Fine Feathered Digital Collage

My latest digital creations come in the form of more digital collages using a combination of apps --- Finger Design + Brushes.

And, I have to say that I'm really liking them. Especially this image here I call Birdie.

This is really showing my true colours as being primarily a mixed media girl. And, I think that's why I felt that my previous attempts at digital art didn't quite satisfy. I mean, yes, I started trying digital collages in the past using a mix of Photoshop and Corel Paint Essentials. But, it was proving to be a challenge.

Now, I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere.

Below is another one of my fine feathered digital collages. This one's called Hoopy (long story :-))...










- Blogged from my iPad

Streaks of Joy

Another day, another app to test. Meh.

Anyway, I've been dreaming of trying to do my favorite art style on the iPad: Mixed Media!

I was contemplating on scanning in some materials I could use, but couldn't quite imagine how I can recreate the cut, paste, draw, paint, splatter, and more that you can do in mixed media into digital format.

Enter Finger Design app. It's not quite perfect. In fact, I have a number of wish list for it's developer (including an undo and redo button, pre-set punch-out/cut shapes, and sketching/painting capabilities, among others). But, it's the closest thing to a real collage-making app I could find on the iPad.

For this piece, I ended up doing the initial work on Finger Design... Cutting out shapes, adding a background, and piecing the shapes together. Once I had my basic elements sorted out, I moved to Brushes app to put the finishing touches.

I call it "Streaks of Joy" because that describes how I feel about different aspects of my life right now. I think it's one of my favorite pieces to date.

- Blogged from my iPad

Garden Delight

Yes, another Artists' Touch app doodle! This time, using the freehand tool.

The more I use this app, the more I fall in love with it, it seems. Now if only its Undo button is a bit more predictable (and provides more actions)... And if only it has a Redo button... And yeah, now that I'm creating a wishlist, I also wish it has a layers function...

If it had all that - and then some - maybe it will become my go to doodle/sketch app. As it stands, Brushes is still the winner for me to do basic stuff.

Having said that, this Artists' Touch app has a few things that I'm liking more and more. For example, even though it IS a pain, I like that the app copies a typical behavior of "real life" painting and drawing. It works from background to foreground... And it blends paints at times. Or smears.

So yeah, I don't feel so bad about getting this app anymore. It's looking more and more like a keeper to me. It might make one or two other apps redundant though. Ah, well...


- Blogged from my iPad

Photo Painting on Artists' Touch App

No, I don't really need another sketching / doodling / drawing / painting / art making app on my iPad. In fact, I already downloaded more than what I expected to get. But, I can't seem to stop myself at the moment. Every time I hear about a new app, I end up wanting to check it out.

So yeah, I heard about this app called Artists' Touch. And, I decided to give it a go.

In my first few attempts at using it, I almost immediately regretted getting it. I just couldn't figure out what's so great about it.

I mean, from a freehand painting point of view, yes, it has a couple of things that my other existing apps don't seem to have, such as different "ground" material (e.g., canvas, rough paper, brick, etc) and extra sharing features for Twitter and such.

But, the one "big thing" about is meant to be the photo painting feature, which I couldn't quite understand. Then, I used this photo, which I took using my Mini Diana camera during a trip to London. And, I watched the help video.

At first, it still wouldn't click, but I kept going and completed this photo painting. When I saved the completed piece in my iPad's photos folder, I just left it at that.

Later, while browsing the photos folder, I wondered why I saved a copy of that photo in there... Then, I clicked on it and realized that it wasn't a photo... it was the photo painting I made using Artists' Touch!

Wowsers. Now I think I kinda get it. Well, at least it gave me some encouragement to keep playing with it. :-)


- Blogged from my iPad

Garden Visit

The more I doodle and sketch nowadays, the happier I am with this whole process, it seems. Honestly, when I first got the iPad, I thought I'd be mostly using it as a portable computer. As in, just emailing, writing, reading ebooks and files, organizing, etc. I didn't expect it to be such a great way to boost my overall creativity. I especially didn't expect it to be THE tool to help me finally get back to art making.

I've longed to digital art for a very loooonnnnggg time now. But, all the tools that I've tried in the past just never suited me for one reason or another. Now, I'm able to play with ideas and such a lot more, as it's portable and easy. And yeah, no clean-ups afterwards either.

Anyway, I really enjoyed creating this doodle/sketch I called "Garden Visit". I think it's definitely given me some ideas on what I would like to keep trying to do with this digital art making thing.

Oh, and yeah, I used the Brushes app again here, which I'm having more and more fun using. At the moment, it seems to be my "go to" sketching app of choice. Even though I did start off thinking I'd be more of a Sketchbook Pro kind of girl. Hmmm...


- Blogged from my iPad

Satellite: Illustration Friday

It has been a while since I last joined an Illustration Friday challenge. Of course, it's largely due to the fact that I haven't been drawing, painting, or anything like that recently. It's only thanks to this iPad (and the amazing apps you can find for it) that I managed to start sketching and playing with images once again.

Anyway, here's my first IF for 2010. Satellite. Using TypeDrawing app.

The text: "Calling occupants of interplanetary craft..."
(Yes, it's based on old song! I think they're the right lyrics...)

The Type of Girl

Text: Today,  I will start to dream and to play.

So, I've been having fun trying out all the different creative apps on my iPad. And, one of my latest purchases is the TypeDrawing app. This is my first doodle using this app. I really like the app so far. I look forward to more experimentations with it.



- Blogged from my iPad

Tree by the Train Station

On my way to a couple of meetings in the city, I decided to sketch this tree that I saw from where I was sitting at the train station.

Funny how your relationship with something changes somehow when you experience looking at it for an extended period of time. Seeing it like you've never seen it before.

Oh, and yes, this one's done on Brushes app. With a Pogo stylus. I'm finding it easier to draw with it nowadays.


- Blogged from my iPad

Piggy Bank on Brushes

I was resisting the temptation to try more art-making apps on the iPad. But, I found myself reading some good reviews on a few other apps, and my resolve dissolved.

One of my recent apps is the popular Brushes app. And, so far, I'm really loving it. Not sure which app will now be my go to art app. I especially like Brushes' play function which enables you to watch your work develop via a movie. I've always wanted to see how that works. So now, I find it really fascinating. Really cool. I also like the way it showcases the finished work in a gallery-feel.

Anyway, I plan on playing with it more.

This piggy bank was my first quick doodle using Brushes app.

- Blogged from my iPad

Portrait Of My Boy on Tracing Paper

One of the art apps that I enjoy using on my Macbook is ArtRage. I love creating all sorts of doodles and paintings on it. And, it has this tracing paper feature that I like playing with every now and then.

So, when I found the Tracing Paper app on iPad, I thought I'd give it a go. This is the first sketch I made using the app. I'm happy with it so far. I haven't played around with it all that much yet, but at the moment, I couldn't find a way to colour the traced image within the app. I wish there was a way to do that!

For now, I'll have to try another app that will take an existing image saved in the Photos library... Then continue working on the traced image there.

I tried the Qvik Sketch app, as it would open an image there. But, I didn't like the effects that it created. And since I have very little control on the image there, I felt like it didn't quite work for what I'd like to do.

I also checked if I can use Sketchbook Pro, but couldn't find a way to open an existing image from the Photo library just yet.

Will continue to look and report here what I find.

- Blogged from my iPad