Information isn't just words

Using a computer to paint a picture is an interesting aspect of the new technologies. When word processors first arrived people used to say "But why should they write with a computer - they should be using pencils?" We now know that a word processor is a really invaluable tool for writing and the debate about why has gone away. 'Painting', or graphics programs are still facing the same doubt and criticism but increasingly we can see that they do represent a valid creative medium.

Christmas wrapping paper
Many people don't go beyond 'painting' pictures with a mouse and then printing them out. In fact, it could be argued that this isn't an effective use of ICT. Everyone agrees that the mouse is not a good tool for freehand drawing. It's much better to either use an alternative input device (such as a graphics tablet) or to use other tools contained within the program such as flood fill, symmetry, stamps and tiling. With these, children can create attractive results every time and even produce repeating patterns such as Christmas wrapping paper or wallpaper and mirrors the way these things are done in the real world.

But the best approach is to think of images as information that can be captured, manipulated, changed and reproduced in different forms for different purposes and audiences. Above right you can see calculator created by a Year 4 child and on the left is 'Midnight Mulitlink' by a child in Year 6. Both children attend Ambleside Primary School in the UK.

Children can capture still images using a scanner, or they can copy images from the Internet (but be aware of copyright issues). They can also use a digital camera. Once an image is on screen it can be cropped or colourised, it can be rotated or mirrored, it can even be posterised or solarised. And although you might ask why, if you look around you'll see that this is exactly what artists are doing in galleries, in magazines and on television. You'll certainly find it interesting to keep an eye open for references to graphics work in magazines, on television and in school. Once you've started your children on graphics work you'll have begun for them a journey of discovery, which will probably lead them into multimedia and animation or video before you know it.

Before we finish this look at graphics on computers it might be useful to consider digital cameras.

A camera that can lie
Digital photography is an excellent thing to get into. Prices range from expensive to very expensive but are falling and will continue to do so. There are two things to look for:

• number of pixels (this is a measure of the quality of the photo which is taken.
• how you transfer the pictures to your computer.

The pictures a camera takes are often quoted as "300,000 pixels" or "1.2 megapixels". You simply need the highest you can afford. Having said that, anything is better than nothing so don't put it off if you can only afford a cheap camera.

True photo quality is in the 2 or 3 megapixel range but since a computer screen is far lower resolution than that you don't need it for your multimedia documents and web sites.

Sometimes the advertising quotes a picture size in pixels. If it's 300 x 500 this is quite small and will be a low resolution camera (and cheaper). For reference, computer screens used to be 600x400 and are now 800x600.

From camera to computer
Transferring the pictures to your computer is quite important. Cameras all come with a wire. If it connects to the serial port, transferring is rather a slow process. A USB cable is better - you plug it in and the computer automatically 'sees' the camera as an extra drive in addition to the floppy disc, hard drive and CD-ROM. You just copy the pictures using Windows Explorer or open them using a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro.

You can also use a 'card carrier'. It's a little metal gadget that fits into the PCMCIA sockets that all laptops have. You take the memory card out of the camera, slip it into this carrier and pop it into the laptop. Windows Explorer and your graphics program then see it as an extra drive and you just copy or view the pictures from there.

Best of all for school use, seem to be the Sony cameras. They save their photographs directly onto a floppy disc. Nothing could be easier. I've only seen them at an exhibition but I was amazed at the quality and also at how many photos fitted onto a floppy disc. And of course floppies are really cheap.

Pictures take up space
Cameras usually take photographs onto a memory card. These are expensive but you get one with the camera. It will store a good few pictures, usually varying according to whether you set the camera to its highest resolution or not. Most cameras let you choose. On a cheap camera, the best resolution gives you a reasonable picture and low resolution gives you awful pictures. On better cameras even the lowest resolution is plenty good enough for normal uses. I use a Kodak camera which stores 66 low resolution, dropping to 11 highest resolution photos on a card. I rarely use anything other than the lowest resolution.