Graphics Tablet
Digital Art

The main tools used to produce digital art are Painter and Photoshop software combined with a graphics tablet.

The tablet allows better control than a mouse and provides pressure sensitivity for painting
Painting in Winter

Many images are taken before six or seven are selected for a calendar. Probably the greatest challenge is to get a balance between good lighting conditions and the absence of cars in the street. Even early in the morning it's hard to find an empty street in Maldon. Thanks to careful use of software, the occasional car can be made invisible.
Another issue is the trees that obscure buildings, especially in summer when they are fully covered in leaves. We find the best time to capture images for painting is in spring, when showery weather provides bursts of sunlight and interesting cloud patterns. The dampness adds colour to trees and roofs and the light reflects off wet roads adding contrast and colour to an otherwise blue-grey strip. The trees at this time of the year add interest but do not block the view of buildings and don't cast those dark difficult shadows.

The painting process takes approximately an hour per image. The graphics tablet is connected and Painter is used to create different sized brushes and textures which are used to ‘paint’ the picture. Detail is removed from the image, colours may be adjusted and unnecessary elements like power poles removed. Colours in the image are blended, moved and shaped just like real paint until the desired effect is achieved.
Go to the Digital Art Gallery
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