Fine art on a tablet

An artist who not too long ago called himself a technophobe is creating fine art on his iPad2. Inspired by the idea of a unique artist's book, Ryan Arenson is making an e-book of images, called The Story of Baby Yellow, which will be published online with music videos.

Arenson, who usually creates detailed and labour-intensive drawings, prints and paintings, bought an iPad2 for e-mailing, browsing and other practical purposes. At the time, he was looking for a new way of drawing.

He is recognised for his commitment to making his mark, whether it is by pencil, etch or linocut. He creates detailed and carefully executed works of art .

So it's hard to believe when he says: "I am the kind of artist who struggles to draw. My own mark, like my own word, I find cringeworthy and embarrassing."

He says this explains why he was looking for a new way to draw.

"I wanted to work more spontaneously, but keep the detail in my work. I wanted to be able to draw without judgment, like a child. I wanted it to be very free flowing."

On his iPad2, Arenson, while doing his administration, started experimenting with the app Brushes. Drawing on the tablet felt "like fingerpainting". He has found a medium that allows him to work not only without water, paints, and mess, but with a freedom and spontaneity he didn't have before.

Arenson's sketching and experimenting digitally led to the birth of Baby Yellow, the character of his e-book.

Baby Yellow is an expression of the absurd, the expressive and the emotional, says the artist . Baby Yellow's development into a story led to an interest in the e-book.

"I want to create an expressive process for the reader. There are not many people doing e-book making. I want to bring into consideration page turning, the quality of the page, and the future of the book. I want to work with the experience of layout and typography."

When complete, in six months' time, Arenson's book will consist of about 150 pages. Some pages will have music - Baby Yellow has a band called the Poof Poof Brow (his nod to pop culture) - and there will be video too.

The music, created by Arenson on the iPad2 app Garageband, is grunge, a bit of pop and punk.

Arenson says he couldn't have created Baby Yellow on anything but the iPad2.

• 'The Story of Baby Yellow' will be launched in six months' time. Follow @babyyellowand on twitter

DAVID HOCKNEY'S DIGITAL ART

English artist David Hockney exhibited a series of iPad drawings on tablets in Paris last year.

According to the BBC, the exhibition had its origins in smaller drawings the artist made on his iPhone and e-mailed to friends.

He loves the immediacy and speed of producing the work digitally.

Hockney is quoted on the Daily Telegraph website: "I draw flowers every day on my iPhone and send them to my friends, so they get fresh flowers every morning.

"And my flowers last. Not only can I draw them as if in a little sketchbook, I can send them to 15 or 20 people."