Digital art is art created on a computer in digital form. Digital art can be purely computer-generated, such as fractals, or taken from another source, such as a scanned photograph, or an image drawn using vector graphics software using a mouse or graphics tablet. The term is usually reserved for art that has been non-trivially modifed by a computing process (such a computer program, microcontroler or any electronic system capable of interpreting an input to create an output); digitized text data and raw audio and video recordings are not usually considered digital art in themselves, but can be part of a larger project.

The availability and popularity of photograph manipulation software has spawned a vast and creative library of highly modified images, many bearing little or no hint of the original image. Using electronic versions of brushes, filters and enlargers, these "Neographers" produce images unattainable through conventional photographic tools. In addition, digital artists may manipulate scanned drawings, paintings, collages or lithographs, as well as using any of the above-mentioned techniques in combination. Artists also use many other sources of information and programs to create their work.

3D graphics are created via the process of designing complex imagery from geometric shapes, polygons or NURBS curves to create realistic 3 dimensional shapes, objects and scenes for use in various media such as film, television, print and special visual effects. There are many software programs for doing this.

The technology can enable collaboration, lending itself to sharing and augumenting by a creative effort similar to the open source movement, and the creative commons in which users can collaborate in a project to create unique pieces of art.

The mainstream media uses a lot of digital art in advertisements, and computers are used extensively in film to produce special effects. Desktop publishing has had a huge impact on the publishing world, although that is more related to graphic design.

Nonetheless, digital art is yet to gain the acceptance and regard reserved for "serious" artforms such as sculpture, painting and drawing, perhaps due to the erroneous impression of many that "the computer does it for you" and the suggestion that the image created could be infinitly repeatable.

Computers are also commonly used to make music, especially electronic music, since they present an easy and powerful way to arrange and create sound samples. It is possible that general acceptance of the value of digital art will progress in much the same way as the increased acceptance of electronically produced music over the last three decades.

Some say we are now in a postdigital era, where digital technologies are no longer a novelty in the art world, and "the medium is no longer the message." [1] Digital tools have now become an integral part of the process of making art.

Digital Art

Digital Photography and digital printing is now an acceptable medium of creation and presentation by major museums and galleries, and the work of digital artists is gaining ground, through net art and software art. But the work of digital painters and printmakers is still not widely accepted by the established art community. It is not represented or collected by any major institution. Only the Victoria and Albert Museum print department has a reasonable but small collection of digital art.

==================================================

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: www.wikipedia.org. Article is posted by www.videogamearticles.com.

Business Cartoons Mean Business
by: Mark Anderson

Let’s face it, unless you’re Donald Trump, business can be pretty dull most of the time. Maybe that’s why so many people decorate their cubicles and offices with cartoons. A good laugh can really perk up your day! So why don’t more businesses use business cartoons?

It’s interesting that so few companies make the connection between cartoons and business. Are they afraid of not being taken seriously? Are cartoons just funny little drawings that no one really pays attention to? Publications like the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Forbes and Harvard Business Review all publish business cartoons regularly. What’s going on here?!

Maybe we’re so buried in spreadsheets, reports and memos that it’s hard to see where business cartoons might be able to help out. Here are some examples of how business cartoons used correctly can be a boon to both your morale and your bottom line:

Company Newsletters

Newsletters are a great place to use business cartoons! Corporate newsletters are usually filled with all sorts of company information, important information to be sure, but pretty dry reading nonetheless.

If you want your employees to really read your newsletters, give them something fun! Good business cartoons get discussed at the coffee machine, hung up in cubicles and faxed to business contacts. They're a great way to not only get your people to actually open the company newsletter, but explore and discuss it!

Business Presentations

You're sitting there in the conference room wishing you had a cappuccino IV to keep your eyes open while some guy drones on and on and on. Graphs, pie charts, more graphs, some bullet points, etc... Let's face it, it's hard to keep a dark room of sleep deprived people engaged.

Why not pep up your presentations with some good business cartoons! Not only are they a good way to get a presentation going (similar to starting a speech with a joke), but they're a great way to make your point throughout in a memorable way.

Websites & Intranets

Business cartoons are a wonderful way to get business prospects and customers visiting you online day after day. Years in sales taught me that people buy from people they like, and what better way to foster a good business relationship than by offering not only your products and/or services, but also a good laugh!

Of course you want your staff visiting your website and intranet often as well. Adding business cartoons will give your employees a great reason to check in on all your company information too!

Advertising & Email Campaigns

Looking for more customers? Nothing succeeds like business cartoons!

Many Fortune 1000 companies use business cartoons in their email campaigns. Some report astronomical email open rates, and click-thru rates in double digits! According to MarketingSherpa.com, companies are usually opposed to using business cartoons initially because they don't see the value in a 'cute' little cartoon. The website also notes, however, that when the business cartoons become the most clicked on portion of the email, companies quickly change their minds.

