A digital artist is someone who uses the computer to create works of art. Digital artists often use a program such as Photoshop or GIMP for their artwork. They can be either hobbyists, professionals, or anyone in between. In this blog post, we will examine how you can become a digital artist with some tips on what software and equipment you need to get started on your path to becoming an expert in the field!
The Right Hardware for Digital Art
Drawing tablet
In a digital artist’s toolkit, a drawing tablet is a standard piece of equipment. Drawing intricate patterns is not possible with a regular mouse. Further, they lack pressure sensitivity, one of the most important aspects of digital art. Using a drawing tablet is as natural as using a pencil.
There are a lot of cheap graphics tablets on the market that can serve your needs well.
There are two types of drawing tablets.
- Display tablet with screen.
- Drawing pad without a screen.
It is equally possible to create professional artwork on both types of tablets. You can choose them according to your preferences. Tablets with displays tend to be more expensive than tablets with pens.
Monitors with accurate colors
The most important part of digital painting is choosing your colors carefully and blending them. Hence, your monitor must display the right colors. Colors cannot be reproduced by cheaper monitors according to industry standards such as AdobeRGB.
In addition, the viewing angles on these displays are poor. There are also problems with brightness and contrast, which cause the images to appear weird.
A good monitor that is compatible with AdobeRGB color spaces is therefore very important. A good display monitor will have a good brightness level, a high contrast ratio, and an excellent viewing angle.
Powerful computer
Digital painting can be done with an average computer. When you use highly stylized brushes or work on large canvas size, problems may show up.
Frequently, your computer will crash or freeze up. The computer might also slow down severely if you draw every stroke after it is drawn several seconds ago.
All these problems can be solved by getting a good computer. Creating new artwork rather than troubleshooting can be your main objective.
The best keyboard and mouse
You need to get a keyboard. It is good for what you do. If you have a laptop, the keyboard may not work well. So buy one that is wireless or has a mechanical keyboard so that it works better and gives you more freedom on where to put your computer.
There are many situations where you need to use a mouse. A good mouse will make it easier for you to draw because it is more precise than a drawing tablet. A good mouse will also help when you have to do work with lines, like when you are tracing strokes and making pen-tool based selections.
Understanding Art and Its Techniques
There are many differences within computer-assisted productions. You should understand these differences so you do not confuse the concepts.
Computer graphics are pictures or images that you can make on a computer. You can use them in a lot of ways, like movies, video games, and advertising.
Digital Art –
The term generally refers to all types of art created using a computer, whether it’s still images, photo manipulations, animations, abstract works of art, etc. A “two-dimensional” image, such as a conceptual, illustration, or photo-bashing, produced in Photoshop softwares is frequently classified as digital art.
3D Art –
In a 3D program, an element or set of images is created. The following list of media are included in this category: sculpture, animation, effects, simulations, etc.
2D (digital art) –
This type of image is produced from a model or technique that lacks depth (two-dimensional). This may include vector images, fonts, geometric figures, animations, pixel art, concept art, schematics, and/or plans.
Where to Start?
When you start to explore digital art, you may be overwhelmed by its sheer scale and complexity; the different fields of specialization and their variations throughout different industries. In addition, you become familiar with the prerequisites and dependencies of every specialization, for example:
Having never worked with a game engine, would you like to create a video game? Do you want to cheer but do not have a rig? Have you ever used Photoshop but are interested in concept art? Have you been thinking about becoming a modeler but aren’t sure if you should use Maya, 3ds max, ZBrush, Mudbox, etc? Your starting point is unclear, simply put.
Feeling frustrated can arise in any of these situations. My recommendation is to acknowledge where you are in order to find a direction to follow. Having clear answers to these three questions will help you analyze your current situation:
- What are my interests in the digital world?
- Is there a digital program I already know some basics about?
- Are there any areas of digital art that I am familiar with?
Although it may seem obvious, you can only ramble when you don’t know what interests and goals you have. By contrast, if you know the answers to these three questions, you can narrow the search area and check your information search to the areas you are interested in to start your journey more effectively.
