C&D Fine Art

26/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 6

21st Century - c. 2000 CE - present

The rapid advancement of digital art in the 21st century has been facilitated by the ever increasing accessibility and power of technology, and has shifted not only the way in which artists are able to create work, but also the way in which they can get their art seen and sold.

Whereas early artists were hindered by the scarcity of available materials or the associated costs, the prevalence of digital art generating programs allows many more people access to be able to create and showcase their work. The advent of social media has also facilitated a global platform for anyone wishing to share their work with the world.

Digital art techniques also offer a way to replicate artwork which has been created using traditional methods, so that it can be distributed, and enjoyed by many more people. For example, through the use of digital image capture, processing and printing techniques, an art publishing house can reproduce an original oil painting as a high quality fine art print. Indeed, here at C&D Fine Art we make use of an industrial flat bed scanner, and professional creative software to aid with the production of our Fine Art limited edition prints for the artists which we represent. (Find out more about this in our blog article coming next week.)

Of course, as with previous initially contentious artistic innovations, like photography, and movements, like Pop Art and Dadaism, digital art (and more recently, AI generated art) has not been unanimously embraced, and although it has proved an invaluable tool within the design industry, has come under much scrutiny in terms of its validity as an art form.

In response, advocates for the digital art movement urge critics to view the technology simply as an artistic tool - like a brush or a pen - requiring human guidance, rather than it itself being a creator. It is important, too, to consider that an artist’s own innate creativity and imagination are paramount in the creation of digital art, and expert knowledge about how to use software tools to generate specific effects is required.

Affiliate Professor at University of Washington, Aaron Hertzmann, raised an interesting point in recent years that “When the camera was first invented, it looked like a machine that automated the creation of art […] [Many artists] predicted that it was going to destroy high-quality art and put the best artists out of work”. However, what actually happened was that a new form of art - photography - was created; traditional art techniques were reinvigorated; and new and exciting ways of conveying their message became available to artists.

Alvy Ray Smith, co-founder of Pixar, says that in the early days of computer graphics “Animators were frightened of the computer. They felt that it was going to take their jobs away. We spent a lot of time telling people, ‘No, it’s just a tool — it doesn’t do the creativity!’ That misconception was everywhere.” Reassuringly, Hertzmann goes on to say that the successful art form of computer animation is actually reliant upon the talents and skill of huge numbers of creative professionals, and that these new creative tools cannot replace artists but, instead, empower them.

Because the perception and evaluation of art is subjective, a consensus as to the validity of each individual art form is unlikely to be reached. However, as we have learned through this exploration of the development of art creation thorughout history, the nature of the creative landscape is - and always has been - constantly evolving, human input is always required in the process of artistic creation, and that traditional techniques continue to hold their place alongside their contemporary counterparts.

It is interesting to note that, according to Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, all art is “the realization in external form of a true idea, and is generated out of the natural pleasure humans take in their innate ability to imitate and imagine as well as the pleasure humans feel in recognizing likenesses”. If we consider this, then it could be agreed that there is a legitimacy in all forms of art - however they are created.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

25/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 5

20th Century - c. 1900 - 2000 CE

Because of the increased advancements in technology, and changing socio-political landscapes, during the 20th century, artists found themselves less constrained by traditional systems, and with greater resources at their disposal. More freedom to experiment led to significant innovation and developments in artistic techniques - including what could actually be considered an ‘artistic technique’.

The rejection of traditional creative conventions became known as Modernism - which aimed to reflect the modern world and to challenge boundaries.

Rapid industrialisation led to the development of new materials such as plastics, synthetic paints, spray paints, tubes of paints, and pens - all of which were abundant, affordable, and readily available.

Despite the wealth of purpose-made art materials, world events prompted a period of unprecedented exploration of alternative materials and a reconsideration of what art could be. For example, the 1916-1924 movement, Dada, was founded as a reaction to the senseless atrocities of World War I, and prompted followers to reject logic and reason, embrace anti-art principles and create provocative and satirical new works from found objects - also known as ‘Readymades’. The artistic goal was to challenge societal convention and spur critical thinking (believing that old ways of thinking led to the conflict), to forge new ways of creating. Dada artist Kurt Schwitters is perhaps most well known for his ‘merz’ technique, in which he sourced scrap materials to create collages and 3-dimensional assemblages. Due to the nature of Dada being to reject conventional norms, it was not embraced by the majority at the time. However, its relevance and influence was far reaching and to this day it is considered a prominent and important presence in art history.

