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QR codes get gussied up in 'Beautiful Traps,' become art (video)
Louis Vuitton QR codes not your thing? Leave it up to Yiying Lu -- illustrator of the infamous "fail whale" -- to make QR codes presentable enough to bring home and show the family. As part of an art project called Beautiful Traps, Lu hand painted codes into portraits featuring carnivorous plants. The codes aren't just for show -- scanning them pulls up a video of the painting process, handily viewable on your mobile device of choice. Roll past the break for a timelapse video of their creation.
Daily iPad App: Paper by FiftyThree may make you an artist
I am not an artist. I love art, but don't have the necessary skills (except for those I've picked up on my own) to really do anything that I'd want other people to see. When some of the early iPad drawing/painting apps started coming out, I eagerly bought them to try, but found that my lack of talent was just transferred to a new medium. A new iPad app, Paper by FiftyThree (Free, in-app tool purchases available) may actually help me to become a half-decent artist. After you've downloaded Paper, you have a one tool available - Draw. Draw is an expressive ink pen that responds much like the steel-nibbed pens we used in art class in 7th grade, except there's no way to drip ink on yourself or the page. All of the other art tools -- Color, Sketch, Write, and Outline -- are available through in-app purchase for US$1.99 each or as a combined "Essentials" purchase for $7.99. Launching Paper, you see three Moleskine-like notebooks on the screen. To open one for viewing, you tap on it, and you're immediately rewarded with a two-page view of the notebook. To zoom in on a set of pages, make another tap; to get back to the notebook view, you pinch two fingers together. New notebooks can be added from the main screen of the app by tapping a "+" button, or erased with the tap of a trash can button. You can name each notebook, and give it a cover photo or texture. Once you're in a page view in a notebook, you can begin to draw or paint. I immediately purchased the Color (water painting) and Sketch (pencil drawing) tools; I frankly wish I had just spent the full $7.99 and bought the Essentials. When drawing or painting, you can either use the eraser tool or a "rewind" function to get rid of mistakes. Rewind uses an swipe and rotate gesture to "turn back the clock" on your misdeeds. The tools are all available from a tool tray that slides up with a swipe and can be put away with another swipe. I found myself grabbing a tool and color, then dropping the tray out of sight so I could concentrate on my work. For each tool, you have a limited palette of nine colors. Unfortunately, you can't change that palette. The Fifty-Three team says that they want people to concentrate on creating, not getting picky about colors. While this works well with some tools, like Color, which let you blend transparent colors, it's kind of annoying with the pen and pencil tools. You can layer different colors, of course, so I'm not sure that alternative palettes are a definite need -- instead, Paper users just need to understand how to layer colors properly. A quick look at the comments on the FiftyThree support forums shows that many people are asking for alternative palettes. I've dabbled in watercolors in the past, and I found the Color tool to be the closest thing yet to a watercolor set for the iPad. The tool works just like a watercolor brush, letting you build up color by laying on more "paint," blend colors, even use the white paint like a gouache. I didn't try the Write and Outline tools, but they are essentially fine and broad point markers for marking up your paper. The Sketch tool is also the best pencil-drawing tool I've found for the iPad. Using my Adonit Writer Pro stylus with Paper, I felt like I was really drawing on a piece of paper. Speaking of the paper, your "canvas" is 2048 x 1536 pixels, so it takes advantage of the Retina display. Images that you create can be shared through Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter or by sending an email. When you share an image, it's exported as a JPEG at 1024 x 768 pixels. I found a good way to get full-resolution images -- I just do an iPad screenshot, and then the image shows up in my Photo Stream in full resolution. How good is Paper? Let's just say that every other "art app" that I purchased in the past has been taken off of my iPad. I love the concept and execution of this app, and it's going to be my sketch and watercolor pad from now on. Paper makes me wish that I hadn't spent a lot of money a few years ago putting together a portable watercolor kit...
Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon
Behind-the-scenes videos are quite a lot of fun, and we're pleased to bring you the latest such from Sony Online Entertainment and the EverQuest II dev team. The new clip gives us a peek at the birth of Lumpy the dragon. For all intents and purposes, Lumpy is EQII's first low-rider dragon, since the rest of the game's drakes are sinewy, towering masses of muscle and scale. Senior character artist Steve Merghart describes Lumpy as "low to the ground and stocky," and the video clip shows us everything from initial concept sketches to the various stages of poly modeling, painting, and animation that make up the finished product. Have a look-see after the cut. [Source: SOE press release]
Painting a Steve Jobs tribute live
This video was sent along by reader Danny B, and while we've seen a few works of art paying tribute to Steve Jobs, we haven't really seen one made live in real time like this. Just trust me -- you can watch the video below, and I think it's fascinating how the art goes from just a few brush strokes on the wall to the iconic image of Apple's genius. Aaron Kizer is the artist, and the painting was done at an event in Kentucky called the 11th Hour Live Music and Arts Show. As you can hear at the very end of the video, the event was also "hosted" by what might be a very familiar voice to those of you who own iPhone 4Ss.
Multi-Touch finger paintings merge art with tech
Anybody can fingerpaint -- it's pretty much a standard part of kindergarten curriculum -- but artist Evan Roth took it a step farther with his Multi-Touch finger paintings. (Heads-up: some salty language on his site). By putting tracing paper over his iPod touch, paint on his fingers, and performing some routine tasks, Roth created six paintings that show the details of the actions he took with his device. This struck me as similar to the work Design Language News did several months back when it analyzed fingerprint patterns left behind on an iPad's display after using several different apps. It also reminded me a bit of a keyboard frequency sculpture that Mike Knuepfel created around the same time. In each case, artists are taking something that's seemingly mundane -- our day-to-day interactions with devices -- and creating something of possible analytical value that's also uniquely artistic. That marriage of geeky attention to detail and artistic aspiration is really what Apple's all about, and it's projects like these that really highlight the art behind the technologies we use every day.
Macs as artist: The interactive robotic painting machine
Artist and composer Ben Grosser sent us a tip about his latest project, an interactive robotic painting machine. The machine has three computers that run python code written by Grosser, two of those being computers for those who "Think Different" -- a Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro. The process is fascinating to watch and hear, as the machine "listens" to outside sounds as input into what it should paint and creates its own body of work. Grosser noted that he's been critiquing the machine as it paints, giving it audio input as it makes brush strokes indicating whether or not he likes what it's done. He mentioned that he's "found that I tend to dislike these paintings more than others it makes, suggesting that listening to a constant critique of one's creative process may not be productive." A video of Head Swap: Collaborative Work for Amplified Violin and Interactive Robotic Painting Machine (2011) is shown below. In this video, the machine listens to music composed by Zach Browning and played by violinist Benjamin Sung. Part of what you hear is actually the machine as it goes through its motions, creating its own counterpoint chords as it paints. The art created by the machine may not appeal to everyone, but it's a captivating and Apple-powered work that can produce striking and somewhat beautiful paintings ... and music.
TUAW's Daily iPad App: Doodle Buddy for the iPad
Doodle Buddy is a free finger-drawing app for the iPad. It brings the fun of childhood finger-painting to the iPad as well as the grown-up need to make quick sketches to share with friends, family or co-workers. For your children or the child inside all of us, Doodle Buddy lets you draw with multiple finger on the iPad's large screen, just like finger-painting. It has over 44,000 colors in its color-picker so you never run out of choices. A variety of stamps can be added to your creation and each one makes a funny noise when you use it. It's perfect for situations when children want to draw, but parents don't have the materials or time to let them get all messy from markers, paints and ink. I've field-tested with my own children and my kids love it. For the adult, Doodle Buddy has a variety of tools you can use to mock up a quick drawing that can be shared via email. It's easy to grab the brush tool, dial down the brush size and draw out rough directions or a floor plan to send off the your significant other when apartment or house shopping. You can create each doodle on a blank slate, pre-made background, or doodle over your own pictures. The ability to mock up your own pictures can be useful for pointing an important aspect of a image, like "hey, that's me on that roller coaster." You can also use it to have some fun when you put a silly phrase on your cat picture and create your own lolcat. Overall, Doodle Buddy is fun, easy to use and great for both adults and children. The drawing app also has a rewards feature called Doodle Bucks that you earn when you download an app. Powered by Tapjoy, the Doodle buck let you buy expansion packs that include birthday, stencil, food and other theme-related tools. Doodle Buddy is available for free in the App Store. It does include advertisements which some parents don't like in an app used by children. These ads are removed with a 99-cent in-app purchase.
