The Digital Artist International Online Gallery Reaches Major Milestone, Profiles 900th Exhibitor
The Digital Artist is pleased to announce that its online exhibitor list has passed the 900 mark. The Digital Artists 900th exhibitor is Michael Hocke, of Dresden, Germany, a graphic designer, illustrator, digital artist, cartoonist and photographer. Exhibitors hail from more than 50 nations, represent more than a dozen art and design specialties, and range in age from teens to seniors. The Digital Artist allows new exhibitors to sign up and display within minutes.
(PRWEB) February 12, 2004 --The Digital Artist is pleased to announce that its online exhibitor list has passed the 900 mark. These exhibitors hail from more than 50 nations, represent more than a dozen art and design specialties, and range in age from teens to seniors.
The Digital Artists 900th exhibitor is Michael Hocke, of Dresden, Germany, a graphic designer, illustrator, digital artist, cartoonist and photographer. Michael recently granted The Digital Artist an interview where he discussed his views on art, design and style.
When asked about his style and how he developed his own style, Michael replied, Talking about being an "artist" and having a "style" sometimes (or even more often) confuses me. I don't see myself as an artist. I see myself as a creator and designer doing things other people shall consume. The word "artist" (or in German "Künstler") is something of a cliche. In short words: it's like somebody doing crazy stuff nobody understands the right way, but you can talk about it much and meaninglessly. Some people told me they like my "art" because that's not that kind of abstract color slashes and blots a "artist" usually does. I create to entertain and to communicate. There are logos, caricatures, cartoons, comics, digital images, photography, photo manipulation, icons, frontends, websites.
One of the latest projects are my www.PinUpToons.de. While creating them I was thinking of doing some congenial cartoon-look girls with a link to the pin-up era. They just have that certain bit we all like in artwork by artists such as George Petty, Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren.
If there is something like a "style" in my digital artwork, it developed out of a strange process. I started drawing when I was in the German army with pen and pencil. Later, I was influenced by some media you can split into two areas: European comic art scene and my first computer, a Commodore Amiga500."
Michael has strong opinions on art and design. There is always a hard and an easy way. It doesn't take much to make digital art today. In some case it means: just place a chimp in front of the screen, load one of those programs like Poser or Bryce and let him click two or three times and out comes a picture that is clean with correct lighting, perspective and realistic textures. Art? Digital Art? Or just computer generated pixel porridge? This way you can easily created a kind of big !WOW! in a person who's not familiar with creating pictures on the computer.
"For me, an artist is someone who knows about light, colors, anatomy and perspective. He is creating something new. The hard way," Michael says.
"Another thing I'm concerned about," Michael continues, is that, as an artist, you also do have a responsibility. For me, it's a pain to see motifs of characters holding weapons or even pointing guns at the viewer today. They are very popular on movie posters, comic and game magazines. I think everybody doing those pictures should think of what he is communicating with it. There should be better ways than entertaining our children than with violence. Pointing a gun at somebody is cool - is just the most normal thing in the world - does solve a problem? Really? Think about it! Think about the society we live in today! There will always be 'weaker people, who are easily impressed by such material. Censorship is no solution to that problem."
When asked what part the Internet plays in his professional life, Michael replies, Well, think of the time when there was nothing like that! In fact, there are a lot people and clients I know today only because of my sites on the Internet. Today, you can have support for the things you're doing as an artist. Through the Internet. If you share. And I do not mean that this is just another way to sell stuff. The much bigger advantage is that you can get more feedback. That's the thing I enjoy most. I'm happy when people tell me what they like in my works and I'm even more happy when they tell me what they don't like."
Michaels exhibit can be accessed at http://www.thedigitalartist.com/artist.phtml?uid=mhocke
The recent upsurge in new exhibitors at The Digital Artist is due in no small part to a recent upgrade in service that allows new exhibitors to sign up and display within minutes, instead of days. In addition, all current exhibitors are now able to directly access and edit their exhibits using a password and user id. Exhibitors may log in and view and edit their contact and biographical information, artist's statement, and display image. Updates take effect immediately, so art and design buyers can always have the latest information about emerging and established artists, artisans and designers worldwide. (Anyone interested in exhibiting at the site should go directly to http://www.thedigitalartist.com/signup.shtml.)
This is the first of a number of upgrades to the site, which will soon include expanded mini-portfolio and portfolio sites, as well as online galleries where members can sell work online directly to clients, without a commission.
The Digital Artist is a professional exhibit and portfolio site for artists, designers and artisans worldwide. Exhibits include name, contact information, biography, artist's statement, link to a personal web page and an image of the artist's work. The site is extensively marketed to art buyers including art directors, creative directors and gallery owners.
Current exhibitors are working at all levels from students to established professionals. Category listings include animators, artisans, cartoonists, digital artists, fiber artists, graphic designers, illustrators, multimedia, painters, photographers, printmakers and sculptors. The home page and index pages post arts and culture headlines, updated daily, with links to complete stories. The Digital Artist also offers an arts and design bookstore, free special interest monthly newsletters for creatives and art buyers, online articles about the business of art and a freelance project availability site.
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