Last year I entered an Art House Co-Op project, called "Sketchbook Project: 2011." Each artist was asked to choose a theme from a list of predesignated themes (I chose "Help!") and sent a 80 page sketchbook. The only requirements were to fill the sketchbook according to the theme you chose & send it back. Each sketchbook was given a barcode for tracking purposes. About 10,000 artists participated & the sketchbooks were taken on a cross country tour, to multiple exhibits, where people from all different states could look through them. Once the tour was concluded, the books were all brought back to the Brooklyn Art Library and some were digitized (if you chose to pay the additional fee) as part of Art House Co-op's digital library.
Since I do all my artwork by mouth, it was much easier for me to create the sketches/artwork for my sketchbook on my iPad & print them out. I created a description page and image for each two page layout. The book is now digitized and available for viewing through my Art House Co-op profile, or directly through this link (www.arthousecoop.com/library/4604).
It took me months to fill the book. Unlike painting, I can work on my digital artwork in bed. Since I haven't been well enough to get up & paint as often as I'd like (these last couple of years) my iPad has given me a new outlet for artistic expression. I thought this project would be a great way to help raise awareness about paralysis & spinal cord injuries. The theme "Help!" fit in perfectly with my intent to ask people to help me (and the millions of people suffering with paralysis world wide) by supporting research for a cure to paralysis. All the sketches, digital images & collages I included in my sketchbook are about my struggles with my accident, my injury and my life with paralysis.
I'm pleased with how the book turned out (with the exception of the first two page layout- my collage was pasted upside down by mistake). I'm hoping that now it is available online for viewing it will get a lot hits, and get people thinking about paralysis & spinal cord injuries. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope my artwork has an impact on the people that see it. I want to open people's eyes, educate the general public & hopefully inspire some people to support research & advocate for a cure. I'd love to hear feedback & please share the link with friends! Thanks <3
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Showing posts with label digital art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital art. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Virtual Art
I've always been on the fence in terms of how I feel towards virtual art. On one hand, I don't see it as "Fine Art," and tend to place a higher value on traditional materials: paint, chalk, ink, clay, plaster, pastels, canvas, etc. I think this is because I recognize the skill, work & cost that's involved in traditional art work, and am more familiar working with traditional supplies.. On the other hand, I can't deny that training and skill are just as important in the digital arena. Besides, let's face it, when it comes to discussing art, creativity trumps it all. Creativity aside, the cost of materials, time and labor do factor in, in terms of value. With virtual art, the artist has to invest in the equipment and software necessary to produce work, however those materials do not deplete with use and results can be infinitely copied. With traditional materials, every work of art is guaranteed to be unique.
There's something to be said for the interaction between an artist and his/her tools of trade. It is a totally different experience when you physically interact with tangible materials, versus simulated versions. The results may be similar, but the artist is missing out on the kinesthetic experience, when he/she creates their artwork through virtual means. As an artist, I love the different smells, textures and feel of working with different materials. Each material has a unique feel to it and reacts differently depending on what you mix it with and what techniques you use.
Being a disabled artist, there are so many things that I miss out on, due to my paralysis. The freedom to use a variety of materials is one of the many things I can no longer do. Although I still paint, there are tons of other materials and tools that are not suited well to be used with my mouth. Plus, the sensations of feeling things with your hands is totally different from the sensations you might feel using your foot or mouth. Even switching from one hand to another can be a new experience. If you've ever tried working with your weaker hand, I'm sure you can relate.
I miss being able to feel the tension of the scissors as they press down on the paper, and the sound the paper makes, as you slice through it. I miss the smoothness of gliding markers across paper and the smells of the ink. I miss being able to fold, crinkle, pinch, pull, glue, cut, tear and tape paper. I was never really good with clay, but miss experimenting with it. Clay can be cold and wet or oily and slimy. You can squish clay through your fingers and mold it with your hands. Building a sculpture might mean chipping away at a stone, welding metal together or sawing pieces of wood. Two materials I don't miss are chalk and charcoal. I hate the feeling of chalk: the dustiness of it, the scratchy sound it makes on paper and the dryness in creates in my hands. Some people love using chalk and charcoal, because it's great for drawing and easy to create values, by rubbing or smearing it. All of the common materials for two dimensional artwork can be simulated with computer software. Many art programs can mimic how materials blend and overlap as well. However, with digital art, you lose out on tactile texture. You can print out a picture that looks rough in texture, but it will only have the smooth surface of the paper.
