Written byMichael Toillion
Mary Jackson and self-portrait of Anthony Chan.Pixel art of Mary Jackson, alongside its creator, Anthony Chan from the NASA Astrobiology Program.
To honor Mary Jackson, the human computer and mathematician whose calculations helped NASA put humans on the moon, NASA Astrobiology’s Anthony Chan created a pixel art portrait and animation using a vintage Macinstosh SE/30 computer. Anthony has been restoring old computers and using them to create art since 2018. Digital art software and tools have evolved immensely since the late 80s, but he finds there is something special to working with the tools of the past.
“I get into a satisfying flow state working on these old computers. With their limited multitasking capability and Internet connectivity, they provide an undistracted environment for creative work… The low-resolution graphics of these old systems actually loosens me up for creative invention whereas the versatility and precision of modern systems lend to paralysis and perfectionism.”
Anthony’s process begins by drawing a rough sketch in the software platform HyperCard using a WACOM tablet. Those lines are then refined into a pixel-perfect outline, followed by shading various gray-scale patterns with the paint brush and bucket tools. The result is a beautiful time capsule, an image representing the height of digital art of its time, but retro and nostalgic to the modern eye.
"My first computer was a 1987 Macintosh SE my Dad purchased when I was in grade school. I still can’t fathom how he could afford a $2600 computer with his meager wages as a recently immigrated barber, but it turned out to be a good investment as it jump-started my career in computers."
NASA Astrobiology
NASA Astrobiology
The setup: 1989 Macintosh SE/30 with a WACOM tablet. Image credit: Anthony Chan.
After completing the piece, Anthony set out to animate the artwork using HyperCard’s built in graphics scripting capabilities. By combining images from different points in the drawing process and adding some classic transition animations, the image was brought to life in an animated GIF celebrating Mary Jackson on her birthday.
Today, Anthony Chan spends his days as the webmaster for the NASA Astrobiology Program, but since 2018, he decided to revisit his old hobby, rebuilding these relics from the past and using them to create art.
“I got a hankering to relive those carefree days building and immersing myself in digital worlds; I bought a soldering iron, restored some vintage Macs I found in classifieds ads, and started drawing for hours a day.”
Astronaut. Image credit: Anthony Chan.
"I bought a soldering iron, restored some vintage Macs I found in classifieds ads, and started drawing for hours a day."
NASA Astrobiology
NASA Astrobiology
Bodhisattva. Image credit: Anthony Chan.
Happy Birthday to Mary Jackson, and stay tuned for more digital art from Anthony Chan, webmaster, tinkerer, and artist.