I was reading this article, The digital canvas: new technology and 21st century painting and tried to see if the kind (technique) of digital artwork I do is also used by other artists. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but I found nothing comparable.
The article states (taken out of context, I know): "........... the visibility or strength of the virtual pigments never varies or wavers, resulting in consistently candy-cane-like striated or dappled line."
Now this is exactly what I am trying to avoid. Below are examples based on my actual paintings, which to a large extent retain textures and brushstrokes from the original. I don't think I am the only artists that does digital that way, using their actual painting as the parent to digital work. Even if I don't use one of my paintings, I would use a photo of paint stains and textures to dip my digital brush into.
The "parent" painting OFFSPRING OF TIAMAT, and its various digital renderings below: Fomorii Throne, Fomorii Tapestry and Fomorii Universe. The last one is already completely different, but still using only elements from the original painting, with various distortions, filters and brushes.
About a week ago, I posted another digital image, based on my drawing Fomorii Stormtrooper:
FOMORII STORMTROOPER in the Mirror
and this is the drawing it is derived from:
On my website I posted a embedded slide show (from the Visionary Art Network) and a link to Flickr of my digital work:
DIGITAL ART by Otto Rapp
It also contains some photo-manipulations (other than from my artwork).
These comments are about the second picture in your series. I follow a group of artists in the US (the most informative about all of this being Jonathan Kleck) who examine pre-biblical times ancient carvings and other art, and the messages they see in them when turned upside down. Several places in the Bible talk about finding the messages or the secrets to salvation by turning things upside down. So many, many in the group believe that great artists were trying to give us a message, a warning (?) for the coming ages. One obvious one is the carving of Annunaki and Nefertiti. When you turn Nefertiti upside down you see the image of a dead sheep with its tongue hanging out.
It also happens repeatedly with works depicting Mary and is seen in the huge St. Peter's throne at the Vatican when left rightside up as if they want to throw the message in our face. Jesus often talked about his "flock" as his sheep. He admonished Peter, "Feed my sheep." Now, turn the second photo of your work of art upside down, what do you see? I wish I could do it myself before I stick my neck out here and assign to you your status as another master artist "unconsciously" (?) bringing a message of salvation. But hey, maybe you are whether you want to be or not.
I do deeply appreciate your art. Please take this comment in the context of me knowing and loving all of the messages out there. And isn't art a message?
As ever, M
Wow - thank you! What can I say - these things just 'come to me'.... In my statement about my art, I said this:
ABOUT MY WORK
"These are universal archetypes that may be found deep inside our collective subconscious. While seemingly extraterrestrial and alien, they are also strangely familiar. I take the viewer into an area that they might have been before in another existence or have entered in their dreams. It is a 'method in this madness' but everything arises by elimination of conscious guidance. The work grows seemingly by itself, like frost flowers on a windowpane. "
I actually never looked at it upside down:
Thank you for not kicking me in the butt with the unfollow button. The work is stunning upside down. And you are right about where you take the viewer.