This thesis analyzes how digital technology has affected artistic processes. It discusses the work of three digital artists - Joan Truckenbrod, Cynthia Beth Rubin, and James Faure Walker - who pioneered the use of computers, tablets, and styluses between 1975-2005. Truckenbrod's early algorithmic works depicted invisible realms and tensions through monochromatic images. Over time, her art combined traditional and digital elements to communicate natural forces. Rubin and Walker also explored new techniques using digital tools, broadening their artistic expressions.
THESIS - WIKANG FILIPINO, SA MAKABAGONG PANAHONMi L
I uploaded this thesis for the reference of the future researchers.
Entitled Wikang Filipino, sa Makabagong Panahon.
We tackled about the progress of Filipino language as time pass by. And the factors that affect it.
Enjoy and God bless! :)
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THESIS - WIKANG FILIPINO, SA MAKABAGONG PANAHONMi L
I uploaded this thesis for the reference of the future researchers.
Entitled Wikang Filipino, sa Makabagong Panahon.
We tackled about the progress of Filipino language as time pass by. And the factors that affect it.
Enjoy and God bless! :)
Digital/Computer Paintings as a Modern- day Igbo Artists’ vehicle for creatin...ikennaaghanya
Revolutions come in many varieties. Some tear down established notions destructively, while others consist of forging new paradigms through constructive means such as an ideological or technological innovation that fundamentally alters an individual or group’s creative path. But all have their place in history. This paper charts a course of change in art and art styles, as been practiced by some modern-day Igbo artists. It follows the meandering path that has been influenced by technological advances that have in turn influenced art culture and practices in technique. In particular, this paper examines how the modern-day processes of digital art have attempted to broaden the modern-day Igbo artist’s knowledge base, and has influenced new ways of doing old things. Together these ideas have impacted modern-day art by creating a fertile landscape allowing an artist’s inquisitive tendency to take root and uniquely flourish. The aim of this paper is to analyze the various digital paintings produced by three modern-day Igbo artists (Ikenna Aghanya, Okechukwu Johnson and Chidi Onwuekwe) and in turn examine how the use of the computer, as an art tool has affected their creative process. The paper will also look at the functions of this medium as it pertains to each of the decorative paintings done by these artists.
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1. PAINTS AND PIXELS: USING THE COMPUTER,
TABLET AND STYLUS AS A PAINTING MEDIUM
By
Doris K. Rutherford
A Master Thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Media
Arts of Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Media Arts.
Date of Oral Defense i^Ul foj
Date of Thesis Exhibition
Department: Media Arts
Media Arts Graduate Program
Coordinator
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Signatun
VVT4 y/A<
•j^t<€^r Jk.„.
ITP Advisors
Name (theory)
Signature
Name (production) (YjAftAsx IhfiJ WjMt^.
Signature /l/lqktJM^
2. UMI Number: 1478406
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
UMTDissertation Publishing
UMI 1478406
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All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
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3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to my thesis advisor, Prof. Maureen
Nappi for her inestimable support, encouragement, supervision and useful suggestions
throughout this research. Her professional support and constant guidance empowered me
to complete this work successfully. I am also very grateful to my production advisor,
Prof. Marjan Moghaddam for her expertise, generosity, and most of all her abiding
patience.
Special thanks and appreciation to the administrator and staffs of the Media Arts
Department at Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, for providing the support and
equipment needed to produce and complete this thesis. I would also like to express my
gratitude to the Writing Center for their technical and non-technical support.
I am as ever indebted to my parents Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Rutherford for their love
and support throughout my life and especially during this research period. To my brothers
and sisters I convey gratefulness for their support and understanding during this period.
And finally, much thankfulness to Mr. Gregory Glasgow and Mr. Randy
Bentinck, who provided invaluable guidance and advise in the initial stages of this
research.
