Introduction To Computer Graphics

Creating and Having Fun With Digital Graphics - Introduction To Computer Graphics.

Digital and computer art graphics is a fast growing form of art in today's world from the more traditional art such as canvas paintings, drawing, sculpture, etc. Most forms of traditional artworks can be achieved digitally with a computer. This short introduction from Kelowna artist will give a run down on what is needed to get started in computer graphics and some basic ideas on creating art with a computer. The internet provides many free tools, software, tutorials and guides to produce awesome graphic art images.

Basic Equipment and Software to Create Digital Artwork

Graphics come in all form such as photos, drawings, computer art, puzzles, digital art, 2D, 3D and much more. The focus here is on the basic tools needed to create 2D graphics.
Have an interest in the field of graphic arts? Here we will discuss how to get started in producing digital graphics. This information is to help others who would like to put their artistic imaginations to work using a computer. The idea here is to guide what hardware and software is needed to create computer graphic artworks and images at minimal cost. So let's get started.
Of course the number one piece of equipment needed is a computer. Desktop computers are relatively affordable these days. Most computer desktops come with a good quality graphics card which is a definite for a graphic artist. A digital camera is recommended. Digital cameras have also come down prices which are affordable. Point and shoot and DSLR cameras are the two choices. Point and shoot cameras are best for beginners or those who enjoy capturing random photos at their own pleasure. DSLR cameras are more advanced and designed more for the professional photographer who one who mainly focuses in the field of commercial photography. The less expensive point and shoots have decent megapixels to produce high quality and large images. Anywhere from six megapixels and up will do just fine. Brand of camera is a personal choice but for myself I like the Canon cameras. Long battery life of a camera is very important. Most cameras these days come with a motion sensor to help prevent blurry and out of focus pictures. There are many sites on the internet to review and compare camera choice and their features.
The best software for photo editing is Adobe Photoshop but the Gimp is a free alternative for those who want to save a bundle. Both will serve to do very well as bitmaps editors. Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor that can be exchanged for the free open source Inkscape. These two software programs will provide plenty of tools and features to design and create images, drawings and so forth. The internet offers many great videos and tutorials on how to use these powerful graphics software. It is always good to have a manual on hand for reference. Creating digital graphics is ongoing learning as technology and software is always being updated. Optional hardware but highly recommended is a external hard drive backup source to store your images in case of a hardware failure. Burning your photos to cd or dvd on a regular basis is also vital.

Ideas on Creating Computer Art

This section here provides some ideas and tips on generating art from the computer. If one is a beginner the easiest would be simply learning how to do basic editing on photos taken with a digital camera. Once one has mastered the more advanced tools in graphics ware, photos can be played with to create new images. This is called photo manipulation. Hand drawings can also be scanned and converted to new images with special effects to create digital artwork. Special filter plug-ins for bitmap editors also allow you to create digital paintings from your pictures. There are literally thousands of filter plug-ins for Photoshop and the Gimp to create images ranging from simple black and white, fractal art, drawings, cartoon like effects and many more. The possibilities of computer art is limitless. Let your imagination flow as everything goes in the world of digital art. From realistic art, fantasy art to professional like photographs and the list goes on. Of course technology and software provide powerful tools to create art but it is also the person behind the computer that determines the input and outcome of the final image. So dive right in. It is quite exciting and surprising as to what one can create using graphic tools and a lot of imagination.