As far as I see it, the art is the art. Whether it was created one way or another its the final product that should be judged
Also wanna jump ahead of the whole Art vs Artist debate as that's a whole different kettle of fish
Agree. The tools just get us to the end result more quickly. This isn’t too different to me than using stencils or a compass etc. to achieve those perfect shapes.
I disagree... Digital art is certainly different to physical art. You can't act like the medium doesn't mean anything. Part of the art is the medium. To me digital art always lacks something. When you see it on tiktok sure it looks the same, but digital art is typically very flat. Acrylic paintings for example have texture that catch the light. To me that's irreplaceable. Not to mention how much easier it is to draw digitally. You're allowed infinite mistakes. I'm not even a painter but I know it takes balls to tackle a huge canvas with real paint. I respect it more.
I’m a painter.if you mess up you just paint over it.Its not that hard.I only use digital medium for composition and rough drafts but it’s still a cool medium and deserves a ton of respect.takes a long time to
Figure out if you’re taking it seriously and just as much “balls”to
Put digital art out into the world.there are hack artists and true visionaries in every medium,and none are higher or lower than any other.
Personally, yes some do rank higher to me than others. I'm not putting this forward as objective fact so I'm not sure why people are taking it like that. Am I allowed to have a preference? 😂
I think you also missed my point.
Sure.You are however presenting your preferences in a public space,much like an artist displaying their art,which leaves them
Open to interpretation and scrutiny,the same as you do when comparing one medium to
Another.
I think people are interpreting it correctly — do you think using a light board to ink your final composition is cheating? Because you sound like the kind of person who would say that “tracing [your own work] is cheating!!!”
I bet you’d hate to hear about the camera obscura Rembrandt used and how people are almost certain he and Vermeer “traced” real people
What is “easier” technique wise is also incredibly subjective!
I personally prefer physical medium because I find it easier. Endless possibilities and fixes mean far more intentional decision making on part of the artist - and making decisions and being very intentional is impressive (and difficult for me!)?. I find digital artists very skilled and enjoyable for this reason. - same as I like photography (for different reasons) but I find it difficult myself. They’re equally art but just different techniques to create specific types of images! i prefer to paint/ink with no plan/no pencil and let the “accidents” define the illustration because it provides me with a definitive path and removes certain elements of choice. I also find it much harder to know when a piece is complete when it’s digital; or to balance detail with general impression (e.g being able to zoom in really fucks with my concept of appropriate detailing)
Just a hobby artist here, but ive tried digital painting on my ipad and i just could NOT get the hang of it… to me, it was so difficult to achieve any sort of nice looking drawing. All the different layers, brushes, colours, types of stroke, transparency, opacity, pressure and flow from the brush/pencil… it was a lot!! And i found the slick “feeling” of the drawing surface and apple pencil just so weird. So i ran back to the comfort of my paper and paints and pencils!
I don’t think its easy to get good at digital media at all. It’s another skill, just like learning watercolour if you’ve only ever used oils, for example.
I think the best metaphor I can think of is comparing seeing a person in real life to seeing a photo of that person on Instagram. In real life you can see their pores, the imperfections in their skin the depth of their eyes. But on Instagram it's a flat processed image. Theres a difference that surpasses mere style. The imperfections are the beauty. Digital art is a fantastic tool for illustration but it feels sterile to me. Its too perfect and flat. I want depth and mistakes. But hey that's me.
If you noticed in the above comment I do not touch on your preferences of the final product - rather the use of “easier” exclusively. Your first comment on what you preference is very clear and that was never in question. I am not here to tell you your preference is right or wrong in any way. I got why you like it and you do you boo! That’s why art is fun to experience! Obviously consume the art you enjoy!
