How's the AB Business in your area?
Tom127
I'm curious how the popularity of digital imaging has affected your
business over the past couple of years.
I kow that around here (Albany, NY area), one of the primo airbrush
illustrators around has pretty much retired due to lack of business. I
spent the past 14 years working in comic books (as well as some ads), and I
haven't seen any airbrush work in over a year. Everyone wants their stuff
done on a computer (presumably because the work is already color
separated), so that's how I've been working the past couple of years.
It's not bad... I like doing digital art, but I *love* doing airbrush art.
In short, my market [for airbrush work] realy stinks. Is this happening in
other places too, or is my area an anomoly?
Thanks.
--
---Tom Vincent
The gallery is now open.
http://www.capital.net/~tom127/index.html
Grant Hood
Until they can teach a computer how to airbrush a leather jacket or a bike
tank I reckon my business is safe for the time being. Know what you mean
though, illustration has been dramatically altered and Digital rendering has
superceded the airbrush. It's a natural progression though - just another
tool. It's still down to the imagination of the creator what comes out at
the other end, except with a wealth more tools and refernces to draw from.
Ok, so Joe Bloggs can retouch photos now - but at the other end of the
scale, the amazing things you can do with a computer mean that the
transition is worth it.
J.w Baker
In article <SPAMBLOCKtom127-ya023...@news.capital.net>,
SPAMBLO...@capital.net (Tom127) wrote:
> I'm curious how the popularity of digital imaging has affected your
> business over the past couple of years.
>
> I kow that around here (Albany, NY area), one of the primo airbrush
> illustrators around has pretty much retired due to lack of business. I
> spent the past 14 years working in comic books (as well as some ads), and I
> haven't seen any airbrush work in over a year. Everyone wants their stuff
> done on a computer (presumably because the work is already color
> separated), so that's how I've been working the past couple of years.
>
> It's not bad... I like doing digital art, but I *love* doing airbrush art.
>
> In short, my market [for airbrush work] realy stinks. Is this happening in
> other places too, or is my area an anomoly?
I don't know about anyone else, but currently I have more than enough
business to keep me going - I've got work backed up for the next two
months and beyond...
Perhaps it is the type of work - things for publication that seems to be
losing ground to computer generated graphics, but as far as dealing with
individuals, I find business is strong and has been the best for me this
year than all the proceeding ones. A good friend of mine who is an Artist
(but doesn't use an airbrush) always says making a living as an Artisit is
"a game of inches" - I believe this to be true.
Computers will never replace 'hand painted' work - being 'hand-painted' is
what makes it unique; even though you may paint the exact same design 20
times in a row, each sucessive version is somehow subtlely different, and
that is what people want - they want to feel their particular purchase, be
it canvas, a wall mural, T-shirt, motorcycle tank, whatever is special
only to them. Computers may be able in some fashion to create a way to
'cover' all of these things I have mentioned, but in the end the biggest
advantage for doing this is saving money, but they sacrafice
individuality... People will always pay for original art and they are
willing to pay more.
There will always be a place for us to make a living, but like all things,
you have to take a new tact at some point when inevitable change comes
upon you; in the end it is just a game of inches when making a living as
an Artist - airbrush or otherwise...
Ant Wren
In article <6eu7e0$gl0$1...@heliodor.xara.net>, Grant Hood
<fl...@globalnet.co.uk/nospam/> writes
personaly I think the exactness of the computer would defeat the object
in art. I hear the emphasis is on 'real' these days. But I dont care for
that stuff, I leave that for the very able digital camera's, I mean, if
you want a photo then just take one. But to take one then reproduce it
exactly would surely be a farce, as you have the end product in your
hand already, if you are only reproducing. Though the skill and time
involved must be tremendous.
Digital images, a good vehicle for advertising to the masses. But art
(which can be translated into digital form) I believe....... can only
come from human touch.
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Norvell Maples
On Fri, 20 Mar 1998 09:09:28 -0800, j...@jwbart.com (J.w Baker) wrote:
>In article <SPAMBLOCKtom127-ya023...@news.capital.net>,
>SPAMBLO...@capital.net (Tom127) wrote:
>
I have seen some computer setups that could most certainly paint a Tee
shirt.... Tanks and helments I think are still aways off... I am a
firm believer in the computer however just as I am the airbrush...
it's just another tool and we do as illustrators and artist need to
learn to put it to good use... I think that the idea that hand-painted
stuff will never be replaced needs to be fully understood... most
people just simply do not know (or care) what they are looking at when
it comes to art... It's like my wifes pottery right now... Try to sell
that hand thrown pottery at a crafts mall and people simply will not
touch it... (not for a price that makes it worth selling) and it is
all because they don't know what they are looking at or do they even
care... The pottery sells very well at the local museum shop...
(people who go in there know and care that it is hand thrown pottery)
now the same thing is going to occur with computer art and hand done
art... your going to have to find the people who what hand airbrushed
art... and care that it was hand done and not printed from a
computer... other wise your going to have to find a way to jump on the
computer printed band wagon sooner or later....
Eya later............NorvMan