4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIST OF DIAGRAMS AND PAINTINGS
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION 1
NEW MEDIA MEETS OLD MEDIA 1
II. WHAT IS DIGITAL ART? 3
III. THE EVOLUTION OF THE DIGITAL PAINT SYSTEM 4
TV. ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL ARTWORK 5
V. CONCLUSION 15
BIBLIOGRAPHY 16
5. LIST OF DIAGRAMS AND PAINTINGS
Figurel. Diagram of Pixels 5
Figure 2. Joan Truckenbrod, Lyric Catalyst 6
Figure 3. Joan Truckenbrod, Mother/Daughter 7
Figure 4. Joan Truckenbrod, Womb Clothes 8
Figure 5. Joan Truckenbrod, Artificial Frame 8
Figure 6. Cynthia Beth Rubin, Daffodil Scroll 10
Figure 7. Cynthia Beth Rubin, Another Place, Another Time 11
Figure 8. Cynthia Beth Rubin, Orchard Street Synagogue 12
Figure 9. James Faure Walker, Happy Circle 13
Figure 10. James Faure Walker, Pigeons Kyoto 13
Figure 11. James Faure Walker, For the Bees, Night 14
6. Abstract
PAINTS AND PIXELS: USING THE COMPUTER, TABLET AND STYLUS AS A
PAINTING MEDIUM
Artistic revolutions come in many varieties and often cause divergent effects;
some tear down established notions or norms, perhaps destructively, while others forge
new paradigms through constructive means. In either case, both have their places in the
history of art. With the advent of the computer, the artistic landscape has changed
dramatically; such innovations have influenced changes in the creative expressions of
visual art. Thus, this thesis seeks to analyze how technology has affected the making of
art and will examine the effects of using the computer, tablet, and stylus in the creative
process of making art. In addition, I will discuss the work of three digital artists: Joan
Truckenbrod, Cynthia Beth Rubin and James Faure Walker who have pioneered the use
of the computer, tablet, and stylus in their artwork. The overview of their work will cover
a thirty-year period between 1975 and 2005 while examining their individual methods
and creative processes
7. I. INTRODUCTION
Artistic revolutions come in many varieties and often cause divergent effects; some tear
down established notions or norms, perhaps destructively, while others forge new paradigms
through constructive means. In either case, both have their place in the history of art. With the
advent of the computer, the artistic landscape has changed dramatically; such innovations have
influenced changes in the creative expressions of visual art.
Thus, this thesis seeks to analyze how technology has affected the making of art and will
examine the effects of using the computer, tablet, and stylus in the creative process of making
art. In addition, I will discuss the work of three digital artists: Joan Truckenbrod, Cynthia Beth
Rubin and James Faure Walker who have pioneered the use of the computer, tablet, and stylus in
their artwork. This overview will cover a thirty-year period between 1975 and 2005 of each
artist's work, while examining their individual methods and creative processes. As advances in
paint programs and software continued to emerge, these developments served to broaden the
artist's toolset and knowledge base, and gave the artists unconventional techniques to create
artwork. These artists view their roles as a vital communicator, to convey new ideas, concepts
and information through visual imagery by using digital tools.
NEW MEDIA MEETS OLD MEDIA
Although the relationship between art and technology preceded the computer, the
introduction of the first digital computer certainly intensified this dialogue. It opened the doors
for a wider audience to have access to new technology. As the author, Jonathan Raimes cites in
his book The Digital Canvas:
By the mid-1960s the world was waking up to the possibilities of an age in which
computers might play a significant role in the way we live. [He pointed out that]
1
8. [While] in residence... at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
Vanderdeek created early computer art in an effort to get as close as possible to
[the] functioning of the human nervous system.1
As a result of this innovation, a larger number of traditional artists were able to make greater use
of digital tools.
While traditional painting requires several brushes, tubes of paint, palettes, and canvases,
today's digital artists, with a few clicks of the mouse, may select brushes and colors from their
hardware and software. Most digital artists are aware of the use and benefits of digital
technology because they have spent many hours learning the techniques. Similarly, traditional
artists have used digital computers as a new creative way of painting and drawing. Thus, the
introduction of digital technology has enhanced the old ways of doing things by providing artists
with more advanced painting tools.
