Benita and I like to take classes at the Indianapolis Art Center, because I believe all creativity is enriching.
One class I recently took was a paper marbling one-shot, and it was really fun. I have a kit to do this myself, but I wanted to get my eyes on how to do it correctly first. So, here are some samples of what I just made:
I’m sure I’ll be able to incorporate this into some of my art, perhaps as mats or backgrounds.
Another class that both Benita and I are taking is wood turning. This mallet is from my second night, and it took several hours to turn.
I felt like getting creative with it, and it was fun to do. This wood is cherry, and working the lathe is mesmerizing.
As I’ve written in the past, one of the big hurdles I’ve had with my art in general is slowing down and sweating the details. I’m just too fast, a holdover trait from my illustration and comic days where time was money. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that art shouldn’t be on the clock.
This has not been an easy transition for me. Previously, I naturally blundered my way into each work and hoped they would come out okay.
I’ve been getting better. I’ve been doing thumbnails, as well as full-on compositions that I transfer to the final art surface. I’ve been doing color studies, and tonal studies where I work out the lights and darks in a composition in a cohesive way. I’ve done practice drawings and paintings to get my skills on track first.
My take-away is simple. Every single little element in the final art deserves close scrutiny and deliberation. There is no “good enough.” Each work takes as long as it takes. I’ve still got a long way to go before my observation skills reach their high level, but I’m working on it.
I believe slow, considered art is the only answer to AI pictures. To my eyes, AI illustration is fast and simple, and you may generate scores of versions to get just the right image. But, the pictures it produces are essentially art by a committee of unknowing contributors, and the rendering styles looks like a cross between Thomas Kindade and a glowing cake with lots of candy sprinkled on it. It hurts my eyes and my sensibilities.
AI isn’t going away. Those that do it and those whom consume it either cannot tell the difference or don’t care. Concept artists and illustrators are going to be replaced by keyboard jockeys. I wish this wasn’t true, but . . .
So, I’m hoping the answer going forward for the creative community is slow art. Art that is carefully, methodically created by humans who act is if time is no issue. We need a new Arts & Crafts movement, if you know your history.
Is that how it will pan out? I hope so, but your guess is as good as mine.
Scott is known for the rich detail, clever storytelling, and organic quality to his art. As a cartoonist, Scott is an all-purpose creator– he writes, pencils, inks, colors, letters and designs. Scott Story has also done advertising art; covers for books, CDs and tabletop games; movie, event and concert posters; interior art for tabletop games; logos and website graphics; and a wide range of other media. Scott was trained in traditional media, such as acrylics and water colors, but now he divides his time between the traditional and digital art worlds. He is in demand for his digital painting skills, used on covers, posters and prints.
As the creative director of Story Studios LLC., he has published two graphic novels, Johnny Saturn: Synns of the Father, and Johnny Saturn: Homeland Insecurity, with two more in the process of being completed. Story Studios has also published seventeen comics, a sketchbook, and a pinup book. He has written articles for Blueline Pro’s Sketch Magazine, and prose stories for print anthologies and the web. His webcomic, Johnny Saturn, is a past winner of the Webcomics Readers Choice Awards, and Scott was a speaker at the prestigious Graphic Engagement academic conference hosted by the Purdue University Comparative Literature Program.
Scott is a member of the Indy Webcomic Group, and he was the creator and a founding member of the highly successful Collective of Heroes, a juried collective of indie superhero webcomics.
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