Digital painting is an emerging art form in which traditional painting techniques (such as watercolor, oils, impasto, etc.) are applied by means of a computer, a digitizing tablet and stylus, and software. I work with a Wacom tablet, Corel Painter, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
Digital painting is a type of digital art but it is not computer-generated art, in that it does not involve the computer automatically generating an image from mathematical models created by the artist. In digital painting, the artist uses painting techniques to create the image directly on the computer.
Digital painting is also distinct from digital manipulation of photographs, in that it is an original construction from scratch. While photographic elements may be incorporated into digital paintings, they are not the primary basis or source for them. In some of my images, I use no photographic elements at all.
My images are the result of conceptualizing an idea and then implementing that concept as a digital file from one or more original elements that I acquire or create, primarily with a pen tablet, a digital camera or scanner and software tools.
The original artwork is a digital file and is not normallly seen or sold. Limited edition prints are made from the digital file for exhibition and sale.
In today’s society, everything is digital and computerized. We check our email, read the newspaper online, and talk and/or text each other on our cell phones. We can even take pictures or make videos with our phones in this day and age. Now art has gone digital.
So what is digital art?
Digital art can be defined as anything of a visual nature that artists created with the aid of a computer. It is intimately linked to science and technology, which are fundamental to its creation and physical substance. Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. It is subjective and stimulating and seeks to enlighten and entertain.
Digital art is like any other art. It is created using a computer rather than more traditional art tools.
Websites may showcase forms of digital art such as animations and drawings or paintings posted to the site. Synthesized music is also considered a digital art form because technically it is only possible through digital technology. Drawings, interactive installations, screenshots, digital prints on canvas, and installation views of photographs are all considered forms of digital art.
The Main Concerns of Digital Art
It has been argued that digital art is not real art since it is computer generated and there are infinite copies and no original. When a traditional artist creates a work of art it is one of a kind, it exists physically. Since a digital file is stored electronically and can be reproduced with all of its elements intact, how does it relate to the concept of the original? Some digital artists make a single print from their file and thus have a single original. Some digital artists make limited editions of their work, while others create open editions
Another major concern for digital artists is losing their work due to the computer contracting a virus, the hard drive getting damaged, or a power failure occurring during the creative process (that’s why it’s important to back up your work). However, bugs could also eat canvas paintings, or damage them somehow. Museums have been slow to collect digital art partly because of the impermanence of the media. The links that artists use to create prints simply were not of archival quality. The need to establish permanence for these artworks is fueling the technological advancements required to solve these issues.
Fortunately, researchers came up with new inks that will last for decades if not centuries. The development of the giclee print (a high-quality method of reproducing digital art featuring brilliant, permanent colors) got rid of many of the objections to digital art. Public awareness and interest in digital art are growing—museums, galleries, and contemporary art centers are now showing new media artworks.
Another major concern for digital artists is losing their work due to the computer contracting a virus, the hard drive getting damaged, or a power failure occurring during the creative process (that’s why it’s important to back up your work). However, bugs could also eat canvas paintings, or damage them somehow. Museums have been slow to collect digital art partly because of the impermanence of the media. The links that artists use to create prints simply were not of archival quality. The need to establish permanence for these artworks is fueling the technological advancements required to solve these issues.
Fortunately, researchers came up with new inks that will last for decades if not centuries. The development of the giclee print (a high-quality method of reproducing digital art featuring brilliant, permanent colors) got rid of many of the objections to digital art. Public awareness and interest in digital art are growing—museums, galleries, and contemporary art centers are now showing new media artworks.