Technology-based art is essentially computer-generated and/or manipulated.

Through the centuries, visual

artists used actual brushes and palettes, and a whole array of paints, inks, and natural
pigments applied to paper, canvas, fabric, stucco walls and ceilings. Today’s computer
artists employ the ever-expanding powers of image manipulation programs and
applications to create their works which can appear in an entire range of media—whether
as a physical output or a virtual experience.
Computer/Digital Arts first came on the scene in the early 1960s. Understandably, this was due to the
technology that was constantly developing and that became available at that time. Thus,
the early experimenters were not necessarily artists, but engineers and scientists who had
access to and experience with the hardware needed. It was they who began to recognize
the potential of artistic expression through the application of scientific and mathematical
principles.
There are also institutions offering training courses on the digital arts. Courses such as these open up an array of career
opportunities for young Filipinos in the fields of advertising, animation design, multimedia communication, and web
development.
PCCI First Academy of Computer Arts, the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging
TESDA Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
ACPI Animation Council of the Philippines
Computer/digital arts make use of electronic and mechanical devices, rather than the artist’s own hand, to
produce the desired images and effects. Thus, these are definitely technology-based art
forms. In recent decades, personal gadgets such as laptops, tablets, and android phones
have incorporated the artistic capabilities of the large-scale computers. So it is now
possible for anyone to be a digital artist.
mobile phone that you constantly hold has evolved from a mere communication tool, into a creative
device that allows you to generate original works of art for an entire range of purposes.
These could be personal photographs and videos that you can manipulate with a myriad
special effects, both visual as well as sound and music. They could also be school
projects or reports that require you to combine images, incorporate text, even include
simple animation.
Phablets combination of both android tablets and phones. The tasks that traditional photo editors
used to perform manually—cropping, retouching, airbrushing—are now just a few of the
many editing effects done for you with split-second ease at the click of a mouse, a
keyboard command, or a few taps and drags of your finger on a touch screen.
image manipulation programs and applications that run on today’s android devices:
Pixlr – a powerful, free online image editor
Pic Collage – allows you to make collages incorporating photos, stickers, text, and frames
Photo Grid – a downloadable application for android phones that allows you to make collages out of images from your
photo gallery
Doodle Booth – an iPad application (with a free downloadable version) that enables you to ‘doodle’ on your images using
available stickers
Photo Booth – an application for taking photos and videos using an iPad or iPad mini (a version for the iPhone, called
SimpleBooth, is also available)
Magic Mirror Booth – an iPhone application that allows you to take amusing, distorted images, simulating camera effects
Pic Monkey – a free online photo editing tool that provides filters, frames, text, and effects to manipulate your images
Flipagram – a downloadable application that allows you to ‘bring your photos to life’ in short videos set to music of your
choice
Picsart – a free photo editor and drawing application, as well as a social network for you to share your art with others
Snapseed – a photo application that enables you to enhance, transform, and share your photos; a free downloadable version
for android phones is available
Instagram – a fast and fun way to share images with others; snap a photo, choose from among the available filters, and
share via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and more
Each of these has an extensive frames, borders, and banners; filters, cropping in different shapes, automatic
array of special features you collage or color change, stickers, text bubbles; effects such as warp, skew, tunnel,
can use to modify your images fish eye, and negative; adding “spot color” to only certain elements of an image;
creating a photo montage with music. Some programs even make it possible to
have any photo simulate a work of art in a whole range of media—from oil to
watercolor to pen and ink to charcoal to oil pastels to a Warhol poster to a
 Japanese woodblock print.
Adobe Illustrator and Corel designed to run on desktop computers and laptops, so you would need to have
Draw access to these larger and more complex devices.
There are scaled-down versions of such programs specifically developed for use on smaller, handheld units like
your personal tablet or android phone. These enable you to perform virtually all of the tasks that a program like
Illustrator performs but, almost literally, in the palm of your hand. Many of these come at a fraction of the cost
of the more complex programs or, in some cases, even for free.
Among such programs are:
Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program) Paint.net
Inkscape Xara Extreme
Artweaver Draw Plus
Pencil Picasa
Paint Star Smooth Draw
Spray Karbon
Adobe Photoshop Express Corel PaintShop Pro X5
Digital Photography Another means of generating an original image is to capture it first as a digital
file. In the case of today’s electronic technology, that would mean recording the
image using a digital camera or a device with a built-in camera, like your mobile
phone , android device, or tablet.
