WEEK12 On-line Essay

Digital Art and the Implications Faced by Professionals

Digital media is often used to refer to computer-based applications or any other media that is encoded electronically as binary digits or bits (Birkin, 2005). Professional individuals once used their creative skills obtain through years of experience and practice, however, in recent times amateur artists are able to produce sufficient content with little or no experience, due to advancements in technology and the internet. Digital art changes the perception of what art is and as technological expression has developed as a new language, there is concern indicating the degree to which society understands the technology (Prince, 1995). Available though the internet, high quality digital art software and free on-line tutorials, digital art galleries and museums, social media and social networking sites, all encourage self-taught amateur artists to create and publish art at either little or no cost. This immediate availability diminishes the time once associated with learning and acquiring new skills obtained by professional artists. This essay will analyse digital art as one area of creativity within digital media and will discuss the implications of advancement in technology on professional practitioners as a result of the rise in easily accessible amateur art.

Previously, computer art software was purchased and used by skilled, arts educated professionals to create images and art for respective clients. Professional computer illustration studio, Digital Art (n.d) runs a variety of software, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, Form Z, Strata Studio Pro, Bryce 3D, Poser, and Painter 5 to produce high quality content. However in recent times, numerous websites have enabled amateur artists to download and run professional software and copious amounts of lesser quality digital art software for free or at little cost. Sites such as art.eonworks.com and freeartsoftware.com, provide free art software for anyone to download and use at their own will. Art.eonworks.com is a basic guide for the beginner artist to the less expensive, but quality 2D and 3D tools on the market today (Michalczyk, 2009). This availability, once thought to only be used by professionals has enabled amateurs to produce standard content as it puts art tools of production directly into the hands of these artists hindering the potential success for professionals.

Hatanaka (2007) suggests many professionals in the digital art and design industry emphasize the importance of classical art skills and knowledge as a foundation for creating digital art. Similarly, Hertlein (1977) proposed that formal education increased the ability to produce quickly and spontaneously alternatives in designing, programming, writing, material development and emphasis on inventiveness as a natural gift or quality enhances skill. With the introduction of free on-line tutorials outlining detailed steps and procedures on how to use digital art software, there is less importance focused on art education and fine art skills previously obtained by professionals. Sites such as 5min.com and digitalarttutorials.com present simple, easy to understand video tutorials on how to use popular art software including Adobe Photoshop used by professionals. Digital Art Tutorials (2009) was created with the goal of bringing industry-proven, professional digital art techniques to the masses by leaving out no secrets and issuing instruction in real time, giving unprecedented access into the thought process behind each stroke of the stylus. These tutorials allow aspiring amateur artists to self-teach digital techniques as knowledge of software is acquired.

While professional artists struggle to compete with the influx of amateur artists, digital art galleries and museums initiate further challenges to their financial success. Digitalart.org (2009) allows thousands of artists from all over the world, with a goals to present the finest gallery of digital artwork on the internet and to provide artists with a place to share their digital creations, receive feedback, grow their talent, and interact with other artists and visitors. Similarily, deviantart.com (2009) aims to create an outlet for unknown artists and to represents a breakthrough for the promotion and exposure of otherwise stranded artists. Deviant Art allows amateurs artists to sell their art on-line. Visitors to the site are able to view art and make a purchase if desired. In turn, this allows amateurs to become popular and make a name for themselves by selling their creations. However, this challenges the financial success of that of professional digital artists as clients and admires are able to purchase art on-line and at a fraction of the cost.

Further hindering the success of professional digital artists is the attractiveness of employing the use of social media and social networking sites to showcase art, ultimately increasing the status and popularity to that of unknown artists. Regarding digital art, some of the generic social media sites provide special categories for art content or special groups, including “Digital Art and Mixed Media” and “Art Directory” (Christodoulou & Styliaras, 2008). Moreover, Christodoulou and Styliaras (2008) suggests there are specific sites, which are part the social network category, however, are developed particularly for artists which are termed as online artistic communities or a place for artists to exhibit, get feedback and discus their works. Creatist.com (2009) encourages creation, viewing and discussion of digital art, especially encouraging amateur and first-time artists to submit their works on-line.

Society will change and the art world will change as computers make it possible to create works easily, though easy art is not appreciated as much as art that uses the essence of the machines in innovative expression (Prince, 1995). Modern times have allowed many amateur artist vast amounts of popularity and followers as their art works are published on-line. Through the use of easily acquirable software, tutorials on how to use this software, digital art galleries, museums and social media networking sites, little known artist are able to cut the time of formal art education using self-taught methods to produce creations of standard quality. The internet has put the tools of digital art into the hands of the everyday computer user, disregarding the formal knowledge and skills once taught to professional artists in the industry. This advancement in technology has permitted amateurs to enter the field, thus challenging professional artists at their craft and hindering financial success and popular status.

Reference List

Alt, T. (n.d). What we are. Retrieved October14, 2009, from http://www.digitalart.com/whatweare.html

Birkin, G. (2005). Art, digitality and consciousness. C&C’05, 1, 279-282.

Christodoulou, S. P. & Styliaras, G. D. (2008). Digital art 2.0: art meets web 2.0 trend. DIMEA’08, 349, 158-165.

DeviantART. (2009). Prints shop. Retrieved October15, 2009, from http://shop.deviantart.com/wallart/?qh=__in:digitalart

Digital Art Organisation. (2009). About digitalart.org. Retrieved October17, 2009, from http://digitalart.org/info.about.php

Digital Art Tutorials. (2009). About us. Retrieved October16, 2009, from http://digitalarttutorials.com/

Free Art Software. (n.d). Digital art- graphic design software. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://freeartsoftware.com/

Hatanaka, T. (2007). Integrating digital art practice and art history studies. ACM, 10, 1-4.

Hertlein, G. C. (1977). Computer art for computer people- a syllabus. ACM Siggraph Computer Graphics, 11(2), 249-254.

Michalczyk, D. (2009). Digital art tools for beginners. Retrieved October14, 2009, from http://art.eonworks.com/articles/digital_art_tools_for_beginners.html

Prince, P. D. (1995). Digital art: the new literacy, a personal view of the evolution of art issues. ACM Siggraph Computer Graphics, 29(1), 30-31.

The Creatist Digital Art Gallery. (2009). Welcome to the creatist digital art gallery. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.creatist.com/

Art Work

Ariman, T. (2009). Beauty spirit. Retrieved October20, 2009, from http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Beauty-Spirit/55702

Brussels, D. (2009). Scotchgard. Retrieved October20, 2009, from http://thedesigninspiration.com/photos/scotchgard/

Seveso, A. (2009). The three graces. Retrieved October21, 2009, from http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Grazia-Graziella-e-Grazie-al-Cazzo/92789

Stallaert, K. (2009). Fashion for walls. Retrieved October20, 2009, from http://thedesigninspiration.com/photos/fashion-for-walls/