Pitor Maciaszek (PitPistolet)

Pitor Maciaszek, otherwise known by his alternate web name, PitPistolet on deviant art, is a digital manipulation artist who creates very surreal images, and pieces using digital resources.

(Image referenced at this link > http://pitpistolet.deviantart.com/art/Reaching-the-sky-2-117046600) I love this piece, it is so surreal, and very well imagined. He is a very creative, and talented artist, who has a lot of skill when it comes to creating work in this divers, and well regarded genre.

He was featured in the 75 most creative digital photo manipulation artworks, at this link > http://121clicks.com/inspirations/75-most-creative-digital-photo-manipulation-art-works

http://pitpistolet.deviantart.com < Link to his great page.

Niomi (theimagination)

Niomi, otherwise known by her deviant art name, theimagination (see link here to her great page > http://theimagination.deviantart.com),
is a digital manipulation artist from the United States, who creates a varied amount of work, that she publishes to her deviant art page.

 (image can be referenced her, at this link > http://theimagination.deviantart.com/art/everything-i-see-158610706)

The image above, I absolutely adore. I love her use of strong, vivid bursting colours, and motion that you can see clearly through her brush strokes. This image she has created is a well crafted mixture between photography, and digital creation. It is almost seamless, it just really works well.

I will be adding her to my artists list, on my deviant art account, and keep an eye on her future digital manipulation work.

Thomas.

Digital Tester #1

My first digitally developed experimental piece, using my computer, for this new digital manipulation unit (below). I enhanced one of my existing illustrations, which was an watercolour painting that I created during the animal project. I tried to enhance the texture, and also the tone, by creating a more varied, and softer palette of colours.

(My first digital image sketch, this one is of a pheasant, that I drew during the animals project).

(Accident with sketchbook fill tool, but I personally think it works really well, so decided to include it in my development blog).

My first digital image I worked into, was from one of my traditional sketches, (from the animal unit), of a pheasant. 

I decided to use bright vivid colours, and I wanted to give the sketch a smooth look, in terms of shading and detail. I also experimented with certain brush strokes, such as rough and sketchy, (as you can see on the neck, and the section just behind the bird's beak). I will be working on more, over the coming three weeks, that this unit progresses for. Really excited to continue work.

Made using sketchbook express.

Thomas.

Mac Work

Today, for the Mac studies session, I brought my own personal Mac in from home, in order to do digital manipulation.

On my computer, I have several artistic programs in order to work with. These include the following, in list order.

- Sketchbook Express (my favourite)
- Sketchbook Copic Edition
- Gimp (for intense editing)
- iPhoto (for simple photo editing)

I will be getting a full copy of photoshop, maybe CS5/6, in the new year.

If I need to use photoshop at some point in the day, I can easily go on one of the iMacs, in the Illustration studio.

Thomas.

Print Room session

Today, early on this morning, I had a print room session with Andrew.
This involved using a variety of different materials, colours, styles, as well as techniques.

In this session, I have been experimenting with the creation of prints, and this will hopefully allow me to gather 'research' into types and styles of prints, using a wide range of techniques for the progression of bringing the print element into one or two of my final pieces.

Some prints I made using leaves. (Some better versions of these leaves turned out to be implemented into one of my finals)

I used such items as squeezers, sponges, my hands, and applying pressure manually, as well as with the printing press.

I decided to pick my favourite colours to use, as well as my favourite pattern styles. I love how abstract these prints came out, and I do have my own personal favourite, which I will go into further detail below.

(Favourite print)

This is my favourite print, that came from today's session. It has perfect curves, and just the right amount of ink in my opinion, with not too much dark colours. I cannot wait to scan this in, to use in my digital manipulation work. I wish to see what can be made from it. I will use this print, in one of my 'digital testers' to see how combining digital mediums, work with a traditional form.

I will be blogging/updating most of the day, to keep up to date.

Thomas.

Griffsnuff (Tina)

Griffsnuff, the first artist who I wish to research, is a 23 year old digital artist, and animator from Norway, who is a personal favourite of mine. She showcases her work on such sites, as deviant art, and Krillbite. >http://www.krillbite.com who she works for, as a 2D artist who creates concept art, and works on developing in game textures.

She states that she has been drawing from a very early age, and began her venture into the digital medium in the year of 2005. She participated in a 3 year basic art course at Hogskolen I Hedmark, Campus Hamar. She also studied animation, and interestingly she has a bachelor's degree in this. She says she is still learning, despite her not being in formal education anymore.

I love how she draws cartoon animals, which is my favourite style and theme, using digital techniques. She uses software tools such as photoshop CS3, Flash CS3 and Paint Tool SAI. For hardware tools she uses a graphics tablet, and her model is a Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet.
She uses very bold colour tones, as well as thick line art, to create pieces that stand out very much to the viewer.

I definitely take inspiration from her work, as she has such a unique and 'loveable' style, which I greatly admire. She creates animal characters, usually of canines, like I do.

I would like to use elements of her work, as part of one of my final pieces, which will consist of four digital images, in jpg format. For the creation of these images, I will use adobe photoshop CC (Griffsnuff uses photoshop to create some of her pieces), and Sketchbook Express, as my main digital manipulation suites.

http://griffsnuff.deviantart.com/art/Header-391176314 < image reference at this link.

I created this digital tester (above), using inspiration from her style. You can find this tester here at this this link. > (https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6973146728022153024#editor/target=post;postID=4497169258039852495;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=4;src=postname)

http://griffsnuff.deviantart.com < her deviant art site page, this is also where I got reference on the research on. I also go reference here, at this link also > http://www.krillbite.com

Thomas.

Introduction to Digital manipulation

Excited to start the newest project, which is digital manipulation

The topic began with a lecture from Amy, and Ben. Detailing at a glance, how to use Macs. I'm good with them, as I've been using them since 2008, so personally, I am ready to go.

After this, there were some detailed workshops on the wacom tablets with photoshop, and how to digitally print, with the printers.

Very good day, made me very excited to begin the actual work, of making digital sketches.

At the end of the unit, I need to produce a minimum of 4 digital images. I have been thinking of a few things I could do, I would like to use a specific theme, I have been thinking either of nature, or of a reportage theme, taking after my first unit.

Update:
I have decided to go with a theme of nature, I will produce digital testers of some animal/nature oriented work. This will also be my practise/development, and I will attempt to use elements of print in a few of my testers, and see how it turns out. If I like how these combined mediums work, I will bring an element of print into at least one of my digital final prints.

I'd like to go with this plan, for my final pieces.

Final #1: Reptile
Final #2: Canine
Final #3: A natural element
Final #4: Another natural element*

Update, my 4th final piece, I have decided to change, to a human form. This still ties in with my natural theme, as the human body is still an organic/natural element.

Thomas.