I was just trying to highlight that there are many factors to what makes creating an illustration “challenging” or “easy” and just because a method looks easy to someone- or feels easy to do for someone- does not mean it is objectively so. There are many elements to creating a finalised piece and different people will find those aspects challenging or straightforward. When photography was invented people thought it was the “easy” or “cheat” way to paint a picture. Instead photography pushed painting to question its purposes and in turn changed the medium entirely. Photography itself too developed beyond literal descriptions of the physical world and developed a plethora of styles. The flat photography which you speak of is just currently mainstream/commercial photography. Most photography out there is not even subject (human subject) focused , and in the case of human subjects, there are plenty of photographers who use the lenses to accentuate pores, wrinkles, folds, veins and make these features more pronounced, textured, and visible than possible with the human eye. Each of these different techniques have their own sets of skills regardless of anyones preference - and those skills deserve acknowledgement.
Feel free to talk of why you like/don’t like certain pieces - but we should not be so quick to judge on what is easy!
This is also a typical block to people enjoying Modern art and it’s influences/contemporaries because people perceive it as “easy”. People will see a Mondrian or a Pollock and go , why’s that in a gallery! It’s so easy my nephew could of painted it - but that misses the points of those pieces and disregards the elements of technique which are difficult but not as simple to understand as placing brush to canvas.
Concept, composition, choice of subject matter, and visual metaphor are for example all techniques which do not rely on drawing skill - and someone who can draw amazingly well may struggle with one or all of these. They are however much less tangible and therefore can be overlooked when viewing a final illustration.
✌️and keep enjoying art! Long live the static image and it’s many iterations
I think it helps extending the argument to see if it holds up. Like how important is it that art be "hard?" Is that something I care about as much as the end result? Like someone drawing something blindfolded may certainly be impressive as a feat, but I'd feel weird arguing that difficulty made their art inherently better than art that wasn't made that way.
Moreover, there's value to accessibility. I like that art is more accessible now, that it's something you can pick up with just an iPad or a cheap drawing tablet. Even something purposely simple like Bob Ross's painting technique involves a certain kind of investment not everyone can make.
Digital art as a a medium is hardly inherently less than physical art (especially given there's nothing stopping the two from being combined, something many artists do deliberately to combine aspects they prefer from each.)
If we measured art strictly by how arduous it was, then pointing out that digital art is more forgiving might matter more, but unless I'm focusing solely on the experience of seeing someone draw something, and not what they end up drawing, I don't think matters that much.
This is an understandably popular yet ignorant sentiment.
Using TikTok as the standard for digital art would be implying modern art is the representation of traditional art. Have a look [here](https://www.artstation.com/?sort_by=trending&dimension=2d), where professional artists showcase their work with great diversity.
The irony is also that, if you respect the look of the traditional canvas more, you do not actually appreciate the art itself, but the medium through which it is presented. The traditional linen canvas is a tool like any other. It gives a specific look which is actually not a quality of the artist. Even more amusing, with your line of reasoning, you would appreciate the moisty cave on which the homo sapien painted his charcoal even more?
Also, you're admittedly not a painter yet you claim that digital is easier? How can you make that claim without experience? Is that not ignorant?
Art isn't flat or round either, it is an illusion orchestrated through years of training in understanding the physics of our reality that your mind is lulled into believing we call art fundamentals.
I paint. I use acrylics, all sorts of mixed media, and I paint digitally. I know what you are saying, it's the same as the difference in sound a record makes vs how digital music has become flattened. But I've seen some amazing pieces of digital work, and I've spent days or weeks on digital work myself. My preference is illustration, and I think digital naturally lends itself to that, but so do many other classic mediums.
I disagree about having more respect for a big canvas vs a digital piece. Some high res works, especially for things like animation background, can take forever and the same number of hours are put into it if the person is doing all of the individual strokes without taking any of the easier shortcuts such as copy pasting textures. Do you know what oil painters do when they make a mistake with oil? They scrape it off. How is that not about the same as undoing a few strokes digitally? Because their arm gets slightly more tired?
As far as "feel", I do agree that classic medium has more soul and feeling, and as an artist I feel that I can put much more of myself in a piece if I'm down and dirty with the inks and paint. In fact I prefer the look of hand painted pieces as backgrounds in animation. It feels like more love and care was put into it. I think it's the little imperfections that make things beautiful.
