AVT 595-Digital Art (Procreate)

I had written a reflective introduction ruminating on my journey of artistic discovery through this blogging project, but when the post was done, I realized I’d actually written The Odyssey.  It was way too long and self-indulgent, so here’s the concise version:

I was going to write about Adobe Illustrator, because it’s firmly in my wheelhouse, but then decided I really like exploring unfamiliar materials.  I picked up an iPad, a stylus, and Procreate so I could try something new and see for myself what all the kids are talking about.

Same gist, give or take about 10,000 words.  Let’s get into it…

Materials & Cost

iPad Pro 12.9” 3rd Generation 64 GB (Refurbished)-$800

Apple Pencil 1st Generation-$99

Procreate App-$9.99

Paperlike Screen Protector-$35

Apple Pencil Charging Dock-$15

Right off the bat, these are expensive materials.  I managed to shave about $300 off the price of the iPad by buying a refurbished model, but still, when you factor in necessary accessories like screen protectors and a charging station for the pencil (more on these later) I’m in the hole for at least $1,000.  We’re in a whole other universe of cost than choosing between Prismacolor and Crayola colored pencils.  I’m not well versed in public school budgets, but I have to imagine investing tens of thousands of dollars to outfit an entire classroom with this equipment is a pretty big ask.

Of course, “value” is a subjective term.  An iPad Pro is, essentially, a laptop computer, packed full of features far beyond what’s necessary for artmaking.  If students are to utilize this device to its maximum potential parents may not balk so much at the hefty price tag.  It’s also worth noting that in my completely anecdotal experience, a lot of kids today have one of these things already.  If that’s the case, the cost of entry is simply for the software and the Apple Pencil.  $110 isn’t nearly as intimidating a figure.

An attractive upside to the Procreate app is that it is a one time, inexpensive purchase.  This is a significant advantage over common graphics software like Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter, which either require hundreds of dollars up front, or recurring subscription fees for access.  Having years of experience with the competition, I can state emphatically that Procreate contains virtually everything a person would want or need to create professional caliber illustration work, at a fraction of the cost.  For the price, the included feature set is downright shocking.  Additional brushes can be purchased for download, but in my opinion, the default options are so robust that adding to the library is a luxury, not a necessity.

Safety & Age Appropriateness 

“Safety” is a tricky subject with a device like an iPad.  On its surface, it’s simply a lightweight, rounded slab.  With no exposed, or even accessible, wires or electronics, it doesn’t provide threat of electrical shock.  Short of intentionally hitting someone over the head with it, it’s about as harmless as a thin, hardback textbook or a small cafeteria tray.  Where this becomes a bit of a grey area is in the fact that this is a wifi enabled, constantly connected device with a camera and a microphone.  It is quite literally a two-way window into the internet, and with that comes all of the typical dangers associated with children being online.  For that reason alone, use by younger kids should be closely supervised.

In terms of appropriateness, my gut instinct would be to say that an iPad is too complicated of an interface for small children, but my 3-year-old nephew seems to have no problem at all playing with a smartphone, so kids today are probably much more adept with technology than I am giving them credit for.  Personally, I’d still limit use to kids from around the 4th grade on up.  I’d want to ensure they had the maturity level to be respectful of how expensive these tools are.  An iPad is fairly sturdy, even more so if it’s in a protective case, but spills or a long fall to a hard surface can be fatal to a costly tablet.

The Procreate app is very intuitive.  The brush button makes the stylus paint like a brush, the eraser button makes it erase, and so on.  There are some really deep options with regards to layers, image exporting and file management for those who need them, but a young student can pick it up and figure out how to start creating almost instantly.

Application

In my opinion, far too many digital artists get caught up in fancy software tricks involving blending modes, filters, smudging and smoothing options etc. The result is that they are able to produce slick, polished looking artwork within that specific program, but are unable to replicate it anywhere else.  They don’t develop a universal skillset.  For this reason, my approach to digital art has always been to stick to the fundamentals as much as possible.  If I can’t do the same thing in real life using an analog tool, I try not to do it in the software.  This methodology guided my experimentation with Procreate.

 Happily, Procreate functions very much like traditional tools.  The Apple Pencil is pressure sensitive, allowing thicker, more opaque marks the harder it is pressed down upon.  The pixels act like paint, graphite or charcoal, in that they intermix and blend easily, or can be glazed upon each other softly.  Texture can be achieved by varying the direction of the brushstrokes.  My first couple of exercises were just about mark making, and trying to blend colors (something I had a difficult time with using chalk pastels and colored pencils).  To my relief, blending in Procreate was silky smooth as long as one is able to maintain good pressure control of the Apple Pencil.  As mentioned earlier, the available brush/media types allow for a wide range of expressive marks to be made that look and feel natural.