Indeed, hundreds of drawings and paintings can now be scanned and saved electronically
on one's computer. Digital technology has allowed artists to use techniques that significantly
allow artists to manipulate colors and palettes more effectively than before. However, the use of
technology still requires the creativity of your most basic tools; your hands, eyes, toes, mouth,
etc. An artist, whether using a brush or stylus, must coordinate their senses in order to achieve
optimal creativity. All tools, both digital and traditional, require some amount of coordination to
get the job done. According to Malcolm McCullough author of Abstracting Craft the Practiced
Digital Hand:
Under visual guidance.. .Hands acquire some independence through
training, but they still turn to the eyes for purposes. When in action, a
skillful touch remains subsidiary to focal vision. Because this kind of
coordination satisfies, we pursue it in play, too: sports, musical
performance, building projects, traditional handicrafts give pleasure
1
Raimes, Jonathan. The Digital Canvas: discovering the art studio in your computer. New York: Harry N.
Adams, Inc, 2006. pi 1-12.
2
9. through coordination. Reflection finds harmony in the steady flow of
hand, eye, tool and material.2
Digital media certainly has its advantages: the choice of colors, tools, and unlimited canvas size.
This allows the artist to go beyond boundary lines that traditional artists may encounter such as:
additional time spent to mix paints, stretch a canvas, and arrange a work area.
As a result, more artists are engaging in the use of digital techniques and are now using
digital technology as a tool to create images. These images include digital paintings, digital
photographs, and digital animations. Artists have since discovered that by using digital media
they have more tools at their disposal.
II. WHAT IS DIGITAL ART?
Digital art is like any other contemporary art form. However, rather than using traditional
tools, artists now use a computer, a tablet and a stylus to create art. Although it requires some
level of technical training, digital art has opened the door for artists to access a wider variety of
painting tools. For most digital artists this technology has replaced the brush, paint and canvas,
their conventional tools for production. The author Glen Wilkins defines digital artwork as:
".. .any image that has been processed by a computer at some stage in its
creation. The artwork may have been created digitally or [have] been
altered by [a]computer in some way... it includes images that have been
scanned for print production as posters, books or magazines..."3
Digital art is now a more widely accepted artistic practice, because the use of digital
technology has stretched the level of the artist's imagination to become more creative. Digital
tools are very essential in the creative process of digital artwork; a computer, a tablet and stylus
2
Malcolm, McCullough. Abstracting Craft The Practiced Digital Hand. Cambridge MIT Press, 1996. p 32.
3
Glen Wilkins, Painting with Pixels: How to Draw with your computer. New York: Sterling Publishing
Co.,Inc, 1999. p 10.
3
10. are the basic tools an artist needs to launch their creative process of making art. As the artists'
skill advances they begin to utilize other forms of digital tools such as digital cameras and
scanners. With these tools in place artists can quickly and precisely render images that
previously would have been done on a canvas.
Digital technology has brought about many changes amongst the arts; artists are no
longer confined to traditional techniques. In addition, digital computers made the process of
developing a piece of art easier because of the simplicity of the new programs. The development
of digital paint method revolutionized the traditional process of making art.
III. THE EVOLUTION OF THE DIGITAL PAINT SYSTEM
An in depth history of digital paint systems is beyond the scope of this paper; however,
they evolved to contemporary programs such as Adobe Photoshop®, Corel Painter®, and Photo
Draw2000®. These programs were developed to facilitate digital artists with a wider array of
painting apparatus.
The first digital frame buffer was developed at Xerox Palo Alto by Dick Shoup, thus,
ushering in the paint system. Alvy Ray Smith noted in his article Digital Paint Systems: An
Anecdotal and Historical Overview that:
A digital paint program and a digital paint system are distinguished by their
functions. A digital paint program essentially does no more than simulate painting
of a brush on a canvas. A digital paint system does much more, using the
"simulation of painting" as a familiar metaphor to seduce artists into the new,
perhaps forbidding, digital domain. Of course they are both programs, but the
term "system" will imply many more features; it will be more "complete." In fact,
a system might even use several well-integrated programs.. .4
Alvy Ray Smith. Digital Paint System: An Anecdotal and Historical Overview. January 8th
1997.
5th
March, 2009. http://www.alvyray.com.
4
11. As technology became more advanced, there was a sudden increase in the demand for digital
paint system. Thus, the digital paint systems of the 1980's such as, the Quantal Paint Box® and
Artronics ® became very popular. A few years later other advanced paint programs followed.
