Once I began my digital art adventure I instantly fell in love. These are just some of the reasons why I believe every artist, beginner or professional, should start making digital art.
The digital painting consists of creating artwork directly on a computer using painting software and a tablet. The process of entering the digital space may seem daunting, and coming from a traditional art background myself, I definitely felt a little intimidated at first, but once I started I quickly realized there was no going back.
The first step in my journey was to buy myself a graphic tablet and after a lot of research, I settled on Wacom One creative pen display. Aside from being a great product for beginners, I also wanted to achieve that same tactile feeling of traditional drawing and this tablet is the closest thing to putting pencil to paper.
Next, I needed painting software to install on my computer. What you choose depends on what kind of digital art you want to create and for what purpose, as once again there are a lot of options. For me, the great advantage of Wacom One is that it comes with a bundle of software apps for you to try, such as Bamboo Paper, Clip Studio Paint, and Adobe Rush.
Armed with what I needed, I was ready to start exploring. These are some of the benefits I discovered along the way.
1. Layers
The first thing that blew me away was how fantastic layers are. This basic feature allows you to draw, paint and edit individual layers without affecting the entire artwork as a whole, essentially like painting on separate canvases and then be able to seamlessly merge them all together when you want. Using layers correctly will add depth and dimension to your pieces, giving you a sense of freedom and flexibility that you can’t achieve using traditional mediums.
2. Undo Button
Whether you made a mistake or just had second thoughts about a creative choice, nothing beats being able to undo your action without the fear of ruining your work. This button is truly a lifesaver and will allow you to take more risks. For added convenience, I customized my Wacom One pen functions to have the undo button at hand at all times.
3. Shape Tool
Any artist will struggle to draw a free-hand circle, but when you start learning how to make digital art you won’t have to worry about perfect shapes or clean lines. As the name suggests, shape tools are used to create shapes and paths. When used correctly, it can save you an enormous amount of time and has become a go-to essential whenever I need to design something for a client or a commission.
4. Zoom in
If you are like me and love adding lots of detail to your work, you know the feeling of straining your eyes and struggling with tiny brushes. One of the best things about using your computer and tablet to create your artwork is that you can zoom as close to the image as you like. It may sound like a very basic feature, but being able to edit or add to every inch of your work makes all the difference.
5. Copy and Paste
Sometimes you draw something so perfect that the idea of replicating it just fills you with dread. When working with traditional mediums, making multiple copies of your work is difficult and very time-consuming. This is why being able to copy and paste is such an amazing advantage. With just a few clicks, you can recreate your work, or part of it, instantly, speeding up your process, making your work more consistent, and giving you the chance to have various options of the same design.
6. Experimenting
When it comes to wanting to try out new techniques or styles, I’m definitely guilty of getting overwhelmed at an art supplies shop. When you go digital, you will gain a wide-ranging amount of brushes, colors, paints, and materials at your fingertips. The Wacom One pen can be used as a vast set of brushes, pencils, charcoals, markers, erasers, and much more, giving you the chance to play and create freely.
7. Mess-free
Every artist can relate to the dreaded task of having to clear up your workspace. It’s a tricky balance between creating art and protecting your floors from potential splatters, marks, scratches, and stains. This aspect becomes especially crucial when you’ve only got a few hours here and there and you don’t want to spend half of that time washing your brushes. The best thing I’ve found since converting to digital art is how quick and easy it is to get started and pack away at the end, mess-free, giving me more time to actually enjoy my work.
8. Storage Space
Currently, I live in a small studio flat. I’m always running out of storage space and I find it difficult to keep everything organized and accessible, which in turn makes it less likely for me to want to paint for fun. I also struggle to find places to keep my finished work and keep it safe. Having everything I need on my computer ready to be used, as well as being able to save my artwork on a hard drive, makes the process so much more convenient.
9. Cost-Effective
You may not believe me at first, but once you’ve added all the costs of constantly having to restock your supplies you’ll see that digital art is a lot cheaper in the long run. Inevitably, you will always need more paint, canvas, or sketchbooks, but once I bought my pen display and installed the painting software of my choice I didn’t have to purchase anything else. Also, as Wacom One comes with optional downloadable software, it really is a great investment.
10. More Efficient
What has definitely become clear, is that creating digital art is a lot more efficient. It makes the whole process faster, as it allows you to get straight to work and keep going. You can transport everything you need without heavy bags full of supplies and you also have a variety of shortcuts that take away the fiddly, tedious, and time-consuming elements of creating your artwork.
11. Publishing Work
Having your art already saved on your digital device means that it will be a lot easier to share on your website or social media, without losing any of the quality. It also saves you from having to photograph, scan or edit your work to move it onto a digital platform. Additionally, for a lot of careers knowledge of digital art has become an industry-standard, so getting yourself familiarised with how it works is the first step towards becoming a commercial artist and designer.
These are only a few of the advantages that come to mind, but it’s safe to say that there is so much more to discover.
To get started on your digital art journey, check out Wacom One for a great digital experience.
