Our current society is filled with art. You can’t go long without seeing something designed by an artist, such as clothes, murals, or technology. However, the methods which we use to create these products are always changing. The 21st century has been the age of digital work, as most people in the world do work and conduct business on screens.
Digital Art vs. Traditional Art
The way we approach art is no different! Digital methods of creating art are becoming more favored than traditional in the corporate world, often because it can take less time and maybe be seen as “easier.” Though, digital art isn’t any easier than traditional. In fact, going from traditional to digital art can be a huge learning curve for some artists. But being able to master digital art can benefit the way someone creates art in any medium.
Rise of digital programs
The 21st century has seen the rise of digital programs for computers such as the various programs in Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, etc.), Cinema 4D, Clip Studio Paint, and endless others. Even huge companies like Disney have switched to computer animation for creating their movies, developing their own unique animation program to use in-house. If you’re looking for a job in the art community currently, having knowledge and experience in these types of programs is crucial.
Many programs have been developed for smaller screens as well. Procreate, designed for iPads and iPhones, is one of the leading digital art applications for artists everywhere, from young artists just starting out to older, more experienced freelance illustrators.
The range of what you can do with this application is endless, as the developers released a major update with the use of text last year (mainly useful for graphic designers and comic artists), and recently added a feature for 3D modeling. I myself have been using Procreate for several years now, and have developed my style and can advocate for its incredible interface.
What about traditional mediums?
Looking at all of the incredible programs made for amateur and professional artists, one might be led to think that traditional mediums of art may start to become obsolete. However, that is hardly the case. The experience and hands-on feelings of painting and drawing are very difficult to replicate through a computer, not to mention more 3D types of art like sculpture and textiles. In fact, most of these digital programs create brushes based on the look or feel of certain mediums such as watercolor and acrylic. Traditional and digital art can often be meshed together, as many artists use both mediums to achieve a unique feel.
Technology will probably never stop evolving, and neither will the way we approach creating with it. I can only imagine what artists will be able to create in the future!