Benjamin Pratt: AutoCAD Artist

For Benjamin, art provides a medium for self-expression. He chooses his subjects based on his life, whether it’s something that is happening currently or when he was a child. Even though all of his paintings have straight edges or consist of geometric shapes, he takes pride in painting everything by hand. As he puts it, “I don't want it to be that easy for myself.”

So how does AutoCAD get involved in the process? Every painting he creates begins in AutoCAD LT. He sketches different designs on the computer first before transferring them by hand onto the canvas. This allows him to take the guesswork out of everything, much like an architect would be designing a building. “I'm doing that in AutoCAD for my paintings, so I know exactly what needs to be on there, what color needs to be before even thinking about doing a physical form of the painting”, he says. AutoCAD functions like centerline gives him precision that he would not get elsewhere.

As he puts it: “Anything that comes into your life that makes it easier or helps you streamline the process or whatever it is you are making, grab a hold of that and embrace it.”