Most traditional art supplies are messy. Materials like chalk, pastels and crayons are meant to be held, and often times have no covering and you must touch them directly with your skin. Such materials are not suited well for using your mouth. There are many supplies that I'd need to greatly modify or cover to use them. Although I could add coverings to make certain materials safe to put in my mouth, it often makes the materials cumbersome and awkward to grip. Wet materials like paint and ink work best for mouth art, because they are designed to be applied with instruments (brushes and pens) and provide the artist with a much safer distance to the material and work surface. The other challenge to mouth art, is that it is not easy to work in color (other than paint) or erase. Constantly having to switch out markers or color pencils is annoying and the inability to flip the pencil over, or needing a separate eraser is frustrating. There are many materials I avoid, because it is not worth the aggravation. For me, the paintbrush is the easiest to control, correct and use color. Using my mouth is also very different from using my hands and while I'm grateful to be able to at least paint, it's an entirely new experience.
I'll admit, virtual art also takes skill and talent. With most professional grade art software, you still need to start out with good drawing skills and knowledge of color. There's tons of high tech software that requires training. Most computer artists and animators have to know how to translate 3D objects onto a flat surface, mimic lighting effects and textures. Artists that make computer animation need strong understanding of traditional drawing skills (pencil and paper), before they pick up a mouse and a keyboard. I realize that most professional digital artists have fine art backgrounds as part of their training. The thing that irks me about digital art, is that there are a lot of cheaper programs out there that let the average person cut, paste and tweak photos or prefab images and then call it art. It's similar to professional photographers using an SLR 35mm manual camera, versus Joe Shmoe with his point and click, fully automatic, digital camera. It just gets on my nerves when untrained people make cookie cutter art and pass it off as original, fine art. It's totally different if you create original digital art, using your own ideas and skills. Unfortunately, the average person doesn't always know what they're looking at or the work (or lack thereof) involved in creating a work of art. That is why I sometimes get annoyed when I see "art" made from prefab clip art or someone just fooling around with filter effects on Photoshop. I feel that some computer programs make it too easy to create "digital art", which detracts from the validity and skill involved in making true, high quality art (digital or traditional).
Despite my misgivings with digital art, I've embraced the future and have begun experimenting with different possibilities. Sharing information on the materials and process I use, with the viewer, is an important part of adding value and validity to my art. I figure, if viewers are informed about the different types of software out there, they can better assess the work for themselves. It's important to me that people know what goes into making each piece and the ideas behind it. As long as I stick to that plan, I feel confident about showing my digital art, alongside my traditional paintings.
Technology has given me back the ability to easily sketch and draw with color. Although I was already familiar with Photoshop and Paint, using the mouse makes it very difficult for me to maintain control or accuracy. The program that works best for me is Sketchbook Pro, which is on my iPad. The iPad is wonderful, because it uses touch and I can draw directly on the screen, as if I were using a paintbrush, or pen. I can easily swap colors, textures (mimicking different materials), erase and store my work. I was pleasantly surprised (and shocked) at how precise you can be on it, using a stylus and at how well it simulates various materials. The other great thing about the iPad is that it's compact and light. There's no mess involved either, so I'm free to draw almost anywhere, including in bed. It has been wonderful being able to draw and sketch again.
So far I've posted a handful of drawings on my Flickr site. I also signed up for "Project Sketchbook", which is through the Arthouse Co-op. I'll be using my iPad to create all the sketches I plan to use in my book. Once the sketchbook is full, it'll get mailed back to the Co-op in Brooklyn. The sketches will ultimately go on tour across the country to several exhibits and finally stored in the Brooklyn Art Library, where people can access the drawings in person or online. I'll be able to keep track of where my book is and who's seen it. It's a great chance to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries and so far it's been fun working on it.
One other digital art venture I recently took part in was an online contest for a game I play, called "Super Poke Pets!" or "SPP" for short. The game is by Slide and available to play on social networking sites, like Facebook and Myspace. In the game you adopt a virtual pet and earn points and virtual coins, by caring for it and by having play dates with your friend's virtual pets. The coins you earn are used to buy items to decorate your pet's habitat. Players can place as many items in their habitats as they like, in an infinite amount of ways. There are millions of people that currently play and they have a rather active online forum, where players can share ideas, trade items and show off their habitats. I fell in love with game for it's cute style and open ended possibilities for creativeness. I enjoy going on the forums and seeing how other people decorate their habitats. The staff chooses a handful of the best habitat entries each week and winners get a special collector's badge and their habitat earns a spot in the game's hall of fame. There are tons and tons of amazing habitats and really creative, innovative ways that players use the in game items to create pictures. I enter my creations from time to time as well.
