Computer Support Blog

Despite what the big computer companies might want you to believe, the tablet computer is not a new idea.  In fact, before tablet computers achieved popularity with the breakout of the iPad, there was the computer tablet!  Less a full computer system like a tablet computer, computer tablets are essentially a peripheral, an input device used by visual artists to create artwork on the computer.  Despite the rise of tablet computers, computer tablets remain very popular with digital artists.  One of the most impressive computer tablets is the Wacom Bamboo Create. Read more »

One of the most important aspects of a sales-driven business is the ability to reach out to your customers.  Having an interface for customers and vendors is especially important on Internet sales sites, notably online sites that are essentially a platform for vendors who are not directly connected to the site, like eBay and Amazon Stores.  For the art sales website Etsy, the community aspect is exceptionally important.  Artists and those who buy art tend to naturally form communities to discuss art – both the creation and acquisition of art.  That makes Vanessa Bertozzi’s role at Etsy a very important one. Read more »

If Myspace taught us anything, it was that if you give a teenage girl a cellphone with a camera, she will invariably hold it at arm’s length at a sixty five degree angle above her head, take a picture and post it as her profile photo.  That demographic of youth, with their oft-photographed cleavage, has since migrated to Facebook.  Before they can migrate further, many serious photographers are using the infancy of Google+ to jump ship from Facebook and establish a serious presence on Google+ that promotes art and adulthood. Read more »

Sometimes, the coolest places on the Internet are not the flashiest or the best known places.  When it comes to online shopping, most people look to eBay or Amazon or they log into specialized shops where they have specific products they are anticipating buying.  But the big online retailers are not the ideal place to buy art.  Art – fine art and homemade – has never had much traction on eBay.  There are some wonderful, specialized, websites and social networks for artwork online, like Art.net and Elftown.  But the place to buy and sell artwork on the Internet is Etsy. Read more »

Artists and designers, as a general rule, want to make an impact on the world around them.  Artists try to open the eyes and minds of their audience to a new way to see the world.  Designers try to reshape the world by pushing the limits of convention or creating styles that intrigue consumers in a way that resonates with all who experience their designs.  There are, arguably, no more effective artist/designers in the world today than Yves Behar.  Behar is not simply trying to change the world in an abstract way; he is using technology. Read more »

For digital artists, the term “tablet computer” has an entirely different meaning than the term has for most of the rest of the population.  Long before Apple released the iPad or Amazon flooded the market with e-readers that have come to be lumped in with tablet computers, there was a peripheral for computers called a tablet.  Wacom still makes tablets, which remain an invaluable tool for digital artists.  One of the best tablets on the market is the Wacom Intuos5 touch Large Pen Tablet.

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Anyone who works with digital photographs knows that having great photographic equipment is only half of what one needs to create amazing digital images.  In many ways, the quality of your digital camera is not as important as the quality of your photo manipulation software.  Adobe has long been the leader in digital photograph manipulation software, with its Photoshop software becoming synonymous with photo manipulation.  Once again, Adobe is raising the bar with its Lightroom 4 software.

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Even though YouTube is the largest and most popular video-sharing website, it is not the only one. Vimeo is one alternative for independent filmmakers. Vimeo has gained a large following but it will never be as big as YouTube because it limits the content on the site to videos that the users have made themselves.

The site is popular with musicians and independent filmmakers because it is an easy way to highlight their talents in a community of like-minded people. Users get good exposure on the site when they post their own videos. Many hope to use Vimeo as a springboard for their careers in film or music.

Vimeo announced that it would be completely redesigning its website soon. The video hosting site wants to make the experience it provides better than ever before and more easy to use. Probably the most noticeable change will be a larger video player covering most of the width of the page. Users will also discover new ways for them to share their unique content, easier navigation around the site, and more privacy features.

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If you are an artist, or simply enjoy observing art in all its forms, then you have probably been to the website deviantART. For those who have not, deviantART is a website where anyone can upload their own art and receive peer reviews. It has been a popular site for amateur artists since its launch in 2000 and currently has over 18 million registered users who can view over 180 million pieces of art.

DeviantART accepts any kind of art, with any subject, in any medium that its artists want to submit. There is even mature content, but the site is very good about blocking it for any casual observer or those who do not wish to see that kind of art.

DeviantART has become not only an art-sharing website, but also a social networking site for artists. Many users will find and subscribe to an artist whose work they enjoy and eventually become friends with these people whom they have never met. The site encourages critiques and comments about each artist’s pieces because the artists want to become better at what they do.

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