Monday, September 13, 2010

The Zefrank Scribbler


 
What A Tangled Web We Weave

This morning while checking out the latest contributions to Julia Kay's Portrait Party on Flickr, i came across the wonderful work of Maureen Nathan. Among her drawings was a one entitled self from memory.

At first i thought it had started life as a doodle but closer inspection revealed it was done with a computer program called The Scribbler by zefrank.com. You probably already know it but it was the first i had ever heard of it.

It is a web-based drawing program where you do some free drawing with your mouse cursor and then, when you are ready, the program re-draws what you have done with those evocative web-like structures.

Needless to say i then also tried a self-portrait from memory, the results of which you see above.

You can have a go on Scribbler for yourself here. Have fun.

And by way of appreciation, i used Scribbler to draw a portrait of Maureen for JKPP from this photo.

This was the result.


13 comments:

  1. I see a resemblance in your own self portrait. I can't imagine drawing with a mouse. It sounds like fun.

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  2. Harry that is a fun website even though my attempt came out quite awful, thank you for telling us bloggers about it... now we will play with that instead of painting:)

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  3. oh what a nice link you give to us :-) well I think I can't drawing with a mause, but I will try :-) it is stimulant.
    your work is finally good also here, my congratulation

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  4. Gracias Harry, ha sido divertido dibujar con el ratòn.Lo experimentarè mejor, mi resultado no ha sido tan bueno como el tuyo...te felicito, eres un buen dibujante.Saludos.

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  5. This looks like great fun--I'll be checking it out in a couple of weeks. Two interesting portraits!

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  6. Harry,

    A very nice program, indeed! It never hurts to jar the creative brain space from a different angel...or with a different process.

    Enjoy the week,
    Brian

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  7. Hi Harry , as U , I didn't know about the scribble . It could be fun , thank you x the idea .
    I love your last painting "father".
    ciaooo
    a big hug

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  8. Dear Mr. Kent,

    You Svengali, you! You've already influenced my work! I'm painting a new self-portrait and after seeing and reading about your "Blue Rain", I was compelled to attempt to be a thousand times more expressive.
    Your boldness and creativity, and sharing your gifts, opened my eyes to endless new possibilities. I hope my courage holds out long enough for me to post an image soon.
    Thanks Forever,
    Gary.

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  9. Hi everyone. Hope your interest in my post here has rewarded you with some fun with Scribbler. I haven't been able to play much more with it, being bogged down with a 90x120cm landscape and about to go to Sydney for the week. All of which has meant i have had no new portraits to show. Pressure, pressure.

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  10. Gary, I'm rather tickled to be thought a Svengali but a bit worried about corrupting the young (well, young at heart - I hate hemlock). Your own portrait work is so splendid and immaculate at a skill level to which i will never attain that i would hate to be a harmful influence.

    But even more, i am excited about the possibilities and can't wait to see what emerges on your canvas. You absolutely must post some images on your blog, however experimental the work.

    For me, that is where the adrenaline rush comes from, being on the knife edge of control/lost control as the paint does things i never knew it could or would. It's like getting to know a precocious and volatile friend.

    The agency of paint itself gives us so many gifts and reveals things to us about ourselves as we puddle about in it. But yes, it does take courage to plunge into unknown territory, consuming time and expensive materials, and risk producing big ugly whacky mistakes.

    But you know, they seldom ever are. Come back the following day and be surprised by your own work. And if they aren't up to what you had hoped, let them dry and just whack another work over the top! Roll on, Gary!

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  11. Hello Harry!, I delighted to reconnect with your beautiful art ... a pleasure to walk again for your space.
    Thanks from me to the dear penguins!.

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  12. I didn't know the program, so tnx for the link. I'll try it.
    The drawings look great!

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  13. Great scribblers, fun to read of your adventures here - please consider writing a post for the JKPP blog... http://juliakaysportraitparty.blogspot.com/

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