Back in January, I entered a picture I made, called "Picasso Inspired Habitat," which was inspired by Picasso's painting, " Girl Before a Mirror." In the picture I recreated Picasso's original painting and then added a detail of the girl's face and her reflection on each side. It was really well received and I ended up winning the "Staff Choice Award" badge and it was added to the hall of fame. It was pretty cool getting the recognition and getting to see my habitat pop up on the hall of fame window, every once in a while. They also contacted me about sharing my story with an LA Times reporter. Apparently, they had my habitat hanging in the office and they pitched the idea to the reporter, who was covering something else for Slide. I was happy to talk with them, figuring it'd be more exposure for SCIs on the west coast. We did a phone interview, but the reporter said she couldn't promise that anything would be printed. She was just interested in the story & how I created the picture. So far no word back from them about it.
Then, about a month ago, a staff member from SPP emailed me and I thought it might be regarding the newspaper article. Instead, it was about a new series of items they planned on releasing. They sell gold items, which cost real money and one of the series they do is called the "Masterpiece" series. Each masterpiece is an SPP recreation (which replaces people with SPP pets) of a famous painting and sells for about $50. The masterpieces are rare releases and purchasers get a special badge for buying them. The new series they wrote to me about, is called "Community Classics" and each gold item is a replica of community members' habitats. They are equally as rare as masterpieces, sell for $20 and also grant buyers a badge. To my surprise, they decided to use my Picasso habitat as their first "Community Classic" item! I got a special creator badge, $25 worth of game gold and my own item. It was super exciting getting to see my picture on the Facebook announcement and in the forums. I got to write about the picture (included in the forum post) and it was great exposure for my cause. I've gotten a ton of nice comments and feedback and it's been a good opportunity to promote my website.
There's something to be said for the interaction between an artist and his/her tools of trade. It is a totally different experience when you physically interact with tangible materials, versus simulated versions. The results may be similar, but the artist is missing out on the kinesthetic experience, when he/she creates their artwork through virtual means. As an artist, I love the different smells, textures and feel of working with different materials. Each material has a unique feel to it and reacts differently depending on what you mix it with and what techniques you use.
Being a disabled artist, there are so many things that I miss out on, due to my paralysis. The freedom to use a variety of materials is one of the many things I can no longer do. Although I still paint, there are tons of other materials and tools that are not suited well to be used with my mouth. Plus, the sensations of feeling things with your hands is totally different from the sensations you might feel using your foot or mouth. Even switching from one hand to another can be a new experience. If you've ever tried working with your weaker hand, I'm sure you can relate.
I miss being able to feel the tension of the scissors as they press down on the paper, and the sound the paper makes, as you slice through it. I miss the smoothness of gliding markers across paper and the smells of the ink. I miss being able to fold, crinkle, pinch, pull, glue, cut, tear and tape paper. I was never really good with clay, but miss experimenting with it. Clay can be cold and wet or oily and slimy. You can squish clay through your fingers and mold it with your hands. Building a sculpture might mean chipping away at a stone, welding metal together or sawing pieces of wood. Two materials I don't miss are chalk and charcoal. I hate the feeling of chalk: the dustiness of it, the scratchy sound it makes on paper and the dryness in creates in my hands. Some people love using chalk and charcoal, because it's great for drawing and easy to create values, by rubbing or smearing it. All of the common materials for two dimensional artwork can be simulated with computer software. Many art programs can mimic how materials blend and overlap as well. However, with digital art, you lose out on tactile texture. You can print out a picture that looks rough in texture, but it will only have the smooth surface of the paper.
Most traditional art supplies are messy. Materials like chalk, pastels and crayons are meant to be held, and often times have no covering and you must touch them directly with your skin. Such materials are not suited well for using your mouth. There are many supplies that I'd need to greatly modify or cover to use them. Although I could add coverings to make certain materials safe to put in my mouth, it often makes the materials cumbersome and awkward to grip. Wet materials like paint and ink work best for mouth art, because they are designed to be applied with instruments (brushes and pens) and provide the artist with a much safer distance to the material and work surface. The other challenge to mouth art, is that it is not easy to work in color (other than paint) or erase. Constantly having to switch out markers or color pencils is annoying and the inability to flip the pencil over, or needing a separate eraser is frustrating. There are many materials I avoid, because it is not worth the aggravation. For me, the paintbrush is the easiest to control, correct and use color. Using my mouth is also very different from using my hands and while I'm grateful to be able to at least paint, it's an entirely new experience.
