Tag: pixel bender

Art?

I cannot say that working with a computer and software is any form of art.  Maybe it is, but I don’t see it.  To me, the computer is a tool, and mastery of the tool is one way in which art can be created.  Writing and designing the software is an art – it requires a vision and a goal, and like art, software evolves and changes, sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst.  (A lot of times, software becomes increasingly kludgy as it evolves.)

This is what I mean . . . here is an original picture, below, of water lilies taken at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Water Lilies

This next image is edited in the pixel bender filter in CS5.

Water Lilies and Pixel Bender Filter “Oil Paint”

Finally, this is the same image, with increased contrast added in CS5.

Water Lilies – Pixel Bender Oil Paint – Increased Contrast

Is any of this art?  Or is it just manipulation?  I don’t think I would ooh! ahh! over any of these, nor would I pay good money to hang these on the wall.  But, they are fun to do!

Toy in the Morning

Hmmm.  Nothing like playing with software to keep one amused in the early morning!

Adobe has a filter called “pixel bender” for CS4, CS5, and CS5.5.  I expect they will have one for CS6 when it comes out.

I have been playing with the “Oil Paint” one, with maybe another thrown in by accident.  Kinda like the results.

Is this “art”?  Or not?

If you use it, reduce the picture in size.  My system crashed using full-sized 16 megapixel images; no problems when reduced to 1500 in Photoscape along the long edge.