Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Six Shooter


This week’s post is from a book, by 3DTotal.com, called Masters Collection: Volume 1 Digital Painting Techniques. Inside the book, artists show tips and tricks that they use when creating their own work. There is a gallery in the back of the book that is filled with finish works by the featured artists. This is where I found Simon Dominic’s Six Shooter.


The painting shows Simon’s version of an old west shootout, but he adds a touch of sci-fi by adding a robot into the mix. I really enjoy this piece. That isn’t only because I am a huge sucker for westerns. I think Simon did a great job at capturing the scene in this one image. When I first looked at Six Shooter, a whole scene, from beginning to end, played in my head. It became more than just an image of something. Sure many illustrations have a story behind them, but at least half the time I am not interested enough to think of it. I think making something interesting is something to strive for when creating a piece of art. If not, then what is the point?


Simon’s Six Shooter is a digital painting. That means it was done using computer software (Painter). There is no physical original piece. Does this make it any less than a painting that was done with traditional media? I have had friends ask me for some of my work and I have even been offered money, but if was to give a friend some work I printed off the computer, some people would look at me wanting to say, “what the fuck”. I understand why digital work is very popular for commercial work, but is it possible for it to be called fine art? Can digital and traditional work to be called equals?


Here is a link to 3DTotal's website: http://www.3dtotal.com/

2 comments:

  1. This is one of my top three because it's absolutely gorgeous. It looks so traditional for being a digital painting, and I love the look of traditional oil paintings. A big scene like this with so many people being thrown around can be hard to compose, but this artist pulls it off well. There's plenty of lines of action with the flailing limbs and pointed firearms to pull your eye around the page. I agree that there's a clear and compelling narrative taking place here which you can expand on in your own head and make your own scene. With enough practice I think pretty much anyone can paint skillfully or render something well, but it's the composition that really makes the piece, and a good narrative makes a piece something special.

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  2. this is my top, not only am i jealous of the skill but i enjoy the argument brought up.

    di vinci and other masters didnt use "traditional" media because it was "traditional" they used it because it was all they had and all they knew..

    the only reason its "tradition" is because its old.. and people associate "old" or "first" with right... and that isnt always the case...

    not to say that "traditional" by any means is bad or has no value... but to say somehow digital is beneath it is insane..


    and i love this painting..

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