I'll admit, virtual art also takes skill and talent. With most professional grade art software, you still need to start out with good drawing skills and knowledge of color. There's tons of high tech software that requires training. Most computer artists and animators have to know how to translate 3D objects onto a flat surface, mimic lighting effects and textures. Artists that make computer animation need strong understanding of traditional drawing skills (pencil and paper), before they pick up a mouse and a keyboard. I realize that most professional digital artists have fine art backgrounds as part of their training. The thing that irks me about digital art, is that there are a lot of cheaper programs out there that let the average person cut, paste and tweak photos or prefab images and then call it art. It's similar to professional photographers using an SLR 35mm manual camera, versus Joe Shmoe with his point and click, fully automatic, digital camera. It just gets on my nerves when untrained people make cookie cutter art and pass it off as original, fine art. It's totally different if you create original digital art, using your own ideas and skills. Unfortunately, the average person doesn't always know what they're looking at or the work (or lack thereof) involved in creating a work of art. That is why I sometimes get annoyed when I see "art" made from prefab clip art or someone just fooling around with filter effects on Photoshop. I feel that some computer programs make it too easy to create "digital art", which detracts from the validity and skill involved in making true, high quality art (digital or traditional).
Despite my misgivings with digital art, I've embraced the future and have begun experimenting with different possibilities. Sharing information on the materials and process I use, with the viewer, is an important part of adding value and validity to my art. I figure, if viewers are informed about the different types of software out there, they can better assess the work for themselves. It's important to me that people know what goes into making each piece and the ideas behind it. As long as I stick to that plan, I feel confident about showing my digital art, alongside my traditional paintings.
Technology has given me back the ability to easily sketch and draw with color. Although I was already familiar with Photoshop and Paint, using the mouse makes it very difficult for me to maintain control or accuracy. The program that works best for me is Sketchbook Pro, which is on my iPad. The iPad is wonderful, because it uses touch and I can draw directly on the screen, as if I were using a paintbrush, or pen. I can easily swap colors, textures (mimicking different materials), erase and store my work. I was pleasantly surprised (and shocked) at how precise you can be on it, using a stylus and at how well it simulates various materials. The other great thing about the iPad is that it's compact and light. There's no mess involved either, so I'm free to draw almost anywhere, including in bed. It has been wonderful being able to draw and sketch again.
So far I've posted a handful of drawings on my Flickr site. I also signed up for "Project Sketchbook", which is through the Arthouse Co-op. I'll be using my iPad to create all the sketches I plan to use in my book. Once the sketchbook is full, it'll get mailed back to the Co-op in Brooklyn. The sketches will ultimately go on tour across the country to several exhibits and finally stored in the Brooklyn Art Library, where people can access the drawings in person or online. I'll be able to keep track of where my book is and who's seen it. It's a great chance to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries and so far it's been fun working on it.
One other digital art venture I recently took part in was an online contest for a game I play, called "Super Poke Pets!" or "SPP" for short. The game is by Slide and available to play on social networking sites, like Facebook and Myspace. In the game you adopt a virtual pet and earn points and virtual coins, by caring for it and by having play dates with your friend's virtual pets. The coins you earn are used to buy items to decorate your pet's habitat. Players can place as many items in their habitats as they like, in an infinite amount of ways. There are millions of people that currently play and they have a rather active online forum, where players can share ideas, trade items and show off their habitats. I fell in love with game for it's cute style and open ended possibilities for creativeness. I enjoy going on the forums and seeing how other people decorate their habitats. The staff chooses a handful of the best habitat entries each week and winners get a special collector's badge and their habitat earns a spot in the game's hall of fame. There are tons and tons of amazing habitats and really creative, innovative ways that players use the in game items to create pictures. I enter my creations from time to time as well.
