LIVING THE LINES
For this jam, I want you to absorb the lines of Hokusai by making a digital approximation of his woodcut imagery. Vary line weight in a digital setting by drawing out your lines, then using the eraser tool to add more personality. I will demo this in class.
A WORD ABOUT "COPYING"
As Austin Kleon says in his cool little book HOW TO STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST:
How does an artist look at the world? First you figure out what's worth stealing, then you move on to the next thing.
Or as David Bowie said:
The only art I'll ever study is art that I can steal from.
But, wait a minute, isn't that plagiarism, isn't that copyright violation or downright theft? It would be if you are openly presenting the work as your own, or if you aren't attributing your influences. The key is to take what can then be incorporated into your own form of expression, so that it's not exactly the same. Instead, it has been transformed by your own unique way of engaging the world.
Hokusai is famous for his series of woodblock prints called 36 VIEWS OF MT FUJI. Today, during class, you'll create your own view, taking guidance and inspiration from Hokusai.
Use Photoshop and open a new project that is 1920 X 1080, 300 dpi.
Draw your own view of Fuji based on these works by Hokusai, and actual photos of Fuji that you look up online.
Incorporate this haiku into your design:
Watch this video to learn how to make your lines look more hand-carved or inked, applying gradients and creating a custom brush.
For more insights, check out this video.
Credits:
Created with images by Daniel Hehn - "Mount Fuji 1" • Daniel Hehn - "Mount Fuji 1" • Mike Swigunski - "Please consider crediting my photos to the link found in my bio! :-)"