NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN GRAPHIC ARTS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN GRAPHIC ARTS

I am a veteran graphic artist from Sri Lanka, who has inherited my artistic talent and passion for art from birth. Gone were the days when I tried to transform my ideas into artistic expressions by using tedious modes of styles, tools and techniques available at the time. In 1959 I got Distinction in Art at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Exam, without ever having followed art classes in my school. As a youngster I developed my latent artistic talent not guided by an art teacher, but reading books on art and laboring over my art work with pastel, pencil, brush, water colors and oil paint.

After leaving school in 1960, I had only two fields to choose for a career in art:  fine arts and commercial art. I selected commercial art and accordingly joined a leading advertising agency in Colombo to peruse my career as a commercial artist. At that time graphic art was not in the terminology of art. Everything from artist's desk to the print shop was done manually, using hours of labor.

The advent of computer

Graphic art came into vogue with the advent of computer in commercial art and printing industry. Later graphic art transformed itself into a type of fine art covering a broad range of art forms. Graphic art is typically two-dimensional and includes photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, lithography, typography, serigraphy (silk-screen printing), and bindery. Graphic art also consists of drawn plans and layouts for interior and architectural designs. Today, graphic art is usually associated with commercial art that is used in marketing. In this case, the purpose of the graphic art is to capture the interest of the audience on the product or service in order to increase the volume of business.

The origins of graphic art

Throughout history, technological inventions have shaped the development of graphic art. In 2500 BC, the Egyptians used graphic symbols to communicate their thoughts in a written form known as hieroglyphics. The Egyptians wrote and illustrated narratives on rolls of papyrus to share the stories and art with others. Merchants who often traded with people of different languages realized that by hanging images of the products they sold, they could attract more business. The signs helped traders of different languages quickly recognize the various goods. Later in the Middle Ages, scribes manually copied each individual page of the manuscripts to maintain their sacred teachings. The scribes would leave marked sections of the page available for the artists to insert drawings and decorations. The art alongside the carefully lettered text enhanced the religious reading experience.

High-tec software for graphic art

In the Twenty First Century computer age graphic art is gaining new dimensions, with the development and marketing of highly sophisticated software. Such programs cater to the needs of professional as well as amateur artists. I tried out trial versions of several such programs for my Windows XP. Hey, presto, they work fantastically well! One that I favored most is Picture Collage Maker Pro that meetsall the needs of anyone with a flair for art.  Whether you're a mom who wants to create photo collages to share with the family, a business person who wants to create professional calendars that customers will use every day, or a student who wants a way to present homework that will impress your teachers, Picture Collage Maker lets you transform your special pictures into precious memories.

Picture Collage Maker Pro program turns ordinary photos and pictures into stunning keepsakes to share with family and friends. With just a few clicks, you can create collages, scrapbooks, posters, invitations, calendars, and greeting cards. Unlike photography software that takes days to master, Picture Collage Maker lets both seasoned collages and new hobbyists become productive in minutes.The programcomes with a library of professionally-drawn templates that offer you a wide variety of photo layouts and backgrounds for your collage. You have complete control over paper size and orientation. You can choose from a large selection of special effects to fine-tune each individual picture, from adjusting hue and brightness, to applying artistic effects. You can even decorate your photo collage with a wide selection of frames, masks, text and clip arts provided in the program.

With Picture Collage Maker Pro it is easy to add text, in any color or size, anywhere on your collage. You can further personalize your creation by adding clipart, from team mascots and company logos, to holiday images.

Unlike we veterans who struggled for so long to become professional graphic artists by using old ideas, tools and techniques, the younger generation has all the latest software, such as Picture Collage Maker Pro, to become professional graphic artists - just overnight.