Deconstructing the Frost King in Me
A long time buddy of mine recently came in to a snazzy new Wacom and, in some cosmic act of humoring good will, bestowed his old one to me. Now my friend is an artist of immense talent. He gets paid to paint, hand tooled both my bitchin' tattoos, and oddly remains the only person that never laughs when I casually mention I'd cut off my left hand to have just half of what his right can do. He works in several mediums but it was his recent progression to a digital medium that intrigued me the most.Needless to say I quickly, despairingly, learned sexy new gear did not necessarily unlock previously inactive floodgates of talent. While this tool has yet to catapult my ill-fated scribblings to any remotely acceptable level it has offered access to a conceptual interface that entices with the strengths only a digital backbone can provide.
Several of these advantages, such as instant color replication or simple layer manipulation, are fascinatingly revealed in the recent videos shared by The Behemoth's Dan Paladin. Though perhaps more suited to fans of the Castle Crashers' aesthetic both this video and the one before it prominently display techniques (alongside splendid musical selections) that are genuinely digital as modular components are moved, cloned, or overlayed in this virtual workspace. Modifications are swiftly deliberate when content can be masterfully deconstructed.
Of the themes I revisit the battle between analog and digital remains the most vexing. Gary's mod is no replacement for LEGO, a GPS unit's functional simplicity relies on communication through space, and that lens flare filter hardly evokes the same wonder as the real McCoy. A Wacom will never stain your fingernails or accidentally mix colors, Photoshop won't reek of caustic developer or unintentionally overexpose, and for some the word processor will never replicate that elegant suction paper has on the blood of a fountain pen.
The battle continues. I found Paladin's process uniquely thought provoking and, more importantly, inspirational. The ability to sample and replicate content artfully transcends medium, as shown in a sketch's progress or the recent chiptune infatuation I've been nursing. This brief pulling back of the veil has rekindled a forced march within my tiny secret sketchbook with the hope of eventual digitalization, a medium dare I say more forgiving for a starter as myself.
[via Offworld via The Behemoth Development Blog]
