One of the joys of watching the world premiere on Sky Atlantic was that for the first time I’ve seen a Game of Thrones episode without some of the most intrusive adverts on British Television. Just think what life would be like if we had had HBO in Britain…no wait we do it is called BBC – unfortunately Sky hoover’s up so much of the HBO content then butcher it with adverts. Nice one Sky.
Here ends the moan.
Yesterday I spent a wonderful afternoon in the English countryside. In one sense this is a strange statement to make as I can walk out into the countryside from where I am sitting writing this. However, the countryside around me is really just quickly eroding green belt – yesterday, however, was the real thing. For anyone who might read this and is not familiar with England it in parts one of the most crowded countries in the world – yet over 90% of the land mass is rural – which I guess is a way of saying that most of the people live in and around cities and large towns and even the countryside that surrounds these conurbation’s is not really peaceful as there is always the is the knowledge of a large city nearby.
Yesterday was different, not only is Canon’s Ashby miles from a large city it is also chocolate box perfect – especially in the glorious spring light. There is something really uplifting of just standing in the spring light and letting it wash away all the winter darkness. To top everything we were visiting a National Trust property, which just adds a thick icing to the English cake. Suddenly the multi cultural, multi facetted complexities of modern England disappeared. This really was a UKIP supporter’s view of how England should be and of cause it was a fantasy.
Talking of fantasy brings me to the point of this blog – the usefulness of the Pano function on the iPhone when it comes to making a photographic image. The two images above show what I mean. The first image was made by the traditional method, i.e. letting Photoshop stitch two or three images together and then spending time to get the blending and lighting just so. The second is a Pano which is almost as it came out of the iPhone. Now if we disregard whether I should have made a better job on the original set of images for Photoshop stitch, which is a valid criticism, the time to create this image is out of all proportion to the benefits when compared what the iPhone can produce in camera. This comes with the added advantage of being able to reshoot immediately should it be required.
So what is the lesson I have learnt from this? Well first take more time when capturing images for a Photoshop stitch. Which is all well and good if I haven’t got my iPhone available but if I have, use the iPhone – it is just better at producing a great image in camera. I know that other cameras and phones can make Panos in camera but as I don’t have access to them I can only compare what I have at hand and the iPhone wins hands down.
Another hard slog to with the Capt. America painting but I think it was worth it. Many more sessions like that before this is finished. Perhaps the most interesting thing about all this is that since I started this quest into digital art I have seen many of the best photo realistic artists work and I’m starting to wonder if that is what really what I am turning into. I don’t think so but it is worth thinking about.
That title makes this sound like some angst ridden teenager is about let flow their in most secrets. However, as my teenage years are so far behind me my journal isn’t a journal in any formal sense – I have this blog for that. What it is a note book I picked up sometime ago that I leave by my computer that I use when I just need to doodle and sketch whilst using the iMac. I also use it to jot down things – hence the scribble across Homer’s head. It is just great sometime to let your mind drift off and doodle a little – goodness only knows I’ve been in too many meetings in the past where I have spent most of the time doing just that. Thankfully that is a phase of my life that has passed, I no longer have to attend interminable management meetings.
Killing me softly.
Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk
Things are progressing slowly but surely. Two and half hours work so far and it is starting to come together. Now I know there are a lot simpler and quicker ways of making this painting in a digital world but that isn’t the point. All paintings worth anything take time and thought – this is no exception.
So this is the idea – to make a Marvel version of the Dark Knight Rises group I made just over a year ago. Exactly who will end in this group is yet to be decided – I already have made an image of Thor but whether I can fit him together with Capt. America is another question. It will also act as some form of marker to indicate how my work has changed, (improved?) over the last 12 months.
A fool thinks himself wise but a wise man thinks himself to be a fool…
So here is the man of the moment – Captain America viewing the world below from his lofty perch. I actually enjoyed the simplicity of all this – even if I didn’t enjoy the fumes from the sharpie pens, I guess there is a reason why I never took up glue sniffing. It isn’t as polished as the modern comic books but I think harks back to the comic magazine of my youth when the graphics were drawn by hand on paper rather than computer. In fact that has just given me an idea so expect some more superhero nonsense over the next day or so.
Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk
This morning I’ve been sitting in the cafe of my local supermarket enjoying a nice cup of coffee whilst sketching out a superhero . There are worst ways to spend your time
Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk
There is something about the comic book world that is strangely attractive.
Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk
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