All digital paint programs incorporate pixels. Pixels, derived from Picture Elements, (See
Fig.l) Authors Isaac Victor Kerlow and Judson Rosebush stated in their book, Computer
Graphicfor Designers and Artist, that, "Pixel is the basic quantum unit of an image. Pixels are
discrete, modular units often organized in a rectangular matrix.. .Each pixel corresponds to one
square on the graph.. ."5
Fig.1
Pixels (magnified xl2)
www.scantips.com
Bitmapped images are graphic images that are comprised of pixels on a grid. Each one contains
information about the color in a given image. Bitmapped images have a permanent resolution
that cannot be resized without losing image quality.
IV. ANALYSIS OF DIGITAL ARTWORKS
The artwork of Joan Truckenbrod, Cynthia Beth Rubin and James Faure Walker represents
a significant departure from traditional art and prove that the creative processes of using digital
technology are successful. Each artist has developed an individual set of digital skills. For
5
Isaac Victor Kerlow and Judson Rosebush, Computer Graphic for Designers and Artist. Hew York: John
Wiley& Sons, Inc, 1997. p 12.
5
12. example, there is a clear difference between Joan Truckenbrod and Cynthia Beth Rubin's work
even though they both use similar digital technology to create their art.
Joan Truckenbrod, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, is currently a Professor of Art at
the School of Art Institute in Chicago. Ms. Truckenbrod is one of the many digital art pioneers
who have exhibited artwork in New York, London, and Berlin. She has made tremendous
contributions in the education of young artists. According to the online source, Digital Art
Museum,".. .among the pioneers at Digital Art Museum [Truckenbrod] shared an interest... in
[the] early video paint system. However she started with an algorithmic approach that led to
some of her best known early work.. ."6
Most of Truckenbrod's early works of art were drawings recorded onto a 16 BPI tape. As a
result, her early paintings consisted of monochromatic images that depicted an invisible realm of
her understanding for digital art. Truckenbrod believes that, "[Her] early images evoke the
contrast of the digital life and the analog life."7
(See Fig.2) Her interest in this area has led her to
Fig.2
Joan Truckenbrod
Lyric Catalyst, 1975
Inkjet print 9"x9"
6
DAM] Digital Art Museum. Joan Truckenbrod. http://digitalartmuseum.org/truckenbrod/index.htm
7
Joan Truckenbrod. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford 25th
Mar. 09. E-Mail.
6
13. combine traditional and digital images that embody natural forces with in her paintings. By 1984,
the images within Truckenbrod's work began to depict a sense of tension, as a result of the
juxtaposition of images within her work.(See Fig.3) In an email correspondence, Truckenbrod
revealed, "[that] the stroke of the brush... is conducted through... ideas [that] flows from the
body into the artwork. The hand embodies that idea and... transfers [it].. .to the surface of the
paper/screen, and translates the artist's vision into imagery."8
Fig.3
Joan Truckenbrod
Mother/Daughter (1984)
CIBA chrome print, 24"x24"
When asked how useful digital technology has been in creating her artwork, Truckenbrod said;
The tablet and pen have provided the freedom and flexibility [she] need[s] to
work simultaneously with multiple layers of ideas and imagery. The pen allows
for a specificity of line, shape and color necessary to communicate [her]
intention. One unique aspect of working with the computer is that one's brush
carries shape, form, object, photo, etc. in addition to color. Working this way,
one's palette is only limited by one's own imagination.9
With access to advanced software program, Truckenbrod was able to manipulate images within
her artwork, which created a new sense of artistic freedom. In one of her latter painting series
8
Joan Truckenbrod. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford. 25th
Mar. 09. E-Mail.
9
Ibid.
7
14. Truckenbrod used, "scientific and mathematical symbols together with hand-drawn figures..."
to create images of women and men. (See Fig.4-5) The emotion of these images has been
heightened by the use of bright colors and shadowy reflection on distorted figures. On closer
inspection viewers are able to see massive light waves reflecting off the images bringing our
Fig. 4
Joan Truckenbrod
Womb Clothes, 1994
IRIS Print 32"x 36"
Fig. 5
Joan Truckenbrod
Artificial Frame, 1994
IRIS Print, 32"x 36"
attention to the focal point at the center. Her use of unusual natural objects and computer
programs allowed her to create some breath-taking pieces of digital art. Truckenbrod's recent
Joan Truckenbrod. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford. 25 Mar. 09. E-Mail.
