The advancement of technology has crept into every sphere of our lives. It’s provided an alternative to traditional tools like paint, brushes, and canvas. But is it art?
Certainly it is, says digital artist Desmond Pelston, whose work is being exhibited at the City Bowl Gallery, Cape Town, for the next month. His work, all of which has been created on a tablet, hangs alongside traditional art.
Pelston says he has taken a lot of criticism from traditional artists who use actual paint and canvas, but insists this will not deter him.
His work station is small, tucked away in the corner. When he works, there are no paint splatters on the floor or on his hands. There are no brushes lying about, and he doesn’t have an easel. The station consists of a computer monitor, a tablet and his stylus and several hard drives to save all of his work.
“A lot of people think because it’s digital, it’s copying and pasting. But I do everything as I would in real life. Free hand, from scratch,” says Pelston.
A qualified graphic designer, he spent 15 years in the corporate design industry, and even longer doing private artwork.
He decided to step out of the corporate rat race in 2012 so that he could focus on his passion. Pelston combined years of design experience and traditional art to create something different.
With traditional art, the size will always be what it is. With other digital art, the work often can’t be printed on a large scale, or it starts pixelating.
When he creates art, Pelston incorporates his graphic design principles and works on a larger than life scale so that the work can be produced at any size.
The bigger the scale, the more detail becomes visible, he says.
Pelston says a lot of people, artists included, do not understand the medium, but if you can paint in real life, you can do it digitally. In fact, anything you do traditionally can be done on the tablet.
“There will always be traditional art. I love the feel of paint, pencil and charcoal. But there are times when I want to really express myself and what’s in my heart, and I can do it digitally without restrictions,” he says.
The cost involved is one of those restrictions. Using paint – whether oil, acrylic or spray paint – and canvas can become costly, and that is usually passed on to the client. Then the venue must be properly ventilated, and there are waiting periods for paint to dry. But now, when inspiration hits, Pelston can return to his art at any time.
The cost of doing traditional art can exclude people with talent and passion, he says. While the equipment for digital art is also expensive, it’s a one-off payment and can be used indefinitely.
He feels it will make creating art more accessible.
“I don’t have the money for a lot of paint, or a studio. But with this, I can create at any time,” he says.
His preferred method is the airbrush, something he has done physically.
When he starts a piece, he selects the pencil tool, and does the rough outline, freehand. If he makes a mistake, he simply flips the “pencil” around and uses the eraser.
The pencil sketch is saved as the first layer.
Once he has the rough outline, he switches to the airbrush option and starts filling in colour. A lighter base colour is used for the skin tone, then the darker colours are used over it to get the skin tone, curves and shadows just right.
As is the case in traditional art, the pen is pressure sensitive. By manipulating the pressure, Pelston creates shadows and other finer details.
He says there have been times he’s tried using short cuts – like copying the same colour in several beads.
But the cheat was obvious and he had to go back to the drawing board and colour each bead, shadow and reflection of light individually.
As more details are added – colour, skin pores, veins, clothing, tattoos, wrinkles, hair – he saves more layers. A completed work can consist of up to 40 separate layers, each denoting a new phase of progress.
Pelston has made the entire process available to prove to critics that there is no copying and pasting, and everything has been done from scratch.
“This is a tool, but your skill is still important,” he says.
As he has progressed, he has come to learn how to mix colours, too.
For example, instead of using the available shades of orange on the digital palette, he prefers mixing layers of yellows and reds.
Many of his commissions are for avatars – a digital and fantasy-based representation of oneself. But when he does his own expressions, his focus is on women.
“My art is a tribute to women. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. To me they are naturally queens,” he says.
Depending on the level of detail, a piece can take anywhere from two days to two weeks. But as he’s learning to master the equipment, the time he spends painting shortens.
“The biggest lessons I’ve learnt during the process is that you’ve got to be patient with yourself. You have to believe in yourself and learn discipline. It wasn’t easy at all and still isn’t,” he says.
He also believes that many artists sell themselves and their talent short.
He says no matter how little you have, always believe in what you do.
“All you can do is be the best at your creative expression.”
He admits there are times when he feels discouraged, but speaking to other like-minded artists helps.
They all had the same advice, which is what Pelston shares with others: “Believe in your art. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Do what you do. Do it from your heart and people will see it because your soul went into it.”
Art, like everything else in life, evolves. Pelston believes that art can’t be created in a vacuum, and that while each artist brings a unique element to his or her work, you can’t think that a technique is something you can keep for yourself.
“It’s meant to be shared with the world, he says.
He knows his chosen medium won’t be to everyone’s liking, but he’s carrying on anyway.
“I’m creating from my heart, giving it a shot. Maybe someone else will think it’s cool too,” Pelston says.