THQ uDraw GameTablet goes HD, we go hands-on (video)
Nintendo's Wii U controller is a gaming display, video conference device, and yes, a stylus-toting tablet, but no such tool has been announced for those other consoles, so PS3 and Xbox 360 owners who want to get their sketch on will have to turn to THQ's new uDraw GameTablet instead. Tablets for both gaming systems were announced last month, and today we had a chance to paint on the big (HD) screen at E3. Though the drawing surface feels just as roomy as the Wii version, the tablets are noticeably smaller than last year's counterpart, with the obvious absence of a Wiimote holder taking credit for the device's reduced footprint. That Wiimote also made it difficult for lefties to tackle the tablet, but no such issues exist on the PS3 and Xbox versions. Other major design changes include shifting stylus storage from the rear to just above the resistive capacitive touch surface, and trimming some girth off the instrument itself. Both tablets will be coming in November for less than $100, though specific pricing has yet to be announced. For now, you're limited to uDraw Studio and Pictionary on the game title front, which appear noticeably sharper in HD, though otherwise similar to the versions we used with the Wii. THQ has promised more games for future release, including Disney Animator, though reps weren't able to confirm any other titles or dates. We had a chance to draw in both games, which respond to both the stylus and hardware buttons for brush selection and other functions, such as undo and navigation. A rep pointed out that the new versions are also more sensitive to stylus pressure, adjusting brush thickness based on how hard you press, for example, but we didn't find that to be the case. After you've spent a few minutes concocting your next digital masterpiece, you can fire off your work of art via email, instead of just sending it to an SD card like on the Wii version. Overall, there's nothing groundbreaking here, but if you've been looking to balance out your Halo and Resistance by sketching honeybees and rainbows (or making your console a bit more kid-friendly), then uDraw may be worth the investment. %Gallery-125867% Tim Stevens contributed to this report.
Samsung brings Van Gogh 'paintings' to Korea via Smart TV, makes us reach for the absinthe
This is sort of strange. People in Korea are looking at masterpieces of Western art on a TV screen -- and not from the comfort of their laptops. It's all part of something called Rêve et Réalité (Dream and Reality), a Samsung-sponsored exhibition that brings some of the world's most celebrated works to Seoul's Hangaram Museum via four, 46-inch LEDs. The expo, on display until September, features some of the greatest hits from Claude Monet, Jean F. Millet and, most notably, Van Gogh, whose Starry Night has never been on display in Korea (and, as far as we're concerned, still hasn't). Televised docents provide background info on the artists, whose paintings are all transmitted via a giant Smart TV video wall that blurs out all semblance of texture and nuance -- much like that bottle of absinthe we're about to pound.
