Saturday, December 29, 2012

Working with the virtual Zen Brush

I bought an iPad Mini about two months ago and am, of course, addicted to reading on the internet, looking at photos of pots from around the world, checking weather, tides and the night sky, and drawing pots.
I know many potters keep journals of pottery ideas, possible new mug shapes, vases, decorations, all of that. I envy them that ability. Some of the journals I've seen are wonderful collections of art all by themselves. I don't have the kind of talent or persistence that results in notebooks full of imaginary or future pots. But I have now found Zen Brush, a 99-cent app available for iPhone or iPad and a wonderful tool for speculating about pot designs and, I'm sure, any other thing you might want to draw.
Its line is infinitely variable, from a sharp pencil line to a wide brush, and can work in a variety of tones and on a wide range of (virtual) paper surfaces.
This thing is really cool.
When we're watching a British murder mystery on Netflix (we've seen more Brits killed than anyone who witnessed the London Blitz), I'm working at the iPad, trying fat pots and teabowls, tall necks and wide ones. The next step is to take the idea to the studio. Once there, the drawing is a starting point.
That's what the jar in the photo below is about. As is the drawing from my iPad.
These pots were thrown yesterday from T3 clay, a new body for me, borrowed from my friend Kim Medeiros when my supplier was temporarily out of B-Mix.



7 comments:

Jose Ramon Santana Vazquez said...

...lunas
de miel
con luz
y mi piel
del contraluz
a Navidad
con paz
y felicidad
HOLLIS para tí...


desde mis Blogs Horas Rotas y Aula de Paz
venturoso AÑO 2013.


j.r.s.

Hollis Engley said...

Mil gracias, Jose

Michèle Hastings said...

T-3 was my main clay body when I was in NH. It throws nicely, never had issues with cracking, and my glazes fit nicely. I will be curious to hear how you like it.
I am also a big fan of b-mix, especially fire in a wood kiln.

Denny said...

Hollis, I also have a new toy, an Ipad, thanks for the tip about Zen brush, I will give it a try
Denny

Tracey Broome said...

Do you have the pottery making app? It's pretty cool too. Gerry gave me an ipad last year for Christmas and I wondered what I would do with it, now I wonder what I did without it!

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Is there a studio-cleaning app? I need one!

Hollis Engley said...

Wish I knew one, Patty. I'd use it.
And Tracey, the only one I know sort of lets you throw little tiny pots on your iPhone ... hmmmm ... I'll see what else I can find. Is there one that will put handles on three dozen mugs at a time?
Michele, I like the T3. I'm interested to see how my glazes like it, though I've seen a bit of that with my friend Kim firing her pots with my glazes in my kiln. So I have a sense of it.
And good luck, Denny. It's worth the 99 cents.