Some musings on the new iPads

On 7th May, Apple announced the new line-up of iPads, and it’s really obvious that they’re aimed squarely at creatives. New iPads, new Apple pencil. New prices. Other people will, and are, debating the technical details of these, but I’m an artist, so my interest is in using them as part of my creative practice. I’ll try not to get too technical (there are plenty of other tech review channels already doing that), but I guess some tech chatter is inevitable. It is also worth noting that this is a relatively simple review of the basics, so if you are a professional graphic designer, you probably already know much of what I’m about to say – although your opinions and additions would be welcome, and I’d be interested to hear from you.

Given the price of these gadgets it’s a significant outlay, and the accessories can bump the cost up quickly. It’s an investment from which any creative will expect several years of service. My current iPad Pro was bought in 2021. It’s the 11-inch model with the M1 processor and has a ‘Pro Motion’ screen (which just means it’s got a faster refresh rate).

Notably, at the time of purchase I was considering an ’iPad Air’. The reason I went for the pricier model is down to storage. At the time, the ‘Air’ had 64 GB or 256 GB of storage. 64GB wasn’t enough, and 256 GB was more than I needed. So, rather than pay for storage I didn’t need, I went for the ‘Pro’ model, with 128GB storage and the slightly higher spec.

Fast forward to 2024, and the new iPad range is finally properly separated. The iPad mini, the iPad 10th generation, the iPad Air, and the iPad Pro. The Air now starts with 128GB of storage and is available in a 13” model, as well as the previously available 11” Version. The Pro comes in the same sizes, with more storage, a superb OLED screen, and the same two sizes. The Pro is also a significant financial outlay, starting at £999. The Pro range is also heavily marketed as being incredibly thin. I don’t think that’s an issue – the existing iPads are already very thin devices, so that sounds like a gimmick.

Which iPad?

First of all, I should point out that I have little experience of Android devices. These are usually cheaper than the Apple equivalent, and offer excellent specifications often at lower prices, but I’m not in a position to comment. If you prefer Android, that’s perfectly fine, but I can only discuss what I’m familiar with.

As I see it, there are questions that every artist should ask in regard to this range of iPads. Firstly – do I need one? If you already have a laptop and don’t need the touch screen, then no – probably not. If you have a recent iPad (in the last three years), then again – probably not, especially when you consider that your old Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard aren’t compatible with the new devices, so you’ll need to replace the lot – that’s about £1500 for the 11” Pro+pencil+keyboard. Eek! However, if you do digital art and do not have an iPad, this range is aimed squarely at you. So the next question is, which one?

The cheapest iPad, at £349, should be discounted unless you’re on a tight budget. That’s for a good reason. The entry-level iPad has a screen with a layer of glass on top, whereas the others in the range have a laminated screen. If you are doing illustration, there is a gap between your pencil and the screen on the cheapest iPad. This is not the case with the others, so they are far better suited to drawing.

For illustration, you will need an Apple Pencil. The new range comes with ‘Apple Pencil Pro’, which has a multitude of features designed to make it as realistic and experience as possible, including ‘haptic feedback’ and (usefully) the ‘barrel roll’ function, where rolling the pencil in your fingers does the same on the screen, which is very useful when using specific angled brushes. This device will set you back an additional £129. Ouch. Even more, the Magic Keyboard is an additional £300-£350. This isn’t essential, but it is nice to have. Of course, there are third-party devices out there that cost less money, but the pencil is vital.

So your decision is now as follows.

  • Air or Pro
  • 11” or 13”
  • How much storage?

Storage first – my iPad has 128 GB, and I’ve never come close to filling it. It still has 50 GB left. So unless you plan on video editing, 128 GB is plenty. If you are doing the video work, the Pro is the one to get, simply for the screen refresh rate. For everyday illustration, though – the Air is a fine choice, and £400 cheaper.

Software and apps

So, you’ve got an iPad, pencil, and maybe a keyboard if you’re feeling wealthy or won the lottery! Your shiny new iPad, though, is useless without software. What do you need?

First up, and absolutely essential for any digital artist, is the quite brilliant ‘ProCreate’. It’s truly a fantastic piece of software with different brushes, textures, and colours—it takes some learning, but it’s just a fantastic tool to use.

Adobe also offers a full range of apps, including a very usable version of Photoshop. If you don’t want the subscription, Affinity Photo and Designer are excellent tools that every digital artist should own.

