Digital vs Traditional art

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

I think I already know the answer to this; just looking for a little reassurance @w@

Lately I have found myself increasingly annoyed by the process of making digital art, and have fallen more and more in love with traditional media. Now, we all know that digital is the hot thing right now. When it comes to the fandom, I believe it overshadows traditional work quite a bit (I often see people who are looking specifically for DIGITAL commissions... heathens)

One way I have done to make digital art more bearable is to raise my prices on digital work. But every time I get commissioned for something much more complicated than a flat color digital piece.... I get anxious. I know that I still haven't quite gotten the hang of digital shading, and the part of me that loves traditional art says "to hell with it".

I would really, really like to only offer traditional work from now on. It will keep my gallery less inconsistent (like it is right now) and I can focus wholly on what I love, money be damned. But I also really sort of count on commission money to keep me alive while I'm at college. My income is pretty meagre but I have food and shelter. But its nice to be able to afford luxuries every once in a while, and commissions really help with that. But on the other, OTHER hand, I believe that if I do what I love, other people will appreciate that, too.

 

[Zaraphayx]

I'm not doing artwork professionally or trying to sell commissions so I draw purely for personal fulfillment.

I picked up drawing when I was still in high school by doodling in class to curb the boredom and it continues to be something I do to stimulate myself and get ideas out of my head.

For that reason it's always been pencil and paper for me, but I suppose if I ever wanted to take it a little more seriously I'd practice digital.

If you're trying to get commissions in the furry fandom though you're gonna have a hard time going traditional unless your artwork is top tier.

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

Well I also want to be an illustrator, so I'm thinking beyond the furry fandom. My artwork is not "top tier" but its not bad, either. If I plan to keep doing this I figure I can only improve.

I know I should keep some digital commissions. Reference sheets in particular are what helps me bring in most of my $$ so I'd keep those. Digital flats couldn't hurt for since they are pretty basic.
 

Edit: mehhh... fuck it. I'll keep digital around for a while.

Edit edit: idk why this picture fucking posted but just ignore it. I can't get rid of it.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Monochromatic-Dragon

[pheonixbat]

People are probably more attracted to digital work because the colors seem more vibrant, also scanners and cameras never catch the colors right it seems. And artists seem to do digital more because of it being way cheaper than traditional. 

But it is really nice to see some good traditional work in the sea of digital.

[Vae]

Digital art is simply more convenient, for artists and commissioners.

There is a paying price for the computer, the tablet, and the programs involved. But (as someone who's worked in both mediums) traditional art gets fucking expensive.
I can pay $100+ for a set of copics, or I can use the marker brush in Sai. I can pay for masking fluid, or I can selectively erase whatever I want in digital.
I can pay for spray paints, or I can use a brush of the same effect in digital.
I can pay for ink, and brushes, and paper, or I can do the same thing with a brush in Sai.
Etc.

Most, if not all, of these brushes are also free. There's a wealth of instantly-accessible possibilities if you decide to look these things up on Tumblr or DA.

On the commissioner's end of things, they also get instant access to a high-resolution version of their commissioned work. If the artist gives them permission, they can also have it printed out for their own personal use. Instantly. No waiting for mail. No worrying about damage in transport.
Hell, there are even services to get digital work printed on canvas, now.
Or shirts, or bags.
You can get digital images printed as bedspreads and shower curtains, if you want.


Don't get me wrong. I don't think this means traditional mediums should be dropped entirely. They're good practice, and there are some things you cannot replicate digitally (like large murals, and physical statues, and such).
But there are a lot of good reasons why it's so prevalent in the online art community.


Also, on the matter of "not getting the hang of digital shading," that's where you need to practice more.
Those skills don't develop overnight.

[Hewge]

Like Vae said; digital is far, far more convenient for everyone.

Both mediums are able to replicate each other quite well in terms of style and look. So what matters here is costs, convenience, and what you enjoy the most.

It's also good to remember that we live in a progressively more 'digitized' world. We rely heavily on computers and connections, sending and sharing files or content is easier than it ever was, and it's only going to be heading even more in that direction in the future.