8
15. artworks are magnificent computer- based projects that exhibited her interest digital technology,
such as the scanners to recreate images of her world.
Similarly, the artist Cynthia Beth Rubin uses a scanner to input images, and a tablet and
stylus to paint or augment those images within her work. Rubin started her career as a traditional
painter, whose work consisted mostly of abstract painting. Rubin began experimenting with
digital media during the 1980's, while teaching art at Rhode Island School of Design.
Rubin's artwork has been featured in international exhibitions and has become
educational for younger artists. Most of her earlier digital artwork was painted on the Artronics
system, which was designed for artists who wanted to create electronic art. It consisted of a tablet
and two monitors (one for the menu and one for the image).This style of tablet was not pressure
sensitive like the Wacom tablets of today.
The movement from traditional paint to electronic art provided Rubin with the flexibility
she needed to transfer her new artistic ideas into works of art. Currently her paintings consist of
hybrid forms, which show the relationship between aesthetics and creativity. Rubin believes that:
[Her] work is an investigation of the threads of cultural memory which [she] feel
both from [her] own visual experiences, and through that mysterious transmission
of sensibility which comes from some place beyond the individual... [Her]
images grow from the affinity between [her] life as a contemporary American and
what [she] regard[s] as [her] heritage...11
As a result, most of her paintings are made up of multiple layers that are quite revealing
and symbolic, thus echoing the uncertainty of the world in which she lives. The elements within
her paintings are also bounded by the interweaving of colors, textures and the fragmented images
of her memories. For instance, the painting in Daffodil Scroll (Fig.6) depicts Rubin's capability
to juxtapose images within her painting. This painting was done on the Artronic system, which
was at the time, easier for Rubin to create an intricate connection among elements within the
1
' Cynthia Beth Rubin, http://www.cbrabin.net.
9
16. painting. At first glance, the strong use of color and lines in the painting make it look a little
mystical. However, upon closer inspection of the painting, elements of coral reefs that are
intertwining into a structure become noticeable, revealing the artist's experience of "thinking,
feeling and reacting.
Fig.6
Cynthia Beth Rubin
Daffodil Scroll, 1985
Inkjet print 16"x 24"
When asked how effective the tablet has been in creating her artwork, Rubin said, "There are no
disadvantages of using the tablet.. .Without it, [her] wrist hurts and [her] gestures are forced to
come from [her] wrist instead of [her] arm muscles. And every one knows artists use arm
muscles."12
With access to a highly developed software program, Rubin sees the computer as a
means to expand her visual expressions. Working with the computer and a tablet is a very natural
medium for Rubin because her work is based on imaginative arrangement of elements within her
paintings. According to Rubin:
Before working on a computer... [She] was cutting stencils and blocking part of
evolving painting just so that [she] could artificially arrive at the same surprise of
juxtaposition of materials that is so natural in the computer... [Rubin also pointed
out that] in the digital world [she] can explore the range from realism and
Cynthia Beth Rubin. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford. 27th
Mar. 09. E-Mail.
10
17. recognizable imagery to highly expressive abstractions, and put all of these
element together in creating a coherent, unified work.
In creating her artwork, Rubin explored a variety of digital painting techniques. This is evident in
most of her later work where Rubin created multiple layers by pulling and pushing objects to
reveal what's underneath. On many occasions, she uses a pressure sensitive tablet to paint or
draw and a scanner to import photographic images into her painting. Rubin believes that, "The
scanner has had the biggest impact without question... Combining canned filters with quick
14
scans has produced an army of digital image marker." In this painting, patches of pure color are
merged together to produce the image of Another Place, Another Time. This scene has
outstandingly rich surface colors, which partly cover the structure in the background. This
particular feature is visible in most of Rubin's artwork and may be influenced by her Jewish
Fig.7
Cynthia Beth Rubin
Another Place, Another Time, 1991
IRIS print 17"x 24"
culture. There is a distinct use of digital technology in her artwork. It creates a new environment
for Rubin's art and, in fact, changes the method of her artistic approach. (See Fig.8) The
elements in this painting symbolize Rubin's cultural and personal histories. Digital technology
13
Cynthia Beth Rubin. The History of Computer Graphic and Digital Art Projects. Oct, 09.
http://education.siggraph.org.
