Aren’t we lucky as human beings that we, unlike virtually all other creatures, create art? In this video, legendary artist and former Disney animator Dave Zaboski draws inspiration from art heroes of the past, like Hokusai, Rembrandt, Sargeant, and O’Keefe, to continue his livelong journey to “solve for the light.”
He uses the new Wacom Cintiq 24 Touch to create homages to both the artists themselves and their work, as well as to the next generation utilizing Wacom creative technology to take on this uniquely human endeavor: his daughter Grace, a “second generation digital creator.”
The creation of art seems to be a uniquely human endeavor. It seems to be a biological imperative of our species, this impulse to create. At its core, it is a visceral response to the experience of beauty in the world, a desire to absorb, emulate, and integrate the mystery and magic that moves us. No other creature in the history of this planet uses art to express their joy at the miracle of being.
The birds may sing a dawn chorus, but they will never paint the colors of a sunrise. Only humans use art to reflect the glory of life. Aren't we lucky? We artists are always searching for ways to understand the most elusive and prevalent thing in the universe – light. To solve for the light means to grasp the sublime wonder of the rays bouncing off a soft cheek or ripe peach, or that light of the divine that emanates from within. We artists have been chasing these solutions for centuries. It's what we do.
Each generation of artists stands on the shoulders of those who have come before. Each attempt at grasping the quicksilver of a moment, each heartfelt expression, every exuberant line and bravura brushstroke brings humanity a little closer to the truth of what it is to be alive. I see these truths in artists across the ages, and I listen for the stories they tell me about the light – stories they've left in their works. Rembrandt, Hokusai, Sargent, and so many others have prepped the canvas of my own artistry. As that canvas turns into a screen and the brush becomes a stylus, new generations will continue to solve for the light using actual light, as pictures are now made of pixels.
And now my daughter Grace is a second-generation digital creator, solving for her own light. New tools are emerging daily - tools that, when used from the heart, will bring us ever closer to an honest expression of the majestic beauty of the world.
About the artist
Zaboski is an artist and animator who worked on Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Pocahontas. He’s also the co-founder of Laetro the creative mind behind Creatively Speaking.
Learn more about Dave Zaboski on his Instagram. Also check out Laetro, Creatively Speaking,
