Comments on: Stuart Immonen on Computers and Art

By: iron

iron — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:45:41 +0000

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By: chair

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By: chair

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By: Joe Singleton

Joe Singleton — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:01:31 +0000

I'm coming in late on this discussion, but I couldn't agree with Stuart more. Only one thing, though, I can't recall a single artist who didn't recommend building a "morgue" of reference material. The way I was told, and the way I've always thought, some other guy got paid good money to design, for instance, a Boeing 747. I'm not going to get paid what he got paid, so why should I try to design it from my head? Reference helps you keep that element of "real" that grounds even the most expressionistic art into something other people can relate to. As for Google Sketchup, I can't praise it highly enough. I use it daily in my art and play with it just for fun. I've never been a good sculptor or model builder, but my 3D models look great. I use it for vehicles, locations, props, etc. that I don't want to redraw over and over. Oh, and wasn't it Wally Wood who said "Never draw what you can trace, never trace what you can copy and never copy what you can cut out and paste up"?

By: Joe Brush

Joe Brush — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:44:40 +0000

So I guess I'm not the only one who reaches for control-z when I'm drawing on paper after spending hours on my Wacom tablet.

By: Olin Fnard

Olin Fnard — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 06:35:27 +0000

That is a great article, and a subject that I think has become more and more fuzzy as time and technology marches on. It's especially cool to see your inner workings on NextWave, one of the best comics to come along in a long time!

Your article has started a conversation over on another site too, the Third Rail Design Lab Forum,http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6244 people should stop by and add their 2 cents! Also, their Weekly jam is NextWave! Check it out!

Olin Fnard

By: Chadwick

Chadwick — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:43:54 +0000

A computer does not an artist make. Using reference material is not copying in any way. When an artist uses the likeness of an actor or actress in their work, that in my mind, is copying. So, no I don't believe that using reference material is a bad thing, ever. A computer is a tool just like a paint brush, a pencil, or a light box. Computers do not make people artists, people with artistic skills use computers to create art. Mr. Immonen's work is amazing and as shown by the comparison between his reference and his drawing (the one with Machine Man) his own style shines through any copying that one may believe to be taking place.

By: the wrist

the wrist — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:02:47 +0000

I'm a storyboard artist/illustrator for an ad agency-a deadline is a deadline! Norman Rockwell took heaps of reference pics for his illustrations...composed them...looked for the right type of character to fit with his ilustrative narrative style.

Personally I draw from the pic not trace it BUT if time is a problem-no time-then Ill adapt what I have and change face dress etc etc to fit the brief to meet the deadline!

By: Tony Akins

Tony Akins — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:22:03 +0000

Paul Smith is right, you'll never get rid of us cavemen.
World-skills go a long way as far as survivability counts. I love my computer and I love awesome software, but you still need to have the basics in place when it comes to drawing.
As a young artist and the son of an artist,I was cautioned about TRACING but never about REFERENCING material. At my first job as an illustrator, the ability to commit 75% of an image to paper without the use of scrap meant keeping your job. Still, with all the mad-skilled artists that I worked with in that studio, a very extensive morgue was maintained and used. No sin in that; usually once something was referenced
at least you had a better understanding of what the thing looked liked and how it worked, in effect extending your mental image catalog. The next time a trip to the morgue may not be needed!
I know artist that use all types of "study-aids".
When I receive a script, the first thing I do is Google specific images and create a "scrap file" of locales and props relevant to the story. Sometimes faking it on paper can REALLY hurt the story. Better to be the informed artist than the one groping about the page trying to affect a scene correctly.
Thanks for the article Stuart!

By: Luc

Luc — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:27:13 +0000

I am glad that this article was written, long overdue.
But I would love to know more about the apps used by these great artists.

Brian Bolland? No way!

Way?

I am looking into sketchup, looks really interesting.

But the other screengrabs are too small for me to read the programs names.