Your iPad comes with office software and a load of apps for social media, business administration, and all the basics. Be warned—it’s not quite as good as the MacOS versions. But that’s the thing—the iPad is not a Mac, and it’s designed to be part of your Apple ecosystem with your iPhone and Mac. Coupled with a Mac Mini, it’s a great device.

TL:DR

To summarise, then,

If you don’t do graphic design or digital art and want a device for YouTube, email, the occasional letter, web browsing, and similar activities, then the £349 iPad 10 is perfectly fine.

  • the laminated screen on the Air and Pro are better suited for drawing with the Apple Pencil, which you should definitely get
  • the Air is probably fine for most users; the Pro has a much better screen, which would suit professionals
  • if you have an iPad Air/Pro bought in the last three years, you probably don’t need to upgrade
  • You definitely need Procreate, and I would also recommend Affinity Photo/Designer. Adobe apps are excellent if you have a subscription and are available for iPadOS.

And, of course, these are just my views. But it’d be great to hear what you think!

Links (UK links because I’m from the UK – check if you live elsewhere):

Apple iPad page: https://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/

ProCreate: https://procreate.com/

Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/uk/

Affinity: https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/

Artist Profile – is it necessary?

A recent post on the new-ish Threads app by user @lauriesmithwick made an interesting point. It said the following;

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, why do I, a painter, have to write an art statement?”

Which is a fair comment. All artists are familiar with writing a personal statement. We visit galleries, and artists have their statements. They usually tell us about the artist, their background, and what they are interested in. A good statement will tell us what motivates the artist, and what they’re trying to convey in their work.

Could it sometimes be said that they serve only to alienate the viewer, particularly people with no artistic background? The following is an example, selected randomly, with no intended malice towards an excellent artist. This is taken from the guidebook for the ‘British Art Show 8’, an exhibition that visited the ‘Leeds Art Gallery’ from 2015-2016. This statement (reproduced in full) is attributed to ‘Alan Kane’, and reads;

‘Alan Kane has contributed a number of functional elements to ‘service’ British Art Show 8, including a range of gallery seating and a doormat of the kind commonly found in homes. Kane’s doormats attempt to collapse the distance between domestic and institutional settings, their messages of welcome perhaps encouraging the new audiences that these institutions seek. His benches, made from gravestones and powder-coated steel, draw on and advance the tradition of the memento more by emphatically inviting the viewer to become a participant in the work’. 1

If you’re reading this article it’s quite likely you have an interest in art, and as such the above statement may not seem unusual. Perhaps try re-reading it, but as you do, imagine you have no artistic background, have never studied the subject, or perhaps wandered into the gallery because it was cold and raining and whilst in there you decided to have a look around. The statement is a chance for the artist and gallery to explain the meaning behind the work on display. It needs to convey, in plain English, why the bench that the viewer is sitting on appears to be made from a graveyard headstone.

Alan Kane, ‘Vanity Suite’, 2015
Alan Kane, ‘Vanity Suite’, 2015

What the statement would seem to be saying is that the artist is taking objects from an institution (namely gravestones) and placing them in an unusual setting – the gallery. He’s also repurposed the gravestones and turned them into functional items – chairs and benches. He’s doing this to make the viewer think in a different way. By sitting on the bench, you become a part of the work, and given that the work involves death, it’s a sobering reminder that this fate will fall on all of us. It also appears that the artist specifically targets a new audience, particularly people who would not usually visit a gallery. On their website review of the above work ‘Vanity Suite’, ‘This is Tomorrow’ magazine said that ‘he wants the hairdressing element to bring customers to the space who would not normally visit an art gallery’ 2

What is in question, is whether the artwork needs a description or an artist profile. Does the viewer need to know the artist’s intentions in creating their portfolio? In a similar way, does work need a title? Henry Moore famously said,

‘All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator. Giving a sculpture or a drawing too explicit a title takes away part of that mystery so that the spectator moves on to the next object, making no effort to ponder the meaning of what he has just seen.’3

As such, Henry gives his artworks suitable vague titles, examples being ‘Composition’, ‘Recumbent figure’, ‘Animal Head’. They describe the object, without giving any clue as to why these subjects have been portrayed in the way they have. Artist Martin Creed almost takes this to another level, giving all his work catalogue numbers. ‘Work No. 944’ gives no indication to a reader of the nature of the piece, 21 individually framed sheets of A4 paper displayed on the wall in one single row. In this case, Tate Gallery informs us that ‘By identifying his works primarily through a numbering system, Creed accords them equal status, regardless of size or material. ‘4 Such a numbering system means the viewer has no choice but to interpret the work in their own way because the title of the image gives no clues as to what the artist is trying to say.