Back in January, I entered a picture I made, called "Picasso Inspired Habitat," which was inspired by Picasso's painting, " Girl Before a Mirror." In the picture I recreated Picasso's original painting and then added a detail of the girl's face and her reflection on each side. It was really well received and I ended up winning the "Staff Choice Award" badge and it was added to the hall of fame. It was pretty cool getting the recognition and getting to see my habitat pop up on the hall of fame window, every once in a while. They also contacted me about sharing my story with an LA Times reporter. Apparently, they had my habitat hanging in the office and they pitched the idea to the reporter, who was covering something else for Slide. I was happy to talk with them, figuring it'd be more exposure for SCIs on the west coast. We did a phone interview, but the reporter said she couldn't promise that anything would be printed. She was just interested in the story & how I created the picture. So far no word back from them about it.
Then, about a month ago, a staff member from SPP emailed me and I thought it might be regarding the newspaper article. Instead, it was about a new series of items they planned on releasing. They sell gold items, which cost real money and one of the series they do is called the "Masterpiece" series. Each masterpiece is an SPP recreation (which replaces people with SPP pets) of a famous painting and sells for about $50. The masterpieces are rare releases and purchasers get a special badge for buying them. The new series they wrote to me about, is called "Community Classics" and each gold item is a replica of community members' habitats. They are equally as rare as masterpieces, sell for $20 and also grant buyers a badge. To my surprise, they decided to use my Picasso habitat as their first "Community Classic" item! I got a special creator badge, $25 worth of game gold and my own item. It was super exciting getting to see my picture on the Facebook announcement and in the forums. I got to write about the picture (included in the forum post) and it was great exposure for my cause. I've gotten a ton of nice comments and feedback and it's been a good opportunity to promote my website.
Friday, April 23, 2010
iPad Review (with people with disabilities in mind)
I've had my iPad for a week now & have to say, I'm loving it! I haven't gone nuts downloading a ton of apps, but I do have a variety that I think are worth mentioning. There are a few things I'd definitely like to see in the next generation of iPads and a few flaws, that Apple could probably address with software updates.
Overall, the functionality is pretty intuitive and I can do most things that anyone else could. There are a few multi-finger gestures that I can't do, but for the most part, I've been able to navigate quite well, using my stylus. Certain functions can be done in multiple ways, for example, you can enlarge or shrink pages by pinching and pulling at the corners or you can double tap. I have noticed that the iPad is very particular and is programed to sense tiny differences in movement, pressure and the duration of your finger or stylus is on the screen. Because it is so sensitive, it does seem to work more accurately and consistently with fingers, versus the stylus. There have been many times that I've been using it and I have to try to push the same area two or three times, before I get it just right. It can be annoying at times. I think the easiest solution would be, for Apple to design a capacitive stylus with a more precise tip. All of the capacitive styluses that I've come across (including the Pogo that I'm using) have a thick tip, about the circumference of a pencil eraser. If they could somehow narrow the tip to a point, it would make it easier to be accurate.
As far as accessibility to goes, I really think Apple should include some sort of override setting for the stylus. It would solve the problem of not being able to do multi-finger gestures and it would help the iPad to recognize the difference between stylus and fingers. I haven't tried the Voice option yet, but the ability to change font size and adjust the volume and brightness, in the settings menu is helpful. I'm very pleased that there aren't many external buttons. The only other "problem" I've come across in concerns of accessibility is that, some apps rely on movement and/or do not self adjust the orientation. In terms of being accessible, Apple should consider the fact that many people with disabilities cannot pick up, or move the iPadthemselves. I realize that there are only a small amount of iPad users with this unique problem, however, it is a concern to those of us dealing with paralysis and motor skill deficiencies. It's a minor issue that could most likely be easily resolved by giving users the option of shutting of kinetic features and/or individual apps could give users alternative means of controlling the device.
The iPad technically, has no "correct" orientation, and is supposed to adjust itself based on the movement of the iPad itself. You can choose to lock the orientation if you wish, however some apps (mostly games) rely on kinetics, such as Nintendo Wii. In the game Sims3, for example, you need to shake the iPad as part of earning cooking skills. Since I can't shake, or handle my iPad, I'm destined for virtual cooking failure. It would be simple for creators to allow tapping as an alternative; just as lazy people have the choice to play their Wii from the couch. Kinetic gaming features are cool, but I don't see any justification for them being absolutely necessary. Many of the current apps already allow for customization, so I don't see why Apple couldn't make the kinetic features optional.