Business cartoons are a great way to advertise as well! They're quick, fun, and they grab your attention - wonderful attributes for potential customers to associate with your business!

Training Manuals & Fax Cover Sheets

Want to keep your trainees engaged in their training? Business cartoons are a fun way to break up the often lengthy training sessions and help your new employees relax.

And fax cover sheets just about beg for good business cartoons! Make sure your fax is well received not only by the person you intend to read it, but by the couple of other people who'll get a good laugh as they pass it along.

Business Cartoons are Good Business

As you can see, business cartoons simply make good business sense. Whether you use them in newsletters, powerpoints, websites, advertising, or manuals, business cartoons enliven your projects and promote interaction with both customers and employees.

About The Author

Mark Anderson is a professional cartoonist in the Chicago area. His business cartoons appear in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Barron's and Harvard Business Review. Browse his business cartoons at http://www.andertoons.com.
mark@andertoons.com

Drawing On Creativity: How To Trick Your Brain
by: Maya Talisman Frost

Can you draw?

Your answer to that question reveals a surprising amount about your brain and the way you integrate your right and left hemispheres. (In this article, the left side will be referred to as the dominant one, which is by far the most likely scenario.)

You see, the left side of the brain excels at verbal, analytical, rational and logical tasks. It's the dominant half. It takes over most of the time, using words to describe and define, figuring things out step by step, drawing conclusions based on facts and logic, and thinking in a linear way. The left side of the brain jumps right in with words and symbols, and is such a bully that it takes on even those tasks it isn't likely to perform well.

Now, the right side of the brain is completely different. It relies on nonverbal cues to process perceptions. It's good at tasks requiring the ability to see similarities, to understand how parts fit together as a whole, to make leaps of insight (those a-ha moments), and to perceive overall patterns at once. It tends to hang back a little, letting the left side take over most duties.

It's sort of like siblings. You've got a confident, verbal first child and a quiet, introspective, thoughtful second child. Who do you think wins the argument for that last dessert? Who chooses which television show to watch? Who dominates the conversation about where to go on a family vacation? The second child might have a valuable perspective, but the older one is so assertive that he tends to win most arguments and rule the roost.

If your answer to the drawing question is "No, I'm pathetic," it's likely your left brain is being a bit of a thug. Whenever you pick up a pencil and start to sketch, it's taking over with its tendency to verbalize images and analyze shapes. Meanwhile, the right side--the perceptual, spatial part of your brain--is over in the corner, raising its hand, trying to get attention. "Oh, pick me!" it says. Too bad that the left side is already busy drawing lines and forming a strategy.

What if you could outsmart the bully on the left? What if you could somehow give that right side of your brain its chance to shine?

According to Dr. Betty Edwards, a respected art educator and author of the best-selling book, Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain, you can actually make a mental shift from what she refers to as the "L-mode"--the verbal, dominant form of thinking--to the "R-mode," which relies on visual cues. It's possible to get the right side to kick in and take over the task of drawing.

How? Well, we need to get tricky.

The left side takes over tasks UNLESS it finds a particular job undesirable. If a certain task takes too much time, is too detailed or slow or simply too difficult, then the left side gives up. So, the trick is presenting the task--in this case, drawing--in such a way that the right side is allowed to jump in.

This happens a lot with words. When we try to describe something verbally and find it too difficult, what do we do? We rely on gestures. Just try to describe a spiral staircase without using your hands.

Dr. Edwards teaches people to draw by presenting them with images that are upside down. This puts the left brain in a state of confusion so that it can't easily decipher shapes, assign a top and bottom, attach labels and categorize them to match stored memories.

The key to integrating your right side lies in looking for opportunities to allow it to become dominant. When presented with a confusing image, your left side gives up. We should literally turn things upside down in an effort to thwart the left brain's control and let the R-mode take over.

This same idea works in creative problem solving. Sometimes the best way to deal with a challenging issue is to sleep on it. When the left brain is exhausted, the intuitive, subjective, holistic right side has a chance to sneak in and come up with a solution that seems to have come "from nowhere". See? We don't even give our right brains credit for creative insights!

It's exciting to think that there are ways to outsmart our brains. By intentionally putting ourselves in a state of mental conflict, we can enhance our creativity.

Look for ways to plunge yourself into that discomfort zone. Whether we're tackling a picture or a problem, the key to jumpstarting our right brain lies in shifting our perspective.

Grab a pencil, turn the picture upside down, and start drawing! Somewhere inside you, that frustrated artist will be grinning from ear to ear.

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries. She serves up a unique blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.