Digital painting is a method of creating art pieces with the help of a computer. It takes on traditional painting techniques like acrylic paints, oil, ink, etc. The software mostly used is, Adobe Illustrator, Wacom Tablet, Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. Digital art should not be mistaken for computer generated art, they are completely different.
Computer generated art involves the computer automatically creating art from methodical models by the artist, but, in digital painting, the artist uses traditional painting methods to create the image directly on the computer. Digital painting is also different from digital manipulation of photographs.
While photographic elements can be used in digital painting it is not a primary source of inspiration. Digital painting is a result of conceptualizing an idea that implements the concept as a digital file from many digital elements that an artist can acquire and create, mostly with a pen tablet, digital camera, and/or scanner and software tools. It is a process through which paintings and drawings take place in a digital setting.The availability of computer graphics software for personal use in the 1990s, these transformations in technology has helped paintings to travel from the canvas to monitor screens.
Contemporary artists are now able to have access to a wider range of tools such as customizing tools and various paint brushes that allow for precise brush strokes and artistic strokes. Digital motions can be taken through keyboard commands, tablets, mouse actions and touchscreen strokes.
While technological progress in inkjet printers allow for digital painting to be hung materially on gallery walls. Even traditional analog artists have embraced digital paintings. Painting digitally has its advantages it is less messy, you can paint and erase any mistakes efficiently without the fear of wasting resources like paper and expensive paint, all thanks to that wonderful undo button.
For good digital painting, one has to have a decent painting program, a tablet is preferred. Why tablet? A tablet is essentially your paper. It’s a flat plastic surface that comes with a pen that appears and feels like a ballpoint pen. For traditional artists still trying to get the hang of digital painting, the whole process may be daunting and tedious at first. However traditional knowledge can be in your favor and improve your work immensely. Painting methods are still the same; you will still need to know the composition, values, color, and edge control and so on, to make a good digital piece.
While it is possible for a human hand to create exact identical geometric shapes for a computer it is tedious to do anything else. Formula-based forms are easy to recognize to a point that is almost inhuman.
In most programs it is possible to undo any or all the mistakes that are made while painting digitally, this permits a spontaneity and creative approach, wherein, the artist is less cautious of his work and can think freely rather than focusing on not making a mistake he/she can focus on the concept of their artwork. This kind of freedom is rarely there in traditional paintings. When the digital artist is done the painting is stored onto the hard disk of the computer. To make it presentable and able to sell it in the market, it is then transferred to a physical carrier.