Editor’s letter

I did have a chuckle to myself when I read Vaughn Pinpin’s comic strip (page 24) about the ‘secret’ of digital art. I’ve received a few emails similar to this; people who ask me to provide a simple workshop that tells them everything in one hit. A workshop that distils all of art theory, years of training and software skills into a four-page article. I have to break the news that it’s just not possible. If making art was that easy, we wouldn’t so desperately want to accomplish it.

After seven years of working at ImagineFX it still irks me to see the same tired argument: that digital art is created by a few mouse clicks. But the people who are so quick to make such claims are rarely the ones producing great pieces of art, by stylus or brush. Funny that, isn’t it?

The only secret to painting great art is to practise. Don’t just buy books and magazines on the subjects, read them – it won’t happen via osmosis while they’re sitting on your bookshelf. Learn the fundamentals of art. Consistently use digital art software, or traditional tools, to become better at applying them. Draw every day. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way to create excellent art.

On a lighter note… memo to self: buy a dog. Bring said dog to work. Make dog sit near desk close enough for petting and having fun with. Mission accomplished. (See Artist in Residence, page 26.)