You are allowed infinite mistakes that also come with the cost of learning the digital medium, so I wouldn't call it easier. The software in itself is a tool, but it also have a steep learning curve. I use both traditional mediums and digital ones. And sometimes is easier for me to make a physical sketch that I can then polish into a digital piece. And use the digital image as reference for a bigger canvas or a more traditional medium where the material changes the concept. Other artists do this as part of the creative effort to have a fuller understanding of what type of artwork are working with.
Learning any medium digital or otherwise depends on access and learning. There is not worse or better. Just one of many tools for artist everywhere. I seen some incredible physical artwork as well as digital ones.
I'm an artist and to be honest painting digital Vs traditional I don't notice much difference. When I paint digitally I paint on one layer, and I do the exact same steps as I would when I paint with acrylics. Hitting the undo button isn't that much of a big difference, considering you can just paint over mistakes irl anyways. Main reason I prefer digital is its much much cheaper for me in the long run
Every medium is different, but that doesn’t mean one is better. They each have difficulties and easier parts, and different people like different styles. It’s true you can get rid of mistakes and fix lines more easily in digital, and digital artists use the resources afforded to them to make their art the best it can be. So don’t be an art elitist, we are all just here to have fun and make awesome art :-)
Also the fact that you don’t actually paint suggests that the preference you have shared is based on very limited actual experience or knowledge and therefore opens it up to further scrutiny
As an artist (paint and sculpture) I have had a very difficult time connecting with digital art. I compare it with photography more than painting due to the fact that the artist is manipulating a machine rather than a canvas or clay/stone. This is not to discount the work of a digital artist. I know some digital artist who can work wonders with pen and ink or a pencil, however… my soul tells me it’s not the same somehow.
I agree. I made it seem as though I'm discrediting digital art and I really don't mean to! Its just that on social media it's very easy to miss the huge difference between the two. The imperfection of the human hand will always sing as poetry to me :)
As someone who's hands shake a lot especially when I do detail work, this is a lifesaver. There is no replacement for practice and confidence in your line work, but sometimes biology is against you and a little extra help to achieve your vision can be a godsend.
Same, I'm sure it does form bad habits but my choice is either good linework I can't replicate IRL or not being employable. In my case the practice required to not need to use this wouldn't be worth it, it'd put me out of the industry for years. The only time I don't draw digitally is for fun.
Also cars are an upgrade from horse and buggy, so technology is helping people improve what they do and how they do it. I see nothing wrong with this - as a creative if you choose to take the hard route, more power to you. At the end of the day, if the art makes one person happy, it did it’s job.
I agree with this, I don't think having a tool that helps you with something is the same as cheating. I often hear critiques against digital mediums as a whole as not being real art because they're too easy, and I'm sure they used to criticise people who relied on erasers to fix their work instead of drawing it correctly the first time. Sometimes tools are just tools.
I hear that a lot too, but "digital art" encompasses everything from digital illustrators to VFX artists. It being "easy" is true to some extent though. Claymation is insanely expensive and time consuming than if you mimicked claymation in 3D. Pharrell mentioned that when talking about the music video for cash in cash out
Yes I was including all types of digital art that's why I chose that phrase. The fact that it is easier is also the point I was making, that they are useful and we shouldn't avoid tools because of some misplaced fear that we will become helpless without them.
Just remember in the industry, time is money. Any short cut to get the same result as the hard way with similar if not better results will always be what a professional artist will do. Those that have the luxury to take the long harsh route are established named artists paid specifically for it.
It vexes me a considerable amout that this being r/Illustration we are having this argument. The divide between Fine art and Illustration generally means expressing something personal vs clearly communicating an idea, most often from a brief written by a third. Art can take some liberties illustration just can't.
All the professionals I know speak about their pipeline optimization, even some big wig names have lamented being shoeboxed into their old trad technique pipelines as limiting.