Review: Crayola ColorStudio HD and Griffin iMarker pair up for coloring time
When Griffin and Crayola announced their collaboration back at CES in January, the idea of a combined stylus and drawing/painting iPad app for kids -- with the power to distinguish between finger touches and the tip of the stylus -- sounded fantastic. The flexibility of the iPad for keeping kids engaged and entertained, especially on long trips, is remarkable; something like the iMarker could supercharge it substantially. We were curious, though: how (and how well) would it actually work? Now shipping in both the App Store and at Best Buy, the iMarker and ColorStudio HD combine a well-designed, kid-friendly app with an innovative stylus technology, but is the bundle US$30 worth of fun? And does it meet the demands of both parents and kids? There are plenty of painting and coloring apps already out for iPad, so let's talk about what sets this package apart: the hardware. Griffin's iMarker stylus -- a black and silver unit labeled as "Assembled in China; Designed in Nashville" -- is different from other capacitive pen-like accessories, because it's powered (by a single AA battery) and because the free ColorStudio HD app can differentiate between finger-touches and the stylus tip. The trick, apparently, is all about speed. A small electric motor in the iMarker 'buzzes' the electrostatic tip, making and breaking contact extremely rapidly; you can hear this vibration in action if you hold the stylus close to your ear, although it's not particularly audible at arm's length. There's also a lighted oval on the side of the stylus to let you know it's on. Since the app is watching for a vibrating touch, it can tell when you're using your finger to operate in-app controls like crayon color selection or brush size and when you're using the pen to actually draw. It sounds technically complex, but like all good iPad-related products, in practice it "just works" -- even for small kids. I found initially that it took a somewhat firm press of the stylus to get it to register on the screen, but a check of the Griffin FAQ for the product suggested that I'd get better results by removing my iPad from its case. That worked well, and the pen became somewhat more responsive when I was holding the back of my iPad in my hand. (Back-case skins or front screen protectors will also decrease the pen sensitivity.) With the distinction between pentip and fingertip being handled in software, it feels very natural to switch back and forth from app controls (color/brush selection, undo, email/save, etc.) to drawing with the stylus. If you leave the stylus at home, however, the activated version of the app (you unlock the full feature set by drawing a pattern with the purchased stylus) lets you switch into fingers-only mode at will. Annoyingly, the iMarker comes with a protective cap that doesn't fit on the back end of the stylus, so you have to tuck it away somewhere else or risk losing it.
THQ brings uDraw Game Tablet to the PS3 and Xbox 360, redesigned for big boys
Bored of blowing stuff up on your PS3 or 360? Then take some time out to paint flowers, butterflies, fruit and other lovely things with the uDraw Game Tablet. It's coming to the big boys' consoles after a decent debut on the Wii. Don't worry though, you won't have to sully your hardcore gaming shrines with any soft-edged blue and white silliness -- manufacturer THQ says it has "exclusively designed" the tablet for the more serious platforms. Unfortunately the company paints a pretty ambiguous picture when it comes to a release date - it merely says the tablet will be out "this holiday". Fine, we'll just go back to blowing things up until National Applesauce Day rolls around.
Painting with fire, thanks to a cybernetic glove (video)
Fire: the most primal element. "It's a living thing," Robert De Niro once said, "It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it." Unless you're an artist – then you rig up a series of tubes, pump in some kerosene, and connect it to a Power Glove-like control device. Next thing you know, you're "fire painting," making that hateful beast dance and strut for your amusement. "Its burning can be handled by subtle movements of the sensory data glove for tactile formulation of the fiery image," the artist explains, "Thus, the image can be manipulated, yet it constantly escapes control." To know what it's like to summon flame with a flick of your wrist – while sporting a creepy smiley-face welding mask, no less – see the video above.