Cameras Prior to the development of digital photography it were essentially sealed boxes
that would allow a split-second entry of light to strike a section of light sensitive
film inside it.
exposed film The result was that whatever was in front of the camera at the precise instant that
the light entered it would be imprinted on that exposed section of film as a
photographic image. The photographer (or a commercial developing service)
would then have to process the exposed film in a special enclosed space known as
a “dark room”—and only then would the recorded images be seen.
point-and-shoot type of which automatically makes all the adjustments in lighting, focus, zoom-in and
digital camera zoom-out, even removal of “red eye” with the user being given some leeway for
slight adjustments. It offers image enhancement features like adjusting color and
brightness imbalances, as well as sharpening or blurring the image. It may even
offer unique effects like “fish eye” or filters that allow pre-setting of the photo to
be taken with a colored tint or a special texture. Plus, it allows the user to
immediately review the photos taken without waiting for a complex developing
process—and to delete any unsatisfactory images while storing the good ones for
future needs.
digital single lens reflex Provides the film-less and instant review features of a “point-and-shoot” type of
(DSLR) camera digital camera, but gives the photographer much more artistic freedom and control
to select the camera settings to create the desired final image with the preferred
visual effects.
Basic Tips for Taking Good Photographs
1. Choose a good location. An interesting location can sometimes make the difference between a good and a great
photo.
2. Check that the available background is relatively simple and not too cluttered, so that the focus will be on your
chosen subject.
3. Natural light in the outdoors or near a window is usually the most flattering or effective for any kind of subject.
Ideally, the best light for photos is within the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset.
4. Avoid taking shots facing the light, as this would make your subject back-lit and most of the details would be lost
in shadow.
5. If you intend to take a posed shot, position your subject where you want in relation to the location, background,
and source of light.
6. If you intend to take a candid shot, position yourself where you can capture the most interesting, amusing,
touching, or engaging moment or expression.
7. Take a variety of shots—ranging from far shots showing the surroundings, to medium-distance shots
concentrating on the main subject, to tight or close-up shots that focus on details of the subject. You can then
choose from among all these for the best photo or photos.
video games range from educational games and mind twisters, to building and construction
games, to ones that entail physical interaction by the users (sports, fitness, dance).
Then there are the tremendously popular games of strategy, war, science fiction,
and mythical worlds that employ amazingly complex and realistic graphics,
motion, sound, and other special effects.
Digital painting is a method of creating an artwork using a computer. This is, however, different
from the image generating devices and programs discussed above, which create,
modify, store, and share images entirely on a laptop, tablet, or android phone.
Digital painting still makes use of traditional painting mediums such as acrylic
paint, oils, ink, and watercolor and also applies the pigment to traditional surfaces,
such as canvas, paper, polyester etc. But it does so by employing computer
software that drives a type of robot device (such as a plotter) or an office machine
(such as a printer) that takes the place of the artist’s hand.
Ctrl+Paint is an example of an online resource for teaching yourself digital painting for free,
via simple videos and mini tutorials.
Social media purposes Another tremendously powerful and innovative field that digital technology has
revolutionized is that of creating and presenting videos. The explosion of social
media in recent decades has provided a new platform for video materials targeting
the “netizens” of today. Not only are there online advertisements that
continuously bombard the users’ computer screens and mobile phone displays.
But there are also millions of personally produced videos that are constantly
uploaded to online platforms like You Tube—from music, dance, and stage
performances to tutorials of all kinds to recipes to documentaries to news clips to
marriage proposals.
Medical/scientific purposes Another extremely valuable use of today’s video technology is that of imaging
videos in the fields of medicine and science. You may be familiar with Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT scans), and the like
which are used to create and record visual images of a patient’s internal anatomy
in order to diagnose and treat diseases and injuries. There are also ultrasound tests
or sonograms, which translate sound waves bouncing off physical objects into
images that can be studied—whether a baby developing in the womb (in 2D, 3D,
and 4D options), growths or malformations inside the body, structural flaws in
buildings, as well as objects in outer space, underground, and deep in the ocean.