Paolo Tonon – Digital Artist and UX designer

Pixel sorting generative process

admin — Tue, 30 May 2017 07:53:54 +0000

Image editing programs like Adobe Photoshop contain tools for automatically manipulating raster images through algorithms; These tools are called filters, their use is now common and we all know how to recognize them when they are applied.
Digital artists to explore new expressive potentials write algorithms with different software and languages such as Processing; In this scenario new generative processes are emerging such as Pixel Sorting.

Pixel sorting is the process of isolating a horizontal or vertical line of pixels in an image and sorting their positions based on any number of criteria. For instance pixels positions may be sorted by each pixel’s luminosity, hue or saturation.

Succulent Glitches by Cafelab

Cafelab is an architect. In visual compositions she loves to work with textures and materials and uses the pixel sorting technique to give depth to her images.

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AGATE DRIFT by Malavida

Malavida works with glitch pixels to obtain deep digital abstracts

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Facade by Paolo Tonon

In this review I insert a work that I obtained by digitally processing the photo of the facade of the church of San Matteo in Genoa. Next I have deformed the lines with Adobe Photoshop.

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Nameless by DuckyB

In this DuckyB work you can see the typical stratified lines that are formed by the process of pixel sorting.

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Waves by Okti

Okty prefers clear and pastel shades and modifies the composition to enhance its glitch effect.

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Geographical maps for artistic expression

admin — Fri, 12 May 2017 11:09:13 +0000

Geographic maps are one of the oldest and most powerful tools invented by humanity to know and understand the world we live in.
The technique of drawing in a two-dimensional space a representation of a territory has evolved over time and has become more and more precise and refined. Starting from the first years of school with the study of geography but also during holidays in cities or in natural open spaces we used to read the maps, compare this representation with the real world and draw lessons.
Over the past decade, however, paper maps have shedding room for digital services embedded in computers and mobile phones such as Google Maps.
The traditional geographic map is retrieved in this artistic trend that uses it as an expressive tool, highlighting its strong symbolic content and its ability to root into reality. In the hands of artists, the geographical map transforms into the perfect paradigm of man living in his world.

Los Angeles Map by Map Map Maps

This artist works exclusively on urban maps and transforms them into elegant bi-tonal compositions.

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Vienna City Map by Maptastix

The Maptastix artist uses the most advanced technologies such as the 3D view of an urban area. Working for subtraction gets a unique view of several cities. More lines, more curves and clear definition of coastlines and rivers take shape in new rhythmic flow patterns and almost infinite connections.

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Paris by Mondrian Maps

The stylistic figure of this artist is very linear: combining Mondrian’s intuitions and aesthetics with urban representations: the result is, however, a joy for the eyes.

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Milan Italy watercolor map by Anne E. McGraw.

Anne E. McGraw uses watercolor colors and a feminine sensitivity to interpreting city maps. The result is very precise but at the same time dreamed and dreamlike.

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New York Map by Jazzberry Blue

Jazzberry Blue still cited in these pages with its enormous production and the characteristic color palette that distinguishes its work. His testing with the map is probably the most successful trend of his art.

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Map Patterns by Irene Demetri

Now it’s your turn! If you want to experiment with creating digital graphics using map elements, you may want to use these EPS file formats to use in Photoshop and Illustrator.

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Use of typography

admin — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 20:10:09 +0000

If the invention of writing is one of the oldest and important for humanity, the typography is certainly the most advanced and refined expression of writing. Born with Gutenberg and the printing with movable type, typography is now more vital than ever thanks to the high resolution in the press, and in recent years also in the screens of the devices. The tools for creating Font are within the reach of all but the birth of successful character requires years of study and a lot of sensitivity in finding the balance of forms.
Font is a complex set of symbols, even using it in a graphic composition requires much skill and sensitivity.
This selection of artists has been able to use the best of his typographic sensibilities to create unique visual works.

Phases of the Moon infographic by Nick Wiinikka

The choice of an effective fonts and the balance of the size and spacing are the basis of the clarity of this infographic but also of its elegance.

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Go to the library by Risa Rodil

Lisa Rodil always creates new fonts to fit the illustrative style that characterizes his works

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Get Shit Done by Crafty Lemon

The “motivational” posters are a popular trend. Crafty Lemon interprets the better of choosing a friendly and conversational sentence, making a font decided on watercolored background.

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Retro by Jazzberry Blue

Jazbberry Blue mastered geometry and in this work shows us how it is at the base of the creation of typographic fonts.

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helga single hop by Committee On Opprobriations

The impact of the Helvetica font and Swiss International Typographic Style school is seen in this poster, part of a wide range that declines poetic.

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Abstract 3D graphic

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 11:07:33 +0000

The 3D graphics obtained with the use of the computer was born in the seventies for technical design purposes. Only in the nineties, however, thanks to an increase of computing power of graphics processors and cards you start having some very interesting artistic results which then flourish since 2000.

