Contributed article
Ecas announces new class for disabled people
Computer Art for disabled people starting 6 September 2013.
Venue: Ecas, Norton Park, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh EH7 5QY
Hauling out boxes of paints, taking over the kitchen table and clearing it all away again in time for tea can be a barrier to those who want to be creative but do not have a dedicated work space. It can be even more difficult for those with disabilities.
Imagine a studio full of all the art materials you could wish for, where paint never dries until you want it to, where there are no fiddly tops of tubes to get stuck, where you don’t have to buy new brushes: you just invent them and they appear! Charcoal lasts forever without crumbling yet can be smudged and blended.
All this is possible with a computer, a graphics tablet and pen, and software. If you still have a need to get your hands dirty and love the smell of paint then don’t write off computers as not for you. It is possible to use the computer to assist you to experiment with composition, to square up a sketch for transferring to a real canvas, to print out a faint image onto art paper for you to paint in watercolour, acrylic or oils and to combine a love of photography and art with virtual collage.
To get the full benefit of this course, applicants need to be able to communicate their ideas and needs to the experienced art and computer tutors who run the lessons. The ability to learn how to navigate through file menus as well as opening and saving files is essential. It is likely that you will already use a computer at home or elsewhere.
Submitted by David Griffiths
