Ever wanted to be the next Picasso on your iPad? Well, Mr. Harmon has an app for you! Harmon, the Jesuit art teacher, is involved with the Society of Jesus and was born and raised in the Tyler, Texas area. He comes from an artistic family background, considering that his grandfather was a watchmaker and his dad was a goldsmith. He attended Tyler Junior College to study graphic design and philosophy before entering the Society of Jesus. The new faculty member at Jesuit discovered a fairly unknown app called “Procreate” via the app store that has caused a commotion within the art community at Jesuit.
Buzz about the app started when a YouTube video of a student drawing an eye on his iPad surfaced on the internet. What made this video interesting, other than the skillfully drawn eye, was that the student replayed every brushstroke on the iPad. This helps the viewers see the artist’s train of thought in creating the picture. Apparently, the project took the student 10 hours, so that makes it even more intriguing to follow his artistic patterns.
According to Mr. Harmon, “the boys…are taking the idea of drawing [to another level].” He believes that the students are really gravitating towards this idea of recording the drawing process,
generating more interest within the school. He hopes that students “don’t panic” and “just draw,” finding more ways to express themselves. He thinks that the utilization of the app will yield more interest in art, as well as more production in the department. He is working on pieces that will be available in the near future, possibly incorporating his experience with philosophy into his art.
Freshman Spencer Vilicic, the illustrator of the infamous eye, adds his insight on the shift in ideas in the art department that resulted from the introduction of Procreate. He testifies by describing the creation process of his acclaimed drawing: “Mr. Harmon said to find value [as in focusing on the contrast between black and white]…with the app it’s much easier to change the value of the greys that you’re working with…[it’s hard to] control [it] with pencil.” He thinks that the app allows for “more art [production]. There’s lots of different brushes and techniques that you can use on the iPad,” more so than those that are accessible in the art classroom.
In addition to recording brushstrokes, the apps has a variety of brushes, ranging from stencils to pencils to paintbrushes. Be sure to check out the app, “Procreate,” for 5 dollars in the App Store.
