Friday 7 October 2022

Rebelle 5 Initial Review, and Cosmos in a Field...


Hello there and I hope you're  doing well, wherever and however you find yourself today.

Update on Oct 14th: This post originally referred to a Rebelle 5 sale, through which I bought Rebelle 5, but which  has now closed.

The review, the resulting picture, and that which the picture became, still hold good, though. :-)



Digital pen and wash painting of cosmo flowers wafting happily in a summer field.
Cosmo Flowers in a Field, by Clare Walker, BoundingSquirrel.Com.
Digital Watercolour in Rebelle 5.



This is in no way a full review,  (just an initial one) as this is my first outing with Rebelle 5. But the painting above took only about two-and-a-half-hours (and that's including watching an introduction video or two and getting re-acquainted with the user interface). My first thoughts from all that are:

-It is incredibly intuitive and easy to use.

-Unlike other apps and software, it seems to focus primarily on bringing the feeling of using "traditional supplies," to the digital user.

-I loved the mixing possibilities, and the huuuuuge sizes and resolutions at which it seems Rebelle 5 can now export files (all whilst keeping a painterly look and not having to vectorise them-that's a big plus).

-The real paint granulation, textures, splatters and paper textures are incredibly authentic. (I admit it, I squealed with joy when I saw some of them in action...). You don't even need to take my word for this, as the effects are right there in the painting above.

 
On the other hand...

Should probably also add that I'm probably now ready for Rebelle in a way that I wasn't when testing it for the first time. I'm using a faster computer, and a small Wacom tablet, for one thing. 

But more importantly, I now have a lot more experience and practice in traditional watercolour than I did then. And I think that that experience really helped me to "hit the ground running," this time.


There's more...

Rebelle 5 also includes lots and lots of brushes and tools that aren't watercolour, such as digital acrylics, which do look great fun to try (and would probably put me off with their messiness in a traditional art context...I may be the only art person anyone knows who *hates* the feeling of extreme gunk on their hands...:-) ).

It looks like it's going to be a fun winter of digital painting ahead around these parts. :-) :-) :-).


And...


One person who has already visited the shop for these is the wonderful Marion Kimberly-Scott, whose lovely pic of the cards she made as a result are is featured below, with her permission, and my grateful thanks.

Photo o a hand nade card featuring pink cosmo flowers in several  layers.
Card made by Marion Kimberly Scott
from a design by Clare Walker.
 (Photo used by kind permission of Marion also)




Take care, and more soon.