DISCOVERING ABSTRACTION

A Kid Pix Design, a Program Designed for Children, was used to create this image. © R.Zachary

Exploring Simple Computer Design Programs

This was another innovation I discovered. I tried different programs for creating abstract designs; Kid Pix, Claris Works, Apple Works, and occasionally others.

The above image was created in Kid Pix. It is not limited to only geometric patterns, as you can see with the image below. It is possible to create outline drawings, and to fill them with textures and colors. There are many ways to paint and fill both geometric and organic shapes created.

Say What? An Experiment with Kid Pix                                                                        © by Ruth Zachary

What I also learned was how to control the random generated patterns when I liked them, that is to stop them in the process of repetition and to save them. I made a manual of all the things each option offered, and created and saved patterns that occurred during the process.

The low resolution images created in one program can be copied into another. Some programs have better drawing tools, some have better paint tools, blending tools, shading, etc. That is why there is an advantage to taking one image into a different program.

One image was created in Kid Pix, using both linear geometric, and curved organic shapes in that program, and then copied  into Photoshop which can be made into high resolution images, and then further work was added to the design that started as a small image. See Below:

Backyard Gardens, Study for Collage.               © by Ruth Zachary

I planned to continue the process from the design I liked, by printing parts of the design onto good paper with colorfast inks. 

My usual approach is to play with different arrangements of the printed elements until I find a composition I want to use for the final version of collage. This would be adhered to a primed Masonite panel or to a primed canvas, using Acrylic medium, and finally adding a layer of varnish.

 This finish allows the image to be framed without glass or mats, and if necessary, it could one day be cleaned to remove dust or stains if they got on the surface.

One of the most important benefits of starting with a small format image, such as those found in low resolution programs like Kid Pix or AppleWorks, (or others) is that it is easier to look at the whole, and whether the space and textures and values are in balance, and to decide if it is worthwhile developing the general image into a larger compostion. If it works in a 5x8" or a 9x10" space, it may also work well in a much larger composition. These studies are the equivalent of thumbnail sketches. in a sketchbook.

Writing and Images are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.