As such, this compliments digital art quite well, and the chances of making $$ with digital artwork has a lot more potential already. Demand for digital artwork will only continue to grow. Lucky that art and creativity is an unlimited resource :v

 

Personally, I love digital. I spent some time with traditional before I got into digital, but I never enjoyed the feel of traditional very much. Digital on the other hand, feels awesome and natural to me - so that's neato.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Hewge

[Sidhenearlahi]

I used to have stacks of sketchbooks once upon a time, Traditional being all I knew for years, and I was... Okay at it. I mean, I was 16 when I started on digital art, and I had only really been heavily focused on drawing for four years before that. I learned how to do things fairly decently with nothing but 2B pencils, at least, as well as you'd expect from a 16 year old who drew mostly Pokémon and anime girls, and sometimes anime girls dressed as Pokémon, y'know?

I got my first teeny little Wacom tablet when I was 15, but I rarely really used it for the first few months. Learning curve was steep compared to what I was already used to. Eventually, though, I figured I should try and get some use out of it, so I started scanning drawings, and colouring them up in Photoshop. They looked pretty awful, lines were choppy, colours were flat, and I had no idea about resolutions or DPI or which formats were best for saving my work in. And it took me a little while to realise that layers were a thing.

Sometime after I turned 16 though, I had to get surgery on my spine. Which was pretty hard-hitting on my life for many reasons.
For the first few weeks of my near half-year long recovery, I was bedridden. It became harder to do things traditionally, especially considering most of my art stuff was back home, and my recovery took place at my grandparents place on a property in the middle of nowhere.
I did, however, have my laptop, and my dinky little Wacom tablet.

So the push to learn how to properly use my tablet, and digital art software, sort of became necessary if I wanted to continue my hobby and stave off boredom induced insanity. Thankfully, however, this was also around the time My Little Pony: FIM was starting up. Which gave my something to focus on, artistically. I became part of that community, I learned how to digital art through MLP fanart, which is a pretty good place to start considering the simplistic style of the show. It was easy to learn when I was building my own style upon one so easy to get a grasp on, and when I had this, initially, really cool and friendly community to help me along.

Digital art is entirely its own skillset, that's what I learned pretty quickly over all of this. You have to learn to use new tools, new techniques, new methods. How you perceive and work with the spaces you do is entirely different when you make use of the many tools available that allow you to zoom, rotate, select, shrink, expand, and so on. And working with layers affords you so much more freedom with the order in which you approach things.

But in the end, the theory is still very much the same. If you can do things traditionally, you can do them digitally. Your just switching from a BMX to a mountain bike, y'know? All these gears that can make the ride much easier, or a lot harder, depending on whether or not you know how to use them. And it's so much simpler to figure it out then it seems at first.

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

I've had my tablet for about a year. At first I was really excited about digital painting, but I haven't been able to get a hang of it. To be honest though, I don't think I've learned and tried enough of things in both medias. I definitely get more personal satisfaction from creating something tangible. While the demand for digital media art will increase inevitably, I don't believe that the demand for tangible art will diminish. There are still certain items that people in the fandom would rather have as tangible art such as convention badges. 

[Taralack]

I swing wildly between the two mediums, especially now that I have a full time job and not as much time to dedicate to digital art. If anything I've found practicing in one medium only helps the other. However as someone who lives in Australia, selling traditional art as commissions is simply unfeasible as I find people are unwilling to pay the slightly higher cost for international shipping. On the other hand, when it comes to selling at cons, traditional art is definitely the go to item if you have an artist table. 

With regards to digital painting, it's really just a matter of continuous practice. Personally, I didn't quite "get" it until several months after I started attempting it. Even now I'm probably still not that good at it :V But do it enough times and something in your head with click.

[Vae]

I've had my tablet for about a year. At first I was really excited about digital painting, but I haven't been able to get a hang of it.

A year is nothing.
It takes several to truly develop skills and an understanding of how to apply them properly.

Art is not an impatient person's practice.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Vae

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

A year is nothing.It takes several to truly develop skills and an understanding of how to apply them properly.