From there, I opened up a random reference image off of Pinterest and tried to paint a portrait the way I would in real life, working dark to light and mixing my colors right on the “canvas.”  It was a challenge, but more because of my skillset than the technology (I’m not the best painter).  At no point did I feel like my failures were a result of the software or tools I was using, which is the highest compliment I can pay to them.  The stylus and iPad function as naturally as a brush or pencil on canvas or paper.

I wasn’t super happy with the results.  I think a potential downside to working digitally is the inclination to overwork things.  With physical media, there are restraints.  You don’t want to use up all of your expensive supplies, you have to factor in clean up time, you worry about ruining the paper/canvas or making a mess etc.  Working digitally, none of that matters.  You can carry on forever, noodling away in a futile pursuit of perfection.  For this next one, I tried to work quicker and looser, thinking about texture more than rendering and limiting myself to just 15 minutes.

I liked that a lot better, at least in terms of “feeling.”  I’ve lamented my prowess with color a lot in this blog, and one of the nice things about Procreate is that if I lay a few down and they don’t work, it’s super easy to undo them or paint over them.  Again, any problems here are my own failings, which is a testament to the versatility of the software.  I don’t feel handicapped at all.  One last attempt, this time trying to be even faster and looser, not worrying about color, embracing mistakes, and trying to think more in terms of edges and shapes.

This is where I think things really started to click for me, in the sense that I stopped paying analytical attention to the tools and started thinking more as an artist.  I subconsciously moved from seeing this working process as a novelty done on a multimedia device, to seeing it as an expressive medium in its own right. 

My overall thoughts on the iPad/Procreate experience are extremely positive.  Physically, it feels as intuitive as any other handheld artmaking tool.  Colors, paint and brushes behave as they would in the real world, allowing a user to easily experiment and still gain practical, transferrable knowledge.  Enough cannot be said about the convenience working on an iPad provides, in that you can take it anywhere and work any time.  Having one of these things is like having an entire art studio in the palm of your hand at any given moment.

It’s not perfect.  I found there to be a bit of a weird disconnect when drawing directly onto the iPad’s glossy screen.  The plastic nib of the Apple Pencil running along the glass surface feels too slick.  The Paperlike (brand name) screen protector is pricey, but in my eyes, worth the extra expense.  It provides some toothiness and a bit of resistance that feels much more like actual paper.

And as a purely personal nitpick, I get a little nervous about things being replaced with data.  To me, there’s something special about tangible artwork existing in the world as a unique, physical object.  Digital art doesn’t allow for one of a kind creations, but instead, as-many-as-you-want-of-a-kind reproductions.  The trade off for convenience is the loss of original work.

Notes

I feel very comfortable teaching this method of art making.  It’s so versatile it can be easily adapted to any technique or principle a teacher is trying to demonstrate.  The only limits lie in the knowledge base of the instructor, which is the same as it would be with any medium.

The Apple Pencil has a downright bizarre method of charging, in which it must be inserted into the port at the bottom of the iPad, jutting out like a flimsily attached antenna.  The Pencil doesn’t sit flush with the ground, making it far, far too easy to be snapped off by a child who isn’t paying attention.  I’ve almost broken it a few times myself.  For this reason, a separate docking station that keeps the Pencil in a more secure position is highly recommended, if not for the safety of the user, then for the safety of your investment.

Professional illustrator Marco Bucci is an excellent resource for those looking to approach digital art using fine art techniques.  His various YouTube tutorials use digital software, but are based on topics such as color, shape design, composition, gesture, lighting and value.  Universal concepts.  His “10 Minutes to Better Painting” series I found to be particularly informative, and really got me thinking about hard, soft, and lost edges in my paintings.  Bonus, they are entertaining, kid friendly, and exceptionally well produced.

 Video Directory: https://www.youtube.com/user/marcobucci/videos

Sample Video:

AVT 595-Colored Pencil

I figure beyond experimenting solely with materials for this blog, I should experiment with the format some as well.  Rather than go with my typical, free-wheeling stream of consciousness “diary” style approach, for this one, I’m attempting to be a bit more structured and methodical.  With that said, on to colored pencils!

Materials

Prismacolor Premiere 48 Piece Set- $42 from Amazon

Crayola Twistables 30 Piece Set- $6 from Walmart

50/50 Colored Pencils 12 Piece Set (Double Sided, 24 Colors)- $9 from Walmart

Verdict:  In my research I discovered that colored pencils are typically wax or oil based, with wax being preferred due to its smoother application and richer color.  I tried to find oil based pencils for comparison, but everything I came across, including the 3 brands I used, contained wax (combined with clay) “lead.”

Prismacolors seem to be considered the standard bearer for high quality colored pencils (and the price reflects that) and sure enough, I was impressed by the buttery smooth application of vivid color, the ease with which pressure can be varied, and the ability to draw with either the tip or the side of the pencil point.  They are fade resistant (“lightfast”) so work will remain vibrant for a long time.  If budget allows, these are a great option.