It could be said that the abundance of readily available art materials allowed artists to more freely explore their creativity, finding new and exciting ways in which to use what was available to them. The Abstract Expressionistic technique of Drip painting (though first used by European artists like Francis Picabia and Max Ernst) was made famous in the 1940s by New York artist Jackson Po***ck. He created his work by suspending paint cans on ropes and propelling them over a canvas spread on the floor - a technique which he says was inspired by traditional Navajo sand painting. Again, despite Jackson Po***ck’s present day renown and popularity of his work (not to mention the hefty price tag), this new art form was not immediately embraced by the masses, and divided critics: praised for its creative immediacy yet derided by some for its inconsistency.

In the 1950s and 60s Pop Art, as the name suggests, focused on popular culture and made use of mass-produced imagery. Artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and And Warhol combined the use of traditional techniques like screen printing with bold colours, graphic styles, and commercial elements to create eye-catching depictions of everyday life, celebrity and mass culture. This now iconic and highly sought-after style of art was not welcomed by everyone, and many at the time even considered it to be lowbrow, yet it continues to influence contemporary art and fashion to this day.

In the early 1960s, the beginnings of digital art began to emerge, when John Whitney developed the first computer-generated artwork using mathematical operations. This was known as algorithmic art, with Hommage à Paul Klee 13/9/65 Nr.2 (1965) by German artist Frieder Lake being considered a defining work of the time. The screen print was produced from the plotter drawing generated by the algorithm written by Nake. The term ‘Digital Art’ was actually later coined, in the 80s, when British artist Harold Cohen designed a paint program known as AARON: a mechanical plotter, which held a pen linked to a computer which controlled its movements.

At the time, the authenticity of the art was called into question, however, Cohen responded by explaining that “AARON did the task assigned to him by me, which was drawing and colouring and it has no creative abilities”, inferring that the program was simply another tool that was used in artistic creation, guided like a pen or a brush.

Thanks to vast improvements in digital technology, by the 1990s, it had become possible to import images and video onto computers, allowing artists to manipulate photographs and film that they had captured with more creative freedom than ever before - performing effects that were previously only possible through photomontage: whereby photographers would overpaint or overlay developing plates to alter images.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

24/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 4

Baroque - c. 1600 - 1750 CE

In the 1500s a large deposit of solid graphite (the crystalline form of the element carbon) was discovered in Cumbria, England. At the time it was being used by locals for marking sheep. The mark-making properties of graphite were recognised, and writing and drawing tools were soon being created from this graphite, wrapped in sheepskin or twine. Use of graphite mark-making of this time was known as ‘plumbago’. In 1560s Italy the Bernadotte family developed a way of encasing it in wood - using a hollowed-out stick of juniper - so that it could be held for more precise mark-making, effectively creating the first wooden pencil.

Georgian - c. 1714 - 1837

The creation of wooden graphite pencils that we are familiar with today was later prompted by the French Revolutionary Wars and created by Nicholas-Jacques Conté in 1795, after he was charged with reinventing the pencil in response to the burgeoning dominance of British made products and the need for a pencil that did not rely on foreign imports. Conté mixed powdered graphite with clay to make the medium more consistent in quality, with the possibility to vary the hardness, and which was easy to erase (an improvement on the older mark-making tool, the silver stylus)

19th Century - c. 1800 - 1900 CE

In the 19th century artists began to use synthetically produced dyes in their artwork. This was due to the demands of the Industrial Revolution and the growing textile industry’s requirement for dyes that were more readily available and cost-effective than natural sources.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Art Nouveau movement utilised a range of materials to create flowing, organic and beautifully intricate designs. Although the designs of the time were largely popular and are now revered as a prominent design style, some of the materials used were actually met with opposition at the time. Materials like glass, steel and iron were showcased in ways that were considered cutting-edge for the time - which was heavily criticised by The Arts and Crafts who strongly opposed the use of ‘industrial’ materials like iron.

The first photograph was captured and fixed by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826, but the roots of photography date back to Ancient Greece, when Aristotle described the image projection principles of the camera obscura. The second critical discovery was made by Johann Heinrich Schulze in 1727 when he was able to prove that silver salts could be visibly altered by exposure to light. The first commercial process was introduced in 1839 by Louis Daguerre, after which the term ‘photography’ was coined. For decades, it was debated whether or not photography should be considered an art form, and many artists at the time considered it a threat to “real art”. At the time it is said that painter Paul Delaroche declared “from today, painting is dead!”.