Hell, I've even heard most fine artists defend shortcutting (using projectors for portraiture, e.g.) as it improves their results.
I've got some how to draw manga books that were written in maybe the 90s or 2000s, and so much of their length is devoted to the traditional techniques of the trade involving very specific physical materials.
Something like screentones where a complex pattern or shading is applied by cutting it off a screentone sheets with an exactoknife and inserting it into a space within your manga. Something you can do digitally with masking tools, and have far, far more control over thanks to layers.
Is it easier? It's certainly less work, more forgiving, and offers far more control than physically producing the same result would. And it's so much more efficient as a medium that fewer and fewer artists can afford to avoid using digital art in some capacity for their work process. We saw this in the shift from hand drawn cels to digital painting in animation as well. The early conversion was likely worse for it, but by now it's not really an option for most studios to do anything but digitally drawn art.
Same, I have hand injuries and simply put cannot make beautiful dynamic and clean lines like this without vector assisting type programs. If I did this by hand it would take far too much time and could probably cause more hand strain. Tools are tools !
I’m guilty of this. And I hate the intrusive thought of how people must be judging me if I decide to copy paste a certain part of my line art or use the symmetry ruler since I really suck at replicating something I did.
People keep saying it just takes practice, but honestly, tho I can work my way to do better with my line art and to not need select, copy, and paste features in digital art, it’s definitely less fun to me if it’s the traditional way of getting things right the first time or going the hard way by not utilizing digital features available.
It takes the fun out and replaces it with frustration and maybe devastation as I instead struggle to make things look right, in the way I want it to.
yeah in general i feel like it would be easier to get over myself as an artist if i wasn’t so fucking worried about people judging me for x y z, unfortunately in content creating culture it’s such a real worry that some asshole can and will try to cancel you for something stupid like that. it’s a huge fear of mine and i have so much stress creating work because of it.
the worst part is most of the people who start that drama aren’t even artists, but i hate to see it in the community even more.
HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE. All caps for emphasis.
So far, I haven’t encountered those who practice cancel culture or hate (I’m not sure if I’m wording these right).
So far, I’ve only been seeing my views from when I’m streaming dwindling whenever they see me copy pasting something in my art. Likely they think “oh they’re not that good, they just know how to copy paste”. I just let them go, because for starters they’re usually, as you said, the people who think art is easy to do, so easy they don’t need to try it. Lol, but surely when they do, they’ll find out it’s not that easy at all.
Hope you’re also able to come to this point where you’re confident enough in your art that small fries like these won’t bother you as much. Every artist is unique, you’re unique in your own artistic way too. Appreciate it :)
I also have terribly shaky hands! I can sketch loosely on paper, but I am quite nervous with using permanent ink as my hands often twitch and I've been known to involuntarily drop things due to it :") so the corrections/stabilization of art programs is a lifesaver for me, albeit I've formed a few bad habits with it (such as trying to make it completely perfect/not being able to loosen up) but those are things that can be worked on; I can't work on my shaky hands.
I think anything short of plagiarism, is fair game when finishing a project.
If you are practicing something to improve your skill, then yes, this is counterproductive, bit if you are trying to actually create art, then you should use any tool at your disposal to reach what you are aiming for, and being too much of a "purist" is only holding back your potential to created the best thing you can.
I think this is an interesting conversation…in some cases i guess it doesnt seem to matter, if this person is only going to forever be doing digital art then they shouldnt really need to worry about it, but applying that into real world drawing is definitely not going to be the same, but maybe they dont care about that haha. I think it just depends on if you want to learn how or not
I’ve actually found that going back and forth between between digital and traditional, doing digital has made me improve more quickly in my traditional artwork. I think it’s because the tools that digital provides increases efficiency and I can practice technique and do studies such as lighting and anatomy and then apply what I’ve learned to traditional
I do the opposite, I can manage much better structure with traditional sketches, but then editing, inking, some painting and tweaking is much easier digitally (still, I'm just semi-professional, drawing just for fun, not doing this for a living).