A lot of the iPad apps are iPhone apps that Apple has tweaked for use with the iPad. The one glitch I've encountered in several apps, is that they are only setup to work in the "portrait" position. This means, you're forced to use the iPad vertically, and depending on how you have to position the iPadin order to use it, vertical might not be the most convenient orientation. I for one, use my iPad in the horizontal orientation, because the height is shorter than the width, thus making it easier for me to reach/touch the entire surface.The current apps that only work vertically, could easily provide updates to rectify the issue. Some of the TV sites like, ABC, TLC and Discovery Channel do not (yet) automatically self adjust, or the home page is vertical, while the videos can be watched in either portrait or landscape. I'm hoping more apps will update the iPad apps to work in both orientations. I find it ironic that there are (at times) unnecessary kinetic features embedded into games and yet, apps that should respond to movement, to auto-correct the orientation of the iPad don't always work.
My only other complaint is the inability to view or use anything to do with Flash. I think this is a big mistake, as tons of very popular websites use Flash and aren't accessible on the iPad. No Flash means only having a limited access to the web; which stinks. I'll be using my iPad primarily from home, so I rely on my existing wireless network for internet access. However, I'd be ticked off if I was one of the thousands of people that are paying extra for 3G (access on the go) service. I can't see paying full price for internet services, if you don't have full access. Some of my favorite sites rely on Flash, like HULU and Facebook games (like Zynga and Slide games). You can also forget about playing huge multi-player games, like World ofWarcraft and Maple Story. I can't even access the social section of my own website, because it uses Flash. If I really want/need to access Flash websites, I can switch off to my laptop. Apple would like you to think that the iPad is a smaller, more convenient version of a laptop PC, but that isn't true. The iPad has the potential to replace traditional laptops in the future, but currently, there are too many missing capabilities to make the switch from a PC to iPad alone. Right now, iPad's capabilities are stuck in between the versatility of a PC and the limitations of specialized mobile gadgets, like e-books. That said, the things the iPad CAN do are pretty sweet!
Two of the best features of the iPad are it's compact size (smaller than the average magazine) and its full touchscreen. The iPad is definitely easier to lug around than a laptop, and easier to read, and operate than smart phones. My dad is always complaining about the ever shrinking size of electronic gadgets; he says, "they're designed for Leprechauns." I know myself, that trying to use my cell phone or other electronic devices are difficult to use, because of my limited mobility. I no longer have the dexterity or fine motor skills required to push buttons that are a quarter inch in size. I'm sure many people with disabilities, and the elderly, find it frustrating, not being able to read or accurately press buttons. The iPad is great, because it allows for customization. You can increase the size and type of font of text and easily zoom the screen in and out, which makes for much easier reading. The lack of buttons is also a plus. The touch screen is far easier to operate than pushing keys or having to scroll and select things with a mouse. If I want to type on a PC, using Microsoft's on-screen keyboard, I have to use mouse to select and press each key. The process is so tedious that it's not worth it for me to use. My iPad's on-screen keyboard is huge and I touch each key directly, as if I were using a traditional keyboard. Being able to type laying down gives me more time in the day to write, answer emails and surf the web. Before I owned the iPad, I was limited to only typing if I was sitting and only being able to use the mouse, if I were laying down. Now, I have more options to how I spend my day, because I have extra time to write.
The other great features of the iPad are: e-reader, social networking, productivity, gaming, music, videos and creativity. Even though there are limitations to surfing the web, it's great to be able to check e-mails and keep up with social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook. The e-reader feature is awesome, and has all the best qualities of the top three competitors. iPad gives users the freedom to download and purchase books from a variety of sources, so you can shop around for deals and freebies. The fact that it has a full color touchscreen, makes it feel more like you're reading an actual book or magazine. The advantage is, you can store thousands of books into it's small size, customize the font and look up words, with it's built in dictionary and search features. Not to mention, for someone like me, that has to turn pages with a stick and has an elaborate set-up (tables and book stands), every time I want to read, the e-books are a godsent. My iPad has taken out all the stress that comes along with reading and made me more motivated to want to read.
If you get tired of reading, there are tons of fun games, which are all operated by touch, similar to the Nintendo DS. You can also save space withiTunes, since you can store tons of your CDs and movies. It's pretty amazing how much stuff you can carry around in such a small device. There's also lots of great productivity apps, that give you the ability to work on the go, manage/organize information and jot down ideas. One of my favorite apps is Sketchbook Pro, which lets me create art. I haven't had the freedom to sketch in a long time. For me, the annoyance of having to ask for help every two seconds, (for an eraser or changing colors) takes away the enjoyment of drawing. The iPad sketch book gives me the freedom to switch colors and textures, as well as to make corrections on my own. It's amazing how well the program simulates different mediums and it gives you the ability to create work in layers. I'd say it's a must have for any artist.
