0> [Accessed 14 September 2022].

Mario.nintendo.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://mario.nintendo.com/history/> [Accessed 1 October 2022].

Youtu.be. 2022. Evolution of Animal Crossing (2001 - 2021). [online] Available at: <https://youtu.be/cFAEjJ9-vaU> [Accessed 1 October 2022].

Part 4: Research - Street Art

 To celebrate Late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee June 2022.

Mural installation in Hadleigh, Suffolk.

This mural created by local residents Mark and Pam Brennen as an installation to commemorate the Late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee residing on the side of a building society in the high street of Hadleigh, Suffolk. The location is a place where many people pass by by foot or by vehicle and is a bold, icon that symbolises the strength Queen Elizabeth delivered to her people during her reign. 

The Union Jack as the background communicates the country she served and the artist has used those colours in Queen Elizabeth's portrait which strengthens the image and is symbolic of how her service to our country was her whole life. It's pop art style, is bold and communicates the message in a clear and concise way. The gold of Queen Elizabeth's crown and earrings serves to communicate wealth, royalty and elegance. I believe the image was created from a well known photograph from her coronation on 2nd June 1953, this serves to show the passage of time of her reign. 

This mural has since become a memorial for our Late Queen since her recent passing and people have laid flowers and messages by it as a symbol of their gratitude to her and their love.

This street art is a good example of 'graffiti' being of value and adding to the community, whilst upholding a strong message and positive communication to the town. 

Mural in Harwich

Starlings Dovercourt -

This graffiti was commissioned by the local council to cover the hoarding around a marked site that was to be rejuvenated after demolition. I tried to find more information on the relevance of the artwork but couldn't find anything. Residents of Dovercourt may be more informed than I am. These photos were taken by my Husband on a site visit to show another example of street art fairly local to us.

Further Research on Street Art in Other Locations:

https://youtu.be/AoL5zykVYws

https://youtu.be/7zXx2OVO_X4

https://youtu.be/8MYGPWBodxQ

Group in Brandon Suffolk who regularly yarn bomb around the community for different events and charities. One lady in particular got a letter from the Queen in response to her sharing the groups activities for her Platinum Jubilee. Facebook.com. 2022. Redirecting.... [online] Available at: <https://www.facebook.com/groups/395113397571360/> [Accessed 12 August 2022].

London Kaye - Yarn Bomber: 

https://www.instagram.com/madebylondon/

Tunbridge Wells Yarn Bomber:

https://www.instagram.com/tunbridgewellsyarnbomber/

Poppies in churches across Suffolk for remembrance Sunday.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2018/10/29/21000-knitted-poppies-donated-for-church-tower-cascade/

David Zinn - Chalk Pavement Artist:

https://youtu.be/nW-MbHbLpBE

https://www.instagram.com/davidzinn/ 

Summary:

The context is very important when understanding street art. The examples I've picked all stem from important national issues, events or social awareness with the exception of the chalk pavement art, which is comical and adds a sense of humour to daily life. I feel like these types of street art add value to the community and a voice to the people in a way that is valid and acceptable.

Graffiti for the sake of defacing property or 'tagging' is a selfish act with no context for others, therefore doesn't benefit the community in which it is placed in and is simply vandalism.

References:

East Anglian Daily Times. 2022. 7 of the best murals and street art to check out in Suffolk. [online] Available at: <https://www.eadt.co.uk/things-to-do/7-best-street-art-murals-in-suffolk-8342092> [Accessed 23 May 2022].

East Anglian Daily Times. 2022. Banksy artwork increases price of empty Lowestoft store by £200,000. [online] Available at: <https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/banksy-mural-lowestoft-shop-for-sale-8287348> [Accessed 23 May 2022].

Instagram.com. 2022. Login • Instagram. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/rachthepachel/?hl=en> [Accessed 23 May 2022].

Instagram.com. 2022. Ninja Yarnbomber (@tunbridgewellsyarnbomber) • Instagram photos and videos. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/tunbridgewellsyarnbomber/> [Accessed 12 August 2022].

Let's Roam Explorer. 2022. The History of Street Art. [online] Available at: <https://www.letsroam.com/explorer/history-of-street-art/> [Accessed 12 August 2022].