My painting art robot, Zanelle, and some of our art works will be on display at an upcoming exhibition in Washington DC. The show is entitled DC FRESHLY SQUEEZED. The opening party is scheduled for Saturday, September 13th, 2008. It will be at 1248 Blagden Alley, NW (off 9th Street) Washington DC.
More details are provided in the flier below…
When I create a robot painting, I never know how it will turn out when I begin. I do not even have a design or even a robot in mind as I start. Look to the right to see photos taken every 15-30 minutes of a recent painting. The description below is annotated with the frame number and what I was thinking at that time…
(1) My paintings typically begin with the random application of paint. I am just making shapes and mixing colors. (2) I paint until the canvas is covered. (3) Once it is covered I start looking for shapes and highlighting them. Then I step back and search for a robot in the chaos of my strokes. (4) I think I see a seated robot king on the canvas, so I quickly sketch one in red paint. (5) But the red looked horrible and the robot was too small, so I cover the root in white paint and start over. (6) Now I see him even better. But only the front hand and the face. So I sketch out some fingers and add some shades. I also see him as a larger seated robot and plot it our with more subtle paint colors. (7) Yes, this sketch looks good and I like where it is going so I outline his body in black paint. I imagine him is seated on a large soft couch. (8) Then I add some detail including an upright finger and imagine what he would be saying. “No, No, No, No, No.” comes to mind. I am thinking that he is waving his finger at something. (9) Then it occurs to me that he is not seated on a couch, he is a king, so it is probably a big throne. I fill out a throne in black. I also emphasize the “No’s” in red. (10) The colors were not working for me so made the throne more subtle and made the green background light blue. You will notice that at this point, nothing remains of the original green background. (11) I step back and look at the painting and realize that the hand with one finger looks off, so I change it to have all fingers up in the “Halt” position. I also refine the details and repaint the background color a second time. (12) Stepping back one final time, I realize that the “No, No, No, No.” motif worked with a waiving finger but not an open palm, so I get rid of all the ”No’s” but one. Then I refine the details a bit more and soften the shading.
I feel that at this point it is finished. A Close up of the final painting can be seen below. It is called “No-Bot” and is painted with acrylic on a 12″x9″ stretched canvas.
Pindar
Here is the latest robot in shades painting. The painting and robot are called Crabbot, because he has a big claw like a hermit crab.
Crabbot, Acrylic on Wood, 10″x10″
I like painting non-symmetric robots. Everyone always thinks of robots as symmetrical, so there is always something interesting about robots that are not. Also he has shades on. Don’t know what else to say about this one, except that I am about to give the image as input into my painting art robot to make a couple of robotic “prints.”
Don’t know about my painting robot? Well her name is Zanelle and she uses a brush and acrylic paint to make paintings. This is done stroke-by-stroke. Check out the video in my links list to see Zanelle painting in action. Also go to www.vanarman.com for more details…
Pindar
Below is a recent robot painting that I did by hand and two robotic “prints” based on the painting. The robotic “prints” are not traditional prints, but instead paintings by a robot that I designed, built, and programmed.
Cool Robots 1, Acrylic on Wood, 10″x8″
Cool Robots 1, Acrylic Zanelle Painting (1 of 2), 24″x24″
Cool Robots 1, Acrylic Zanelle Painting (2 of 2), 24″x24″
People often ask how well my painting robot, Zanelle, can reproduce paintings. The above two Zanelle Paintings are a good example. Though they are very close in execution, many differences exist.
My art will explore this approach for the forseeable future. I will concentrate on painting robots by hand, then afterwards program my painting robot to make “reproductions.”
Pindar
This is the third robot from my recent series. I call it the Cool Robot Series, but may change the name to Robots in Shades. But I guess that depends on whether or not future robots have shades on. I am not sure they will.
Robot Spray Painting Self Portrait in Shades, Acrylic, 18″x10″
This is such a ridiculous series. So stupid that I am really loving it. I am also doing something real neat with these. After I paint them, I feed the paintings into my painting art robot, Zanelle, so that she can make her own version.
Right now Zanelle is painting a 24″x24″ version of Cool Robot #1 (last blog). But when that is done I will have her paint this robot. How cool will that be? A robot painting a robot painting a robot!?!?! Awesome.
Pindar
As I have mentioned before, my nephew has been giving me ideas for robot paintings recently. I basically try and paint a robotic version of whatever he tells me to. The following two paintings are examples of a failure gone good. The challenge was to paint a Robotic Piano… I tried twice, and failed twice. Each of the following paintings started with robotic pianos, then instead, ended up as robotic musicians.
Cool Robots 1, Acrylic on Wood, 10″x7″
Not sure why I think of the above robots as musicians, but they just look like a blues band to me.
Cool Robots 2, Acrylic on Wood, 10″x7″
Same with this double portrait. It looks like one of those portraits of two celebrities hanging out at a club or music event. So maybe I couldn’t pull off a cool looking Robot Piano, but it is what it is.
At least these started off as robotic pianos. I wish I had time lapse pictures of the creative process and how these evolved. There was a piano in each of these at one point, honest. Maybe after I die and they are x-raying my paintings, they will discover them…
Pindar
Previously, I posted a painting of Mechagodzilla that was painted by my art robot, Zanelle. I have recently made a second version of it. This version, pictured below uses a different brush pattern than the first one.
Instead of painting only in a single direction, like in the first image pictured below, the new Mechagodzilla painting paints countours. Other differences is that the new one (above) was painted on wood, while the original was painted on a stretched canvas.
The new Mechagodzilla is available for sale in an auction on ebay. Bidding starts at $200. The auction ends on August 13, 2008 if you are interested. The first Mechagodzilla painting has already sold…
Pindar
Peope are always asking me how well my painting art robot can replicate paintings. I never really go for reproduction, but I love to paint a single image with it over and over again and then tile them. Below is an 18 panel and 9 panel painting of Astro Boy.
The painting / print above is 30″x16″.
The image to the right is 16″x16″. I am always painting retro robots and recently unique robots of my own creation. Check out my ebay store (in the links menu) to see the work that is currently available for purchase. Prices range from $80-$1200.
Pindar
Below are a couple of recent portraits made by my painting art robot Zanelle. Unlike the typical art robot, she is capable of representational imagery. She paints with a brush on canvas. A video of her painting can be seen at www.vanarman.com or in the links tab on this page. The robot and I paint portraits for $200 a face. Email me if you are interested in one.
The first painting below is of a couple getting married.
Below is a present for a wife.
And below is a portrait commissioned by a father for his son.
Pindar
