Artificial Intelligence (Pencil Vs Camera)

Should we be careful with artificial intelligence? Here are 2 Pencil Vs Camera artworks by Ben Heine expressing that smartphones are a big part of the world's current artificial intelligence. Although they are amazingly useful in our lives, they should be kept under control... Note: The smartphone depicted is an old one (Blackberry), because Ben started the sketch years ago and completed it only recently.

Ben Heine Interview in Colored Pencil Magazine (USA)

Colored Pencil Magazine: Ben Heine’s style is so unique and innovative, it has garnered worldwide attention and fame. He has found a creative way to merge his photography and art, opening a window into a surreal world filled with exciting visual creations.

I was born in 1983 in Ivory Coast and currently live and work in Belgium. I have a degree in journalism but consider myself a multidisciplinary visual artist. I am self-taught in both drawing and photography. My creations have been exhibited in Europe and Asia. My favorite art movements are Surrealism, Pop Art, Geometric Abstraction, Expressionism, and Social Realism. When I’m not creating artwork, I am making electronic music and spending time with my two children.

In 2010 I launched the series Pencil Vs. Camera. After drawing and taking photos for many years, this series seemed like the natural evolution of my work, merging the two to create this project. Pencil Vs. Camera is about illusion, dream, poetry, magic, and simplicity.

The challenge was to create the illusion of 3D on a 2D surface – a simple piece of paper. The sketch needed to connect with the photographic background while telling a story on its own. It is important to me to try to give symbolic meaning to all of my drawings, something more profound than what the photo could portray alone.

This combination of drawing and photograph has been a powerful way for me to express my ideas. There are no limits, and everything is possible in a photograph with a drawing that represents a door to a parallel creative world – straight from my imagination. Producing this concept seemed simple and easy to understand. Sketch a picture, hold it in your hand, and take a photo of it in a place of your choice.

Not all images start the same way. Sometimes an idea is born first. It can take me a long time to find just the right location. Other times, I am inspired by an environment first.

I usually start with a rough drawing, spending hours to days on it, depending on the complexity of the subject. I then go to the location I intend to take the photo. I hold the paper in my hand, carefully making adjustments to line up the subject with the main lines of the scene, and take the picture. Corrections and changes can be made with post-production software to make sure everything works together perfectly.

In 2012 and 2013 I brought some innovations to the concept by adding colors and black paper instead of white. I also tried increasing the size of the drawing. I plan to continue to grow this series, creating images for specific projects I have in mind. In the meantime, you can get my newly published book featuring most images from the series: http://bit.ly/heinebook

Since 2014, many smartphone applications emulate the concept, but of course, it’s less creative. Several other artists have also borrowed the idea to create some variations. At first, I’ll admit, it was a bit irritating to see my original idea done by others, but now I find it cool. I’ve learned what a privilege it is to be able to influence and inspire other artists. I especially enjoy working on collaborations and teaching workshops in schools in which my images have become very popular with the students over the years.

Pencil Vs Camera - McCann Erickson - Bite Lithuania

Between 2012 and 2013, Ben Heine collaborated with McCann Erickson advertising company in Bucharest (Romania) to create the above TV commercials using his Pencil Vs Camera concept. These ads were broadcasted in Lithuania for Bite telecommunication company. Heine travelled to Romania several times to work on these commercials and to guide other illustrators to imitate his style. McCann Erickson and Bite have used Heine's concept in several campaigns. More info.

New Ballpoint Pen Sketches in Progress

Originals for sale on demand (info@benheine.com)

Originals for sale on demand (info@benheine.com)

Originals for sale on demand (info@benheine.com)

Originals for sale on demand (info@benheine.com)

Ghost

Marker pens on paper, quick study, recent project. 

View some other illustrations at this link.

© 2013 Ben Heine

If You Didn't Exist

If you didn't exist, I'd have to invent you. 

Quick sketch on paper, unfinished. 

Dedicated to Marta.
More here.

