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My whole thesis is based on how the iPad has brought similar opportunities the invention of photography and chrome oil tubes brought to XIX century artists: the capacity to get out of the studio and paint directly from nature.
At the time they had serious controversies about the use of photography and its capabilities in the artistic process (the same ones we have now about the use of digital tools and reference!) Some artists embraced it and even some that rejected it publicly, used it privately.
Critics and people in the art community of the time were worried photography would destroy painting. Anyone could trace a photo and color it with oils to get near perfect portraits and landscapes! The horror!
Of course this didn't happen. Photography brought a golden-era of wonderful artists. Sargent, Sorolla, Zorn, Boldini, Moreno Carbonero, Fortuny; everyone incorporate photography to their process in one way or another: as reference of far away places and cultures...
...as a tool to study how people moved, to capture things moving too fast for the bare eye to really perceive, to study how light works and bounces on things. Photography simplified some steps in the painting process but along came a lot of new problems artists had to solve out.
At the time, some critics wondered if Sorolla's heavy and obvious use of photography as reference in his paintings made them "only illustrations" (whatever that meant). Many thought of it as cheating. Now imagine what would they think of digital illustration.
Portable devices like the iPad would be a dream come true for XIX century artists. A canvas that is also your camera? That includes every color known to man? Infinite brushes? Wet/dry paint at will? And you can keep it in a small bag? They would have killed for it.
The funny thing is, iPad users could learn a lot from these artists for going outdoors and painting directly from the world because we are in a similar situation: they were also dumb dorks that figured technology had evolved enough to give them the power to go out and do it.
They were experts on working quickly and efficiently to capture nature before it faded away or the light changed too much. They knew how to keep themselves and their materials safe from the weather and the elements. And yes, some of them freaking died while doing it.
They say Sargent was tough as nails and could endure anything with Spartan discipline: cold, rain or sleeping in the mud. You can study his outdoor paintings to take in the way he made every stroke count because time was always limited.
I can talk from experience that having and iPad doesn't make it easier. Nature still changes from moment to moment. You still have to be very efficient because of different limitations (battery, screen reflections, etc). And it can still be freezing and raining.
Sorolla was very practical: he took photographs (which were black and white) and made little "color notes" to get the correct hue/saturation relationships. He also always had a hat, umbrellas and curtains to fight against the heat and the wind, which sprayed sand on the canvas.
I figured out from reading about Sorolla's method that a hat and an umbrella are essential tools for iPad users. Sunny days make the screen almost unseeable and can even overheat the device: shade is your best ally. Also you want to keep your tablet away from the rain!
As part of my research, I had the opportunity to go to some of the places they painted and tried to paint the same thing from a similar angle. I guarantee that using an iPad doesn’t make it easier. I spent a whole night painting this, from the same spot as Sargent.
Also, the iPad is an excellent tool to study the old masters in museums and galleries. In most of them you need to go through a annoying process to get the permission to use oils. With an iPad you don’t have this issue. This are some master studies done on iPad.
Reading about the process of masters like Sargent, Sorolla and Zorn and studying their work has also been very useful to make my own iPad plein-air paintings and portraits. The device is very versatile but it doesn’t get the work done for you. You still have to practice a lot.
The thing is: the digital art vs traditional art and the fine art vs illustration are false dichotomies. Even though I personally think there are objective ways to measure the quality of a painting, every media (with their own pros and cons) is valid for artistic expression.
In the same way Sorolla, Zorn and Sargent used the newest technologies available to the to improve their work, we can be certain using reference and digital tools doesn’t make us less of an artist.
The process of contemporary artists like Karla Ortiz and Jason Rainville is not that different from the one these old masters used. You’ll be surprised how much time is spent on research and preproduction before they even touch a brush, it be a normal one or a digital one.
It is really interesting and fun to think we keep repeating interests, debates and solutions about technology and art, just as the old masters did centuries before us. It is also exciting to think about the possibilities this can bring for the future.
But what amazes me the most is the present. I truly believe we are living through a golden-era for art and illustration. Just check out the amount and quality of art shared through social media. In one day you can see more art than most people saw on their lifetime a century ago.
The XIX artists formed an international community. Sargent, Sorolla and Zorn were friends. And they didn’t have instant communication as we do now! I am grateful to live in a time where I can get an insight on the process, work and growth of my mutuals almost on real time.
