12/06/08 - Bert Monroy: Photo Realistic Artist
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Bert Monroy, The Digital Photo Realistic Artist, Author, & Lecturer joins hosts Scott Sheppard and Gene Gable for an inside look at his incredible photo realistic art techniques. Bert is known as a pioneer of the digital imaging era, and the definitive artist of this genre. His work in this space is truly extraordinary. Bert explains the early days of digital tools and how he was able successfully transition from traditional mediums to a completely digital workflow which became his medium of choice; trading his pencils and brushes for a stylus and Wacom tablet. He has written numerous books on Photoshop and his techniques and continues to enjoy teaching seminars and classes, never missing a Photoshop World conference, learning from his students as he takes them through the processes.
Bert’s work focuses on his fine art and also commercial work. He walks us through his creative process that often still begins as a sketch in his journal or a photograph. He explains that every element in his fine art pieces are done by hand with a stylus using a photograph as a guide, having completely adopted the digital canvas as his pallette. His commercial work, which is often more time sensitive, may begin as a scan or a trace and is then translated into vector art elements in Adobe Illustrator before finishing the pieces with Adobe Photoshop. His approach is to make the digital medium completely transparent, although his finished work may look like a photograph they are entirely digitally rendered - including the shadow highlights and details. Bert explains that throughout the process he will use the photographs as a guide and visual reference.
Bert also shares his experiences in learning how to use the Wacom tablet and stylus instead of a pencil or brush. He feels that with the introduction of their Cintiq tablet, many of the issues in the early versions have allowed him to gain a more natural technique. He also discusses his studio setup and how he has been able to adjust his environment to get the most out of his digital canvas. Overall, Bert prefers to hone his digital skills by completely relying on the application to replicate. He will incorporate outside elements and scans when time is a factor in his projects. He is known for his ability to replicate 2D and 3D objects within the application, creating his illusions almost from scratch vs. relying on the automatic extrusion and other tools built into the Adobe Suite.
Bert is also in process of finalizing an exhibition at the Hearst Art Gallery, Saint Mary’s College of California entitled: "Bert Monroy: Master Digital Artist Retrospective" being held January 24 through April 5, with a private preview and Artist Reception / Lecture on January 18, 2009. This exhibition will feature a look at Bert’s work through the years showcasing the capabilities of the Mac Desktop Publishing platform with real examples.
Find out more about Bert’s work at: http://www.bertmonroy.com. You can also view past episodes of his popular podcast PixelPerfect at: http://revision3.com/pixelperfect/
Design News of the Week with Jay Nelson
This week’s graphic news begins with a discussion of the recent PIA/GATF announcement of their new brand, partnership, and collaborations. Since 1887, the companies have been dedicated to educating and bringing together all participants in the printing and publishing industries. To better manage their brand and efforts they recently renamed the organization to Printing Industries of America and will soon be launching their new website - http://www.printing.org.
Jay also describes a new website developed by the DPC (Digital Printing Council) that helps designers better understand and decode some of the mysteries of going from web to print. Check out their site at: http://w2ptestdrive.com.
For more on Jay Nelson and his Design Tools topics visit: http://www.design-tools.com
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