By Isabel Ovalle
In the era of gadgets, art and graphic design are fields that offer great opportunities for innovation. Sakeer Hussain, a professional graphic designer and artist, has decided to change his drawing pad for an iPad. It was approximately six months ago that he began doing his inking using applications available on the tablet computer.
For his digital inking, he uses apps like Procreate, which works with pixel graphics, and Adobe Ideas for vector drawings. Drawing on the iPad can be done with a finger or with a stylus, a pen-like device used to input handwritten text or drawings directly into a computer. Other applications he uses are Photoshop Touch, Autodesk SketchBook Pro and SketchBook Ink.
Hussain has a diploma in fine arts and, with 15 years of experience in art and graphics, is a member of the Qatar Fine Arts Society. He is a specialist in 3D animation, video films, photography, art and design and, during the five years he has lived here, he has worked with media companies. However, since last year, he’s working at Al Galayel (Katara) as a graphic designer.
Currently he is involved in a project to make illustrations for a book about traditional hunting in Qatar. In addition, he plans to put together a painting exhibition at a Katara art gallery.
The artist has also designed several images for advertisements and publications using the vector inking method with the iPad. “Some people outside Qatar do this as well. It takes me about two days to do one drawing. It’s very easy and I can do it anywhere,” said Hussain.
“I hadn’t done anything like this before so it took me some time to get perfect results. Depending on the pressure you apply when you draw, you can get thinner or thicker lines,” he said.
He also uses a professional tablet for his work and believes digital inking and drawing is the future.
Many iPad users don’t know the great possibilities the device has to offer, said the artist. “Using vector graphics you can draw anything, no matter what size, which is especially useful in advertising,” he added.
He also does art work for Katara Cultural Village about traditional activities, and has around 100 paintings in his personal collection. A workshop on digital inking with the iPad is also in the works at Katara. “The dates are not final yet, but it will be open to the public,” said the artist.
“Drawing with tablets allows more flexibility; anyone can do it and it can be done anywhere. There are many tutorials for beginners that can be found online. I could easily convert to this because I started with inking and my hand is accustomed to the movement,” he explained.
The graphic designer uses Adobe Ideas only for inking in black and white and prefers Procreate for painting. With this program, the iPad becomes a digital sketchbook which, in the case of Adobe Ideas, allows the artist to capture and explore designs in vector format anywhere. Sketching can be done using intuitive touch screen tools, with 10 drawing layers plus a photo layer for each sketch. Opacity and other features of the layers can be adjusted, unlike with a regular canvas.
“I’m planning to have a combined exhibition of my digital work and oil paintings. They are both different media, you can try many different things, explore the various tools,” said Hussain.
“I like to try new things, that is why I’m using a tablet as well, but I feel more comfortable with the iPad,” explained the artist.
“We cannot compare oil paintings in a canvas with digital painting, because they are very different. For instance, your expression by hand with a brush is not the same. But for children, advertising professionals or cartoonists, the iPad offers great opportunities,” he concluded.
