In Pictures: Digital artists create iPad masterpieces
Finger painting is no longer just for kids. There is a growing community of online artists who use the iPad and iPhone to create exciting and vibrant artwork using just their fingers.
Thanks to programs like Brushes and SketchBook Pro, there's also an ever-growing community of 'finger painters' on social networking sites such as Flickr and Facebook, where they upload artwork straight from their iPads or iPhones to share with the world. You can even see videos of how they have put the paintings together.
Meanwhile, professional painters and illustrators – such as renowned British artist David Hockney and comic-book legend Jim Lee – are joining in the fun by using the iPad and iPhone to create fantastic works of art and sharing them with friends and fans. Even highbrow US magazine The New Yorker featured a cover painting, created on the iPhone, by illustrator Jorge Colombo.
Here are some of the iPad artists who are making a name for themselves.
Stef Kardos
stefsketches.blogspot.com
Disney animator Stef Kardos is one of the true pioneers of finger painting on the iPhone. His 50s' diner images, inspired by his current home of California, were some of the first to appear online and show off the power of the Brushes app.
He tells us, "I love painting and sketching on location; the light here in Southern California, the sunsets and the city views of LA at night from the mountains are superb; but painting a sunset live as the sun goes down is very challenging with traditional media. The iPhone came in handy for me, as it gave me the opportunity to be spontaneous; and most of all, it enabled me to paint outdoors, not from a photo in my studio."
As for his next step, Stef says he is looking forward to getting an iPad, having seen what his colleagues at Disney have started doing with it already.
Susan Murtaugh
www.fingerpainted.it
Retired artist Susan Murtaugh is the co-author of finger-painting website www.fingerpainted.it and is one of the leading lights in the finger-painting community.
"The Flickr community is host to so much unbelievable talent, it is hard not to be inspired and encouraged to do better work," she says. She herself was inspired by Disney artist Stef Kardos (see artist above) to pick up an iPhone, and then an iPad, as she embarked on what she refers to as her new 'iCareer', using Brushes and SketchBook to create some stunning paintings.
When asked what the future holds for iPad painters, she says: "My iPad is the most cherished piece of equipment I own today. It fits in my purse and so it's not a problem carrying it around and using it at a moment's notice. I have literally "handed off" my aging MacBook Pro and do not feel the need to replace it. In fact I look forward to the iPad's future development; can one with a camera and full printing capability be far off?"
When asked whether painting on the iPad will prove to be a short-lived fad, she says: "I have been teaching all the sixth-grade classes in my county about art on digital devices and the enthusiasm – and how fast the kids pick up the apps and use them – shows me that the need and want is there. The iPad is also considerably less expensive than I originally thought it would be, so I think they'll be around for a long time to come. "
Goro Fujita
www.gorillaartfare.com
Animator and concept artist Goro Fujita has been painting with Brushes on the iPhone since it was launched. Graduating from finger painting to using a Pogo stylus, he was quick to upgrade to the iPad as soon as it was unveiled.
"I loved the feel of [the iPad] and the software packages like Brushes and Sketchbook Pro were a lot more responsive and faster than on the iPhone. I didn't hesitate a second to get myself an iPad."
Goro uses both Brushes and Sketchbook Pro on his iPad. "Brushes is the faster tool, and since I'm in direct contact with the creator I can give him feedback and it doesn't take long until he implements new features. I also like the simple interface, and the tools are easy to reach. Every action gets recorded and you can play it back instantly or export it to your Mac and watch your painting process. You can even play it back at a higher resolution without quality loss, which is an amazing feature. Although in Brushes you can't draw dots yet."
When asked about the difference between painting on the iPad and a more traditional way of working, he says the best thing is "the possibility to undo your actions and transform your layers."
As for how he views the future of painting on the iPad, he says: "The iPad has a really nice size and I love painting on it. This is the first generation and the applications are getting better and better. The hardware still needs some improvement, like pressure sensitivity, but that's only a matter of time. I think the iPad is perfect as a digital portable sketchbook."
Xoan Baltar
xoanbaltar.blogspot.com
Self-taught Spanish painter Xoan Baltar believes he is continuing the tradition of Spanish masters by releasing his iPhone paintings to the world via Flickr and YouTube.
As well as helping to develop the second incarnation of Brushes alongside its creator Steve Sprang, Xoan was one of the first iPhone artists to upload videos of his paintings to YouTube to show off his techniques to the world.
"The drawings are very diverse; they can take 20 minutes to do or even two hours." The YouTube videos were a direct response to online fans speculating about whether his paintings were retouched photographs, as well as to show how quickly he could create such stunning pieces of art.
