A New Age. (Not just 39.)

Matt’s the name, art’s the game, and this is my first post on the DWC blog.

I’m turning 39 this year and though my life has seen many changes that I can reflect upon, nothing quite boggles my mind as much as the changes in technology that I’ve seen.  I mean, I remember as a kid hating anyone that had a 0 in their phone number, because that meant you had to wait for the rotary dialer to spin all the way back after dialing it.

And of course, we’ve seen huge leaps with the PC, the Internet, smart phones, and now, here we are with the iPad.  Already a fan of this product, Apple CEO Steve Jobs really struck a chord with me when he unveiled the iPad2, proclaiming that the iPad has launched us into the next chapter of technology: Post-PC Devices.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this is a dream come true, literally.  When I was in 3rd grade, I used to make my own imaginary handheld computer devices out of cardboard.  They looked like remote controls, but with a screen, and they could do anything, not just watch videos, or play games.  I had buttons for instant weather, news, lasers, you name it.  Keep in mind, this was in 1982, well before PCs were commonplace.  And now, that and more is at our fingertips in a way we never could have imagined.

What am I getting at?  Pushing my gushing fascination aside, I guess I’m just waxing ecstatic about where we are now and where this is going.  For some, the iPad seems like a novelty.  But it’s growing faster than anything else has before it and it’s here to stay.

I’m a firm believer that there will be a day where no one carries actual textbooks to class, but instead reads and studies them off a Post-PC device, most likely an iPad.

I will have art students in college that have never even touched a pencil, but have already created countless masterpieces digitally.

How crazy would this be?  Imagine a student wants to show me a history of their art, sketches and ideas, and they can literally start from the beginning- from finger-painting as a toddler to video game concept design as a teen.  And what if when they pull out their iPad to show me, the App they launch is Interactive Sketchbook?

Believe me, if I could simply open up an App just to show you the handheld cardboard device I designed in 3rd grade, I would.

-Matt

 

Posted by Matt Busch

Matt is an entertainment illustrator who works on cool Hollywood properties like Star Wars. He is also a professor of Creative Imaging and Illustration.

You can learn more about Matt at: mattbusch.com & hollywood-is-dead.com
Follow Matt on twitter: @Matt_Busch