Technical Details

This disc is formatted to run in single density Acorn DFS mode. Press SHIFT and BREAK to run the disk. Chain 'Runner' to display all the screens in a continuous display.

NOTE: This disk is unprotected. Copies may only be made for the purchaser's own use. The contents of the disk are copyright of the artist, they may not be reproduced either in part or whole, without prior permission.

Background Information

My background is in the visual arts rather than computing. I studied Fine Art at the University of Reading and later at the University of London Institute of Education. It was whilst teaching art that I became interested in computers. I was determined to show that an artist could understand computing. Having been asked to take the responsibility for promoting computing through the school I began to write and illustrate a simple guide to programming. In 1982 I was commissioned by BBC Publications to write The Friendly Computer Book and following this a series of books for Granada publishing.

By 1985 I had aquired a fair amount of hardware, software and experience. I decided to see if I could interest anyone by using my pictures as illustrations. I assembled a portfolio of my work and wrote round to various magazines. Fortunately for me both The Sunday Times and Time Out (the London listings magazine) decided to feature my work. Since then I have worked for a number of magazines, organisations and advertising agencies. I was Acorn's artist in residence for the launch of the Master computers.

At present I use a standard unexpanded Model B fitted with an ATPL ROM board. Much of my work starts with a simple basic program, to draw outlines and regular shapes. Throughout a pictures production I use various Graphic extension ROMs and utilities to help compose and organise the final image.

I have recently upgraded my system to include a Tandon PC-AT with hard disk and EGA and am currently producing pictures with this for a variety of clients.

About The Pictures

TIME OUT (August 1985)
This was used as a cover for Time Out. The image is taken from the painting The Bathers by Seurat. This picture was almost entirely done using Rob Fenton's Paintbox program as featured in Acorn User. For this picture I turned the monitor on its side. This is not to be recommended! It also makes the cursor keys very confusing.

SUNDAY TIMES (June 1985)
The Sunday Times commissioned me to do this to accompany an article on my work in their colour supplement. The main shapes were drawn from Basic using Basic and the Computer Concepts Graphics ROM. The shades came from the routines in Acorn User by MacGregor and Watt (September 1983). The lettering was defined using Printmaster. The main drawing was done using a Grafpad and the Paintbox program.

DESK TOP (July 1986)
This was commissioned by Designer magazine. for their September 1986 cover. The theme was 'The Top Ten Design Studios'. I'm particularly pleased with the calculator. This was drawn 'flat’ at first from Basic. I then tilted it first to the right and then downwards. I used my own version of a copy routine which reads an area of the screen and redraws it on a slant. Note also the Filofax!

RIVERSIDE (June 1980)
This is another copy of Seudat. It's almost entirely done with the spray options on AMX Super Art using spray patterns of my own design. The details were then added pixel by pixel using the magnify option. A picture like this can be built up surprisingly quickly.

GUARDS (September 1986)
This was commissioned to illustrate a booklet on Computer Security. The Roman soldier was their idea. The shield was mine.

MAGICIAN (November 1985)
This was the January 1986 cover for Acorn User and was drawn using Jonathan Baldwin's Super Painter program (featured in the same issue). The size and shape of covers poses a problem. It is not easy working on a picture on its side. To overcome this I have written a (very slow) routine which rotates a 1024 pixel square through 90 degrees. This picture was drawn in two sections and joined using this routine.

TAPESTRY (August 1985)
This was featured in the September 1985 issue of Acorn User to illustrate Martin Phillips' Easyplot program. The picture was created using the program. The idea came from looking at some Indian miniatures. When translated into Mode 5 they end up more looking like a mediaeval tapestry! There are a great many similarities between computer graphics and weaving. Anyone looking for ideas for sprites could do a lot worse than looking at a few oriental carpets!

ONLINE (April 1986)
This picture features a number of elements that were used to illustrate a brochure for MAID, an online marketing information service. The stopwatch was drawn mainly fom Basic. It took ages to get the positioning of the circles to look right. The maps of the world were much easier.

WILLOW (September 1986)
This picture was commissioned by Acorn User for their November 1986 cover. It was drawn using Jonathan Baldwin's Super Plot program, acut down, wire-frame drawing package. However, I wanted to avoid the usual 'Space Shuttle' imagery. I decided to use an image taken from Eastern art since this (like the program) is very linear. I chose the willow pattern because it is rather subtle in colouring. I could not, however, resist the temptation to use a little red on the computer monitor!

MONEY (August 1985)
This was commissioned by the advertising agency Wright Collins Rutherford Scott for use in trade newspapers to announce the launch of Today. The pile was drawn in Basic and the details were added using the AMX Utilities package.

SADE (January 1987)
Although it looks like a digitised picture of Sade, this was actually drawn by hand. To find out how, see the June 1987 issue of Acorn User. The digitised effect is heightened when the image is compacted. For this I use a special routine of my own.

SADE2 (Junuary 1987)
This is the original version on which SADE is based. The same screen was used as a starting point for both pictures. The tones and detail on this version were added using Super Art. This picture appeared in the July issue of the magazine Creative Review which carried a feature on my work.

HAYWARD (April 1987)
This picture of the Hayward Gallery was commissioned by The Observer colour magazine. I don't like using photographs unless I have to and prefer, as I did with this picture, to make direct sketches ofmy own. The outline drawing was done with the Graphpad 2 Plus package. The details were added using Super Art.

RADIO (October 1986)
This was commissioned, but never used, by a major supermarket chain. I've since done a great deal of work for Boots the Chemist along similar lines which you should be able to see soon in some of their stores. The original drawing was in Basic with details added using Super Art.

MATISSE (March 1985)
This is a copy of a lithograph by Matisse. It shows that computer graphics doesn't always mean hard edged technical imagery. This was done almost entirely with the 'spray' options on the original AMX Art package.

VERMEER (February 1985)
This is based on the Vermeer painting, Lady At The Keyboard. I always like to find paintings featuring desks or keyboards and imagine how they would look with a computer instead. The main drawing was done with the Graphpad. The shade routines were added later. About a year later I tidied up this picture using a pixel editor of my own.

Game Credits

(c) Jonathan Inglis 1985-90. Published by Redwood Publishing, 20-26 Brunswick Place, London N1 6DJ.