I realize the iPad is a bit pricey, for the average middle class person. The good news is that it does come in several versions; the cheapest runs around $500. If you already own a smart phone, you might want to wait and see what (if any) changes they make to the next generation of iPads. The originaliPad is sure to drop in price as newer versions get released. If you don't own a laptop or a smart phone, you really should take a trip the Apple store and check out the iPad. Also, if you're thinking about investing in an e-reader, it's well worth the extra $100-200, considering everything the iPad can do. I'd highly recommend the iPad for people with disabilities, especially those people that enjoy reading and/or writing. It can take the place of bulkier, assistive devices, that aren't as versatile or easy to use. Plus, the iPad gives the user freedom to switch between tasks independently. I'm always grateful to have anything that gives me back a sense of freedom or independence.
Overall, the functionality is pretty intuitive and I can do most things that anyone else could. There are a few multi-finger gestures that I can't do, but for the most part, I've been able to navigate quite well, using my stylus. Certain functions can be done in multiple ways, for example, you can enlarge or shrink pages by pinching and pulling at the corners or you can double tap. I have noticed that the iPad is very particular and is programed to sense tiny differences in movement, pressure and the duration of your finger or stylus is on the screen. Because it is so sensitive, it does seem to work more accurately and consistently with fingers, versus the stylus. There have been many times that I've been using it and I have to try to push the same area two or three times, before I get it just right. It can be annoying at times. I think the easiest solution would be, for Apple to design a capacitive stylus with a more precise tip. All of the capacitive styluses that I've come across (including the Pogo that I'm using) have a thick tip, about the circumference of a pencil eraser. If they could somehow narrow the tip to a point, it would make it easier to be accurate.
As far as accessibility to goes, I really think Apple should include some sort of override setting for the stylus. It would solve the problem of not being able to do multi-finger gestures and it would help the iPad to recognize the difference between stylus and fingers. I haven't tried the Voice option yet, but the ability to change font size and adjust the volume and brightness, in the settings menu is helpful. I'm very pleased that there aren't many external buttons. The only other "problem" I've come across in concerns of accessibility is that, some apps rely on movement and/or do not self adjust the orientation. In terms of being accessible, Apple should consider the fact that many people with disabilities cannot pick up, or move the iPadthemselves. I realize that there are only a small amount of iPad users with this unique problem, however, it is a concern to those of us dealing with paralysis and motor skill deficiencies. It's a minor issue that could most likely be easily resolved by giving users the option of shutting of kinetic features and/or individual apps could give users alternative means of controlling the device.
The iPad technically, has no "correct" orientation, and is supposed to adjust itself based on the movement of the iPad itself. You can choose to lock the orientation if you wish, however some apps (mostly games) rely on kinetics, such as Nintendo Wii. In the game Sims3, for example, you need to shake the iPad as part of earning cooking skills. Since I can't shake, or handle my iPad, I'm destined for virtual cooking failure. It would be simple for creators to allow tapping as an alternative; just as lazy people have the choice to play their Wii from the couch. Kinetic gaming features are cool, but I don't see any justification for them being absolutely necessary. Many of the current apps already allow for customization, so I don't see why Apple couldn't make the kinetic features optional.
A lot of the iPad apps are iPhone apps that Apple has tweaked for use with the iPad. The one glitch I've encountered in several apps, is that they are only setup to work in the "portrait" position. This means, you're forced to use the iPad vertically, and depending on how you have to position the iPadin order to use it, vertical might not be the most convenient orientation. I for one, use my iPad in the horizontal orientation, because the height is shorter than the width, thus making it easier for me to reach/touch the entire surface.The current apps that only work vertically, could easily provide updates to rectify the issue. Some of the TV sites like, ABC, TLC and Discovery Channel do not (yet) automatically self adjust, or the home page is vertical, while the videos can be watched in either portrait or landscape. I'm hoping more apps will update the iPad apps to work in both orientations. I find it ironic that there are (at times) unnecessary kinetic features embedded into games and yet, apps that should respond to movement, to auto-correct the orientation of the iPad don't always work.