When asked what his next step with his artwork is going to be, he says: "Currently I'm preparing an exhibition of paintings done on my iPhone. I can print on canvas and the results are amazing."
Corliss Blakely
www.artistinvermont.com
Vermont-based painter Corliss Blakely got into painting on her iPhone almost by accident. "I was at my studio about a year ago waiting for a panel to arrive for a commission. I had some extra time so I picked up my phone and thought I would try a few painting apps. I immediately knew that I had found a new medium. I bought the iPad the day it came out and had a painting on the internet that night."
"I think the iPad is the new canvas for artists. It will give freedom to artists that have been working in the studio for years. It is so portable, you can take it anywhere and paint on location or display your new works to clients – not to mention send it out to the world with a click of your finger. In the summer I live on an island with only solar power, so the iPad 3G will be perfect to send my art out into the world."
Jonathan Grauel
www.bluestudioonline.com
Abstract painter Jonathan Grauel had been painting in acrylics and oils for more than 20 years, but it was a freak accident that saw him take up painting on the iPhone.
"In 2008, I had an accident with a table saw that left me without an index finger. I'm also unable to bend my middle finger and have limited sensitivity in my thumb. Unfortunately, it was my left hand and I am a lefty. After the accident my wife and friends surprised me with an iPhone. I soon discovered painting and drawing applications.
"For the most part I 'paint' the same on the iPad/iPhone as I do on canvas, but with a lot less clean-up. I begin with an initial sketch to work out the composition, then add in larger shapes for colours or tones. Next, I build on it layer after layer, adding line, colour and shape. I just use my finger – I like the direct interaction with the art and it feels more natural than a stylus. My damaged middle finger doesn't bend, and so it became a great new drawing instrument."
When asked what he would like Apple to improve on the iPad for painters, he admits: "I would love to be able to project from my iPad as I draw. As the touch sensor technology improves, I hope the control and variation of marks in my iPad drawings will increase as well."
Michael Heald
www.fullyillustrated.com
Animator and games designer Michael Heald is another artist who leapt at the chance to create using an iPad.
"As soon as I heard about the iPad I immediately got very excited about the prospect of using it as a portable digital sketchpad. But to my horror, there wasn't going to be a stylus included. 'Finger painting? Apple, are you serious?' I thought.
"Unsurprisingly, drawing on the iPad with my finger seemed very, very primitive and I was almost ready to give up within 20 minutes, but something made me persevere and I'm glad I did! The essence of being able to carry all your art tools around in one very slim digital device is just fabulous. In my opinion, the iPad will become as essential as the Wacom tablet in time.
"I think my next step is to expand my abilities from a technical standpoint. I'm very rusty at painting due to using vectors for so many years, so my short- and long-term goal is to be able to use this device to create final artwork."
Kevin Barba
www.kevinbarba.com
Character artist and illustrator Kevin Barba bought an iPad on launch day and hasn't stopped sketching since!
"Using the iPad has helped give me a chance to take a fresh look at my art and look back and re-teach myself the basics of drawing" he tell us. "I recently began doing gesture drawings and I am working on creating loose storyboards so that I can better communicate stories in my art. "
When asked how it has changed the way he works he says, "As funny as this is, I still find myself sketching thumbnails out on Post-It notes before I begin a piece on Brushes. I will for a majority of sketches use my finger for painting. I recently picked up a Pogo Stylus and the Apple iPad case, which has come in handy creating a more comfortable angle of the screen when I work at my desk. I know some iPad artists use custom-cut gloves to avoid accidentally calling up any multi-touch commands, but I don't think that is entirely necessary yet."
Fabric Lenny
www.fabriclenny.co.uk
Prolific image-maker Fabric Lenny has been painting with his iPhone for just over a year, after being inspired by pop artist David Hockney. "His images remain some of the most vibrant and inspirational created using the device."
A keen fan of the Brushes app, Lenny already sees it as an essential part of his image-making toolkit. "It has really developed since the early versions, and is very intuitive to use. The ability to output high-quality, print-ready files via Wi-Fi is a real bonus."
When asked what he sees as the future for the iPhone as a painting device, he says: "For now the iPhone will remain a way for me to create new images, although I do look forward to the release of the iPad in the UK, as I'm keen to explore the benefits that its large screen offers the artist."
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Guide: How to set up a proxy server
Corporate networks always have proxy servers, while on home networks they're often an overlooked form of defence. But maybe they shouldn't be.A local proxy server can help to improve the throughput of your broadband connection, restore order to a troubled network and add another line of defence against malware infections.