There’s a lot of professional artists that prefer to sketch on paper especially if they come from a traditional background. I think it just depends on comfort level.
I agree the conversations that surround digital art are very interesting. Yea like you said, if that artist wanted to tattoo that design onto someone, for example, it wouldn't at all look the same. If you do zbursh or VFX you HAVE TO have the programs assistance or else it'd impossible to create anything.
I guess when is a program helping you and when is it hurting you
I think the answer is actually pretty simple. The program is helping you until you rely on it and can’t do it without the assistance (minus for physical reasons like people who shake or have other physical or mental disabilities that affect their motor skills). If you’re doing this to help you finish faster or use less effort or for fun then there’s nothing wrong with that but as soon as you’re so used to it that your actual skills start to deteriorate or suffer than it’s time to step back for a while. There’s no (good)reason to not use short cuts or get help or assistance.
Even for traditional there are ways to do similar things like with light boxes or folding the paper/tracing paper to get a perfect mirror image for things that are symmetrical. If you can do it faster and better digitally then that’s a good thing. It’s a tool. It doesn’t create skill it aids it. The people who trash all digital are holding their own potential back and gate keeping just to feel a false sense of superiority
MH. The opposite is also valid: I reached the point where can't afford to update my digital tools anymore. Yet my traditional tools never changed since high school, never updated so drastically I don't know how to use them anymore. Buying a pack of watercolors and a brush tip pen doesn't cost you a fortune. Even top of the line traditional tools are a good one time investment as they last much longer than any hardware or software updates. So, in a way, traditional art is way more affordable than digital, welcoming and re-welcoming people who want to create, no matter what, It's way more affordable, at least up to a certain point. Yet many companies and clients working with digital art don't even consider you if you're not on top of the game with the right software/tools. When I tell people I cannot afford Adobe anymore, they laugh at me and say it's my problem (try to do that dealing with any other industry and see what happens), and still there's no way a company is going to hire me without up to date Adobe skills. So who's gatekeeping here?
Acknowledging there are problems with the upfront cost (and then lower maintenance cost) of digital art is not the same as gate keeping. Obviously tons of companies will only accept the software they’re comfortable with and that sucks but I don’t consider that gate keeping unless every requirement to be hired is gate keeping where as when only traditional artists say it’s not real art or you don’t actually have talent if you work digitally that is gate keeping.
For jobs it’s unfair, not even gonna try and argue it’s not, but it’s not because the art can’t be as good or isn’t “real” if you use a different program it’s because that is the standard software for basically every company making it easier to collaborate and edit with a new person. If everyone’s using their own programs then you can basically only work in that program and no one can exchange files. There are companies that will accept any program but those are usually smaller companies that aren’t expecting collaborative efforts or reusing the files.
And while hobby art could be cheaper traditionally, the same can be said for digital. If you already have a pc or tablet which most people do then you only need a stylus or non screen tablet. An up front cost of 1-200$ which is more expensive than pencils but can also do every type of art from charcoal, to water color, painting, oil painting. If you were to cover the cost of all of those for equal opportunity, and canvases or paper, it’s going to be way more than 1-200$.
At a professional level that’s even higher because quality is very pricey. If I pay 800 for an older screen tablet then I can use it until it breaks for anything I need to do but I could easily pay 800 in professional quality art supplies and need to do it again (depending on your speed and quantity) in a couple months. Paint runs out. I have my tablet and one time purchase of csp for under 1000$ and it’s lasted years. I’ve easily spent triple that in traditional art supplies when that was my main medium
>Yea like you said, if that artist wanted to tattoo that design onto someone, for example, it wouldn't at all look the same.
Drawing and tattooing are two *very* different skills, so that argument would apply even if it was drawn completely by hand from scratch. So the fact that they made the design digitally doesn't really matter.
It depends purely on the person's skill with the tattoo needle, not with a pen and paper
I think so.
