iPad Art by Janet Dodrill

by Janet Dodrill

Recently, I picked up the iPad and started drawing, using primarily two art apps, ArtStudio ($4.99) by Lucky Clan (raster-based), and Inkpad (FREE) by Taptricks, Inc. (vector-based). I created together a series of images and presented them at a meeting about art apps titled A Quick Tour of Art Apps for iPad, at Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG) on March 27, 2014.

Here are some of my iPad images.

Using Inkpad app:

Carousel Horse iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rare Books iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Cat Ever iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using ArtStudio app:

Two Cats iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleveland Euclid Beach Carousel Society iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace Lily iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleveland iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carousel iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleveland Ship iPad Art by Janet Dodrill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Apps for iPad, ArtStudio and Inkpad

By Janet Dodrill

ArtStudio for iPad
By Lucky Clan
$4.99
v5.16 (Oct. 2013)
Sylwester Los
(iPhone c.2010; iPad c.2012) iPad Mini, iPod

Offers In-App Purchases:

1. Pack 1 $4.99
2. Watercolors $.99
3. Hair $.99
4. Fur $.99
5. Fire $.99
6. Oils $.99
7. Smoke $.99
8. Grass $.99
9. Markers $.99
10. Trees $.99

Selected Specs/Features:

-Raster-based
-iOS 4.3 or later
-21.5MB
-5 Star Rating
-Export as JPG/PNG/PSD to camera roll, email, clipboard, iTunes
-450 Brushes,150 free
-Sizes (In-App) 1024 x 768 iPad (approx. 14 x 10.5″ at 72ppi, 2.25MB/2.5 x 3.5″ at 300ppi); 2048 x 1536 (approx. 28 x 21″ at 72ppi, 9MB/6.75 x 5″ @ 300ppi); iPad with Retina; Max image size 3264 x 2448 (approx. 45 x 34″ at 72ppi, 23MB/10.75 x 8″ @ 300 ppi), other presets

Resources:

Lucky Clan http://www.luckyclan.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/lucky_clan

Manual http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio_manual.pdf

Features http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio/?page=features

Examples of what can be done in ArtStudio (videos) http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio/?page=videos

ArtStudio Flickr Gallery (iPhone) http://www.flickr.com/groups/artstudioimages/

ArtStudio How to get started digital painting on iPad, David Allen 6:59 (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBfeKFYc5xU

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Inkpad
By Taptrix, Inc.
FREE
v1.2 (Mar. 2014)
© Steve Sprang (Creator of Brushes App)
(c.2011)

Selected Specs/Features:

-Vector-based
-iOS 7.0 or later
-5.1MB
-5 Star Rating
-Export as JPEG, PNG, PDF, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), SVGZ (Scalable Vector Graphics compressed), Inkpad
-Sizes (In-App) Sizes i.e. Letter, Legal, Tabloid, A4, other standard sizes, or Custom Pixel; Portrait or Landscape options

Resources:

Twitter http://twitter.com/taptrix (No Tweets!)

Inkpad Demo, TaptrixInc 3:05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU2UFmrDGk4

Apps Tutorial – Inkpad, John Patten 14:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZwrecRbsRo

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Note: This material posted in preparation for Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group’s “A Quick Tour of Art Apps for iPad” presentation, March 27, 2014. Featured speakers include Nancy Dinger Aikins, Henry Lee, Janet Dodrill, Marvin Sable.

Creating Art with an iPad

By Janet Dodrill

iPad drawing by Janet Dodrill.

Drawing is something I have always loved, and trained for in fine arts school. Then came the computer and I learned the creative electronic tools to make a living as a graphic designer. Along came the iPad and I avoided it primarily because of the expense, saving for two years to afford one. After the purchase, again, I avoided it. In my mind it was not enough like the computer and required learning to use it. I didn’t really know what to do with it or what it could be used for. A year and a half later, I now pick it up regularly to reconnect with my love for drawing. After installing some art Apps, I began using them. I hope to keep practicing and improving my (digital) drawing skills. I know now that both drawing and working with the iPad do take practice! The key for me, like working towards anything worthwhile in life, is to keep practicing.

I will be briefly sharing some of my work and the tools used for it at an upcoming presentation later this month:

Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group
“A Quick Tour of Art Apps for iPad”
Speakers: Nancy Aikins. Henry Lee, Janet Dodrill, Marvin Sable
Thursday, March 27, 2014
New Horizons Computer Learning Center
1 Infinity Corp Ctr. Dr., #250
Cleveland, OH 44125
Free for CDPUG members, $10 for guests
Networking at 6pm, Meeting at 6:30 – 8pm
More information: www.cdpug.org

Book: Don’t Fear The Forward by Marc Majers

By Janet Dodrill

Don't Fear The Forward, book by Marc A. Majers

Marc Majers has published a book on a simple step-by-step process for building and launching websites, called Don’t Fear The Forward.