Best Software for Digital Artists
You can start with these software programs for digital art:
Procreate:
You can use Procreate to create digital art quickly and easily if you have an iPad Pro. You can create unique digital artwork using this low-cost software (about $15).
Raster files are supported by Procreate. You can work with giant canvases and a lot of layers, as well as a plethora of brushes. The last point is especially significant since it ensures that you are free to experiment without destroying your work. As well as being able to scan your drawings, you can also trace them with paper and pencil. The app automatically saves each step and allows you to export a video of your artwork after you are finished. It offers useful shortcuts (such as double-tapping to undo) to make the job even faster. I think it’s an excellent tool.
Adobe Photoshop:
A large number of digital artists use Photoshop as their primary tool. Not only does it have brushes, a powerful management layer, and support for a variety of devices and tablets, but also all the other features you associate with photo retouching. It is possible to create unique pieces of art using Photoshop from start to finish for those with the skills. In terms of free alternatives, Gimp is the best, but it does lack a lot of features for digital artists.
ArtRage:
Similarly to Procreate, ArtRage also works with raster graphics. Procreate is a cross-platform solution, whereas this is not, which means Windows users can join. Even the Samsung S Pen and Android are compatible. In addition to being highly popular among digital artists, it supports many artistic styles, including watercolor paintings. If you are just starting, ArtRage Lite can be more affordable.
Krita:
Layers and brushes are key features of this raster graphics editor. It is completely free and open-source, making it stand out from other PC programs that support Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
Adobe Illustrator:
The tool that really stands out above the rest is Adobe Illustrator if you are interested in vector images. Illustrator has many more features than the industry standard, and most tutorials emphasize its use. Inkscape, for example, can still be used to create vector art.
Blender:
There are many other 3D modeling programs that you can use to create art. Blender is one of those programs since it is open-source and free, and downloaded from Steam.
Doll Design:
Doll Design is a free program that you can use to create poses for drawing. This is a tool that you can use to design a pose for your digital art. You can figure out awkward poses or angles. It includes 3D models and PNG plans, but it only works on Windows.
Tips to Be a Pro Digital Artist
Start with passion
Find out what you love to do. Practice it until you are good at it. Be good at being creative and being organized because that is what a digital artist has to be. You have to meet deadlines and be efficient too, but the first thing you need to do is find their passion.
Communicate with other artists
Find a group of artists. You can ask them questions about your work. They will give you advice and they will tell you what they think is good or bad. You can find an art group online to be part of. The more you share, the more help and feedback you can get from others in the industry who have experience with similar things as well as know how to improve your work.
Learn about the fundamentals
If you see an artist’s work that you like, it’s a good idea to try to create something similar. But remember that you need to know about lighting, painting colors, and textures before making a good painting. And if your drawing is bad, then it will be hard for a good painting.
Learn from 3D elements
Learning how to use 3D programs is really important for digital artists. It will help you learn about other shapes, shadows, and others different things. You can use this skill when you start your career as a digital artist.
Depend less on technology
If you depend on a certain tool for all of your work, then there is something wrong. As an artist, you need to have more than just technical skills about using the software. But it has to be an excellent addition, not the entire foundation of your art.
Keep your design in mind
The most important thing about art is knowing design and composition. Artists who know about light, color and details are not always good at the other things. Your work should have a rhythm and balance. This is created through figures, details, contrasts and lights. But your work should not be too colorful either.
Practice and more practice
You have to be persistent and know you will spend a lot of time working hard and practicing. If you want to become a professional digital artist, you have to do that too. Just keep on trying until you succeed.
Conclusion
The creative process for digital art is a lot like that of traditional drawings, paintings or sculptures. It’s just on the computer instead! In fact, by using your creativity and imagination, you can develop some really cool things to create digitally.
To summarize, we hope this article helped you learn about some of the skills it takes to be a digital artist. Becoming one isn’t easy and many things need to go into your portfolio before you can call yourself an expert in the field. We’ve seen all sorts of artists make their own personal style shine through by putting themselves out there on social media for everyone to see. The more exposure they get, the better chance they have at making a living as a full-time artist!