14
Ibid.
11
18. has not only expanded Rubin's visual understanding of imagery, but allowed her to reveal her
inner most thoughts and feelings.
Fig.8
Cynthia Beth Rubin
Orchard Street Synagogue, 2000
Archival inkjet print 13"x 19"
On the other hand, the artist James Faure Walker combines the use of digital technology
and other traditional tools to create his artwork. Walker began his art career as an artist working
in oil paint, but later developed a love for digital art. As an artist and critic, Walker worked on a
collaborative educational project that helped young artists to enhance their artistic skills. One of
Walker's main interests as an artist, "[is to] raise art awareness... [through] the development of
software [and] new fine art courses."15
With works such as, Happy Circle, Pigeons Kyoto, Dawn
Tree and For the Bees (Fig. 9-11) James Walker combines digital paint and traditional paint to
create breathtaking pieces of art.
In creating his digital art, Walker uses a tablet and stylus to paint and arrange
images in his work. In each case, he started by playing around with line drawings of the subject
matter. In his book, Painting the Digital Rivers he stated that, "[He first] learned about...
15
Walker, James Faure. SCIRIA in Painting With the Computer http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk.
1%
19. painting and computer graphic...as a complete outsider, by looking at the tools the way things
when he became first fascinated with digital technology and wanted to find out how each gadget
worked. Through the playing and mingling of shapes, with the use of the computer and a tablet,
Walker created a sense of mystery within the painting. The interplay of these randomly placed
shapes represents the early stages in the creative process of a new era in Walker's artistic life.
Fig.9
James Faure Walker
Happy Circle, 1988
Inkjet print 6"x 8"
Fig. 10
James Faure Walker
Pigeons, Kyoto, 2002
Giclee Iris print 29" x 43"
However, Pigeons Kyoto (Fig. 10) represents a more progressive stage for Walker. This
bold new style is evident in the complicated shapes he created through the controlled use of a
tablet. In this painting, the artist played freely with the technology. He was able to merge
13
20. paintings, drawing and photographs to create a series of shapes that dance across the painting. A
further sense of depth was created by the objects, which appear to extend beyond the dangling
shapes in the foreground. As a result, it contributes to the effective play of light.
On the other hand, in For the Bees, Night (Fig. 11) the radiant colors and forms from an
expressionistic quality within the elements of the painting. The freely flowing lines within this
painting evoke imagery from a child's drawing. These mysterious lines express the artist ideas of
the changing use of technology in drawing and painting. When asked how useful the tablet has
been in creating his artwork, Walker said, "[If] I don't have one it is hard to get excited about
drawing... [because] I don't really have much of a starting point- i.e. ideas or subject matter-I just
play around."16
The thought of creating artwork with a use of a tablet and a computer created a
new means of merging traditional paint and digital paint. For James F. Walker, the use of digital
technology to create his artwork has now become possible after years of trial and error. In fact,
Fig.ll
James Faure Walker
For the Bees, Night, 2004
Archival Inkjet print 20" x 27"
most of his digital artworks are "abstract images that resemble collages, watercolors, and ink
drawings." 17
Walker's technique of applying traditional paint onto paper before printing his
16
James Faure Walker. "Paintings/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford 23rd
Mar.09. E-Mail.
17
Artists/curators/writers. http://www.commentart.com/artist/James_Faure_Walker.
14
21. digital work gives his work added intensity and depth.
Upon completion of his book, Painting the Digital River, Walker stated that he
"remained fascinated, too, by the shifting attitudes towards the use of technology in his drawing
and painting"18
It was his interest in digital technology that allowed him to create some breath-
taking pieces of digital art. As a digital artist, James Walker has opened a world of new ideas and
concepts to his fellow counterparts. On top of this, Walker's background as a painter and digital
artist has allowed future digital artists to embrace his work and learn from his experimentation
with digital technology.
V. CONCLUSION
The use of digital technologies has not only challenged the traditional notion of painting,
but it has created a whole new shift within the arts. The most obvious shift is that digital
technology has given artists immense freedom; they can easily edit and reconstruct images
within their work in a shorter period of time. It has also provided artists with resourceful
opportunities, not available to more traditional artists.