© 2013 Ben Heine

Chess Art - 3
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Another quick ink sketch on paper I made last week.
I just scanned it today. Very similar to "number 2" but not
exactly the same. I won't post any new "chess art" image.

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Chess Art - 2

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An ink painting I made last week. I just scanned it today!

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Slideshow of the week

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This is a selection of my older traditional drawings made with ballpoint pens (not pencils) on large paper. I just scanned the final drawings and colored them digitally... I used this simple cross hatching technique several years back, it gives some interesting effects, the only thing is that it's harder to make corrections when you make mistakes... I have now switched to 100% digital. I still make full drawings and paintings on paper/canvas from time to time but I rather prefer to work with real brushes then. :)

Some Recent Cartoons

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The Future of Capitalism
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The Key to Your Soul
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The Lion in Me
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Unity is Strength
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Find a Way Out
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Half Bird - Half Human
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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Broken Heart
(Unfinished)
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

New Gallery with my
Cartoons on Kiks/Zikison

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Layout by Kiks/Zikison
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Check it out

Many thanks to Zoran Mazos,
founder of Kiks/Zikison
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World Cartoon Poll

5 Questions - 5 Answers
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(Source: Don Quichotte Cartoon Association)

Dear Cartoonists,

We think that "World Cartoon" is not developing well. Considering the cartoon contests ''with themes'', it is possible to come across a lot of images with similar ideas. Beside the fact that several cartoon contests have launched awards for similar works, we are also frequently facing criticisms on the very fundamentals of political cartoonism. We have prepared some questions focussing on these concerns and aiming to discuss on some important issues for cartoonists. Would you be so kind to write down some short answers to these questions so that we may do something to solve some problems we encounter today, and go ahead in our political views and artistic discipline.


5 questions:

1) How do you think we can solve the problem of "similar cartoons"? What can be done?

2) According to us, the biggest responsibles of ''similar cartoons" are jurors of the contests. We have an idea to avoid similarities in cartoons: exhibit all the entries for a contest in online galleries. This should maintain healthy results and a better variety in final cartoons. ''Don Quichotte'' has already launched this method since a long time. Do you have any different suggestions about that?

3) What is your opinion on ''Censorship"?' Should it be applied to cartoons? If yes, then what are the borders?

4) We find more and more images reaching the perfection technically speaking, we think they are almost close to the ''illustration'' process and it seems they are more dealing with plastic arts rather than with the traditional cartoon discipline which is based on very simple lines with a powerful message. What's your opinion about that?

5) What kind of structures do the cartoonists need to act in solidarity, organized as a whole against lawsuits for instance? We need your alternative suggestions in order to create a much stronger and international cartoon unity, shoulder to shoulder. Do you have any bright ideas about that?

Dear Cartoonists, as we have mentioned, your responses to these questions can greatly contribute to solve future problems among the "World Cartoon Community". We appreciate your efforts and thank you for sharing your thoughts and time for this poll.

Please send your answers at
donquichotte@donquichotte.at

Read all the answers already
sent by worldwide cartoonists

Here below are my own answers/suggestions:

1) There are often similar sources of inspiration for artists in a globalized world, but the graphic carrying out and stylized personal interpretations will always be different. I think originality and intelligence must be crucial points when it comes to judge/rate/assess a cartoon or a cartoonist.

2) Good idea to show publicly all the received submissions, so that the participating artists are aware of what has already be done for a specific contest. I think that's the best solution indeed.

3) Untill recently, I had the illusion that the web was a democratic area where people could share their ideas and exchange their views. This was an ideal of total and healthy freedom of expression's spirit. But I was quite wrong. There is a strong global "code of conduct" on the web like in the reality. It's a difficult question, because norms and dogmas are linked to culture in general. And there are as many cultures as there are coutries, languages, religions, etc... In other words, we're all shocked by different things. Before the revolution of the information and communication technologies, it wasn't a big deal, but now that everyone can access anything in just a few clicks, it makes everything more complicated.

