Tilt Brush Paint Off is an online competition where artists from around the world paint simultaneously in Tilt Brush for a predetermined amount of time. The viewers are able to follow the live 1 hour process, watching each Artist paint their piece on a topic given to them just as the competition begins. People are able to vote afterwards for their favourite piece.
I came across a video of what I believe was the first season of the competition in 2020. I was instantly intrigued and excited that there is a group of people who are as excited about the Virtual Reality painting program Tilt Brush as I was. A few days ago, I watched the 2021 version live and it. was. awesome.
Painting in Tilt Brush itself is, for the most part, an isolating experience. You are completely immersed in an environment that you have full control over and are really able to interact with your art in ways that seem like they should not be possible at times. Being creative in Tilt Brush is not like any other form of creative expression I have ever experienced. But it is something that is kind of hard to explain to people. It’s one of those things you are not able to fully appreciate until you get a chance to try it/see if for yourself.
This competition takes this incredible experience and makes it an interactive, social, community led affair that takes advantage of what virtual reality allows. People from around the world can join in and for a moment in time, they can collectively participate in this shared experience.
The topic for this year was “Colourful” – use colour to communicate. It was amazing to see what people are able to come up on the spot and under pressure. The commentary by the organizers included people who participated on the development of the actual program. It was so neat to hear the little tidbits and stories behind certain brushes or functions and get a glimpse behind the scenes!
The actual process of watching the artists work was so inspiring and motivating. The creative process is somewhat of a private experience for most people so getting an insight into other people’s way of work or ‘line of thought’ truly felt like a privilege. The one hour of watching other people use the tools you know in various, often unexpected ways was so educational and inspiring…
There is also something to be said about watching something happen live – watching it happen as it unfolds. There is definitely a special feeling of connection and inclusion that goes along with that experience.
I was so inspired by this event that the moment I got home that day, I put on my VR headset and challenged myself to create a piece in Tilt Brush on the given topic under the 1 hour time constrain.
As an avid event planner myself, I can appreciate all the work behind the scenes to make it happen (not to mention the technological and logistical challenges). Hats off to ‘The Sabby Life’ artist organizing this event (and many others) which the VR artists community greatly benefits from!
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