Today I began some experiments in using old-style media in my research. Ironically, I’m doing this to sketch out ideas for futuristic augmented reality.
In particular, my procedure is to take an image captured from my computer’s camera, print it out on plain white paper, then overlay a fresh sheet of white paper over the printed image.
I then place this sandwich atop an old-fashioned light box. This is quite literally the first time the light box has been used in about ten years — it’s amazing that it still turns on.
Using a #2 pencil, I then sketch lines and figures on the clean top sheet to represent augmented reality concepts. Then I digitize my pencil drawing, and go back to the computer to digitally overlay the drawing onto the captured photo.
I could do all of this in the computer, but it’s just so freeing to be able to use an actual #2 pencil on paper for sketching visual ideas. A pencil is still a far better tool than any digital tablet yet invented.
In any case, when the world for which I’m designing these ideas comes about, digital tablets will all go away anyway. People will be able to go back to sketching with good old paper and pencil like any sane artist would prefer to do — except that the results will be instantly digitized, with all the advantages of computer enhancement but none of the disadvantages.
So you might say that by using tools from the past, I’m getting a jump on the future.