Digital painting
Digital painting ( Engl. : Digital Painting ), or digital drawing , refers to the creation of images on the computer using graphics software and input devices . The impression of traditional painting techniques such as watercolor , oil painting or impasto can be imitated.
history
Digital painting had its first high point in the so-called "paintbox era" when, from the mid-1980s, powerful and affordable computers and painting programs were available to everyone for the first time and young people in particular explored the new possibilities of creating digital images. During this time the claim was made that digital painting would create a new art direction. Today digital painting is one of many ways to create pictures digitally. There is a large selection of good image editing programs and special painting and drawing programs. The term digital painting is mostly used today in commercial illustration , graphic design and popular art.
illustration
Digital painting is widespread among illustrators and designers z. B. of visual worlds of computer games and painted scenes for movies . Here, the fast working method, the ability to correct each work step and the ability to copy the images are appreciated. Editing digital files enables the direct creation of printable versions of the graphic work. An important representative of this genre is the American Craig Mullins , who in 1994 was one of the first graphic designers to create a commercial production exclusively digitally.
art
Like traditional painting and drawing processes, digital painting is a technique that only becomes a means of producing art in the artistic process. The possibilities of digital painting are used by many artists today, along with other image processing methods. The concept of the "digital painting" thereby dips in the art market not to, instead are details about the technology of the output medium in use, including digital print , giclee print , pigment print , or C-print digital.
Artistically, working with the painting and drawing programs is less about imitating traditional painting techniques than about using the special possibilities of these programs. Julian Opie , for example, introduced the moment of movement in his reduced portrayals of people, which can be displayed as animation on flat screens. The artist duo Bittermann & Duka has been using computer-made painting as part of a larger artistic concept since around 2002. Some works can be seen directly on the website of one of their artistic projects, others are just a step towards a materialization that is also plastically implemented, e.g. B. in the garden project Hentzelpark in Rolandswerth . The majority of artists who originally worked in photography now also work with the means of digital image production. A prominent example is the series “Nudes” by the photographer Thomas Ruff , in which Ruff has processed image templates from the Internet ( porn images ) with a number of well-known painting and photo filters so that the (large-format) digital photo prints of this series ultimately reflect Gerhard Richter's painting from the 1960s (blurring).
Popular art
Until the 1980s there were coloring pages, e.g. For example, painting by numbers , a popular entry point into artistic design among artistic amateurs, this target group is now being wooed by software manufacturers such as Corel with slogans such as “Photos become paintings”. Computers are now part of the basic equipment of a household and accordingly there is now a large market for painting and drawing programs. In addition to the technical advantages of the digital design process, which are particularly important for the layperson (see below), the possibility of direct publication of the digital files via the Internet is an important aspect for many users. While for the ambitious layman a public presentation of his painting results was a big problem in the past, a large number of websites are available today, especially for users of digital painting techniques, which mostly publish the digital paintings on the Internet for a fee. A second way, which is becoming increasingly important, is to publish your own website. A review of these sites, which usually have an “art” or “art” as part of their name, reveals a recognizable stylistic focus in this emerging sector of popular art . Images based on impressionism and surrealism, as well as all types of fantasy art, are particularly popular in this sector of digital painting .
Painting programs
Software for digital painting is available both in the form of special painting programs and as an integral part of image processing programs (for a list of graphics programs see there).
Basic functions
Two basic application options can be distinguished within the programs. In the painting and image processing programs tools are used for drawing / painting details or for the complete construction of an image, the tool tips ("paint brush" and "drawing pen" and others) in technology (e.g. "watercolor" or "oil painting") and strength can be varied in a wide range. Some of these tools are offered in a form that mimics the tools of a traditional painter: a "canvas", drawing tools, mixing palettes and a variety of color options.
Since the work on a template should always be done in superimposed layers, changes can be erased, deleted or changed again and again. By copying an image, variations can be made effectively.
In addition, entire image templates (e.g. photos) can be completely converted into a graphic in one operation using paint filters . B. imitates a traditional painting technique, transformed. There are a number of possible variations of how strongly and in which style the effects should be used.
Both ways, working with tool tips and working with filters, are technically implemented as raster graphics. As a result, once selected image sizes cannot be enlarged at will without reducing the image quality due to the creation of pixel stairs or blurred edges. On the other hand, there are vector graphics programs that allow the creation of loss-free, scalable graphics. More detailed information can be found in the article graphics software .
Special input devices
Digital painting can be carried out using the mouse or special input devices . For precise work, a tablet is recommended that, with a sensor surface, reacts precisely to pen movements and the pressure exerted and forwards this information to the program. This enables flowing lines and fine glazes. Another option is to use tablet PCs . These have a graphics tablet, which is integrated directly in the display of the computer and thus allow direct painting / drawing on the drawing surface of the graphics programs.
Penabled display - so-called "pen displays" enable the user to paint directly on the monitor. This type of device can be connected to both Mac and PC systems. Different pens simulate e.g. B. Airbrush, marker, pencil and felt pen.
Material implementation
The digital image files can be output as a photo print or as an inkjet print on a wide range of materials, including canvas. The exact materialization depends on a large number of factors (including color profile ), so that the exact effect is only determined in the process of this issue, similar to offset printing . The digital image files can be used directly for publication on the Internet .
See also
literature
- Natascha Adamowsky (Ed.): Digital Modernism. Matthias Zimmermann's model worlds . Hirmer Verlag, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-7774-2388-3
- Roger Hassler (Ed.): Digital Painting Workbook . Newart Medien & Design, Hamburg 2010, ISBN 978-3-941656-04-8 .