The Crayola Twistables surprised me.  They look cheap, they are cheap, and to most artists I know Crayola in general is considered more of a kid’s toy than an actual art supply.  In my tests I found the color of these twistable pencils to be just as easy to apply and nearly as rich as the Prismacolors.  This remained the case on any of the paper types I tested them on.  On the downside, they have thick, barrel shaped lead that doesn’t allow for nearly as much variation in line.  Also, the mechanical pencil bodies are color coded to match the pigment, but this information is practically useless.  By eyeballing one, at best you’ll be able to determine that it’s “some kind of blue.”  I had to make swatches for each to accurately discern what kind of value and hue they would lay down.  They are inconsistently lightfast, with some colors holding up well, while others (mostly oranges and reds) fade quite a bit over time.

The 50/50 set seems like generic, off brand junk.  The leads have a high concentration of clay vs wax, and as a result, are hard and sharp.  They are likely to gouge the paper if too much pressure is applied.  Lightfastness is not much of a consideration, as their color is washed out and weak to begin with.  As a very minor compliment, they are double sided, which means you can carry twice the number of weak colors in half the amount of space.  Unless storage space is a concern, or these are to be used as a cheap, disposable distraction on a car trip or something, I’d avoid these things.

In a classroom context, where materials are to be used by students as opposed to professional artists, I’d give my overall nod to the Crayola Twistable pencils.  They are of competitively high quality to Prismacolors for a fraction of the cost.

Safety & Age Appropriateness

The packaging for all 3 brands lists them as ACMI (Art & Creative Materials Institute) certified as non-toxic, with the exception of the gold Prismacolor pencil, which is singled out for containing copper.  Crayola has a warning against use by children under 36 months old, but this is due to the small parts contained in the pencil mechanism as opposed to a chemical hazard.  Otherwise, these materials could be safely used by students of any age.

They are similarly appropriate for any age in terms of technique.  Colored pencils are versatile, capable of a wide range of marks and able to draw just as easily in line or swaths of color.  Advanced students can attempt gradations of color using cross hatching, burnishing, or by introducing a solvent.  As a medium, they are flexible and easily scaled to the sophistication level of the class.

Experimentation

As mentioned in previous blog entries, I’m very comfortable with drawing, but not so comfortable with color.  With any new medium, I always start off by testing out what types of marks I can make, different ways of manipulating the tool, and how these results are affected by different types of paper.  For colored pencils, I did these tests on Strathmore 80lb Toned Gray, Canson 98lb Mix Media, and Canson 140lb Watercolor pads. 

I liked the texture provided by the watercolor paper, but overall found it to be harder to apply the pencil.  The mix media was a little smoother, but I found the stark white background to be pretty harsh.  Ultimately, the toned gray was my preference due to how smoothly the pencil went on and the way it calmed the colors down a bit. 

One of the primary techniques used in colored pencil work is blending.  Most reviews of materials I read focused on the ease of blending as a primary concern.  I never really got this to work well for me, with any of the brands I tried or on any surface.  I tried applying more or less pressure, using circular motions, cross hatching, burnishing, the results were always muddy to my eye.  After several messy doodles trying to force my color blending, in the end, I found that using limited hatch marks of one color over another gave me the best results.

In an attempt to speed up my learning process, I went to YouTube looking for assistance.  I consulted several videos, but found this general colored pencil overview by Kirsty Partridge to be the most informative:

Even with her tips in mind, my blending didn’t improve dramatically.  My assumption is this is something that comes with practice.  I wish I’d watched this before buying my supplies, as some of her techniques, like painting over your marks with solvent, are something I never would have thought of but would love to try. [Side note: Certain solvents are toxic!]  I did take a shot at coloring over lines drawn with the white pencil, and lines scratched in with a scalpel, after seeing this in her demonstration.

This yields interesting marks that are good to keep in the mental bag of tricks, but don’t seem immediately applicable to the type of work I was trying to do.

Overall Results

I’ve enjoyed expanding my tool set through these blog entries, and like charcoal and chalk pastels before them find colored pencils to be something I’d like to invest more time into learning.  They are a very “pick up and play” artmaking material.  Little-to-no prep work is required and clean up is a simple act of putting your paper and pencils away.  The pencils themselves are responsive, rich and versatile, and allow me to explore color as easily as chalk pastels but without leaving a cloud of rainbow colored dust in my wake.  In terms of intimidation factor and technique they have a low barrier for entry but unlimited potential to expand alongside one’s knowledge of color theory.

The only possible weakness I can think of are that they are difficult to blend (for me, anyway), there is a large disparity in quality between brands, and expensive pencils can be eaten away quickly by an unsuitable sharpener.  Minor quibbles aside, I am unreservedly enthusiastic about colored pencils as an art medium for students of all ages.