What are proxies?
'Proxy' means substitute. To the computers on the local network, a proxy server is a substitute for connecting directly to the web. There are several different types of proxy server. For example, a web proxy server keeps copies of recently accessed web pages on your hard disk.
When you access a page, the proxy serves the cached version if it's up to date. This is faster than downloading static files from the site. All internal computers must use the local web proxy server for it to be effective.
In the settings for your web browser, there's a page to point it at a proxy server rather than the network's default gateway. This gateway is usually a router or the computer attached to your broadband modem. Some proxy servers also block content, especially on corporate networks.
You may be tempted to disable the proxy settings in your browser to view sites your boss would rather you didn't during work hours. However, to ensure that everyone on the network uses the proxy to access the internet, system administrators block all access to the internet at their firewall, except traffic coming from or going to the proxy. So to access anything outside the local network, you must use the proxy.
Forcing everyone to use the proxy gives system administrators great control over what their users can access. The same principle can be used at home by parents and those simply keen to bolster security.
If you find unexpected access attempts in a firewall's log file from inside a proxy-protected network, they're probably coming from malware that doesn't know how to test for a local proxy and has tried to go directly online.
Installing FreeProxy
FreeProxy (or FreeProxy Internet Suite) is a free Windows-based proxy server that can provide web caching for faster access and is able to block banned web domains. It works on Windows 7 and should ideally run on its own computer. The app is available for free from here.
Once downloaded, unzip the file and double-click on the setup application. When the installation wizard appears, click 'Next' to accept the licence agreement, the default the destination folder and Start menu folder, then click 'Install'. When the release notes pop up, click 'Next', then 'Finish'. Click Start and select 'FreeProxy Control Centre'.
Let's begin by configuring and testing FreeProxy for basic use. Open a command line and enter ipconfig. Press [Enter] and one or more blocks of information will appear.
Find the one about the server's Ethernet connection (usually the first one that appears) and note the IP addresses of the default gateway and DNS server. First, we need to stop relying on DHCP to provide IP addresses on demand and use a fixed address instead. This is so other computers on the network can find the proxy server via its address.
In Windows 7 or Vista, open the Control Panel and click 'Network and Internet | Network and Sharing Centre'. In Windows 7, click 'Change Adaptor Settings' in the left-hand pane and double-click the 'Local Area Connection'.
In Vista, click on 'Manage network connections' and double-click on the 'Local Area Connection'.
In XP's Control Panel, double-click 'Network Connections' and then doubleclick the 'Local Area Connection'. Click 'Properties' and a window will appear showing the underlying configuration. Double-click the entry in the protocol list called 'Internet Protocol Version 4 (TVP/Ipv4)'. In XP this is just called 'Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)'.
Another subwindow will appear, giving details on how the computer gets its IP address. Click the radio button marked 'Use the following IP address'. Your default internet gateway (your router) will usually have the address 192.168.0.1, so enter a different number in the fourth position (192.168.0.2, for example).
If you're not sure if this address is already in use, open a command line and enter ping 192.168.0.2. If the command hangs and then returns a set of timeouts, the address isn't in use. Next, enter a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and the IP address of your default gateway in the appropriate input boxes.
Select the 'Use the following DNS server addresses' radio button and enter the IP address of the DNS server you noted down earlier. This is probably the same device as the default gateway. Click 'OK' and dismiss the parent windows.
Now we need to make a web browser use the proxy server to access the internet. On a different networked machine, open Internet Explorer 8 and click 'Tools | Internet Options'. Click 'LAN settings' in the Connections tab.
In the subwindow, select the tickbox labelled 'Use a proxy server for your LAN'. Enter the address 192.168.0.2 and change the port number to 8080. Now click 'OK' and dismiss the parent window, then try to surf to a page. The proxy isn't running, so the browser will eventually time out.
In the FreeProxy Control Centre, click the 'Start/Stop' button and a window will appear. To start the proxy server, click the 'Start' button in the Console Mode pane at the bottom.
Windows Firewall may pop up to tell you that it's blocked the program. Ensure that the option to allow FreeProxy to communicate on your home network is selected and click 'Allow Access'. Refresh the page in the browser by pressing [F5]. It should now load properly.
Blocking websites
Proxy servers are often used to block content, and FreeProxy does this admirably via ban lists. Click 'Ban Lists' on the FreeProxy Control Centre and the Ban List Manager will appear. Click 'New'.
Ban lists are split into several categories. Click 'Add' to add a category and a window will appear. Enter a name like Do Not Access. You can define an action the proxy must take when a user tries to access one of the URLs in the category, such as redirecting the user to an external URL or showing a custom error page. Select the 'Standard Response' option and click 'Done'.