The first one is Adobe something, I think? Is it illustrator? or another program?

the second image really concerns me, I would love to have a program that would help me create such great interiors.

But what program is that!!

ANyone know, or have an idea?

My thanks to Stuart for writing the column and I agree completely with him!

By: ChimChim

ChimChim — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 23:26:59 +0000

Computers only provide results. Sure there are software programs and tools to assist in some process, but the user holds the key to create something "good." Using reference is the oldest form of getting anything even remotely accurate. Life drawing uses models- reference. The idea is that you draw from reference enough, until you dont need it- but youll always need it. Its by no means "cheating." If youre a production worker of any type, you know its all about doing amazing stuff fast. SO its all about the end result, not so much the process. However, if you dont have any talent or respect for traditional foundation, your end result is always going to suck balls- no computer or software will help with that.

By: HATER

HATER — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:35:49 +0000

a real artist can draw from there brain! if you have to TRACE then you pretty much suck. so many artists now are just using computers to make thier art. i could just press some buttons on the computer and make something. i hate how these computers are taking over everything! makes me feel left out.

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:36:13 +0000

As someone trying to break into comicbook pencilling, I thoroughly appreciated this article. I used to reference alot and was told by an art teacher that is was not a creative habit to have. Whatever that meant. SO from there I went on a FRANK FRAZETTA-esqu route of drawing things straight from the brain and I looked back at all that work and realized, " That looks like a dog, but not really..." If you get what I mean. So now, yes, I do reference. Especially Fashion Magazines. The poses are amazing.

By: M.Smith

M.Smith — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:10:09 +0000

Great article from one of my favorite artists (can't wait to see your next work). Growing up I had an artist buddy (who could honestly be a better than J. Scott Campbell than the man himself) who had a great "mind's eye" and is able to generate great images from his mind. God bless him, but I don't have that same luxury and I don't think I'm in the minority. Now that I'm taking that step from art being a hobby to a...paid hobby, I realize that you have to use every tool available to you, including reference. Gustavo had a good point in that as an artist there's a code of conduct I feel I should follow; and that's great. However, in commercial work you have to let that inner-artist go and become a problem-solver. I say that if you want to express yourself do personal work but if you want to get paid, do what is being asked. It's sad that I'm finally realizing this at age 27, but better late than never, right?

By: R.Nav

R.Nav — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 03:19:27 +0000

Great Article. I always love it when the replies are just as interesting to read as the article itself.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:30:05 +0000

Here's a great quote from Leon Battista Alberti's "On Painting," written in 1435, discussing the "cheating" technology of observing the subject through a veil with visible grid lines and painting from that: "Nor will I hear what some may say, that the painter should not use these things, because even though they are great aids in painting well, [they] may perhaps be so made that he will soon be able to do nothing without them. I do not believe that infinite pains should be demanded of the painter..."

By: jarod

jarod — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:47:34 +0000

ha i know how they feel looking for a undo button in traditional media

i rear ended a lady on my way to class the other day i just sat back in my seat and said

"ah.. 'control z' please!"

which of course is the shortcut for undo

By: Gustavo Pabon

Gustavo Pabon — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:16:46 +0000

Nicely written Stuart.

When we are doing work for clients, we are not artist, we are solution providers.

When we are doing work for ourselves,
it is art.

In order to respect the "deadline"
an artist has to be "hurt by the deadline".

Once hurt, the artist develops respect
for the deadline and will never miss the deadline again.

This was my first lesson, taught to me, by a former Mentor and supervisor who retired in 2004. He worked 40 years as a Journalist/inforgraphics artist for one of the top 4 metro New York Area newsapers,

and,

in his 40 year career,
he never missed a deadline.

Cheers.

By: Bill Williams

Bill Williams — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 20:47:08 +0000

Referencing real life helps me work out color schemes for specific locations and for specific scenes. I used to be a pen and paper purist. Now, I'm a pen and paper plus guy.