Nomad Asks: "What Does Siri Look Like?" And Artists Respond
February 2, 2012
Nomad, the maker of the Nomad Brush Stylus, has launched a contest called the Compose Portrait Siri-ies Challenge. Digital artists working on iDevices are tasked with creating a portrait of what Siri (the feminine personal assistant on the iPhone 4S) looks like. The contest, which ends on Feb. 3, is open to anyone and the entries have been flooding in.
As with all art, the vision of each artist is unique. Viewing the entries shows just how diversely each sees the helpful iPhone voice. Some are more outside-the-box and show a disjointed, asexual being while others express Siri as a chain-smoking, multitasking troll.
Then there are others, like professional artist Corliss Blakely, who see Siri as more of a switchboard-connected female command center, complete with a cloud throne.
Artist Julia Kay took a unique approach. She painted what she would look like if she had to do Siri's Job.
"I think I would be very discombobulated if I had Siri’s job answering so many similtaneous questions from so many people, some friendly, some abusive, some not speaking up so I can hear them, some wanting to be my friend..." Julia KayNomad is offering prizes to the contributors who garner the most votes, including a custom Nomad Compose Brush Stylus and a print of the winning entry on canvas. There is no entry fee to submit and you can enter as many as five digital paintings. Hurry though, the contest is over soon! For those who might be curious about the company behind this creative explosion, as first reported on AppAdvice, Nomad has been creating unique, award winning brush styluses for almost a year. The idea began when artist/architect Don Lee was given a first generation iPad for Christmas. He soon realized the artistic potential the iPad held. Using apps like ArtRage and Auryn Ink, sketching and creating was fun and mess-free. The only downside was the unnatural feel of using a finger to paint. So Lee set to work designing a brush stylus that would handle and feel like a traditional artist's paintbrush. Using both natural and synthetic fibers, the Nomads look like regular paint brushes and have received rave reviews by many professional artists such as portrait artist David Kassan and realism painter Corliss Blakely. Encouraged by artist suggestions, Nomad now offers four versions of their brush stylus. The original design is the walnut handled MIL brush which is offered with a long or short bristle and sells for $24.
The more advanced Compose stylus has a dual tip; one end is a traditional brush and the other has a glide bevel tip which provides a marker-like feel. The Compose handle is made of aluminum and sells for $39.
For those who prefer to work on the iPhone, Nomad offers the Mini, a compact handled brush stylus with a stiffer brush head. The Mini handle is made of walnut and carbon, and retails at $19.
The Play features a large, colorful wood handle with a thicker brush head designed for easy gripping and maneuvering by a child. The Nomad Play retails for $18 each or two for $30.