Nomad capacitive brush now available for iPad
Some remarkable work has already been produced by artists using iPads -- David Hockney even mounted an exhibition in Paris of his iPad and iPhone paintings -- and the release of the new Nomad Brush should only increase their creativity. Until now, artists have been limited to using their fingers or eraser-like styluses, but this is set to change with the introduction of the Nomad Brush, which is made with capacitive fibers to give creative types the same "feel" as if they were painting normally. Designed by artist and architect Don Lee, the US$24 Nomad Brush works on all capacitive screens, including iPhones, iPod touches and iPads (and even the Samsung Galaxy if you're tempted by the Android side). "Nomad brush is carefully hand-crafted and made with exceptionally conductive materials," says Lee. "This allows the brush to be extremely responsive, making brushstrokes immediate and effortless on any capacitive touchscreen device." Check out the video below to see the brush in action. [If your artistic leanings are more refrigerator door than the Louvre, keep an eye out for Crayola's new stylus offering coming later this year. – Ed.] [via RazorianFly]
Robo-Rainbow, all the way (video)
Paul Vasquez, meet your mech god... if god rode a bicycle and illegally tagged decrepit streetscapes with happy bands of color. Watch this complicated technical solution assist with a simple act of vandalism art urban renovation in the video after the break. [Image credit: Donna Zoll]
Google Art Project offers gigapixel images of art classics, indoor Street View of museums
Google's been hard at work over the past 18 months on something not many of us have been paying attention to lately: art. Specifically, the search giant has hooked up with 17 art museums around the world to offer tours of their internal galleries, using its familiar Street View tricycles, while also doing high-res images of 1,061 artworks that may be viewed on the newly launched Art Project web portal. Also there, you will find 17 special gigapixel images -- 7,000-megapixel versions of each participating venue's proudest possession. The resulting level of detail is nothing short of astounding and we've got videos of how it's all done after the break.
App Review: Penki light painting for iOS
Ah yes, the future! It's nice when it arrives on your front doorstep... or on your iPod. It's even nicer when you ask for something and then you get it: a few months back, we drooled over Dentsu London's light extrusion tech demo and humbly demanded its App Store release. Now, app in hand, we're busy running around our houses trying to become some sort of half-baked Jenny Holzer. It's called Penki, and it takes your text / symbol input and turns it into 3D-flavored imagery via long-exposure photography. Sounds bodacious, right? But, as we all know, the future isn't perfect -- read on for the full account of our shiny journey into the third dimension. %Gallery-108680%
18-screen digital paint wall supports touch, iPad doodling (video)
Look, we all love finger painting. It's an American tradition, after all. But just like nap time, it somehow vanishes into oblivion once adulthood creeps into play. But a sect of kids at the University of Illinois at Chicago aren't about to enter the so-called "real world" without a few more flicks. Researchers at the institution have crafted a digital paint wall out of 18 HD screens. Total resolution? 8160 x 2304 pixels. Better still, the wall is touch-enabled, and if you can't get close enough to doodle, there's an iPad app that lets an extra artist add their touch via WiFi. Currently, it can handle 32 touches at once, and those in charge are hoping to make it play nice with multiple tablets in due time. Hit that play button below for a look at what you're missing, Mr. Grown-Up. [Thanks, Jason]
Remote Pallette lets you paint on your iPad with colors from your iPhone
The story a while back about connecting an iPhone to an iPad for a game of darts was pretty interesting, and here's another one in that vein: a new app called Remote Palette is universal for both devices, and will let you "paint" on the iPad, while controlling the colors used with the iPhone. "Dip" your finger into a certain color of paint on your iPhone, and then when you go to touch the iPad, that color will show up as you draw. Very cool idea, and while the reviews on the app say it's not quite as great an art app as Brushes or Sketches, the wireless palette idea seems like a lot of fun. Remote Palette also has a Finger Paint mode you can use to put some outlines on the screen for kids, or you can just open up a blank canvas and paint away. The universal app is only US 99 cents, and is available right now.
David Kassan uses THQ's uDraw to express his Wii ennui (video)
David Kassan made something of a name for himself as the guy who is really good at fingerpainting with the iPad Brushes app. Now he's been tapped by THQ to work with something other than his fingers: the uDraw GameTablet for Nintendo's Wii. Announced earlier this week, the $70 tablet pledges to let anyone with an artistic bent get all creative on the little console that rules them all (at least in terms of sales), but can it actually create meaningful art? See for yourself in the video after the break.
Video: Digital artist gets some face time with THQ's uDraw
We saw some of the gaming applications of THQ's uDraw Wii peripheral earlier this week -- but how well will the tablet function as an actual virtual drawing tool? Prolific iPad illustrator David Kassan recently tried his hand at uDrawing, the results of which can be found in the video posted below.
