Ten Lies You’ll Hear Before Pursuing Your Dream

I'm currently preparing for my first symposium presentation for my Masters so excuse the lack of posts, but here's something which you might enjoy.

New Paint over by Iella, who's next?

It's turning into something very... Japanese don't you think? :)

I have PSD!

I Have PSD from Hyperakt on Vimeo.

Updates!

Hey guys just some quick updates,

First of all, Daniela Attard (a.k.a Iella) has agreed to do the third paint-over, so that will be interesting to see how it's going to turn up!

Second, I have started my Masters in Digital Arts last week (finally). I'm researching and producing an interactive audiovisual online space. My Masters blog can be viewed here however I will still be posting some collages and experiments that I'm doing for my MA on Electronic Sketchbook!

Finally, on the 16th of November I will be exhibiting with Ruth Ancilleri and a bunch of other talented artists for an exhibition held by the Front Against Censorship. I'm really excited about the collaboration Ms Ancilleri and I are doing, especially since it's going to be something in 3D (actual 3D not digital) rather than just an illustration.

That's it for now, will keep you posted with new stuff and new projects!
Btw have you see the new MacBook Air? What do you think?

The Super 8 and Reel-to-reel

Sometime in May I had posted a tutorial on how to create a Super 8mm film effect in After Effects, today I want to share with you some pictures that I took yesterday of a Super 8mm film and a Reel-to-reel tape. I didn't even know I had them, until my mum said their engagement was filmed on a Super 8 film, and their wedding on the reel-to-reel tape. Now they are both combined on a video tape which is on its way to become a DVD! Hah! Now if only I had someway of watching them :)

The Super 8mm

Reel-to-Reel Tape

Paint Overs Part 2

Well it looks like I'm not going to have time to do more on my paint over so I might as well post it here for someone else to carry on and refine the work.

I must say I found it quite difficult to paint over as I had to adapt to the style - perhaps next time I will try to use my own style, but for now I think it will do. The subject matter is also something I don't usually work with, I usually illustrate street, floral/psychedelic and quirky stuff so again this was a great challenge and something I haven't done for a long time - it was great to practice though and I'm looking forward to see what this will turn into.

So who's next? :)

The top one is the original and the bottom is what I have done so far:

As you can see the boy is still very much unfinished!

Download the layered psd from here

Paint Overs - Part 1

Members, I thought to start something hopefully interesting here. I was thinking of an exercise and some fun stuff for everyone over here. How about we make paint overs.....

I have posted a painting here which is at the very initial stage... Grab it, and feel free to tweak, add, render, and have fun (no wipe outs and starting from beginning though!). I want that all of you members put part of yourselves in it, and when its finished I will do the last changes to it - this way it would make a whole turn.

I recommend that we set up some sort of list with who'll be first, second etc to paint. This way we'll avoid any inconveniences.

Lets see where we'll end up with this one!


ps. since school started and maybe some are busy, I was thinking that every artist would have a whole week to work - this way s/he can take the required time.

Peace.

Luca

Maltese Knight

Hope you Electronic Sketchbook-ers are well, haven't seen any of your artworks lately here, so I decided to send one of my knights for you - he will bring you to my palace in no time and you'll have to give me a good reason why you haven't posted any art!

haha! Hope you like it. :)

No Maltese Cross Version

Peace.

Luca

Artistic Book Review no.2: Art and Fear

This was supposed to be published on August but Life ate up my time!

Art and Fear: Observations on the perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking.

By David Bayles & Ted Orland

ISBN: 978-0-9614547-3-9

Pages: 122 pages

Dimensions: 20.2cm x 13.9cm x 1.1cm

Price: Around 12 to 13 dollars

Personal Experience: You know being a booknerd such as myself, I have encountered far too many books about art and how to do this and that or books that will give you an in-sight about several aspects about this design and that art-piece. This is not one of them.

Many have praised this book and funnily enough, I never found one negative comment about it. Not even a zlitch, which made me curious for months until I got it lately in my hands. Not a fancy cover at all as if it is a reading book. Well to my surprise it IS a book to read it all from cover to cover. Literally. Let me just describe how much value this book has; this book does not sit on my shelves, this book sits on my bedside table.

Personal suggestion? If you can fetch it personally rather than waiting for the Library to fetch it for you will be much better because it is one of those books that will truly stay for life, no matter what artistic path you pick. An important piece of underground text, rarely heard of since it does not discuss some Mozart or Leonardo Da Vinci.

In a nutshell:

This book knows no age, no fixed occupation and no walks of life: it only knows the artist. As long as you're on the path of art-making this book is for you. The ONLY book you will really ever need to read from cover to cover; it's not long and even if you are inpatient in reading, a safe guarantee this will not be a waste of time. Other books are just trinkets no matter how big or informative they are. This book can be also classified as "philosophical" in a way, give or take. Don't get fooled though; this is no old Socrates philosophy, it's very much contemporary.

This piece of text targets areas such as: the outside world; how normal people see Art, how academic schools tackle Art, how a lecturer of Art can easily lose the time for art-making due to teaching art-making itself and so on. Even if you go beyond those feelings, what's the worth of making art? It also goes onto a personal level, such as the artists' fears, purposes, quality vs. quantity issue and so forth. As the book implies at the back of the cover in a good non-missable bold font: These are questions that matter.

Accompanied with good sarcastic humor, examples and thorough research from a hell lot of people the authors met and discussed the book's topics with, it will either be a huge boost of motivation if you are passionate in what you are doing or it will shoot your fleeting artistic muse down if you are taking your dedication for art too lightly. Do not expect this book to sugar-coat the world of art; on the contrary, this is a book packed with reality.

Bluntly put, this is the portal to the real world of Art & Design.

About the Authors:

David Bayles and Ted Orland are two artists that have written a number of books about art-making, but they are mostly known as being photographers.

Abigail Daker's Illustrations: Nemnem & The Giant

Oh WOW it's been a while!

While I was reading the 11th issue of "Digital Artist", I stumbled onto a very interesting article entitled "Successful Illustration: Leading illustrators share their best secrets with Poz Watson". However whilst reading the interest in previous writing dimished greatly as I laid my eyes on a particular paragraph:

"Abi Daker

Children's illustrator

www.abigaildaker.com

The relationship between children's illustrators and authors is really important. Based in Cyprus, Abi works with authors from all over the world and has to achieve the unity of purpose needed via email. "Some authors have very specific ideas about their characters, others are more interested in seeing what I visualise after reading their test," she says. But al the authors she's worked with have been helpful: "John Betts (who wrote Nemnem And The Giant) provided me with aerial photos of Malta and went to photograph one site so I could get the background right."

Digital Artist Issue 11th, page 36

With that being said, below is one of the three pictures shown on her website regarding such a project. Blogger is being a retard on picture sizing so here's a direct link for the rest: http://abidaker.com/2010/06/07/nemnem-the-giant/