San Francisco Series by Jorge Colombo: Guess the Medium!

You are never going to believe the medium artist Jorge Colombo used to create these enchanting San Francisco scenes. As an SF native, I'm amazed by how beautifully Colombo captures the city's colors and moods in this series. But I'm equally amazed by the tools he used to do it! Can you guess?

Colombo created these city portraits, as well as a series of New York scenes, using the Brushes app on his iPhone. Incredible. I can barely manage to type a text message accurately! The subtlety of these landscapes makes it hard to believe they were created on a little 2.5"x3.5" screen that fits in the artist's pocket. But obviously part of the beauty of creating art on a portable device is that you can do it anywhere, absorbing the sensory experience of a place even as you attempt to put it on a "canvas."

Jorge Colombo's work has been featured on the cover of The New Yorker, and is currently appearing weekly on the magazine's website. Prints of his work, including the images pictured above along with the New York series, are available on 20x200. And an extensive portfolio is of course available for viewing on the artist's own website.

Want to try out the Brushes app for yourself? Learn more here.

(Images: Jorge Colombo / 20x200)

Comments (11)

Wow. I knew they looked digital, but I wouldn't have guessed you could do that on an iphone - amazing.

posted by Cashew on November 19th 2009 at 11:11pm
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I knew! I think I've read of him before, though. I desperately want one of those prints now.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on November 19th 2009 at 11:59pm
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He's been on the cover of the New Yorker with these like 3 times now. Another interesting iPod artists with less press:
http://www.flipflopflyin.com/muchfuckitsdrawing/index.html

posted by rebu on November 20th 2009 at 12:48am
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I knew it as soon as I saw it! Granted when I saw "guess the medium" it sent me in that direction, and the look and format screen basic paint app and small screen.

posted by kamikazetedibear on November 20th 2009 at 4:12am
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Wow! I'm was an art director and couldn't guess that. Really excellent and creative use of PhotoShop. I've got to start thinking outside the box of touching up photos and play around with making them look artistic. LOVING the first pic.

posted by jeffnyc on November 20th 2009 at 10:18am
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IDK... I just think it looks cheap. But it's one of those, 'hot for a NY minute' things. 'Cause we ALL know, how much every 'artistic movement' lasts. lol

http://www.crazyfads.com/00s.htm

posted by Djluckyonline on November 20th 2009 at 10:27am
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It's no surprise that Colombo uses Photoshop.

But why does he use a small screen? He might control the image more easily on a Wacom tablet.

Here's one that I made:
http://picasaweb.google.com/elliottbanfield/ElliottBanfieldPortfolio#5298685204601728786

posted by ebanfield on November 20th 2009 at 3:05pm
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The more atmospheric ones work better than the others.

posted by jolie143 on November 20th 2009 at 7:55pm
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ebanfield, I like yours A LOT better, it definitely looks like it took some time and skill to make; shame it takes a good-but-normal artist ten times the work to even get even slightly mentioned, compared to someone who does something marginally decent as long as they've some kind of gimmick. I freaking hate "novelty art".

posted by Djluckyonline on November 21st 2009 at 5:25pm
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Wow!

posted by csmoura on November 22nd 2009 at 8:07am
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It's beautiful!

posted by bronislava on November 22nd 2009 at 11:51pm
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