My only other complaint is the inability to view or use anything to do with Flash. I think this is a big mistake, as tons of very popular websites use Flash and aren't accessible on the iPad. No Flash means only having a limited access to the web; which stinks. I'll be using my iPad primarily from home, so I rely on my existing wireless network for internet access. However, I'd be ticked off if I was one of the thousands of people that are paying extra for 3G (access on the go) service. I can't see paying full price for internet services, if you don't have full access. Some of my favorite sites rely on Flash, like HULU and Facebook games (like Zynga and Slide games). You can also forget about playing huge multi-player games, like World ofWarcraft and Maple Story. I can't even access the social section of my own website, because it uses Flash. If I really want/need to access Flash websites, I can switch off to my laptop. Apple would like you to think that the iPad is a smaller, more convenient version of a laptop PC, but that isn't true. The iPad has the potential to replace traditional laptops in the future, but currently, there are too many missing capabilities to make the switch from a PC to iPad alone. Right now, iPad's capabilities are stuck in between the versatility of a PC and the limitations of specialized mobile gadgets, like e-books. That said, the things the iPad CAN do are pretty sweet!
Two of the best features of the iPad are it's compact size (smaller than the average magazine) and its full touchscreen. The iPad is definitely easier to lug around than a laptop, and easier to read, and operate than smart phones. My dad is always complaining about the ever shrinking size of electronic gadgets; he says, "they're designed for Leprechauns." I know myself, that trying to use my cell phone or other electronic devices are difficult to use, because of my limited mobility. I no longer have the dexterity or fine motor skills required to push buttons that are a quarter inch in size. I'm sure many people with disabilities, and the elderly, find it frustrating, not being able to read or accurately press buttons. The iPad is great, because it allows for customization. You can increase the size and type of font of text and easily zoom the screen in and out, which makes for much easier reading. The lack of buttons is also a plus. The touch screen is far easier to operate than pushing keys or having to scroll and select things with a mouse. If I want to type on a PC, using Microsoft's on-screen keyboard, I have to use mouse to select and press each key. The process is so tedious that it's not worth it for me to use. My iPad's on-screen keyboard is huge and I touch each key directly, as if I were using a traditional keyboard. Being able to type laying down gives me more time in the day to write, answer emails and surf the web. Before I owned the iPad, I was limited to only typing if I was sitting and only being able to use the mouse, if I were laying down. Now, I have more options to how I spend my day, because I have extra time to write.
The other great features of the iPad are: e-reader, social networking, productivity, gaming, music, videos and creativity. Even though there are limitations to surfing the web, it's great to be able to check e-mails and keep up with social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook. The e-reader feature is awesome, and has all the best qualities of the top three competitors. iPad gives users the freedom to download and purchase books from a variety of sources, so you can shop around for deals and freebies. The fact that it has a full color touchscreen, makes it feel more like you're reading an actual book or magazine. The advantage is, you can store thousands of books into it's small size, customize the font and look up words, with it's built in dictionary and search features. Not to mention, for someone like me, that has to turn pages with a stick and has an elaborate set-up (tables and book stands), every time I want to read, the e-books are a godsent. My iPad has taken out all the stress that comes along with reading and made me more motivated to want to read.
If you get tired of reading, there are tons of fun games, which are all operated by touch, similar to the Nintendo DS. You can also save space withiTunes, since you can store tons of your CDs and movies. It's pretty amazing how much stuff you can carry around in such a small device. There's also lots of great productivity apps, that give you the ability to work on the go, manage/organize information and jot down ideas. One of my favorite apps is Sketchbook Pro, which lets me create art. I haven't had the freedom to sketch in a long time. For me, the annoyance of having to ask for help every two seconds, (for an eraser or changing colors) takes away the enjoyment of drawing. The iPad sketch book gives me the freedom to switch colors and textures, as well as to make corrections on my own. It's amazing how well the program simulates different mediums and it gives you the ability to create work in layers. I'd say it's a must have for any artist.
I realize the iPad is a bit pricey, for the average middle class person. The good news is that it does come in several versions; the cheapest runs around $500. If you already own a smart phone, you might want to wait and see what (if any) changes they make to the next generation of iPads. The originaliPad is sure to drop in price as newer versions get released. If you don't own a laptop or a smart phone, you really should take a trip the Apple store and check out the iPad. Also, if you're thinking about investing in an e-reader, it's well worth the extra $100-200, considering everything the iPad can do. I'd highly recommend the iPad for people with disabilities, especially those people that enjoy reading and/or writing. It can take the place of bulkier, assistive devices, that aren't as versatile or easy to use. Plus, the iPad gives the user freedom to switch between tasks independently. I'm always grateful to have anything that gives me back a sense of freedom or independence.
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