CAT scan, anyone?

Something I did during my free time in the clinic. Took me approximately 10 hours to complete.

PC Requirement:

Hardware -

Lots of memory ram. Minimum is 128 megs but from experience that is downright slow.
I upgraded my notebook to 256 megs a few years ago, and I think I'm doing OK but still slow (which explains the amount of time it took me to finish one piece of work). Many PCs nowadays offer at least 512 MB which should be just comfortable.

Also, don't run any other program as it will bog you down. Monitor resolution should preferably be higher than the usual 800 x 600. A good graphic card is esential.

You also need Wacom tablet and pen. I bought it for RM250 about 5 years ago and it has never given me any problem. I've test run it in a pilot project for medical record a few years back. I noticed a 'wow' reaction from some of my patients. Unfortunately, I have abandoned the project as I feel in the long run, it would just eat up too much space and processor power.

Software -

Corel Painter 6 (thankfully this registered version comes bundled with the Wacom purchase). Technology is advancing so fast that I think right now they have come up with version 10!

Some thoughts on digital art:

Digital art is the most forgiving form of art I've worked with as I can undo my work up to 10 strokes backwards, in case I mess things up. Of course I try not to do it often as I may develop a liking for it. I certainly can't do that in traditional painting! The closest resemblance of digital art to a traditional media is oil painting as one can blend colors continuously to one's heart's content, unlike an unforgiving media like watercolor and acrylic.

Corel Painter has literally hundreds of brushes and short cut functions to allow the user to work smoothly. One can rotate, transform, liquify and change the entire contour of the painting. There are many 'magic wand' special efects that one can play with. You need to be selective, though, and familiarize with your favourite brushes, palette, canvas texture etc, otherwise you could get way overboard with this fantastic painting software. For example, if I want to smear 2 colors together, I would just slide the resaturation scale to 0% and the bleed scale all the way to 100%.

Is digital art good for the soul? The answer is in the affirmative, depending on what you draw and paint. It is a very healing process for me. More than just peace of mind, it has drawn me closer to God. So go ahead and try it. You may get hooked on it.

Lastly, for all those already dabbling with digital art, happy painting!