Bob Tidy
DIGITAL ARTIST
“Working with my own photography, combined with digital painting techniques, I create original digital compositions and illustrations ”
I am often asked, what exactly is digital art ?
The direct answer is art produced with a computer, the more expansive version is not so simple. The very concept of computer generated art often represents a challenge, partly because it is seen by some as an imitation of the real thing, or as something new that needs time to adjust to, but also because it can result in work that cannot be created with the conventional way of “painting”.
The important word to stress here is “with” a computer and not “by” one. Like a conventional painter using brushes, or a sculptor using hammers and chisels, artists like myself who use a mouse and a graphics program, are simply adopting their preferred tools in the process of creating their art.
A computer does not create my art, I am in complete control of what it does.
Starting with a blank screen (my canvas)
I load my own photos in layers on Photoshop, literally one on top of the other. Then I blend, change opacity and erase areas to create multi image compositions. At this stage I am only thinking graphically about how images work together to tell a visual story or to combine associated themes. This could mean being realistic or completely abstract, or mixing the two.
The second stage is digital painting
With a mouse in hand, I can select from a huge range of “brushes” then select from a palette of thousands of colours and do the same as any painter, just electronically. Digital brushes are created by scanning a brush stroke of organic paint, or a pencil line, a pastel stick or anything else. They also include textures and graphic effects and they are just images converted to electronic information (pixels) that can be edited.
PROFILE
My work has evolved from a career in graphic design and a passion for art and creativity. Because there are times when a single image can only say so much, both my interest in photography and the endless possibilities of digital technology go beyond this potential limitation.
I am often asked if my images are photos or paintings and the answer lies in the challenge that combining these two forms of visual expression represent
WORK SAMPLES click image and scroll
GRAPHIC WORK SAMPLES click image and scroll
Digital water colours
The use of opacity on image layers and specific brushes allows for very realistic "digital" water colour painting. Being able to work at large image sizes combined with the ability to adjust strength and vitality to colours, these images can be very effective as an integral part of a rooms interior design
Digital commissions
Starting with a good quality (resolution) image, a digitally painted artwork can be commissioned. A low quality image can be used as a basis for a completely repainted version
let's talk about it
Final version 50 x 50 cm from TM image
