Another experiment tracing using a small Wacom tablet.

I felt like having another go at tracing from an inkjet image (masking) taped to my small Wacom graphic tablet.

The reason was I have had a really bad virus for the past week and didn't feel up to tackling anything needing too much effort from me. I'm working on some really good digital paintings at the moment which I'll show in another blog in the coming weeks.

Anyway, I've been watching Youtube videos on digital art and the free graphics software MediBang Paint Pro 13.2 was mentioned.

I downloaded it and really enjoyed using it in my simple way of producing digital paintings - it suited my technological skill level very well, as I don't understand many of the advanced features of some of the free graphics software programs I have installed. I am still painting on one layer at the moment, unless I need a top painting layer to trace a background layer below.

Anyway, I attached a B&W inkjet copy of the painting "Indolence" by Guillaume Seignac to my small Wacom tablet, making sure the woman's face was in the central area, so I could capture as much useful detail without having to move the paper.

This was as much detail as I could get before having to make the canvas bigger.

After making the canvas bigger, I repositioned the A4 B&W inkjet image on the Wacom tablet and then had great fun trying to zoom in and out and move the image around on screen until I matched the position of my pen hovering over the A4 image.

I did a bit more work then accidentally lost my position and struggled to get it lined up correctly.

I am more than pleased with my attempt to capture as much detail as I could using this method.

I think this is an improvement on my last effort and I could work some more on this image digitally by eye (no more tracing needed, as the hardest part of the painting is already done), or I could print this onto cartridge paper and continue in paints or maybe charcoal or pencil? There are no limits, I might be cheating, but it's fun and you end up with some really good images. (I mainly trace portraits, I can draw boats, small figures and landscapes by eye. If I had the time I could draw a portrait by eye, but I have a busy life and see no reason to waste valuable time I don't really have).

By the way, there was one slight problem I encountered - my nib has worn down quite a bit. This could be because of the drag on the paper. I looked on Youtube and found you can make your own nibs easily, so I'll probably have a go at doing that.

Can you digitally recreate an Old Master painting?

I'm only beginning my journey into digital painting, but I figured that I should be able to tap into the skills I have learnt over the years painting with acrylics to enable me to produce a finished digital impressionist copy.

I chose to carry on with a piece of work that I already had. About a year ago I sketched a copy of Claude Monet's 'Argenteuil 1875' onto a piece of brown cardboard that was cut from a cereal box. I then started to paint the picture using inexpensive acrylic paints. I got so far and didn't get back to finishing it off.

Over the past two months I have been experimenting with digital painting using Gimp 2.8. So I scanned my cardboard sketch/initial painting onto the computer and set about finishing it digitally. I mainly used a texture brush for the majority of the painting and a smoke brush for parts of the sky.

I'm very happy with the results, and it didn't take too long to complete. I especially like the pastel effect I got in the background. I think digital painting is well suited to impressionistic paintings and I will be producing many more in the coming months. I'm am also keen to try copying really Old Master paintings from the 1500's onwards.

Some people might question why I would want to copy Old Masters instead of producing digital fantasy art. I would love to be able to produce digital fantasy art, but unfortunately I don't have the ability or such a strong interest as others might. I enjoy art history and love reinterpreting paintings. I feel that art from the past still has a place in the modern world. It stands the test of time and is still
popular and appreciated by many people. I find I am learning all the time and consider it very valuable to revisit the past by copying Old Masters. I would argue that my own work can only improve by looking at how an expert from the past tackled a particular passage in a painting.

Ballpoint pen sketch on cardboard.

Acrylic painted image (cardboard).

Finished digital painting (computer).