Simon's Blog

Just cannot create anything at all using Brushes anymore. These two sketches were made using a pencil and pen on paper – so much more rewarding.

Sent from my iPad

I really like this – although the iPad camera doesn’t really do it justice.

Sent from my iPad

I suppose I only have myself to blame. You see I use Zite, a service that brings together news items about subjects I have told it I am interested in. Today, all the stories were Apple related – I don’t think I can take much more.

Yesterday I was in my local Apple Store and the sale person had the expression of someone who was about to explode with excitement about the arrival of the new MacBook pros. I just cannot understand this totally pointless bowing down to a computer manufacturer. Don’t get me wrong Apple has introduced many incredible products over the past few years but innovation seems to be being replaced with consolidation. The products now are a little better but not game changing. The last real game changer, in every sense of the word, was the iPhone and that was 5 years ago. Take the iPad. I had a first gen iPad and really liked it. I bought my wife a second gen and was impressed but not enough to buy one myself. I now have a ‘new’ or third gen iPad and to be frank I haven’t noticed a huge difference between the two. Yes the ‘new’ has the much vaunted, and in my view overblown, Retina Display and faster chips but for day to day use there really isn’t that much difference. The main reason for my change was that the first gen iPad wouldn’t/couldn’t run some of the stuff that the third gen could.

Whilst I am on the subject would it be possible to stop all the pointless speculation about what the next iteration of the Apple product is likely to contain. All of it is wrong in some way or another and only seems to exist to give the numerous Apple tech blogs, brought to me by the aforementioned Zite, something to write about. Apple’s products are very nice but when I use Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop on a PC or Mac I am not in the slightest bit interested in the OS I am just interested in productivity and from this stand point it doesn’t matter whether you use a Mac or Windows system.

So could we please stop all the Apple hype. They produce great products but really it is not worth all the fuss. There are far more important things in life.

I feel better for that and I know that it will change nothing but there we go.

Sent from my iPad by someone who has bought three iPads, 3 iPhones and Apple TV

I’m trying to work out what to paint over the next two sessions – so I’m looking for ideas and trying them out – this is based on a Edward Hopper sketch/painting.

Sent from my iPad

Just read this and I really like the idea…I’m easily pleased

Sent from my iPad

Another Friday another painting – whilst my colleges on the course try to paint the whole women in just over an hour I decided to just concentrate on one feature, surprise surprise the face! However, this is little more than the first initial daubs but it has enough about it to make it interesting. The photograph was taken in appalling lighting conditions, way beyond the capabilities of the iPhone so I’m not sure how true a likeness it really is. Nonetheless it has one or two interesting touches.

Sent from my iPad

I must admit I’m starting get a bit bored with this whole project but I think I will carry on for a little longer.

Sent from my iPad