How to Become a Mobile Phone Artist

We recently took a look at the proliferation of mobile phone art that is out there in the world today. There are all different sorts of mediums for tackling the mobile phone as an art subject; from mobile phone sculptures to paintings that send a message about the mobile phone in society. But there is also a subsection of the mobile phone art movement which is specifically focused on actually creating art on the mobile phone. Moreover, there are mobile communities through which you can then share this mobile art.

For people who have previously taken an interest in niche art areas like mail art and altered book art, this is the next creative art movement that society is on the cusp of developing. If you’re interested in being part of the trend (or you just think that the idea of creating and sharing mobile phone art is really cool) the following guide should help you along the path from fledgling cell phone artist to a mobile phone art creator in full bloom.

Starting with Mobile Flash Art

Mobile flash art is a genre of art which is actually created on the mobile phone. Using the phone itself, the artist designs small animations and images which are most often used as screensavers for the phone. This has become widely popular in Japan over the last several years and is increasingly seen around the world. The most common tool that was originally used to do this was the Adobe Flashlite which is Flash technology for the mobile phone hence the name Mobile Flash Art. other Flash technologies for the phone can also be used to create this type of art.

Becoming a Mobile Flash Artist

Those people who think that mobile flash art is the area of mobile phone art which appeals to them will want to get familiar with FlashLite and other similar programs. The best method here is a trial-and-error approach to learning to use the software. However, you can look to the existing mobile flash artists in Japan for assistance and inspiration.

Expanding To Photoblogging and Other Mobile Phone Art

Mobile flash art was the first kind of cell phone art that really gained attention in the media; stories about it were picked up about two years ago and people started playing around with the idea of using the mobile phone as a tool for creativity. This led to other innovations in creating art on the cell phone. The most common of these is to use the phone’s camera to capture pictures which are then shared through photoblogging sites.

Short and Sweet Guide to Photoblogging

In order to get into mobile phone photoblogging, here are the basic steps that you’ll want to take:

1. Learn the basics of taking photos with your cell phone. Like any good photographer, you’ll need to make sure that you understand and can use all of the features of your phone’s camera.
2. Go over some tips for taking better pictures with your mobile phone. Unless you just have a knack for always getting a good shot, you could really benefit from avoiding the mistakes that others have made when taking camera phone pictures.
3. Join and use several online social networking sites that are image-heavy. You can upload photos from your camera to various sites including Facebook, MySpace and Friendstribe. Start using these so you can begin learning how to organizing your mobile phone art and get feedback from others.
4. Join social networking sites that are specifically intended for people who engage in photoblogging. The most popular photoblogging community out there is mobART. Moblog is another one that people like to use. It is through these networks that you’ll meet other mobile phone artists who can guide you in the right direction on this path.
5. Share information, photos and tips on these different sites. The more you interact with your mobile phone community, the better your mobile phone art is going to be.
6. Find mobile phone artists who inspire you. Sites like mobART feature the work of a variety of different mobile phone artists. You should figure out which ones appeal to you most and begin thinking of them as mentors for your art.
7. Hang up the phone. You need to start thinking of your phone as more than just a communication tool; it’s the medium of your art. Try to find some peace with the phone now and then so that you can experience true creativity with it.
8. Start promoting and marketing this art. A blog is probably the best way to do this; of course, you can update the blog with photos straight from your cell phone using mobile blogging platforms.

Other Types of Mobile Phone Art

Mobile flash art and mobile photoblogging are the most popular types of mobile phone art but it’s possible to create other types of art on the mobile phone. For example, people are increasingly creating literary art in the form of poems and short stories that are texted to others in a social network. As mobile video becomes more widespread, we will see more creation and sharing of mobile phone videos which could lead to the development of a mobile film community. It isn’t impossible to imagine user-generated reality television shows filmed and broadcast via mobile phone.

The Future of Mobile Phone Art

Mobile phone art is on the verge of an explosion due to two distinct trends in the wireless industry: the widespread interest in mobile phone social networking and the ever-advanced technological features of the average cell phone. These trends, along with a general interest in mobile phone art as a niche art, are driving more and more people to create and share art on their phones.

Mobile social networking has started to explode and the average person is increasingly likely to be active on at least one mobile social network. Because these networks already incorporate photo galleries on the sites, it is easier than ever before to share mobile phone art with a wide community. This has drawn more mobile phone artists together to create a larger group of people sharing information about this topic.

More importantly, technology for the mobile phone is changing. With the release of the iPhone, the world has started to think of the mobile phone in terms of touchscreen technology. This opens up new arenas for mobile phone art; think of it as modern fingerpainting on the mobile phone. The type of stylus-based art that you can do on a PC can now be effectively done on the mobile phone. This means that sketches can be completed anywhere and the art can immediately be shared with your mobile social network.

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