Xoan Baltar

Katana Jack

katana Jack

BY XOAN BALTAR

Artist, Graphic Designer, Illustrator

Ourense, Spain

Xoan Baltar is an mobile art pioneer. While there are now hundreds of artists using these tools, Xoan was there when there were but a few. Here he shows his talent and inspires others with his “Brushes” tutorial.

This tutorial is actually a background image in the App, “Katana Jack!” by Ivanovich Games. Katana Jack! is a tribute to the classic arcade game Bomb Jack, with a little nuance, all the graphics have been painted by Xoan Baltar on the IPad, with the app Brushes. As we move through the different levels of the game, you can unlock videos that are actually movie files generated by the app, allowing us to see the painting process step by step. It is not surprising that the artist who was one of the first mobile digital artists and an inspiration to so many, is also the artist who take this artform to the next level. The game feature 90 levels that take place in 15 of Xoan’s iPad painted environments and contains 28 videos with “Brushes” video playback.

At first when we create a representational image, we start with the predominant colors, which in this case, to portray a cloudy day, are gray and pale blue.

Then we can devote time to illuminating the scene, following with a brush a little thinner than in the previous step, and now we need some perspective lines, following the point of origin. Apply more vivid colors; nature is full of colors, one need only observe them. It’s incredibly interesting how many shades and colors can be found in a scene.

As in the first step, use broad strokes on canvas to create the lights in this scene. The feeling of light at night, important light, produced by street lamps, is very exciting.

Paint the light points but with a clear tone, as this will create that magic “aura” around the lights … Also start defining the background of the scene; although it is in the background, the main focus is the end of the street. This is not always important, but in this picture the remarkable thing is the depth of field and the views that occur in large cities.

Finally, concentrate exclusively on the lights and reflections in this scene. I have chosen to depict the light trails left by cars, a very pretty effect created with a set of fantastic colors. Lampposts, previously drawn with a finer brush and a much lighter color, are painted at the center and give the effect of realism; the rest of them are lines for perspective. Would you call this style fast and inaccurate Expressionism? If indeed it is that, to give them a time context, these sketches are completed in five or ten minutes with quick and expressive strokes. This lends the scene much more character and realism. And the iPad allows this, as fingerpainting is fantastic and you don’t have to wash your hands afterwards. Finally, I’ve framed this scene in a box, for a more elegant presentation on internet galleries. I’m passionate about drawing. Does it make my spirits soar, like flying? Yes, it does.