He recently presented his perspective on the subject at CDPUG/GCPCUG Web SIG, which I attended. Marc used music (he also works as a music emcee), humor, and actual statistical data to back his information on usability and other measurable website criteria. Those who attended were lucky enough to receive a free ‘checklist’ which Marc stated is in the book, and is also a free download online.

“It is important”, Marc said, “to show people thoughts, ideas, and the (proposed) process, early on, and to get feedback.” In his overview he pulled stat reports from eMarketer, PEW Internet’s research on desktop to tablet to mobile browser comparisons, and offered resource links to information by web champions like Jakob Nielson, and other industry-relevant educational and government sites on usability, CSS, and HTML 5, and recommended the use of surveys, which are all important for support in building a website.

The checklist had steps for planning a website project, and each step was a separate category with tasks to do. Necessaries covered included defining your site goals and determining your audience, mapping out your site in a wireframe and finding logical places for things on the site and a way to navigate to them.

It is a good idea to put together a web committee to assist in the process from concept to completion. The content for the site comes later on in the process. How are you going to engage your users once they reach your site?

Marc spoke from a wealth of experience, with expertise in usability testing, working within the high selling environment of an online insurance company, and in a creatively-demanding arts institution with a diverse audience.

As with most web related topics presented today, he touched upon the use of focused searched engine keywords, SEO (optimization), SEM (marketing), SMS (messaging). Have you thought of acquiring an email source provider for managing and sending professional, scheduled email campaigns, as a next phase?

It is key that once a site is built following guidelines, like those outlined in Marc Majer’s book, it must be continually optimized for relevance and performance. This may be the website building manual you have been waiting for.

The book is available at:

Don’t Fear The Forward
http://www.dontfeartheforward.com

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Fear-Forward-Building-Successful/dp/1257087711/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322954267&sr=8-1

Book image source: Dontfeartheforward.com

Get a Users Group

By Janet Dodrill

Do you belong to a computer users group or attend relevant training presentations or seminars? It is a great way to meet other industry professionals and keep your skills sharp. I attend regularly, and have made strong contacts in the local graphic design and publishing field. Plus, I enjoy the diversity of people and topics. This month I learned about producing digital sound recordings on a laptop using Garage Band and about other recording applications and equipment. Next month I will see an Adobe Creative Suite presentation with 4 Adobe speakers, and gain tips on running a successful business at another upcoming event. Some of my favorite groups include:

Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG) www.cdpug.org

Greater Cleveland PC Users Group (GCPCUG) www.gcpcug.org

CDPUG/GCPCUG Web SIG www.clevelandwebsig.org

The Web Association www.webassociation.org

Simplex-IT Lucheanars www.simplex-it.com

Check the calendar for area meetings at Cleveland Tech Events www.clevelandtechevents.com

Members’ Stories on Fire by ‘Ignite’ Presentations

By Janet Dodrill

Presenting in the Ignite-style

During our last meeting of Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG), we held our 6th annual CDPUG May Show, where members display their professional work. The group, a non-profit organization dedicated to education and professional development for digital publishers (including graphic designers, web designers, photographers, and writers) in its 23rd year, has a dedicated volunteer staff and board.

This year member presentations left behind tables of printed brochures and portfolios, and laptops running slide shows to a trendy and popular Ignite format (www.igniteshow.com). The website explains the structure of stand-up presentations on a big screen of 20 slides per person with 15 seconds of talking time per slide, for a total of 5 minutes time. Recommended application formats were PowerPoint, Keynote, or Acrobat PDF (for which I created mine using Adobe Bridge, exporting to PDF). There are many interesting videos on the website to view and enjoy, and they were a big help in preparing.

I participated, and rather than giving a standard portfolio show, I presented ‘a year in my life’ which included my basic education and passions, challenges and obstacles overcome with the poor economy, benefits of networking and newly acquired clients for my sole proprietorship freelance graphic and web design business, recent interests and achievements including creating fine art works and displaying and selling it, and current projects I am working on. The time went quickly.

Each individual had an interesting spin to their show, and though the Ignite format was strict, it allowed each member to be creative and tell a story which was entertaining and enlightening. It was a success and I hope we continue to use Ignite in the future.

(Photo by Henry Lee)