Artist Cecil Herring shows florals, paintings, watercolors

home page

Spacescapes® Art by Cecil Herring

"Digicomments"

Buying Spacescapes®

orders

e-mail

Comments on Original Digital Art:

2/6/08 Cecil Herring Statement on creating digital art:

"I started making digital art in 1988, 20 years ago, before there were color printers! We had to use the main frame at the college I studied at which was only available at certain times. M professor rolled his eyes said it would cost $50,000 to buy a color printer with all the colors!
We've certainly come a long way from the day I hand colored bloack and white dot matrix prints!

I had always been an experimental artist. Art and technology together have been my dream since the 60s when I was a space writer-photographer covering the Apollo Moon Program. I saw art in those rockets!

I say give technology a chance to help create the art! Then, 'chance' or randomness becomes a part of the work. I like a piece of art to look like it created itself, be an artifact without a hint of an artist in sight!

Each medium has its own message. I have taken that approach to digital art, welding, plastics forming, painting, casting, photography, electroforming, and clothing design.

It gives me unique images that can combine all art media, paintings, sculptures, drawings, textures, found objects, writing and photography. Digital original art is a very mental medium, sensitive to my subconscious mind. I paint most days and create some sculpture. Often I find myself going back to my Mac working through new ideas and creating new works!"

e-mail

My digital art works are created on Power Mac computers. I use many software programs.

How I create original digital fine art works:

Sometimes I take photos with my digital camera, and begin a process of adding bits and pieces of several of my art works, perhaps a sculpture, painting, adding layers cut out of other photographs, working with the layers until I like the work, erasing, recoloring. It is an extremely freeing kind of art and can take days and months, editing, recoloring or redrawing. I had a commission to create a digital mural in which I used 37 layers. These works have also been called digital collages.

Another way I can describe the process is that I layer images to create a digital 'collage' or montage' with layers of images. Or I may enhance a photograph or create a work incorporating my sculptures, paintings, drawings, wearable art works to make a new work of art.When I get an acceptable work I flatten it but keep a copy of the original layers in case later I want to change something. I still see works I could change but finally I just wear out and say it is finished!

This type of art is called original digital art. There is no original painting just a digital file I save on a hard drive or CD. I have done thousands of original digital works in the past 15 years. Some have never been printed. I still paint all the time and occasionally create a bronze. I find digital art a way to work out ideas.

I layer images to create a digital 'collage' or montage' with layers of images. Or I may enhance a photograph or create a work incorporating one of my sculptures, paintings, drawings, wearable art works to make a new work of art.

See my digital gallery for examples of my original art form. This is called Original Digital Art.

When I am finished creating the piece I print it in limited editions of say 25 or 50. Sometimes, I embellish the print with gold or silver or perhaps paint an area to make it one of a kind.

My original digital prints are not 'giclees' because they are not copies of original works!

They are printed just like giclees. I use professional photogloss, watercolor art papers, Stonehenge mat paper or canvas using a professional larger format printer. At this time, I am using a 13 x 44 inch format printer. Larger prints are available by special order.

To further explain:

"Original Digital Art Prints" are printed one at a time a professional high quality printer using museum quality media. My prints are printed from computer generated art works I create on Power Mac computers as described above. There is no original painting. I create the works directly onto my computer and save the image as a digital file on CDs or an external hard drive.

Durability of prints: I use all archival materials (meaning non - acid media, watercolor papers, canvas, photogloss or stain finish photo papers. My inks are also archival. I have a simple orders procedure.

Directions on how to hang prints:

Frame under plexiglass or glass, mat using acid free matboard.

Do not hang printed works in direct sunlight. Treat them as you would a fine art pastel or watercolor work.

Each print is signed, numbered and includes a certificate of authenticity with a little story about the work when created and often where it has been shown or what award it received.

Spacescapes® is my registered trademark.

In a sense, each print is an original since I print a work each time with different papers or canvas and inks depending on my collector's wishes. Sometimes I add individual touches to a print by repainting or drawing back into the surface. These works are monoprints and signed with a #1/1. Proof or first prints are also designated. Nowadays I often use a gold artists marker to sign my work, number and date it.

Visit my Digital Art Gallery to see a few of my hundreds of works or visit paintings. or space art,

Visit digital gallery for prices and dimensions and more details. I love doing digital art and just finished a large new digital mural commission.

Here, a "Star is Born" is being printed. Notice colors match the monitor. That took some calibrating! The prints are beautiful! *

Here is another discussing of original Digital Collages and Prints description I found on Google: You may find more facts by Googling.

This brief guide is all about finding Original Digital Collages and Prints and vs.digital REPRODUCTIONS of other forms of art.

An original digital print is made by the artist in digital media in order to make prints, either limited edition or monotypes. Each print is an original just as prints created through engraving, aquatint, drypoint, etching, silkscreen, or woodblock are all original. Digital prints are generally printed using the highest quality giclee (iris) processes. Many artists create mixed medium, one- of -a -kind digital works as well as prints. These images may be transferred onto wood, metal, canvas or stone and the artist continues to work of the piece using any technique or mediums necessary to complete the work.

Digital artists utilize computer programs such as Illustrator or PhotoShop. These programs contain wonderful tools for the artist; tools that are not that different from those found in a traditional bricks-n-mortar studio (analog). Digital artists have mastered the use of digital brushes of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. The digital "paint" is available on a digital palette. Digital pencils, erasers, scissors, and paste are also available to the artist working in this digital world.

Artist- generated digital forms as well as scanned objects and photographic images can be incorporated into the works. These forms may be altered to create new forms. The digital artist is able to multiply, scale, make transparencies, paint, cut and paste until s/he is satisfied. The creative process is the same as with artists working a traditional studio setting.

Learn about GENUINE DIGITAL ART--and learn about buying prints BEFORE you make your first purchase.

CAVEAT EMPTOR: Often, PRINTS are sold as original when they are nothing more than photographically reproduced watercolors, oils, or drawings. Commonly, the images are also printed as high quality giclee (iris) or laser prints. The unsuspecting buyer is fooled into thinking they are original because each "print" is numbered, signed, and dated by the artist. SCRUPLOUS sellers will let you know that the print they offer for sale is a reproduction of another form of art.

In addition, there are a number of so-called-artists who are filtering photographs in order to make them look like original watercolors and drawings. The watercolor and charcoal filters are applied digitally and the resultant images are printed on high quality watercolor and drawing papers. These images are NOT ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART.

SO WHAT MAKES ME AN AUTHORITY? By birth and by night, I'm a painter who also creates mixed media collages and analog & digital monoprints and limited edition prints. During the day light hours I teach at a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire.

WHY DO I WANT TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION? I don't like to see people fooled by anyone who tries to sell a reproduction as an original. If you buy a giclee, iris print, or laser print KNOW how the image was made.

Happy Ebaying to all~~~

AmberColumbia at Gallery Vim "

orders

e-mail

Abstract Paintings

Digital Gallery

Florida Landscapes

Space Paintings

Original Landscapes, oil on canvas of Florida

Original large abstract paintings

Landscapes

Watercolors