4) I think there is a huge confusion between cartoons and illustrations even among the artists themselves. Yes, a cartoon should be simple, just a few lines with a powerful semantics/meaning. An illustration should also deliver an important message but the realization process is different, more texture, more details, more shades... close to traditional painting. May be we should make a distinction at DonQuichotte between cartoons and illustrations...?

5) I think our "DonQuichotte Cartoon Association" already represents a sort of solidarity community, but there should be a judicial branch/body to it. There should be one big international structure. There is already the FECO (at national and international levels) but in my view, it lacks of unity and popularity.

Peter S Quinn's Poetry
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This Is My Heart
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This is my heart to the world I carry
And bring every knot to its unleash
To break through the barriers of a worry
And making the peace to mankind with ease
Love song that blows here through the dimly breeze
With every hope that's hard to define
In future's new morning of green leafed trees
That through to the road shall once again shine

The reasons are captiv'd in breaking blow
If love is without its brethren passion
All of its hope shall only be like glow
That proves to be weak and out of fashion
So make harmonious peace that is dearly
And it shall show how big your heart's clearly
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Swing Swing
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Swing swing on my fortune index finger
Let me be your desiring destiny
Gadgets and opportunities swinger
Every past memories daydreams a b c
Times of wind blowing gathering clouds
And the colorful rainbows from the beyond
Gathering happiness together crowds
Afar oceans and every millpond

Each finger to build on to more treasures
That the air of point might someday fill
To give amount time to mankind's pleasure
When youth and its dreams climb the older hill
Everything from early life floating rays
Those were colors, but now have turned to grays
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Do Not Pull the Trigger
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Do not pull the trigger
‘Cause I might be much bigger
Than the creation of your thought
That from this gun is brought

My life may be in vain
Because of its struggles and pain
But give me another opportunity
Of what you thought of me

My heart is pulling up hill
In finding the colors to fill
To bring breath its death
And I again down to earth
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Changing Masks
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Changing masks of myriad subtleties today
In the colorful worlds we all live in
Spiral bounds to its many turning way
Head to head in tomorrow's coming spin
Waves from the sky through emotions of song
To follow your spirits from cloud to cloud
Dreams of your golden thrust spinning headlong
From concrete forests and to the street crowd

Opportunities of living color turn
Jesters of every man's inside juggling
Desiring shades that come to mind and burn
From their work about distances and struggling
Masks like transparent ornamentation
Theater of smiles and sadness sensation
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All the above poems are by Peter S Quinn
and the illustrations by Ben Heine
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Carrying Your Heart With Me

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© 2008 - Ben Heine

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I Carry Your Heart With Me
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By e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

(poem's source : judithpordon.tripod.com)

The Dictator
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© 2008 - Ben Heine

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Dictatorship

By Franz L Kessler

Laws are made by the boss
To cater for the needs of a palace’s day
Cemented and fully enforced by those
With hands to carry a gun

Lead drapes the future
And even the past
Bleak yesterday precedes
An even bleaker today

Where joy has dried up
Like sprinkles in hot desert sand
Unknown to the lucky few it’s called:
Planet Earth’s most common reality

When hope is lost – no choice
It’s bitterness that abounds
Breeding aggression
Despair and Suicide

The destitute follow those
Who promise a drink of relief
Even so its source stems
From a poisoned heart

My wish is that one day
All egoism will die
Like a rotting tree is struck
By a blazing lightning

(Poem's source : authorsden.com)

More than Flesh

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© 2008 - Ben Heine
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Alone With
Everybody
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By Charles Bukowski
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the flesh covers the bone
and they put a mind
in there and
sometimes a soul,
and the women break
vases against the walls
and the men drink too
much
and nobody finds the
one
but keep
looking
crawling in and out
of beds.
flesh covers
the bone and the
flesh searches
for more than
flesh.

there's no chance
at all:
we are all trapped
by a singular
fate.

nobody ever finds
the one.

the city dumps fill
the junkyards fill
the madhouses fill
the hospitals fill
the graveyards fill

nothing else
fills.

(Poem's source : Bukowski.org)