Working today on Fictive, a program I wrote years ago for writing and reading/playing interactive fiction. It hadn't been updated in years, and still had references to ogg format and other things, so today I've got it working on new computers and with a new audio system. One feature of it is that it is fully audio enabled, so supports interactive audio books, even speaking the letter keys when pressed.
I also photographed three paintings with my new camera. The results were good, at times very close in detail to a scan, but with better colour matching.
This is from the 300dpi flatbed scan:
This is the photograph on the Canon EOS250D with 50mm lens, 100 ISO, from a distance of about 1M (about 312dpi):
Really, this is brilliant. The biggest factor for detail is probably the lighting rather than anything else, as sometimes there can be a reflective sheen which is often unhelpful. These were photographed from my video tripod (not easy to adjust in height) and with the painting on an easel. For larger works, which need to be photographed in segments, this isn't practical... the camera really needs to be absolutely perpendicular to the canvas, and exactly the same distance away at every point. I've done this before by pointing everything down, which is the best option at the moment.
Generally it's been a stressful day. I'm full of energy and ideas and working constantly as hard as ever, never enough time to create everything I want. Today I had lots of painting ideas, and a new album cried for attention. My only reward is usually a feeling of satisfaction in my own achievements or disappointment with them, normally the latter because this is how we improve. A few sales or rewards would help calm my nerves. This is the artists' way. The long path is the knowledge of the long term impact. The important thing is quality. I must push for more, not emotionally, but with rational critical judgements; more work, more insight, more capability in solid steps. Most good things are good because of thousands of tiny increments over a long period. This process can't really be sped up, but we can help it by carefully noting them and adding these to our secure heritage firmly.
Since day one, I've kept a diary of my paintings which lists all 1200+ artworks, their materials, times taken, thoughts and processes. I note today that halfway through this huge text file (nearly 19,000 lines long) is painting 278 of 1200... so most of the notes and learning took place at the start. I've also noticed that I'm starting to write more again. The break from painting of a year or more has certainly helped me. I think I'm painting better now, after a year's break, that I would have if I had constantly painted.
On we march.