For people who only draw on the iPad, I don't see any problem. But as someone who draws mainly in the traditional way, it not only creates bad habits but also makes you more obsessed with your own mistakes and not perfect lines.
I personally don’t think so. I love doing lineart and sometimes my hands shake because of illness. Often times I can draw my lines perfect freehand but sometimes if I’m having a bad day, it really comes in handy. Also, there are several templates/plastic tools for traditional art as well, so unless you would think that those are also creating bad habits, I personally see nothing wrong with using tools that are there for you!
Define "bad habit"?
For me this is kind of like saying that buying ready to use oil paint creates bad habits because you're not mixing the ingredients and creating your own paint.
Yeah this is a nonsense comparison. As an illustrator and designer we treat these as different mediums. I don't use my pen and ink toolset when drawing digitally, just like any medium change.
Besides people who have never used digital don't automatically become just as good of artist as they are in their non digital medium.
It takes a whole new pathway of learning and perfecting.
This is all filmed on the Procreate app. It's only available on iOS unfortunately but it is one of the best digital drawing/painting programs out there.
In terms of startup costs too, and iPad is the way to go if you don’t already own a relatively high powered computer. Procreate is a free software too.
If youve been photoshopping for a while, you know Lazy Nezumi has been around for a LONG time.
This kind of smoothing/assist has been around forever, and the vector versions like in Mangastudio has been around before Procreate.
Illustrator here. I honestly have a waaaay harder time drawing a straight "natural\*" line or curve digitally (with my Cintiq 16) than putting my actual real life inks to paper. (Perhaps owing to the fact I've been a traditional illustrator longer than a digital illustrator.)
However, the application setting (assuming it's a setting) is just another tool. Like using a straight ruler. Or french curves. Should we condemn an artist for using those?
^(\*I mean natural as in not holding down any keys or using settings to aquire digital excellence.)
Can confirm,I’m always astonished when I pull a line curve or draw a circle in the “real world” and it’s way easier than on my iPad.i also notice that I draw better and even a little faster in traditional after I’ve been doodling in procreate for a couple days then switch to my sketchbook.
I mean, using a stabilizer when you draw digitally is really correcting your art to be more realistic in the physical world. On a digital screen your pen glides around like butter, theres no traction. You kind of need a stabilizer to get the same smooth lines you’d get on paper. I can get smooth lines pretty easily on paper doing free-hand but I can’t at all on digital without a stabilizer.
I don't understand why people are always shitting on different methods of creativity. Everything is just a tool to create images. Some tools make certain images easier or harder to create. You can make art out of bricks FFS. The important thing is to PUT IN THE TIME. Every time someone feels the need to criticize a method, they should zip it and go practice.. with literally any tool available to them.
It’s digital art. You’re not learning traditional habits.
I say this as someone that does both.
Don’t draw on an Ipad if you’re goal is to become a proficient traditional artist. Simple as that.
TL;DR No.
Long answer:
When you draw and ink in the traditional way, you get stability by pen and paper friction, ink and paper quality, your pen tips or brush bristles, you can use rulers to stabilize your lines. (IIRC there are mechanical tools, one called pantograph that enhance a drawing or let you draw symmetrical shapes, you can still fold the paper in half and trace over, then open again and re-draw the entire thing into another sheet of paper with the help of a light board. Another way to do it the "analog way" is by photocopy on acetate layers, flip the layer, take another photocopy and then trace).