In the same way that an artwork doesn’t necessarily need a title, it’s quite possible to propose that an artist doesn’t need one either. Creating a profile gives a description of the motives of the artist, and guides the viewer towards an interpretation of the art. Categorising artists, of all forms, makes marketing their work easier. Musicians are very easily bracketed into a style of music, and marketing pop music to death metal fans would not be useful. Maybe that’s the real reason for an artist profile and biography? It’s not meant for the casual viewer, but for the professional, so they can understand where the artist fits and if they’re the sort of artist that would appeal to their own customer base. Searching Google for ‘Why do Artists need a bio’ gives a list of results from organisations who sell art, or help artists find work.

In which case, it would appear that an artist does need a profile description, as the original statement alludes to. A well crafted artist statement can guide a visitor to the gallery and help understand the work. Imagine that an artist is particularly interested in landscape oil paintings of North Yorkshire. This knowledge can help any prospective viewer, buyer, or gallery understand what the artist is interested in, and what work they can expect to see by the artist. If a viewer has an interest in abstract paintings of urban landscapes, it’s clearly not for them and they would know to stay away and focus their attentions elsewhere – although, arguably any self-respecting art lover should try and enjoy a variety of styles to broaden their mind and learn to appreciate all genres of their chosen artistic style. A good description of the work can provide focus and help bracket the work. The writer of the original statement, @lauriesmithwick, says herself, ‘…if you want to apply to anything, you have to provide those words’. This is a fair comment. In the same way any prospective employee needs to write a CV and personal statement to show their skills and experience, the profile needs to showcase the artist’s practice. What motivates them, what medium they prefer, what subject matter a potential client can expect to see.

In the end, as ever it is down to the individual artist to decide whether they need a profile or not, and to what purpose it should serve. There are many guides to doing this online, but if the ultimate purpose of a profile and biography is to describe to a prospective purchaser what they can expect, it would seem reasonable to assume that the profile would be best written in a manner similar to any resume/CV. The website of the Visual Artist’s association (the link is in the references section below – it’s well worth a look) suggests some basics, such as ‘Avoid jargon’, ‘Think like you are a reader’, and ‘Use short sentences’ 5 All of which would seem to refer back to the original concerns discussed about the accessibility of the profile. Keep it simple! Although if an artist feels that ‘I enjoy representing the visual Diaspora between urban and rural elevations in context of the 21st century in variety of media’ sounds better than ‘I paint and draw postboxes in the countryside’ (both of those are made up, obviously!), well that’s entirely up to them. Use your profile page wisely, and as with the rest of your practice consider every aspect of it, from what to write, to whether you need to write one at all.

References:

  1. Alan Kane, In: Southbank Centre, ed, British Art Show 8, Manchester, 2015, 70.
  2. Louisa Lee, ‘Alan Kane’s Vanity Suite/Sorry’, 2015.
  3. Elizabeth Day, ‘The Moore legacy’, The Guardian, Manchester, 2008.
  4. Helen Delaney, ‘‘Martin Creed, Work No. 944, 2008’’, 2010, Tate Gallery website extract.
  5. Shirley-Ann O’Neill, ‘How To Write An Artist Profile And Description’. https://visual-artists.org/resources/how-to-write-an-artist-profile-and-description/

Website update

I’ve updated the website – you might have noticed if you’ve been here before. I’ve tried to simplify it both in appearance and ease of use, because I’ve never been happy with the appearance. I’ve switched to a free WordPress theme; the old ‘Astra Pro’ theme is up for renewal, and I’m trying to keep costs down. I’ve long suspected the previous theme had some bugs – it wouldn’t connect to ‘Ulysses’, for example. Top tip: don’t use ‘Astra Pro’! Most free WordPress themes are perfectly usable, and have fewer bugs.

The landing page now contains blog posts. It’s an art site, so I’m still not sure if it shouldn’t land on a gallery page, but given I do intend to write about art as well as produce it, that’s shouldn’t be an issue. It certainly looks smarter, and takes you straight to content and not a static page.

The shop is still empty, though – I need to work out postage prices, packaging, and other such technicalities before I can commit to selling work. Which I need to do, because this website doesn’t pay for itself, and it needs to! If you do see something on here you like, please do get in touch and I’m sure we can agree something in the meantime.

