Ape on the Moon: Contemporary Visual Arts » Pixel Art

Pete Fecteau Creating a Mosaic Entirely out of Rubik’s Cubes

Philip Dennis — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:31:53 +0000

I could never get the hang of the Rubik’s Cube, still can’t. That has obviously never been the case for Pete Fecteau. Being more than comfortable with a Rubik’s Cube in his hand, Pete goes one step further in Rubik’s fluency, using them as his medium in his large-scale piece ‘Dream Big’. He took a little time to tell us about himself and this impressive project.

My name is Pete Fecteau and I’m an artist and designer. My fascination with Rubik’s Cubes started in 2008 when I decided to learn how to solve one. It was super addictive once I memorized the algorithms and, within a year, I was solving them in less than a minute.

It never occurred to me to use them for art until it came to me in a dream, literally. I came up with the idea to make one of the world’s largest Rubik’s Cube mosaics as my entry into the ArtPrize competition. I knew it was entirely possible and I used my skills as a designer to create a digital version of the mosaic and then a system for me to navigate and track each cube as I build the mosaic by hand.

The Rubik’s cube has a very limited color palette and I wanted to use 5 of the 6 colors to translate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. into a dynamic, analogous visual. I started by composing the image in black and white and then separated the grey scale into 9 solids.

Those 9 greys were then swapped with the 5 cube colors and the gradients between them. The process was and is a true test of color theory. Once I had the cubes, which was the hardest part of the whole process, the construction was simple. 4,242 Rubik’s Cubes, 5 colors, 1 subject.

I’m too cheap to buy or rent studio space. I’ve always borrowed space. Now that I’m in San Francisco, studio space is even more out of the question. I’m planning another mosaic for 2013 which will be twice as big and will probably rent out storage space in a self-storage facility.

I prefer bleak, featureless spaces because there’s so much to focus on. Any kind of distraction is a huge risk. I don’t listen to music or eat/drink while I’m working. I also prefer to work alone. I guess that makes me an art hermit, huh?

Digital Grit and Drawings of Tilman Faelker

Alex Mathers — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:37:10 +0000

Hailing from Berlin, Germany, Tilman Faelker demonstrates the benefits of incorporating digital tools to add an edge to traditional media.

Tilman makes use of Photoshop to add interesting effects, including mirroring, repetition and pixelated areas, to his drawings.

‘The source is always a pencil drawing that I scan, apply the glorious mosaic filter, print it out, work on it, then scan it in again and layer it.’

‘I like the idea of using digital tools not to achieve perfection or to simulate reality, but to get a certain digital ‘grit’ or noise; a counterpart to my relatively loose drawings.’

Thank you, Tilman!

Geometric Abstraction: Illustrations of Andy Gilmore

Alex Mathers — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:06:19 +0000

Andy Gilmore is a rare breed of artist. It’s not often one comes across an extensive portfolio dedicated to merging technical ability with aesthetic beauty; and with consistently invigorating pieces.

With what comes with undoubtedly great amounts of practice, time and skill are illustrations that stand out for their ability to create seemingly touchable textures, shapes and light effects.

From Rochester in New York, Andy has had work associated with Wallpaper Magazine, Wired UK and Warp Records. I’ve asked him a few questions about his background and process.

What kind of training or background have you had in your art?

I attended a handful of state schools for illustration before the computer was in the classroom: over four years of figure drawing. Upon graduation I was hired at Fourstar Distribution, Forum Snowboards, C1rca footwear, Special Blend and Foursquare, as an Ad Technician.

I worked with a team of designers, photographers and athletes that I am truly indebted to. My education as a designer and illustrator began with them.

Once he is done with planning his work using pencil work, Andy uses pens, Photoshop and Illustrator to more accurately compose his technical illustrations using ‘very careful measurements‘.

You’re clearly an innovator. What nourishes your innovative creativity?

Well, thank you. I always have a sketchbook or two in my back pocket. One is for my left hand and one for my right.

I also play guitar and assorted acoustic instruments. Having a number of creative pursuits keeps me well nourished.

Andy is keeping pretty quiet about what he’s working on at the moment, but you can keep track of what work he’s completed month by month at his blog.

Thanks, and best of luck for the future Andy!

Pencil Tools, Pixels and Agata Nowicka

Alex Mathers — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:26:53 +0000

I’ve seen the illustration work of Polish artist Agata Nowicka floating around online for a while now. I think Agata has done a superb job of creating work that is truly distinct from other illustration styles. With her unconventional ‘pixely’ lines and audacious colour choices, she certainly has a unique selling point.

I’ve asked her a few questions on her background and working techniques, with some interesting insights.

What training have you had in illustration?

As a little kid I spent most of my time at home drawing. Obviously my parents noticed and asked if I wanted to go to an art school. So I started it when I was 14 and it lasted 5 years. Even though I loved being in art school I decided not to continue at another level and moved to live in the UK for a few years.

I hadn’t been drawing much for the 6 years after school and came back to it after my return to Poland, at 25.

In putting an illustration together, Agata will draw some sketches on paper, looking for ideas and a composition. ‘I mainly work in Photoshop, using the pencil tool, hence the ‘grainy’, pixelated line. I couldn’t live without Wacom Intuos tablet (A5).

Believe it or not, for years I did all my work in MS Paint, which was a reference to the times when I had my first IBM and drew in Paintbrush with a mouse. I find it hard to part with pixels, but I’m thinking more and more often of going back to more traditional techniques.’

What is your secret to drawing life-like people and faces?

Years of drawing them actually! I use reference photos when I need to work fast but hours spent at an easel, drawing models and by the mirror, drawing self-portraits, gave me a lot.

Having said that, I don’t think I’ve developed any distinctive style of drawing people, other than the technique itself. I’m a bit disappointed about it.

Agata is about to start working on a comic about music. ‘I’m really excited about it and am seriously worried I won’t have enough time it deserves. I would be so happy to lock myself in for a few weeks of uninterrupted work. I find doing comics more demanding than any other illustration job. Also because I write my own scripts.’

All the best, Agata!

MoonApe: What do you think of Agata’s work? Follow me on Twitter for more updates.

The Pixel Art of Eboy

Alex Mathers — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:58:01 +0000

The german pixel art illustration trio known as eBoy founded in 1997 are still going strong. I wanted to include a quick post on some of their recent pixel stuff because it’s just too cool to ignore.

Some of their work will be recognisable from advertisements such as work done for Coca Cola in Dublin or the film for Christian Aid highlighting those affected by natural disasters:

Their other pixel work is truly amazing. I can look through their pictures for hours. Some of these images have been cropped and don’t do justice to the full size of the work, but you can get a sense of the detail and the craftsmanship in these images:

‘ECB’ Assembler:

Poster for Arla milk dispensers:

eBoy have a cool pixel book out featuring the best of their ‘Pixorama’ cities, which I’d imagine is equally as satisfying to flick through.

If anyone is interested in making their own pixel illustrations, illustrator and video game designer Derek Yu has a great step by step tutorial for making pixel creations in Photoshop. For an alternative to Photoshop or for those without the software, I recommend a program called ‘Pixen’ for the Mac, or ‘Pro Motion’ for PC users.

MoonApe