Art is not an impatient person's practice.

Holy shit, man. Read the very next sentence :U I blatantly acknowledged that I have more to learn! 

[Gnarl]

Now here is a field where i have some experience, after 30 + years of doing traditional arts (mostly because the digital had not been invented back then) in March of 2015 i bought my first digital tablet. Boy what a difference. the fandom seems to have taken to my digital works more than they did with my traditional works. 

The digital is FAR_LESS expensive and a lot less messy and rather than filling a lot of space with tablets of paper, i have yet to fill one 16 gig flash stick, or whatever it is called. 

But here is the issue, if i did not have a strong base in the traditional i would have found it ackward or even near impossible to just pick up a tablet and start doing art.  In traditional art there is the tangible drawing, the finished product that you hold in your hand and say "I did this" but in the virtual world no such thing, oh you could print it out but then all you can say is "I printed this" its just not the same. 

[Aresh]

depends whats best for the thing

 

also

why not traditionally shade a digital piece?

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

depends whats best for the thing

 

also

why not traditionally shade a digital piece?

I'm not really sure I understand how one would do that.

I am thinking of simply switching back to "colorizing" traditional sketches. I really liked the end results and it allowed the work to still "feel" traditional despite being 75% digital.
 

[Monochromatic-Dragon]

Print out the digital outline and fill in manually from there.

Uhhhh

Ewwwwwwwwww

[Pignog]

I've got a tablet and like it well enough but I really love the feel of pencilling and inking with a fountain pen. India ink is dirt cheap and last a while anyway, and bristol isn't too pricey either. I guess that would change if I started using copics or something, but if I was going to colour traditionally I'd probably start with watercolour. I don't think either medium is "better" but I love having a tangible piece of art in front of me when I'm done. It's very rewarding.

[Saxon]

Digital has an undo function.

Unlike other users, I dislike the idea of 'tangibility', for most of those painting which I have produced in traditional media simply sit in the corner of a room in my parents' house, where they shall never be seen again. They may as well have no physical presence. My avatar painting is one of the few paintings I've actually ever taken to exhibition, and which actually hangs on a wall. When I last took it to exhibition, some dozy cow dropped it and damaged it. 

I think that it is much easier to tell that someone is hopelessly naff at art, and that there is no realistic chance of them ever developing even rudimentary illustrative skill, when they draw digitally, though. 

[Zeke]

I like both but digital has more functions and is an inexpensive way to do artwork without the hassle of purchasing materials. That and if you mess up on a traditional piece, you have to either try and salvage it, or start over anew. 

Digital work intimidates me for some reason and I can never get a good piece out of doing something digital when I can do the same in traditional.

However, I think people interested in art should at least try both. 

[Zydala]

In the past couple years I have been waaay more into traditional art (markers, watercolors etc) than digital art. I think I just get too muddled with how many colors are available in digital art, I'm much more comfortable with a semi-limited palette.

I think the best thing to take away from something like this is "you do you!" and just do what's comfortable without feeling pressured, because honestly, if forcing a medium on yourself that you're not comfortable with stops you from creating art, then what's the point, you know?

[Saxon]

16 hours ago, Zydala said:

In the past couple years I have been waaay more into traditional art (markers, watercolors etc) than digital art. I think I just get too muddled with how many colors are available in digital art, I'm much more comfortable with a semi-limited palette.

I think the best thing to take away from something like this is "you do you!" and just do what's comfortable without feeling pressured, because honestly, if forcing a medium on yourself that you're not comfortable with stops you from creating art, then what's the point, you know?

Learning and developing your skills isn't always easy? 

[Zydala]

16 minutes ago, Saxon said:

Learning and developing your skills isn't always easy? 

Sure but if it burns you so much that you don't want to create then what good is it? Better to challenge your skills in a way that engages you than one that discourages. I guess I meant more like "what's the point using digital/traditional if it makes you not want to pursue and create?" Just start with where you're comfortable and challenge yourself from there. Because after all, actually drawing a lot and creating tons of work is just as important as the learning process; they go hand in hand.

