New Developments

I have some family friends here in town and their oldest daughter is a junior in high school this year.  She is extremely gifted at drawing and painting.  Every year for my birthday she draws me a picture and then paints or colors it and her mom gets it framed for me.  This year however, I wasn't able to be in town for my birthday.  I was really bummed because its a tradition to go get my picture each year and I told her that I was really upset about not being able to see it.  To my surprise, I got an email on birthday instead of a card.  She had drawn the picture on her computer using a tablet and then sent me the picture so that I could still get it on my birthday.  I was astounded!  I had seen her use the tablet before but I didn't even think of the possibility of sending pictures that had been drawn with it over email.  I thought that was so creative.

The tablet its self only allows you to use the pen as a mouse, almost like writing with a pen and paper except the paper is the computer screen.  She also has a special paint program that combines the layering techniques in photoshop with the tools and paint brushes in Microsoft paint studio.  I've watched her draw on it before and its absolutely amazing.  She can pick the exact color she wants with a swipe of the pen and the art that she creates is breath taking.  with the tablet and the paint program she can blend, sketch, add effects and layer.  She is so good at it too.  I always winder at how something that I find so complex and cool can be just an easy way for her to express herself.  She once let me try to draw a picture and I could not do it at all.

My point in this story is that some one thought to create these tools that she uses so casually every day.  She took these tools and molded them to fit her creative style.  Its so much easier for her to draw now.  Two years ago she would have spent weeks sketching and drawing and water coloring my birthday picture.  Now, with her tablet and paint shop, she can make an even more amazing picture in a matter of days.  This goes back to one of my first blogs on creativity, technology hasn't dumbed down creativeness, its made it more attainable.  Its more feasible for my friend to spend time doing what she loves to do; creating art.  Technology has allowed her to expand her talent and become a better artist as well as save her time and money on art supplies.  Below I have included the picture she emailed to me for my birthday this year.  She drew it from scratch, starting with a blank computer screen, sketched the picture, added flat color, shaded and added effects.  It still takes my breath away every time I look at it.