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fnook — Technology gone by..
Published: 2012-11-13 03:37:06 +0000 UTC; Views: 1739; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 1
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I've been thinking lately about not only the computers I used to use, but also the software I started my career using, and how much things have changed over the last 20 years. I started my animation career using Commodore AMIGA computers. Yep.. I had an Amiga 500, an Amiga 2000, and even had an Amiga 4000/040 with a $300 German graphics card in it.I decided go old-school, and install an Amiga emulator on my Asus EEE Slate PC. And I produced this drawing using Deluxe PaintV, Personal Paint, and Photogenics.. All OLDSCHOOL AMIGA software! This was all greatly helped by the fact that the emulator allowed me to use my wacom stylus though. (Something that the USB-less Amiga could never dream of using at the time).
I had a lot of fun drawing this.. And I hope it inspires others to try and use the OLD software or computers they fondly remember.
Drawn using AMIGA emulation, through Cloanto's Amiga Forever 2012, and Amiga installed versions of Deluxe Paint5, Photogenics, and Personal Paint -- on a ultra modern ASUS EEE EP121 slate PC. ^_^
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Comments: 24
You may not believe me but in old times Electronic Arts actually was doing great stuff for computer users, just like Deluxe Paint.
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Was this a reply to me, or another user? Yeah I'm well aware that EA used to be a well respected software company. DPaint used to be the go-to paint tool long before there was ever anything like Photoshop. Heck, it was STILL the go-to tool even AFTER the first couple versions of Photoshop were out. They managed to make it to their 5th version before finally calling it quits. The other tool (Photogenics) that I used for this piece was the Amiga's first Photoshop-like tool. Which was the first to be more of an image manipulation tool than an art tool. Personal Paint was another great package too. It had a few different tools than DPaint. That's the interesting thing about Amiga artists back in the day. With the dwindling software support we had to use multiple packages on a single project to maximize the results. I personally believe this is why the digital artists that really cut their teeth using the Amiga were really the ones breaking new ground as far as software technique goes.
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Just my toughs about tools You mentioned. I used to be DeluxePaint IV user 
DPaint was easy to use and have most important tools to create graphic, as far as I remember there was ms-dos version, after 94 and end of Amiga that tool was still used to make games for other computers
Amiga was piece of great hardware and software, when on others computers You have to wait for them, Amiga was nearly always ready and waiting for input.
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i wasnt even alive when this came out!
i kinda want to try it, but this comp doesnt have enough power for emulators... ((cant even play a Game Boy Color emulator...))
i really should look more into older art technologies, though i did find my first tablet when when i was little... I was cussing at how low quality it was. been spoiled by Wacom Intous and Paint Tool SAI....
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Yeah, this stuff I started my career using so even though roughly 18 years old, the software is somewhat still familiar to me. Going at the same software from a completely NEW point of view, you'd be in for quite a retro shock. Pro-grade tools we used back in 1994 are still pretty weaksauce compared to even the FREE art packages of today. Even so, I still think I've got the ol'girl doing what I need her to do. ^_^
If you still want to see what it was keen using Amiga art packages from back in the day, search "Amiga deluxe paint 5" on you tube. I'm certain you'll find it fascinating. And get a good idea of what I had to use to make this image.
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Hahah wow, that is really cool. I never used any of that old software, but it has such an old school effect! Love the pixelated look.
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Yeah I really do enjoy that retro up-rezzed (without smoothing) look.. So you get a clear look at the dithered pixels. I originally started this drawing in high modern PC resolutions, but then figured; "This is NOT a screen mode the Amiga could do back then." So started over, doing things in 320x200 and worked from there. ^_~
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Brilliant! It cleans up pretty fast when you have a wacom behind it, eh? My first design job was using DPaintV. I remember it well. Doing the work on pink then batch converting out in photoshop to drop a bg in behind. Ah, those were the days
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Yeah... Man, I don't know how much longer I would've stuck with using the Amiga if I had a for-reals Wacom tablet to draw with. Sadly this is all before the days of USB. And If I recall, the serial tablet devices that were available back in the day were nightmares to set up, and actually get working with your chosen software. So naturally, I skipped them. Using an Amiga (through emulation)and a modern Wacom feels like a natural fit together when you try it. Makes me miss the system even more.
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Yeah I remember the serial tablets as well as being nightmarish to set up also cost something around the lines of what the space shuttle used to cost to send into orbit.
I never had an amiga, my friends did, I couldn't afford one. I didn't actually have a computer around the house until I was in my 20's. And I didn't own my own until I was 26. So I was a late starter in the computer world. I only used photoshop for the first time when I was 22. And didn't use it for drawing or whatever until I was 29. DP I used for 5 years for work, with simple PS batch work. Other than that I knew very little about the prog. It feels very odd when you break the history down like that
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It sure does.. It feels equally odd to put yourself BACK into that environment after being away from it for so long. Makes you start to wonder "How the hell did I manage to do all of this back then?" Aaaahh.. memories..
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Helps one appreciate just how good most modern drawing apps are today over what was available back in amiga days
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Earlier this year in class we were talking about computers used in the 60's there was this one computer called a super computer or something that could possibly store up to a load stuff.
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This is what the AMIGA was. Everyone who considers themselves a digital artist should be familiar with the impact that computer series has made on digital art.
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Holy poo, this looks awesome! And it looks like fun, too! I still say I'd like to use my old Mac Plus and roller ball mouse to draw again, which I'd probably fail at using now heheh. But would be so cool since that paint program was all in greyscale and all I had to work with were different halftone patterns.
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Ahhhh.. The good ol' days when digital drawing was fraught with limitations, and doing ANYTHING good also took a massive helping of cleverness to make happen at all. Errrmm... I challenge you to actually FIND a functioning trackball controller for a PC.. LOL.. Nah.. If you want to try your hand at that stuff again, I would highly suggest just sticking with your wacom, and using an emulator.. Much less pulling your hair out that way. ^_^
(And I for one certainly don't want that happening to you..)
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this just makes me want to kill myself knowing you can create such beauty with old shit and i can't with new materials. i hate myself. lol
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BTW, I recently went old school and made an Atari 2600 game called "Princess Rescue". Basically a SMB game. It'll be for sale at AtariAge really soon. I've made all the packaging art as well, and you can see what the label looks like here:
[link]
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OMG, I remember those. I had one for a while as well. At one time I had a 500, 1000, 2000, and 1200. The 1200 was my favorite because it could take PCMCIA cards, a 2.5" IDE HD, had the better Amiga Graphics chip, and was very compact.
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Yeah.. My last Amiga system was an A4000/040 where I REALLY got my animation career going.. It's funny how you miss something like that... Right up until you make the effort to try it again, and realize how limited and archaic they are.. LOL.
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i had the Amiga 500+ model......i LOVED Deluxe paint! how i miss it so....
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Hehehhe.. Yeah! It was CRAZY going back to the old tools and WORKBENCH! OMG! I originally started this piece in crazy PC high resolutions then changed my mind because that wasn't a screen mode an Amiga could do back then. So I opted to draw this in 320x240, and scaled it up WITHOUT smoothing, to preserve that lovely pixelly colour dithering. ^_^
Also, it wasn't until I put this together that I realized; "Man, the colour on the Amiga was RICH.. Even back then"
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i loved the colours on Amiga <3
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