Lastly, I feel pretty confident that they are something I could teach comfortably.  I encountered a few speed bumps with regards to my own proficiency at blending, but I know how they work and what is achievable with them.  My own personal work with these things may not be amazing, but I can successfully impart the concepts to students and facilitate their learning.

AVT 595-Chalk Pastel (Soft)

I think this may be the first time in my life I’ve ever touched pastels.  While I was excited to give them a try, I’ll cop to being a little nervous about working in yet another medium that tends to eschew the use of lines, and to work in solid color.  As an undergraduate drawing major, most of the materials with which I’m most familiar are grayscale: Graphite, pen and ink, inkwash, charcoal…we did use conte crayons occasionally, but even those were limited to a 3 color palette.  For whatever reason, in my drawing program color was treated like your uncle’s drinking problem at Thanksgiving: We all know it’s a thing, but we’re trying our best not to acknowledge it.

Having never used these before, the first thing I did was head to Michaels to pick up a Faber-Castell box of 24 soft pastels.  This is perhaps more colors than were necessary for a beginner, but was the smallest set of “studio quality” materials in stock (the lower quality “student grade” was available in a 12 pack).  They rang up at $19.99, but since this was Michaels, expect to pay half that anywhere else.  I also went with a 32 sheet, 9x12” Strathmore Charcoal paper pad simply because it said “Ideal foundation for pastel” on the cover.  The paper was $15, but again, Michaels.  Buying from them is like paying the Canadian rate they used to list beneath the “real price” on books and magazines.  If you choose to buy your supplies from Michaels, consider the mark up an “idiot tax.” 

Supplies in hand, it was time to go about figuring out how these things work.  Soft pastels feel very similar in texture and consistency to vine charcoal.  Just kind of making marks willy-nilly, varying pressure, and rubbing the results with various blending instruments worked well for me in that medium, so I replicated the same tests this go round to similar results.  I was immediately struck by how malleable the marks were.  It’s quite easy to go from soft and delicate lines, to hard, intense areas of color with just a little firmness of hand.  A kneaded eraser can pick up a good 80-90% of the pigment in most applications.  Blending was silky smooth with a tortillon, a paper towel, a Q-tip, or a finger.  Simply laying down 2 colors next to each other and swiping between them with a single pass of an index finger creates a smooth, pleasing gradient.

This ease of blending can work as a double-edged sword.  With charcoal, having residue on your finger (or tool) before blending offers no real consequence.  In a color medium, being careless about cleaning can quickly lead to cross-contamination and muddied colors, something that plagued my final drawing even though I was aware of the issue at that point.

Also, to a certain degree, working with soft pastels is like trying to draw with Pixie Sticks.  The powder just kind of sits on the surface, if a butterfly flaps it’s wings within a hundred feet of you your drawing is liable to blow away.  Keep in mind that chalk powder WILL be everywhere when planning a workspace.

The final drawing was just a matter of combining what I’d learned through experimentation and applying it to a larger project.  For my subject matter, when in doubt, draw a piece of fruit.  There’s not much to say here, as it was a standard process of blocking in a shape with pencil, and then laying in color.  Aware that my color knowledge was an obvious shortcoming, I stuck with our Exploring Studio Materials textbook’s advice and limited the number of hues at my disposal.  I think I kept it to just the primaries, plus green, and tried to create any other colors I needed through blending.

One thing worth noting that I wish I’d discovered earlier is that chalk pastel seems to work best with a light to dark approach, as opposed to the dark to light method I used.  It was late in the process when I discovered that the lighter yellows and white highlights I tried to apply in the final stages just weren’t showing up very well.  As mentioned earlier, I did a poor job remembering to clean my finger tips between blending passes, significantly muddying up my colors.

All in all, this was a fun experiment, and chalk pastels are definitely something I’d like to get more familiar with.  It strikes me as a lower stakes entry point into painting, something I’m also inexperienced with (a seemingly running theme of these blog entries) and a quick and easy way to begin building a knowledge of color theory.  I think I can only improve from here, and I’m excited to try.

Some notes about usage in a classroom context:

-Fixatiff is necessary to bind the final drawing.  As always, take that outside or have an adult do it.

-While similar to charcoal in terms of tactile fun, methodology of use and safety of materials, I actually think chalk pastels can skew much younger.  They’re appropriate for practically any age group.  The final product will appear much more refined if created by a person thinking in terms of volume, light and shadow, but as this is a color medium, even abstract markings can create a vibrant, engaging piece.  With charcoal, smearing powder all over a canvas will basically lead to a solid black mess.  A pictorial representation of the infinite void.  Color pastels are a lot more forgiving, and can be approached by very young children as powdery, easily smudged crayons.