[Bakari]

I used to keep stacks and stacks of drawing pads and sketchbooks, boxes upon boxes of pens, pencils, markers, and paint....until I had to move. Now where I am I can't afford to replace my traditional media, though sometimes I'll drag out my old supplies to make a mostly-dried marker full color shaded piece or shiny pen sketch. I've kept my skills up over the years, but not my supplies.

I work in digital because I can afford it, it takes up less space in my small house than a bookshelf of supplies and sketchpads, and I've been doing it since 2003. I kept my old books and loose papers, but I don't plan on adding a ton to that stack until I can get a room to spread out in.

[Endless/Nameless]

Digital. 

Why? Two words:

Layers, and Undo. 

[Jerry]

In terms of strictly personal preference, nothing will ever replace the feel of creating artwork on a physical medium. It just feels more real to me.

My ideal combination is sketch+line art on paper and digital colour.

[Bakari]

18 minutes ago, Endless/Nameless said:

Digital. 

Why? Two words:

Layers, and Undo. 

Mmm Ctrl + Z. My oldest friend!

[Sparkyopteryx]

As a freelance artist that works exclusively in traditional, as well as having a few artists friends that are much the same, I can attest that there is still very much a market for traditional media. Being able to mail out the original for the client to have is a big draw (har), for one. Traditional (like digital) has its own feel and quality to it that keeps it in demand.  I'm not here to argue that one is better over the other though, as that is counter-productive thinking (since are we not all creators and artists, no matter the media?).

The one thing I have to say though, if one intends to do a lot of traditional commissions over the internet is the absolute necessity of acquiring a good scanner. Not all of my clients want the physical copy so giving them a quality hi-res image is important, because when they're paying you for it you want the product to hold up to your standards.

For me, I haven't actively pursued getting deeper into digital outside of dabbling here and there simply because it just doesn't click for me personally, and that's fine. I have so much fun tinkering and experimenting with all of my traditional media I don't have enough hours in the day to fit it in anyway. Perhaps one of these days I might get serious with digital, but it hasn't happened yet and if it never does I'll still be happy. My path as an artist is how I lay it out myself after all.

[Catilda Lily]

I have a lot of digital art in my gallery, but I am currently working on a traditional piece. It's going to be a two part painting. And, after not having really picked up a paint brush since high school I don't think it looks to bad. http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18953550/ Here is a link to the current WIP. I am just about done with it. It is really a whole different kind of work. I have definitely put more work into the traditional work than I need to for digital...especially since I can't Ctrl-Z when I make a wrong brush stroke.

[Maug]

On 1/7/2016 at 10:30 AM, Zydala said:

Sure but if it burns you so much that you don't want to create then what good is it? Better to challenge your skills in a way that engages you than one that discourages. I guess I meant more like "what's the point using digital/traditional if it makes you not want to pursue and create?" Just start with where you're comfortable and challenge yourself from there. Because after all, actually drawing a lot and creating tons of work is just as important as the learning process; they go hand in hand.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

-Helen Keller

If you don't push yourself all you do is spin your wheels. Drawing just the things you feel safe drawing will make progressing as an artist a very slow process. A balance of putting yourself out of your comfort zone and painting what you like is always optimal. Becoming an artist is not for the weak

2 hours ago, Endless/Nameless said:

Digital. 

Why? Two words:

Layers, and Undo. 

Traditional painters have been using 'layers' for decades. artist would spray a fixative on top of a canvas with existing paints (or let it dry) and then paint on top of it without the worry of destroying the paint underneath.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Maug

[MagnusGear]

12 minutes ago, Maug said:

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

-Helen Keller

If you don't push yourself all you do is spin your wheels. Drawing just the things you feel safe drawing will make progressing as an artist a very slow process. A balance of putting yourself out of your comfort zone and painting what you like is always optimal. Becoming an artist is not for the weak

Traditional painters have been using 'layers' for decades. artist would spray a fixative on top of a canvas with existing paints (or let it dry) and then paint on top of it without the worry of destroying the paint underneath.

Shit, I really needed to hear that today. Thanks Maug. :'I