Going High Tech

Yesterday I tried drawing on my computer. Not actually, you know, taking a pen and changing the look of the computer, but using software to create a drawing. Unfortunately, the only art software I have is Photoshop, and the only drawing tool I have is a mouse, so it was extremely difficult to get the lines to do what I wanted. I gave up trying to do anything complex after the first line. All I could manage was a stick figure.

In case you can't tell, that's me trying to use my mouse to draw in Photoshop.

I'm going to start researching computer drawing pens and software. There's an entire industry of people who create art using only computer equipment. I ought to be able to find something to use!

Painting in the Dark

Well, not exactly that. I've got the lights on. It's the subject of my current canvas that is dark. Specifically, that time of day in autumn when the sun has almost finished setting, the lights of cars and signs are bright, dark shadows are everywhere, and there's just enough natural light left to make the sky glow.

This is the first time since 9th grade that I've tried painting a dark scene. It's an interesting challenge. Part of the challenge is making it dark enough. I've already had to go back over it once to make the sky darker, and it looks like I'll have to do the same for the buildings. This is the stage of painting where I need to see what other artists have done. So far, however, I haven't found too many similar works. I love Blakelock's moonlight landscapes, but of course his style is completely different from mine. I'll have to keep googling for images to inspire me.