The use of more and more detailed textures and the ability to use complex models allows artists to express themselves in new ways, such as moving away from the aim of the photo-realism.

In this scenario arises a form of abstraction that is expressed in 3D graphics and still finds many extraordinary interpreters. The current trend perhaps follows the theme of still life: a solid geometric composed of various materials are flanked by organic forms, with a result that creates a space between the real and the possible.

COREQUAD (everyday 09.16.16) by Beeple

RAGE (everyday 02.02.17) by Beeple

Mike Winkelmann AKA Beeple is one of the most gifted and prolific artists. Every day produces a picture and uses Cinema 4D software for him three-dimensional creations.

Balloons by Filip Hodas

Natural circle by Filip Hodas

The peculiarity of the work of Filip Hodas lies in blending of fantasy and reality elements. In his works we find strange shapes in natural landscapes or, as in the second work presented here, a natural landscape shaped in a particular form.

Day 0093 /// L-gobes by Stig Fostervold

Day 0145 /// 5HAD0W5 by Stig Fostervold

It seems the subject of a dream: the work of Stig Fostervold.

Conceptual illustration

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 16:15:05 +0000

The illustration is an ancient art form probably born in the caves of the first men who saw it as a magical and propitiatory art.

In the centuries illustration has always maintained a great importance: from the Egyptians to the Christians who considered the use of images as a teaching; from newspapers to journals of the seventeenth to the nineteenth century in Victorian times for adults and children.

After the invention of photography illustration has experienced a sharp decline, but in these last few years emerges an important new trend. Newspapers, traditional and online magazines are increasingly turning to illustrations created to represent a concept rather than to portray reality. Some illustrations today are able to represent complex concepts in an image, in a few seconds they know back a message that would require long explanatory texts to be communicated through words.

This series of artists expresses the most of this trend. In addition to their obvious abilities Illustrative know devise images capable of communicating concepts and ideas.

Likes pills by John Holcroft

John Holcroft represents human weakness in his works: addiction, apparently, covetousness; almost always He shows a strong critique of consumerism.

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Fragile by Henn Kim

The style in Henn Kin black and white is unmistakable and its representations of the emotions are extraordinary and from a clear female perspective.

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Hope Beyond the War by Davide Bonazzi

Davide Bonazzi plays with irony and feelings, his is a disillusioned look on today’s society.

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How will the story end? by Marco Melgrati

Marco Melgrate describes today’s society, the sweetness of the illustrated sections is opposed to the concept represented which is often disturbing.

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Generative Art

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 11:17:41 +0000

Generative art is art that is autonomously produced by itself. The artist sets up a situation and then looks at the work achieved; for example, the artists who leave the freely expand on the canvas can be defined generative.
But it is with the computer that this approach reveals its potential: through programming that includes random or in elements the artist can produce a unique code an infinite variety of works on the same style.
A common feature of many generative and programmatic works is their visual complexity: the use of computers in fact allows a superhuman work that would take hours and hours of work by a person but an actual processor resolves quickly because is capable of millions of calculations.

Dextro.org_G018a by Dextroorg

One of the pioneers and leading exponents of this approach is the web Dextro AKA Walter Gorgosilits that started in 1996 with Macromedia Director. His Austrian Abstracts are a feast for the eyes and are so refined as to appear natural.

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Too Bad, But It’s Too Sweet by Ella Frigard

Ella Frigard works in organic and analog mode, his abstract showing all the power and the energy of a creative nature.

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Hue Remix Greens by Hyper Glu

The interpretation of Hyper Glu is rather graphic, less analog and more geometric although the complexity is there.

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Algernon by Tim Rolls

Working with generative art requires great study and continuous updating. Tim Rolls knows it, in fact with SuperColony project he has committed to create every day a new composition with a generative software such as Processing. In the work you see Leap Motion has also used to process a photographic image of a rose.

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Panelscape Iconic – Mona Lisa By Paolo Tonon

Generative art process can start form the amendment of an existing image, in this work, starting from the painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo I applied my Panelscape software written in Processing.

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Geometry

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 16:30:32 +0000

Geometry always been an important trend in graphic design starting from optical art. In recent years this trend has exploded in digital art and found magnificent interpreters who use the classical coupled Illustrator and Photoshop. Others have developed the programmatic approach with generative software.

The greatest exponent of this current is Andy Gilmore. His works are so complicated as to be hypnotic.
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Great interpreter is Simon C. Page. His sense of color and sensitivity in the forms are a great inspiration for me and for many graphic designers. Following this artist I discovered the online art shop Society6.

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The artist Jazzberry Blue while remaining consistent to its color palette engages successfully in various fields including figurative geometrical. His works are fascinating and sometimes teaching.
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When the geometrical precision obtained with Illustrator meets dirty and analog possibilities of Photoshop was born the art of Spires.
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A recent trend combines the use of geometric shapes with organic textures, an example is this square that I realized it working in Photoshop a geometric piece created in Illustrator.

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