To add a URL or IP address to the category, click 'Manage Category Details'. Click 'Add URL/IP' and enter the destination in the input box. If you're entering a URL, omit the 'http://www' prefix.
When you've finished, press 'Done'. Confirm that you want to save your changes and enter a filename for the ban list. So that FreeProxy understands the type of traffic to ban (in this case HTTP), double-click the default Proxy entry on the main pane of the user interface. Select your LAN card in the dropdown Local Binding list and then press 'Permissions'. A subwindow will appear.
Click 'Add Resource' , change the type to 'Ban List URL of IP address' and press 'Done' on each subwindow to dismiss it.
On the main interface, click 'Options', then click the 'Activate the Ban List?' tickbox and select the ban list using the file browser below it. Restart the proxy server and try surfing to a banned site. The browser should load nothing, but allow you to surf elsewhere.
Creating error pages
To link an error page you've made to a category in your ban list, open the list again, click the relevant category and change the redirect response to 'Error Page'.
Click the folder icon and select the error page. Click 'Open' to select it and 'Done' to finish. Click 'Done' in the Ban List window and agree to save the list if required. Click 'Done' and restart the proxy.
Now try to access the banned web page. Your custom error page should appear.
To log the domains and IP addresses that any person or program tries to access from your network, click 'Options'. Click 'Log access data' and the relevant options will become active. Enter a path and filename for the log file and leave the report content on 'Forbidden'. This means you'll only record attempts to access banned content.
Select 'Show full URL' to record the full path to the banned page. Click 'Done', try surfing to a banned URL and inspect the content of the log file.
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Review: Microsoft Windows Live Photo Gallery
Everyone carries digital cameras, but not everyone's discovered the importance of editing and managing the hundreds of pictures they can hold. That's where Live Photo Gallery comes in, giving you a one-stop shop for managing, editing and uploading. It lets you do some very impressive tricks indeed, especially for a free download. Many of the Wave 4 features are familiar from the earlier Essentials releases (and from the original Vista Windows Gallery), with the new version gaining a new look and feel thanks to the Windows 7 iteration of Microsoft's ribbon user interface.
Every section has seen a massive improvement, however, starting with management. Managing images is all about search, and while images aren't the easiest of things to index, Microsoft has made it a lot easier to add captions and tags to them.
One option lets you quickly geo-tag pictures, typing the place name to add where you took the picture to the image metadata (although sadly not in a way that's supported by popular photo-sharing site Flickr).
There's a big improvement to the way Live Photo Gallery tags people too, with a new face-detection tool.
Ready and correct
The image-editing features are the most exciting part of the app. To start with, most of the basic editing features are available in the gallery itself. You can auto-correct, tweak colours and exposure and apply basic image effects without opening images, something that speeds up basic image processing workflow.
Once you open an image and move to the Edit tab, you'll find more image-processing tools, including red eye removal and a Retouch tool that helps to remove blemishes. Unlike other retouch tools, this isn't a healing brush and so it doesn't need you to create an accurate outline around what you want to remove. All you need to do is drag a rectangle around the area you want to change, and let Live Photo Gallery do the rest.
Photo Fuse is another of the brand-new features in this version. If you've taken several photos of a group of people only to find that someone's blinking in each one, you can use this to collect all the open eyes and bring them into one final version.
Select the images and Live Photo Gallery will align them, giving you one base image to work with. Once you've selected the area to edit (typically a head) you'll be shown the alternative content from the other images. You can then drop the section of image you want into place.
Photo Fuse capably blends the images, leaving you with the photo you wanted to take in the first place. It's a surprisingly useful tool and one that gives you effective results for very little effort.
One feature of Live Photo Gallery that often gets overlooked is its ability to launch other image editing tools, like Photosynth and Microsoft Research's advanced image stitching and collage tools. Use the 'More Tools' option in the Create tab to download plug-ins, launch installed applications and open the currently selected images in any other image-editing tools you might have installed on your PC.
Microsoft has also added new upload plug-ins, with support for sharing images on Facebook and videos on YouTube, as well as storing files on its own Windows Live SkyDrive service. The upload tools have had a makeover, so it's now easier to add tags and deliver images to the right online groups and galleries.
Despite its powerful new image editing tools, Live Photo Gallery isn't a replacement for high-end software like Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop. What it is, however, is a replacement for budget image cataloguing and-editing tools like Photoshop Elements and Corel's Paint Shop Photo Express.
It does the basics well, and at that most compelling of price points: free.
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