Despite being initially eschewed by critics, photography was later used widely as a reference for artists, and even served as one of the catalysts for driving artists away from 'realism' and towards 'abstraction', paving the way for movements like Symbolism, Surrealism, post-Impressionism, and Modern Art.

In 1885, the Pictorialist movement began which saw photographers exercising substantial creative control over the production of their images to convey their ideas, thereby making it an art form.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

23/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 3

Middle Ages - c. 500 CE - 1500

During the Middle Ages, with the advancement in cultural exchange - and some combative encounters due to Silk Road conflicts - the Chinese technique of paper making began to spread from Asia, to Egypt, and then further - to Europe. The first known paper mill was established near Valencia in Spain c. 1151, and significantly impacted the process of art creation, and facilitated the development of new painting techniques for watercolour artists, as well as drawing techniques, and the printing of artwork.

It was during Medieval times when scribes first used a tool known as a silver stylus - usually made of tin, lead, and silver - in a technique known as silverpoint. This pen-shaped tool was used to inscribe fine precise silvery-grey marks onto a surface, and artists soon recognised its ability to generate very detailed work and unique tonal qualities, so adopted its use widely.

Renaissance - c. 1300CE - 1600 CE

Although it is said that the use of gum Arabic as a pigment binder was used as long ago as prehistoric times and in various ancient civilisations, it was during the Renaissance that watercolour paint really became a prominent medium. Advancements in science and exploration meant that the natural world became a focus for scholars, who would commission artists to create botanical, anatomical and wildlife illustrations. Watercolour was an ideal medium to capture natural details due to its transparency and delicate quality, and was flexible enough to create brisk, fluid sketches, as well as precise and detailed studies. The watercolour paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer are perhaps the most renowned of this time.

The Renaissance also saw significant developments in oil painting techniques. The growing interest in naturalism demanded greater detail in art, so artists began to look for ways to create more luminous and realistic effects. Earlier mediums such as tempera (the mixing of pigment with egg yolk) were, therefore, superseded by oil paints, which were typically made by mixing pigments with walnut or linseed oil, and provided greater versatility than the former technique. The use of oil meant that drying times were extended, allowing artists to rework elements, blend colours, and create strong contrast and depth.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

22/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 2

Prehistoric Times - c. 40,000 BCE – 10,000 BCE

In prehistoric times, art techniques were led by what materials were available in close proximity to people’s settlements. Early humans would, therefore, make use of naturally occurring materials such as the rock walls of caves, natural pigments in minerals like chalk and ochre from the ground, and charcoal from the fire. Paintings were created using a combination of rudimentary tools like sticks and flint, as well as hands, fingers, and even spraying pigments from the mouth.

Ancient Times - c. 3000 BCE - 46 CE

Due to its abundance and flexibility, Ancient Egyptians used papyrus widely in construction, boats, rope, and footwear. This sustainable medium - derived from the papyrus plant - also offered a more readily available, lightweight, and cost effective surface on which to write and draw when compared to animal skins or clay tablets. Made by slicing thin strips from the stem of the papyrus plant, laying them side by side and applying pressure, this smooth surfaced medium is one of the earliest forms of paper, and became a popular material for artists to use to create artwork for decorating the walls of tombs.

It is posited that the use of tin and copper-rich rocks in campfires could have led to the accidental creation of bronze. When heated, melted, and mixed together copper and tin create the strong and durable alloy, which then became widely used in the development of a number of new technologies intended to aid tasks during the Bronze Age - most notably, the wheel. This led to the creation of cartwheels, which could more easily transport items, increasing the availability of materials to others, as well as being used for the pottery wheel, and the production of ceramics.

The Ancient Greeks developed encaustic painting in the 4th century BCE, as a way to decorate boats whilst protecting them from the damaging effect of salt water. The process of encaustic painting involved adding coloured pigments to heated wax (usually tree resin or beeswax) then applying it to the desired surface. Artists observed the depth of colour and sheen that the technique offered and began to make use of it to create long-lasting paintings and to preserve sculptures.

During the Han Dynasty, the Emperor of China sought to find a less cumbersome and expensive writing surface than the pricier silk, and bulkier bamboo variants for the dissemination of information. Chinese eu**ch, Chi Lin, responded by developing a process using readily available materials like disused rags, tree bark and h**p to create sheets of paper. This innovation not only served as a material for written communication, but also for use in the creation of ink paintings. This technique is also credited with being the invention of the paper making process as we know it today.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

19/09/2025

The Evolution of the Creation of Art
Part 1

From the primitive techniques of prehistoric cave paintings, through the use of silverpoint in Medieval times, development of synthetic dyes in 19th century, to the digital tools of today, the evolution of artistic techniques and mediums is vast, varied, and endlessly fascinating.

