This month I want to mention an iPhone app that can be helpful in understanding the importance of simplifying values. It’s called the Notanizer and it will turn your photo into a notan, a simple dark and light pattern, no details or middle values. It’s much easier to draw and block in a simple shadow pattern. That’s what gives our painting strength.

This app helps to see and understand the concept of shadow patterns. The problem comes when we totally rely on the app and stop drawing or doing thumbnails on paper. I think these computer tools can be helpful but shouldn’t take the place of drawing which is part of the process of painting. Drawing allows us to change the shapes and adjust the sizes of the objects in the landscape, the app doesn’t do that.  Drawing is part of the creative, artistic process, the app isn’t.  So while it can be helpful as a tool it shouldn’t take the place of the creative process.  Here are some photographs and the notan from the app. It does a good job of defining the shadow pattern allowing the composition to stand out.