Anyway – let me know what you think. You might hate it! Bear in mind I can’t afford to pay a professional for producing it yet, this is all my own work. But I’ll listen to constructive feedback, advice, suggestions – happy to listen. And, thanks for having a look!

How to find me online

There seems to be something of a revolution in social media right now. Since Elon Musk decided to make Twitter (X?) into a disaster zone, lots of new social media platforms appear to have turned up, and as an artist they vary as to their usefulness in terms of sharing art with people who might be interested. With that in mind, I think a blog post with a list of links might be helpful, because I tend to use social media platforms differently – the content will vary depending where you look. Also, it’s not guaranteed I’ll be hanging around on Twitter/X for much longer! Also, if you’re an artist wanting to set up a social media presence but are confused by the number of platforms, it might help you decide where to spend your time the most, so I hope you find it useful.

So, here’s a list (With links) of where to find me, and more importantly my art:

  • Website: chrisatyeart.co.uk – you already know that, you’re here! However, there’s a ‘Contact’ page which links directly to my email address, and if it’s just my art you’re interested in, it’s the best place to go.
  • Instagram: @chrisatyeart – when I was doing my art degree, we had a talk from a gallery owner from London who was absolutely clear that Instagram was by far the best platform for artists. It’s a visual social media platform, so I would agree – if you go here, you’ll generally get art from me.
  • Twitter / X: @chrisatyeartist – This account has a history. My old Twitter account was @chris_a_tye, and I set up a second account for art only. However, I got so sick of seeing political arguing on the first account I stopped using it and turned over to this one as my main account. Therefore, you’ll see art, but also more of me. For example, I enjoy tweeting along to radio shows, #forgotten80s on a Sunday night is a great example. I’ve only really stayed on Twitter because of the large number of friends I’ve made on there in real life, and it is (despite Elon’s best efforts) still a great platform for engagement.
  • Pinterest: @chrisatye – Pinterest should be the perfect platform for artists, and it is useful for sharing images of your work, but I’ll be honest I rarely update it nowadays. I’ve barely any followers on there, and I’ve considered shutting it down.
  • Mastodon: @chrisatye@mastodonapp.uk – I’ve not been here long; I use it in a similar way to Twitter, but I find being able to follow hashtags (#art, for example) very useful. I also find I get a lot of engagement on there. I think as a platform it has it’s place, but it’s still a bit too ‘niche’ for folk.
  • Threads: @chrisatyeart – as a platform, Threads has massive potential, mainly because it seems to share a user base with Instagram. Right now, it’s definitely on the list of ‘most likely to replace Twitter/X if it goes under’, but it still lacks functionality. I’m keeping a close eye on this platform, particularly in parallel with Instagram.

These are the most useful ones for anyone interested in my art – yes, I’ve signed up to other accounts – Bluesky, Spoutible etc – but they really haven’t got enough users yet to make them worthwhile. I’m also not really on Facebook yet – maybe I should be, but I can’t find a useful reason for it as part of my long-term plan, so for now it’s just my personal account for friends and family. Do not write it off as a useful method of sharing your work.

Hope this is helpful – I’ll obviously update this as things change in the future.

Open Exhibition, Halifax

Until 30th June 2023

Myself, stood next to my painting!

I’m very pleased that my oil painting ‘Carthorpe Mires, Signpost’ has been accepted into the Summer 2023 Open Exhibition at ‘The Open Gallery’ in Halifax. It’s a varied exhibition, with artwork of all kinds – painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, and given the standard I’m very pleased my work was accepted! If you have any concerns that art is struggling, don’t worry – exhibitions like this confirm it’s still a popular subject with a wealth of talent.

Exhibiting work is part of being an artist. Putting work on display for people to look at, to criticise, to discuss; that’s why we do it. When you’ve spent so much time on a work, the possibility that people may not like it is somewhat scary. Art is no good sat in your spare room, though. As an artist you have something to say, and exhibiting is the way you say it. Rejection is the bigger fear – submitting a work and being told it’s not wanted is slightly demoralising. So I celebrate acceptances! With a glass of orange juice, in this case, as you can see in the photograph.

The gallery address is 18, Rawson Street, Halifax, HX1 1NH. Even if you can’t make the exhibition, do keep an eye on the website – there’s a regular programme of exhibitions throughout the year. You can find more details about the gallery on their website – https://www.opengallery.info.