KrisCynical on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/kriscynical/art/Digital-Disrespect-286351828KrisCynical

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Digital Disrespect

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This was spawned by the attitude I've come across a LOT on deviantART that digital is somehow easier or not as worthy as traditional. That doing digital work doesn't make you as much of or as good of an artist as doing traditional work does. That the computer does a lot of it for you so it's easier. That it doesn't take as much skill to work digital as it does traditional.

Yesterday I came across someone who said, and I quote:

"Good traditional art takes much more skill than digital art!"

I could respond to that with some expletives but I won't. Instead I'll be more articulate about it:

Screw you.

Okay, I lied. That was a clean version of an expletive. But seriously now:

That is a seriously ignorant statement. No single media is better, superior, or more authentic than another. Traditional and digital BOTH require skill to use well, and digital is in no way easier just because it has an undo button. The basic core elements of image creation don't change just because you're working with a stylus and computer monitor rather than paint and a canvas, and that is what inspired this stamp.

There are no Photoshop filters for drawing technique, anatomy, lighting, shading, color theory/coloring, value structure, or composition. There are options and filters that can tweak those things, but there is nothing in Photoshop that will do that for you outright. Digital artists usually use VERY few filters. We paint by hand just as we would with traditional media. We still have to have skill in all of those areas in order to produce a good piece of art because there is no magic button to make it awesome.

Actually because of that you have to have traditional media firmly under your belt before you can really do digital well. If you cannot draw traditionally, you will not be able to draw digitally. That's why all of these kids who think a tablet and Photoshop will make them into Super Artist are in for a rude awakening: if you suck at drawing traditionally, a tablet will only make you suck digitally. The computer is not endowed with magical powers that suddenly make things easier.

I want to see this person draw something with the visual disconnect between a tablet and a monitor (or even without the visual disconnect using a Cintiq) and then tell me it doesn't take as much skill as a pencil and piece of paper.

I want to see this person knock out an entire page full of intricate, detailed line work with Illustrator and then tell me it doesn't take as much skill as a micron pen.

I want to see this person color an elaborate image with multiple light sources and a color palette that emotes all by itself and then tell me it doesn't take as much skill as a palette of paint.

It takes skill for me to do what I do. There are pieces in my gallery that have more than 200 hours of work in them and literally hundreds of layers. Anybody who thinks it doesn't require as much skill as someone making the same images in paint or markers can kindly go and step off a cliff.

Made with Photoshop CS2 and Jasc Animation Shop
Image size
99x56px 9.66 KB
© 2012 - 2024 KrisCynical
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I'm a trash artist, my eagle looked like a roblox duck, with digital i can at least convey a meaning of a picture. My friend is a GREAT tradition artist, with digital, i am better. Some people are good, others are bad. Traditional and digital art is a skill and talent that very few have. DONT FUCKING DISS IT!