Saturday 7 March 2009

The Bob Ross of Photoshop

So who remembers Bob Ross? I suspect if you didn't grow up with access to American PBS TV or cable or satellite TV in the UK you won't know what I'm on about. Unless you've seen Peep Show... in Peep Show Bob Ross is God. He presented the Joy of Painting, teaching wet on wet technique for oil painting.

Anyway, as everyone knows painting is for dweebs, but what if you paint on your computer? Now, a few years ago I posted somewhere else the hilarious results of an online photoshop competition: future products from Apple Computers. Featuring the iToilet etc.

I've always been fascinated by digital art and now I've discovered this guy called Bert Monroy. I have to say I'm pretty sure what he does isn't art, it may be an art to do it, but I don't think it tells us anything deeper about ourselves or the human condition. Check his stuff out, I really admire it, I would go so far as to say I like it even. I don't think I would buy it and hang it on my wall though. There have been painters through history who have specialised in painting what I would call hyper-real pictures, Mr Monroy is following in their tradition. I think his stuff is fabulously skilled, crazily labour intensive, illustrative and interesting to look at. I just don't think it's art and I can't quite put my finger on why, but I know its got nothing to do with the fact he made it with a computer.

Anyway, Bert has a podcast show on the internet which shows you how to do what he does, using techniques he has perfected in photoshop and illustrator to create photo-realistic images.

In the show I link to above he draws direct comparisons between himself and Bob Ross. When I happened across his show on the web I was immediately pulled in and interested I wondered why and what it was that made him like Bob Ross.

When I was about 5 my grandparents had there bathroom re-tiled. It took the guy several days, everyday I sat outside the bathroom on the landing and watched him, helped him, brought him tiles. I was 5 I don't think I was thinking "one day I might have my own bathroom to tile I better find out how to do this". I think I've just always been fascinated by watching other people work.

I think that's why we/I like watching Bob Ross and Bert Monroy. I don't think its because it's art. Art is impossible to teach someone, you can't show someone how to make art. Bob and Bert don't; they teach us techniques to make pictures. It's a subtle difference but I think its actually more fun to watch.

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