The use of a computer, stylus and tablet makes it easier for digital artists to produce
various kinds of output and to gather huge amounts of images and use them in whatever way
they see fit.
It is my belief that the digital tools are similar to having a treasure chest of interactive
programs that are designed to improve our artistic skills or styles. Since the introduction of
digital technologies, digital artists have utilized these tools to create some outstanding forms of
art. In conclusion digital media are valid tools for painting, as effective as oil, acrylic and silk
screening; allowing the artists greater freedom in experimentation and exploration.
SCIRA Reading in Painting with the Computer, http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk.
15
22. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goodman, Cynthia. Digital Visions. Computer and Art. New York:
Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1987.
Kerlow, Isaac Victor, and Judson Rosebush. Computer Graphics for Designers and
Artists. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1997.
Malcolm, McCullough. Abstracting Craft The Practiced Digital Hand. Cambridge:
MIT Press, 1996.
Nappi, Maureen. Language Memory and Volition: Toward an Aesthetic of Computer
Arts. Diss. New York University, 2001. Ann Arbor: UMF, 2002. Print.
Raimes, Jonathan. The Digital Canvas: Discovering the Art Studio In Your Computer.
New York: Harry N. Adams, Inc, 2006.
Spalter, Anne Morgan. The Computer in the Visual Arts. Boston: Addison Wesley
Longman, Inc, 1999.
Walker, James Faure. Painting the Digital River. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc,
2006.
Wilkins, Glen. Painting with Pixels: How to Draw With Your Computer. New York:
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc, 1999.
Electronic Sources
Walker, James Faure. "Artists/ Curators/ writers." Web.
24th
April, 09.<http://www.commentart.com/artist/James Faure Walker>.
DAM] Digital Art Museum. Joan Truckenbrod. Web.
09th
May, 09.<http://digitalartmuseum.org/truckenbrod/index.htm>.
16
23. Fulton, Wayne. A Few Scanning Tips: What is a Digital Image Anyway? .Web.2008.
10 May, 09.<http://www.scantips.com/basicslb.html>.
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. Web. 10th October.09.<http://www.cbrubin.net>.
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. "The History of Computer Graphic and Digital Art Projects." Web.
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Oct, 09. <http://education.siggraph.org>.
Smith, Alvy Ray. "Digital Paint System: An Anecdotal and Historical Overview."Web.
30th
May, 97.24th Oct, 09.<http://www.alvyray.com>.
Walker, James Faure. "SCIRIA in Painting with the Computer"Web.
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April, 09.< http://www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk >.
INTERVIEWS
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford.
27th
Mar.2009. E-Mail.
Truckenbrod, Joan. "Painting/ Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford.
25th
Mar. 2009. E-Mail.
Walker, James Faure. "Painting/Digital Tools." Message to Doris Rutherford.
23rd
Mar.2009. E-Mail.
WORKS OF ART
Truckenbrod, Joan. Lyric Catalyst. 1975. <http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign >.Web.
Jan. 2009.
Truckenbrod, Joan. Mother/Daughter.1984. < http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign >.Web.
Jan. 2009.
17
24. Truckenbrod, Joan. Womb Clothes. 1994. < http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign >. Web.
Feb. 2009.
Truckenbrod, Joan. Artificial Frame. 1994. < http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign >. Web.
Feb. 2009.
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. Daffodil Scroll.1985. < http://www.cbrubin.net/>.Web.
Jan. 2009.
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. Another Place, Another Time .1991.< http://www.cbrubin.net/>.Web.
Jan. 2009.
Rubin, Cynthia Beth. Orchard Street Synagogue. 2000.< http://www.cbrubin.net/>.Web.
Jan. 2009.
Walker, James Faure. Happy Circle. 1988. < http://dam.org/dox/>.Web.
Feb. 2009.
Walker, James Faure. Pigeons, Kyoto. 2002. < www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk>.Web.
Feb. 2009.
Walker, James Faure. For the Bees, Night. 2004. <www.camberwell.arts.ac.uk>.Web.
Feb. 2009.
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