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DIGITAL FINE ART- WHERE'S THE ORIGINAL?!! (read this article if you would like one digital artist's clarification on this touchy issue) Do you show your work at the fantasy and sci fi cons? None this year, but this could change. Can I use your art work? Yes you may use my art work, but it MUST be for non-commercial, personal use such as decorations for your website and wall paper for you computer. You must ALSO, acknowledge me clearly as the artist, and provide a link to my website at: www.dragontree.net (if it's on your website). In my travels on the Internet, I see a lot of people "collecting" pretty art with absolutely no sign of who the artists are who created it. I STRONGLY recommend that you DO NOT do this--ask for permission from the artists, and give credit where credit is due. I also request that you don't alter any of my work. Does this include? I have recently been getting a barrage of requests to use my art for 'siggis,' headers, buttons, backgrounds, etc... So many in fact, that I've stopped answering them, so thought I'd address it here... I've decided that you CAN, for this kind of manipulation, use and alter my art. Recognition and links should be provided if at all possible for me as the artist. What hardware do you use? I'm working on Dell 2.0 GHZ, 1gb of RAM. With a dual monitor graphics card. However the early body of my work was created on a 200 mhz machine. I also use a Wacom Graphics tablet extensively. What Software do you use, and why? I have four basic programs that I use in my digital work ... and I use any combination of them to create the picture I have in mind: Photoshop, Illustrator, Poser, World Builder, 3DStudio MAX. Photoshop is used for hand painting, texture creation, and file processing; Poser, for creation of some creatures and human figures; World Builder for plants and back ground; 3D Studio MAX for creation of interior scenes, buildings, and objects. I have not used World Builder in quite a while, so do not know what it can do in recent revisions... when I was using it, I found it to be a NON-user friendly program... in any case, I have been doing much more in the way of traditional painting in recent years, and find that now my computer skills are used for commercial graphics and for preparatory work for paintings. I use most of these programs to help me visualize composition and perspective in my traditional work. Do you have a philosophy? I like pretty, colorful pictures that lift the heart to look at them. They don't necessarily have a meaning, but they usually suggest a story. If you look, you will notice that I often like to have a "watcher" in my scenes... other than you. Quite often this is a cat -- some person or creature that is on the side, looking at the action in the scene. Sometimes, I even like a watcher watching the watcher. So, I guess I would have to say that if I have a philosophy, it is that art should be fun--fun to create, and fun to look at. Where do you get your ideas? This is a common question. And, like most artists, I say "from everywhere." But one thing that a lot of people might not realize is that a germ of an idea might evolve into who knows what, and it's often up to the artist to just "let" this happen. Sometimes it will start with a cool thing I create -- like a column, maybe, or an old stone wall, and I'll try to think what I can put it in, build around it, DO with it. I might fuss with ideas for a couple of weeks, then throw the column out all together because it doesn't fit in the scene that finally evolves. One of my greatest lessons in this "art adventure" of mine, has been to not give up. If I fuss enough, stick with it long enough, try it from enough angles, I will usually succeed... I hate to shelve an idea, but that does happen occasionally when I realize my idea or approach is simply not going to work. What about 2D versus 3D versus traditional? I often think of my 2D art work -- art that is hand painted -- as 'traditional,' but of course, a true traditional artist would probably beg to differ. Many people still don't think of art created on the computer as 'true' art. I began as a 3D artist, and have recently branched into 2D, hand painted, art ... which is a new experience for me. At first I felt as if I were cheating. Many 3D artists are '3D purists', and consider any 2D post-render touch-ups or additions a sign that the 3D artist does not have the ability to do it ALL in 3D, and is therefore a failing. They are right, of course, but I choose to believe that there are things in both 2D and 3D that cannot be accomplished, so why not combine the two to get what you want. I enjoy stretching myself in all directions. Recently I'm finding that the computer compliments traditional art work, and traditional art work compliment digital work. How do you recommend someone getting started doing this kind of art? I usually recommend for people getting their feet wet in the 3D environment, that they start with a program called Bryce. It's affordable, and a novice can begin make cool stuff from the onset, yet it is also capable of doing amazing, surrealistic and realistic scenes. Doing a search on the web for Bryce should uncover a wealth of information. If you can afford it, Photoshop is highly recommended and will be the foundation of your software stable for a lot of reasons. If you would like to put 3D people and animals in your scenes, then add Poser to your collection. All of these programs can be self-taught, however, many colleges and schools now have computer art curriculum. Do you need to take formal art classes? Well, I didn't, so I guess you don't NEED to. However a feel for composition, combining colors, creating depth and perspective is vital to making interesting scenes. If this doesn't come naturally to you, I would recommend art classes. I definitely recommend learning to draw and sketch. This has been one of my weakest areas, and I'm constantly striving to learn more. You can also learn SO much by looking at other artists' art. Analyze what makes their scenes successful -- maybe not so successful -- etc. And never be afraid to experiment, experiment, experiment. What is the secret to getting the detail into your pictures? I tell people that you CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY PIXELS! 3D art is the exception in that you create the scene, and THEN render it at whatever pixel count you want for out put. However, if you plan to paint any post-render detail, you need to have sufficient pixels to zero right in there to the pupil of an eyeball, for example, and have enough pixels to paint a gleam in the eye. For output, and to create my intricate costumes, etc... I work in as high a pixel count as my machine can handle--4000 to 6000 pixels. This will, of course depend on the scene. If that lady with the intricate costume is small in the picture, you will need more over-all pixels in order to paint the detail in her outfit, but if she fills the scene, then she will have more pixels as a result of her relative size. How about making a living doing this, or a career in computer art? I'm sorry, I'm not the right person to ask about this. I do some freelance work, but mainly concentrate on my art for my own enjoyment. I'm basically retired, and do not press to make my creative efforts pay. What about animation? It's been on my list to move into animation for years. All of the 3D programs I use are capable of animation, however, I've been seriously side-tracked by fantasy still scenes. Which brings me to another topic... many people become over-whelmed by the capability of a program, and all there is to learn ... my advice is to learn small pieces at a time ... whatever interests you the most, and not worry about the rest. In fact, learning by doing is a great method.
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