My art philosophy via clip arts & design

This is a discussion on something that has been with all of us from the beginning of computing and it is the world of clip arts.

Here I decided to give a little thought to the "clip art" which has become so common that today, I realize I have come to take its presence for granted.

Clip art looked so fancy to me in those days that I must say that one of the reasons I got into Computer Graphics back in the 1980s was to get to use a new tool to create these glamorous objects.

Today, I am amazed at how the original monochrome images have matured to such an extent to marvel at, thanks to the scores of utilities and millions of talented artists using innovation in creating realistic and fascinating imagery.

Here are some of my clip arts I have made over the years.

I sometimes use different media to create them, whether I have to use them commercially for the print, web or broadcast media for animation.

All that the client wants is to meet their basic requirement. I usually give it my best shot and sometimes go one step further than what is required, with no limitation on the material used. I don't stick to creating clip art only using computers.

"Tomorrow if we are stripped off all this technology, we need to create stuff as artists." That's my philosophy. So, I sometimes hand-create and scan it into the computer, to place it next to my copy. This way, I could contribute to the betterment of clip art, as to how we see its evolution over a period, as shown above.

For example, I created the derivative art of Marilyn Monroe, as shown below, by using an Indian ethnic ornament which adorns the Indian woman even today. I used a few Swarovski crystals for her ear studs too. It was time-consuming but a pleasure to do it. In the end, the client was pleased that I gave her what she asked for, but did not worry how I made it.

That's my little secret recipe for instant challenge and satisfaction. Of course, with the standard compensation to do this piece, I got an extra pay back for doing a clip art using a coined method. So I appreciated that had it not been for this project, I would not have had an opportunity to create it this way.

At this point, I must mention how important it is for one to exercise dedication in one’s craft and not think about the money first off. I strongly believe that we give it our best shot, and money or earnings will follow if we do justice to the job. Let good things go around and come around.

So for me as an artist, it is always a pleasure to create art in the most innovative ways, unmindful of whether it would pay in whole, monetarily.

To put in my best quality and I can certainly be sure that I get my time's worth out of it, the best pay-back is its therapeutic effect, and the rest usually does follow.

Oftentimes, great artists get fame and fortune well after their time on this planet. But this has not stopped the artist in me from getting motivated to do my best, because I enjoy every moment I spend doing what I do, without hoping for things that may or may not happen after my time.

I always consider it a blessing that I am in this profession today doing what I do best.

Twenty years ago, I couldn't wait to escape the time I had to spend growing up, to just be able to get a moment to draw and paint as a hobby in between regular school and leisure time.

Today I get paid to do my hobby, full-time!

I always rely a lot on my drawings to communicate my message, officially or personally, to give my readers a bonus and allow for a better reading experience; also to take them exactly to the same mood and feel that I hope for them.

I once made a series of cartoons in ISO, for my Quality-Assurance faculty, when I was pursuing my business studies. I would refer to these clip art pieces as Management Cartoons. My professor was also an ISO consultant, helping large organizations implement the procedure in their businesses. So, it was his responsibility to train everyone working in a particular organization seeking ISO certification.

He had to communicate to teach the system even to the lowest in the hierarchical chain, the blue-collar workers who perform manual labor and are generally not educated and do not know how to read or write even their own regional languages. So I presented my professor with a series of cartoons to aid him in his training sessions, which he later used in his ISO journals.

The feedback I received from him was so satisfying. This was a good deal for both my professor and myself as a student. Because of my making these cartoons, I learned about the subject of ISO. (I had considered ISO a painfully boring subject as a right-brain thinker). My professor found a great training-aid to make every single employee understand the ISO standards procedure and implementation, as a pre-requisite for a speedy ISO approval from Geneva. It was a win/win situation.

I would refer to the following as clip art: Illustration, line drawings, vintage art, paintings, borders, bullet points, sketches about anything and everything used for all seasons and occasions and for any media.

More specifically, it may find its use in greeting cards, presentations, newsletters, print publications like magazines/journals/newspapers, corporate brochures, packaging, banners, websites, video etc.

The need for clip art is ever ongoing with today’s scenario calling for more understanding between nations and the need to have a taste of the many flavors of languages and cultures. There is an ever growing basic need to instill this in the hearts and minds of people, to adjust their methods of thinking; to instill tolerance and secularism in order for humanity to co-exist. Now, clip art plays a positive role in making this happen.

Every new idea gives birth to millions of images, with the sophistication in brain-power and machines as a result of it. It is a constant merriment, at least for my clip art world. ;o) I love even going to work and back with these images floating in my head waiting to be downloaded.

“A picture speaks louder than words.” Though pretty over-used, the clip art world has certainly made it very true.

I stay longer with an article, just digesting the writer's point-of-view better when I see the writings being interspersed with great visuals to help explain. Certainly, it increases the readership, loyalty and traffic to that authors site/books.

Clip art is one of the few things that have survived the test of time and stayed in tune with the trends, making users only crave for more complex designs. At least, I have survived because of them ;o) largely.

However, as long as there are true artists who keep creating for their pleasure first, there will always be a fresh need for unique designs.

The clip art and its popularity has developed into a whole new level with the growth of social media networking. Now it's a party for true creators, promoting healthy shifts in mentalities in otherwise conventional thinkers, to make their online life as visual and exciting as possible.

With the gaming mania coming of age, another community growing in a global arena are gaming enthusiasts and aggregators, who have further created a demand for high quality designs, in the millions.

Do check out these links, which show an unbelievable traffic of images and brain-power in play:

http://www.ea.com/

http://www.nextwavemultimedia.com/html/mobilegamecatalog.html

http://www.ikoncity.com/html/ikonimadegames.aspx

http://www.soe.com/

Custom-made clip art pieces are a whole new ball game, where they are used efficiently in brand-building product lines, services, events and conventions, increasing business awareness.

With its humble pixilated beginnings, it is such a wonder to see how clip art has created an almost infinite list of faithful fans following, me included.

Before I end, may I mention that I am pleased to have related to you with this discussion what clip art has meant to me, and how it has been with me throughout my creative life and is here to stay. The clip art maybe an old school phenomenon, but for me it will be a never-ending encounter with the imaginary aesthetic world; a reason to practice my learnt philosophy as an artist.

Thank you for joining me on this hub. I originally wrote this article for no good reason, but now I am glad that there was more to this than just writing it, for I have had an opportunity to explore many details I would have otherwise not have pondered upon. I am pleased that I could bring it here as a learning experience for any aspiring artists out there.

Again, may I mention that what you just read here is my take on the subject, from my experience and personality as a contemporary artist. I welcome your comments and critique.