Typically, the choice of creative materials was led by what was available, and exactly what was available, in turn, has been shaped by influences such as geographic and environmental factors, technological advancements, cultural events, and societal influences.

There has also often been contention, throughout art history, regarding the arrival of new creative techniques, along with discussion around their validity. Lets take a closer look...

To read the full article and to find out about the major developments in the way art has been created throughout history and to the present day, head over to our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

18/09/2025

❓Question of the Month❓

Each month we publish the answer to an art related question posed to one of our artists. This month we ask Chris Ross Williamson...

Q. Do you prefer to create in the studio or out-and-about?

A. In the old days I would prefer to sketch when out-and-about, because it forces you to ‘look’ more, I think. now, I prefer working in the studio from photos and sketches. With commercial art, there has to be an element of need to get things done fairly quickly. I do keep sketch books and do a lot of photography. My feeling isthat most of the old masters would have used photography if they could.

Find Chris's current collection of fine art prints on our online gallery: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/chris-ross-williamson

17/09/2025

What a fine selection of new Gary Walton limited edition prints on display here at M P Gallery, Colchester 😍

Head over to their page to find out more.

The window is bursting with the new releases by Gary Walton. Gary describes his work as whimsical, romantic and happy… fantasy combined with a twist of reality, a portrayal we very much agree with. Much of Gary’s work depicts the shoreline of the English south coast, presented with his own unique eye.

More available online via the link below

https://www.mpgallery.co.uk/artist/gary-walton/

17/09/2025

Although it feels like we've only just bid farewell to the sunny days of Summer, its already time to get planning for the upcoming festive period to maximise impact and sales in the run up to Christmas.

Earlier this month we released around 40 new titles from some of our best loved artists including Gary Walton, Nicky Litchfield, and Jo Quigley which are sure to be a big hit. We also welcomed exciting new artist Boid to the C&D Fine Art fold, with his eyecatching and dynamic work.

Head over to our new releases section on the website to find everything that we launched this September...take a look at our full catalogue of limited edition fine art prints too: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/

16/09/2025

Meet the Artist - Rosa Sepple 🎨

Rosa Sepple creates fantastical mixed media compositions which have amassed a great deal of admiration for the accomplished self-taught artist over the course of her career.It wasn’t until 1999, following a health struggle and debilitating depression in adulthood, that Rosa first began to paint. She considers her creativity to have a beneficial impact on her wellbeing: “I find it very therapeutic and lose myself when I am painting. Painting makes me happy, takes me to a carefree world, forgetting any worries I may have”.

Only 5 years after she first embarked on her career as an artist, Rosa was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI). She was subsequently elected a member of the Society of Women Artists (SWA) in 2009 and later, in 2017, became the first woman to be elected to the role of President of the RI since its inception in 1831.

Anthony J. Lester, of the International Association of Art Critics and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) says of Rosa: “ [she] is surely a textbook example of inborn artistic talent”. He is not alone in his appreciation, with fellow RI members citing “Rosa continues to produce highly original works that are vibrant, energetic and magical” - Colin Kent.

Whilst Rosa’s depictions of happy couples, vibrant villages, and bustling boat-filled harbours, can be admired for their joyous overtones and lively naïvety, their captivating narrative bears many more layers – aptly mirroring the mixed media (watercolour and collage) in which they are created. A more in-depth appraisal of her work reveals a sombre, sometimes risqué, subplot within her pieces which echo both experienced and missed events from her own life.

Read the full article on our blog: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/blog

15/09/2025

Customers and fans of popular artist Sam Toft have wonderful things to say about her heartwarming work, and if you head over to our online gallery to browse her collection we're sure you'll agree 🥰
www.cd-fineart.co.uk

12/09/2025

🤩 NEW Limited Editions from Sarah Jackson 🤩

Sarah's new artwork is a captivating piece with a distinctive voice within the contemporary collage landscape. Skilfully crafted from found materials, Sarah’s work is intricate and hypnotic, with rich textural narratives. Particularly engaging is her thoughtful approach to composition, where each layered fragment contributes to a larger story, often exploring themes of memory, wildlife, and the human connection to nature.

Find them on our website: https://www.cd-fineart.co.uk/latest-limited-editions