When technology meets ART

Southampton artist Andrew Tubbs uses an iPad to create his stunning paintings inspired by local landscapes

- Sandra Smith

As a mobile operating device the iPad is useful and convenient. But such is its breadth of capability, this popular tablet is also a vehicle that allows Andrew Tubbs, by exploring boundaries and creating techniques, to produce digital paintings whose colours and compositions are breathtakingly striking.

“I’ve always been interested in technology and when I saw David Hockney’s iPad paintings at the Guggenheim Museum, I thought that could be really handy.”

Speaking from his Liss Forest home, the 68-year-old is the embodiment of easy-going affability. “A room upstairs which I call my studio but others would say is the box room bedroom,” he laughs in response to my question about a dedicated creative space. I’m lured by his momentary flippancy. Yet a sense of humour doesn’t detract from a talent Southampton-born Andrew has developed over the past six years. He explains the process. “The first thing I do is arrange my palette of colours, mixing the ones I want to use as a starting point. Then I draw the subject before painting for real, refining the colours as I go along, mirroring what you do normally.”