by What is Digital Art?
Digital art refers to any creative artworks that have been designed, developed, presented or shared by using electronic devices or computer hardware and software. Digital art are commonly created on computers using digital tools and technologies like Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw and other graphic design software. Some of the common forms of digital art include digital paintings, graphic designs, digital photography, digital illustrations and animations.
History and Evolution of Digital Art
The origins of Digital Artwork can be traced back to the 1960s when early computers were used to generate graphical images and visual outputs. In the 1970s, artists started experimenting with computers as creative tools to produce graphical outputs. The rise of personal computers in the 1980s accelerated this process as it brought computers within the reach of general public as creative mediums. Since then, computing technologies and digital tools have continuously evolved leading to new forms and techniques in digital art. Nowadays, digital art has penetrated diverse domains like concept art, motion graphics, 2D/3D animations, visual effects, video game art, UI/UX designs, VR and AR experiences etc.
Tools and Technologies Used in Digital Art
Digital artworks are created using various graphic design, photo, video and animation software installed on computers or mobile devices. Some of the most popular and commonly used digital art tools include:
– Adobe Photoshop: Considered an industry standard for digital painting, photo editing/manipulation and graphic design layouts.
– Adobe Illustrator: Primary tool for vector graphics, illustrations, logos and icon designs.
– CorelDraw: Another powerful vector graphics software for technical and creative illustrations.
– Adobe After Effects: Leading motion graphics and visual effects software for animations and videos.
– Adobe Premiere Pro: Feature-rich video editing software used for filmmaking and video productions.
– Autodesk Sketchbook: Popular digital painting and sketching app for concept art, storyboarding etc.
– Procreate: Acclaimed digital painting app commonly used on iPad for illustration, painting and design.
– Blender: Free and open-source 3D modeling, animation and rendering software.
– Unity, Unreal Engine: 3D game engines extensively used for game art creation, architectural visualization and VR/AR experiences.
Advantages of Digital Art Over Traditional Art
Some of the major advantages of digital art over traditional artwork include:
– Versatility – Digital tools allow easy manipulation, replication and modification of artworks.
– Precision – Digital tools enable precise control over colours, brush sizes, line weights etc for meticulous artwork.
– Storage – Digital files take up very less physical space and can be easily stored, archived and shared virtually.
– Revisions – Digital files enable quick and limitless undoing, redoing and revising of artistic works anytime.
– Collaboration – Online tools promote easier collaboration between artists globally over internet.
– Presentation – Digital artworks can be readily projected, displayed and presented using computers and devices.
– Commercialization – Digital art files are convenient for mass production of merchandize, prints and other commercial purposes.
– Tutorials – Huge resources of free online tutorials are available to self-learn diverse digital art techniques.
Careers in Digital Art
The continuously expanding domains of digital art have led to creation of wide-ranging careers opportunities for creative professionals with digital art skills. Here are some of the major career paths:
– Concept Artist – Create design concepts, sketches and prototypes for movies, games, animation and VR/AR experiences.
– UX/UI Designer – Design intuitive and seamless user interfaces for websites, apps, products and platforms.
– Motion Graphic Artist – Create title sequences, commercials, explainer videos and other motion graphics works.
– Illustrator – Produce digital illustrations, infographics and drawing-based designs for publishing and editorial.
– 3D Artist – Model, texture, light and animate 3D characters and environments for games, VR and visual effects.
– VFX Artist – Work with visual effects, matchmoving, compositing and look development for films.
– Game Artist – Specialize in 2D/3D art assets, environments, characters, concept art for video games.
– Digital Painter – Create digital paintings, matte paintings and texture art for various creative and commercial applications.
Animator – Bring characters, stories and scenes to life through diverse animation techniques.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
