Digitizing Art

Artwork courtsey of Hammling

By Samuel Aardema

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As lines slowly appear on his drawing board he swipes along a black tablet to the side of him. His artwork continues to build upon itself over and over as he uses the different tools available to him, able to slowly but surely finish his artwork that will eventually go online for others to look at and gain inspiration from.

Digital artwork is a subgenre of artwork where instead of using physical materials artists use technology like iPads and Photoshop to make art. The most popular software used to make digital art are Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate which are used with iPads and Macbooks. Many of these services require a subscription to use or a high initial price. In order to be more appealing, many of these software will incorporate new features and designs in order to grab an artist’s attention and make them more willing to pay the initial fee.

“Digital software is always evolving,” said Kloir. “From the very first time I opened microsoft paint to all of the new features of photoshop, digital art will always be changing.”

Digital art has seen massive shifts in the different features and the devices people use to draw it over time. First it started off with a simple program allowing people to draw simple lines with a paintbrush to the now evolving features slowly turning digital art into a less expensive alternative to physical art.

“Nowadays, the line between physical and digital art has become much smaller,” said Hammling.

This difference used to not be a lot, compared to today’s Hammling thinks, where we have the function of touchscreen use. Back then, a lot of newer artists had to rely on the technology of a mouse or tablet to draw.

“I remember it being jarring, learning how to draw, staring at a screen where my lines were popping up and my stylus and tablet off to the side,” said Hammling.

Most artists had to rely on a tablet in order to draw art efficiently and in detail. Nowadays due to the work of companies like Procreate and Apple, it has become easier to draw art digitally by moving the software to touchscreen devices.

“Having an iPad and Procreate can imitate a variety of different materials and tools, all while drawing directly on the screen,” Hammling said.

Procreate and Ipad have allowed digital artists to more closely relate to the more traditional form of art and draw more detailed environments and characters in their pieces. Of course, there are still issues with digital art.

“The one thing you can’t really imitate is understanding how different materials work and feel when you use them together,” Hammling said. “That’s one thing that I think you have to experience and can only learn from physical art.” But there are still major benefits to digital art for a beginner since there are no materials actually needed for newcomers to start doing digital art. The bar for entry is a lot lower compared to physical art which has a very high starting cost. “Traditional mediums are all done physically so it requires tools and materials and are consumed

“Digital software is always accordingly,” Kloir said. “Digital tools evolving. From the very first are more forgiving as you don’t time I opened microsoft paint need to replenish colors, brushes, or to all of the new features of canvases.” photoshop, digital art will always This is the reason why be changing.” some newcomers decide to try to -Digital artist Kloir start with digital art compared to traditional art which allows them to smoothly become more invested in creating art without having to waste the money on things like paint brushes and paint. “As a newcomer to art I found it really daunting to spend some money on something that I wasn’t even certain I would ever use,” DuckBadger said. Duckbadger believes digital art allows people to more easily get into drawing art by not requiring any money to use and start off with, but all of these benefits come with the complications of figuring out how to use them and which ones are best personally for the artist. “For example, a lot of new

digital artists get overwhelmed by what kind of brushes they should use when starting off, ” Kloir said.

This may lead newer artists to feel frustrated from starting with digital art and may lead them to quit but due to the internet it has become easier for people to interact with each other and figure out how to deal with these complications and better understand the intricacies in the programs.

“The internet has been a tremendous resource for artists everywhere.” Kloir said. “ There are so many tutorials, online courses, art communities, and knowledge available for free that it has made art so much more accessible for everyone.”

The internet has allowed newer artists to learn the tools needed to draw art. Every new digital artist has to rely on these tutorials to properly learn and draw. Many of the best digital artists first started learning through tutorials.

“I even learned how to draw from tutorials that other artists created,” Hammling said. “and connected with a lot of other artists and communities over things that we both enjoy.”

The ability to easily share information through the internet has allowed people to not only share tutorials, but also the artwork that they make. The internet also allows others to provide critique and feedback so that you can improve your art later.

“I think the internet now allows a lot of creatives to share their work so easily, and to anyone at all,” Hammling said.

This ability to freely share your artwork is revolutionary, Hammling thinks. It has allowed people to receive all these benefits while getting rid of the con of being forced to go through a middleman.

“I think the internet now allows a lot of creatives to share their work so easily, and to anyone at all; without the necessity of being scouted or promoted through any one middleman,” Hammling said.

The ability to share your work freely has been a big benefit for the art community but this freedom has led to some abuse of the systems which has led some people to be harmed or fear sharing their artwork with the community.

“There are of course negative aspects of the internet which include art theft, bullying, and many more,” Kloir said.

The negative aspects can be terrible for a lot of people but oftentimes the benefits will outweigh the negatives since without the help of these same people it would be impossible for people to understand why an artist’s job is important.

“Learning about proper work conditions as an artist and valuing your worth as an artist; all come from a supportive art community.” Hammling said.

Learning how to value your own worth as an artist is important for them

The artwork is called Going Nowhere, and it depicts a person just chilling. They are walking through town enjoying the sound of rain hitting the sidewalk. Artwork courtesy of Hammling. to understand which jobs they should take that seem reasonable. Without a supportive art community, it would be impossible for people to understand which job offers are bad. “Learning about what job opportunities you have as an artist, how to even start out as a freelancer,” said Hammling. Knowing about these job opportunities is important but freelancers would be unable to live without the help of large social media services. Services such as GoFundMe and Patreon allow artists to receive donations and other types of things from the people that support them. “I try to use as many social media platforms as possible to widen my reach. If you’re trying to make a living off art as a freelancer, social media is a must.” Kloir said. The innovations of technology along with the constant love and support from the art community on social media has allowed artists who were once unrecognizable to become extremely famous as well as get support from the people that like their work. “I try to use as many social media platforms as possible to widen my reach. If you’re trying to make a living off art as a freelancer, social media is a must.” Kloir said.