We have always lived in a visual culture. For years, this meant transferring images from our brains onto the walls of caves, or paper, or canvas. The history of art shows that we love to embrace new art forms and express our artistic principles in unusual and potentially unconventional ways. Art is ever-changing, blending imagination and reality to make us think and reflect on the changes in our world, but our enjoyment of it remains the same as it always has.
Now, with the emergence of the digital age, we are beginning to transfer images onto technology instead. This new form of digital printmaking, the act of putting art onto a screen, serves to increase its accessibility and open more opportunities not just for the every-day smartphone user but for artists as well.
What is digital art?
Digital art is technology-based, and can be computer-generated, drawn onto a screen, or scanned. The term was first used in the 1980s when a group of computer engineers created a paint program, called AARON. Since then, digital artistry has only expanded, becoming a well-known phrase. It is developing traditional art forms, not to replace them but, instead, to act as a bridge between art and technology. Below, we have outlined 3 advantages to this shift from canvas and paint to digital artwork.
1. It has increased accessibility
Now that a lot of people in the world own smartphones, art has never been so easily available. Advancements in technology allow art to be seen and appreciated all over the world, increasing its accessibility and widening its reach. The emergence of digital art now allows the artist to reveal the full scope of their work without losing the integrity of the image.
2. It has expanded the definition of art
With the arrival of the 21st Century and the emergence of the digital age, the lines between artist and consumer are becoming more and more blurred. Digital drawing allows both parties to view every image like never before. This permits the artist to put their own spin on living or fictional beings, moving practices forward and bringing us into a new, progressive society.
3. It has opened opportunities for artists and consumers
The emergence of technology has opened so many opportunities for artists to not only share their art with the world but also to create new forms of art that weren’t possible before. This exciting development expands the number of techniques artists have access to which, in turn, is helping to broaden our scope and widen our horizons.
Contrary to popular belief, technology is not a hindrance to the creation of art, but a silent helper determined to bring it into the 21st Century. It has been a massive influence that has changed the way we view art, blurring the lines between the traditional and digital worlds. Therefore, my advice to any artists reading would be not to shy away from the advances of technology, but to embrace them instead.
Comments