‘Buying’ into The Digital Image

If design is functional is there an emotional connection with the viewer?

Talking to a colleague and experience costume maker of over 20 years, I found a sense of negativity towards digital images. On asking why this was, he replied the ‘artist had not sweated enough for the image’. This discussion has opened a range of questions which has enhanced my sense of curiosity. A costume design is a functional tool for a maker to realise the image and use it as a map to re-create the design. However, if the illustration is more suggestive and expressive can the maker ‘buy into’ the emotion the artist went through and understand the feeling that the designer is trying to convey. My colleague’s personal experience of computer rendered images was that they were unemotional and bland. He expressed dislike for the mechanisation of the computer image. If an artistic decision could be made at the touch of a button then is was not a creative decision but a technical application.

Is the computer artist an artist or a technical applicator? I beg to differ on this opinion as I have spent many an hour slaving over an illustration on the computer and not felt that I was only applying technical skills but an artistic application of techniques as any artist or designer would when applying watercolours, gouache or inks. However, is has made me further consider digital ‘art’ for the costume designer.

Firstly what is the role of a costume design, should a design be functional or artistic? or both? does an emotional connection with the illustration aid the costume interpreter? Does the computer image take away the flare and expression of hand rendered images? Does the age, experience and training of the audience (makers, directors and actors) determine there attitude.

What can the computer do that hand rendering can’t?? I need to investigate further.