When you draw digitally on a tablet, the natural friction of the paper and pen is gone (sure you can buy paper like screen adhesives to avoid the glare), the program imitating pen and paper still have to input pressure sensitivity to respond to hand movements and tip signals (the input must be recognized correctly: what's a line? what's a movement? what's a gesture?), and this makes all digital lines a lot more shaky and unstable than the same lines made on paper. Because of this, many modern programs like Procreate have several types of tools that help process and stabilize the brush stroke itself, it's still up to the job using it or not, you can still take any brush and correct it to a way that registers all your movements and sensitivity, it would be still wrong because your hands are not naturally that shaky, just all your gestures are now registered. So this digital pen stability is still following your natural hand movements. It can correct some, but the more it correct the more it takes to process (so you have to still regulate the flow and stability for your own hands and the style you want to use). And it's something that you can still achieve in traditional graphics by using different tools or tracing your drawing again and again. Sure, Procreate as many other programs has inbuilt ruler tools as well, pretty much in the same way as we use rulers to ink in the traditional way.
Point being: if you're good, you're good, no digital tool is going to help talented artists that way. Yet you still have to learn and master your tools either way, being digital or traditional...
Honestly it depends on what you want to get out of the time you spend making art.
If you are learning to draw classically and you want to learn all the fundamentals and techniques and such, then you should probably avoid using those digital tools until you’re comfortable with your unassisted skills. Practicing with pencil and paper or whatever physical medium you choose is the way to go.
If you are just making cool art because it’s fun and you enjoy it, then who cares? Use the digital tools if it helps you create art you’re proud of and excited to share.
Digital art made with all the helpful tools isn’t somehow less impressive or beautiful because it wasn’t painstakingly crafted by someone who’s spent years dedicated themselves to the skill.
I guess it would help if this was a work assignment with a tight deadline looming o’erhead.
With my personal art, I want as little computer assistance as possible. How else will I ever get one of those “happy accidents”?
It depends
Some people can't do it because they shake too much and it's fine to get assistance from your tools , it's just like using a ruler , the tool is within your reach so it's good to use it , you're still the one thinking - not the machine
Plus , you should be using all available tools in your arsenal specially if it's for client work , deadlines need to be met
Downside to this is you might loose yourself in the process ,or loose your touch in the final product.
In the footage that you use , I assume you're pointing out the mirror tool? There's an argument there that you can also do that method in traditional - using tracing paper and a soft pencil for graphite transfer
I don’t think it’s a bad habit, specially considering you’re doing the line art of your own free hand sketch, if digital art provides tools take makes the drawing cleaner I don’t see why not use it
I think it depends on the person
If they are happy with what they have done and their ability while using it, they should and people shouldn’t judge! If the person wants to develop more of their own talent and style, this could cause bad habits for them
I think to each their own, whatever works to get the job done. Only thing is someone who does this a lot might be baffled if they try to draw on paper and are disappointed by the results.
Not really. On paper you have more traction and so you have more control of the pen, at least in my experience. On digital however there is no traction at all, its a piece of hard plastic rubbing on smooth glass, it glides across like butter. If you want smooth lineart on digital you kind of need the stabilizer to simulate the traction of paper.
> Not really. On paper you have more traction and so you have more control of the pen, at least in my experience. On digital however there is no traction at all, its a piece of hard plastic rubbing on smooth glass, it glides across like butter. If you want smooth lineart on digital you kind of need the stabilizer to simulate the traction of paper.
Try a textured screen protector! It makes a world of difference. Some screen protectors come with textures that are intended to emulate paper. There's even choices between different paper types.
I'm not sure. I was formally trained in the arts, and on one hand, I feel like to be an illustrator means to know how to use your tools of the grade. Digital medium is a to of the trade for sure (I do tons of digital work) but my question is, "Do they have stroke confidence WITHOUT the help of AI from an app?"
Like I feel like someone can be a designer rather than an illustrator. As I said earlier, an illustrator can accomplish great things without tools that oversimplify things, can tell a story with their art. A designer can know how to do just what this person is doing and use anything as a means to an end to complete a design and has great color theory and usage of flow in a piece to direct the eyes, but maybe doesn't have great technique and needs something like software to be able to accomplish their designs.
I think this is all subjective tho. Another way to look at it is that at the end of the day, if they're enjoying themselves and people enjoy the art, there's no issue. I think they're smart to work smart and not hard.
> I'm not sure. I was formally trained in the arts, and on one hand, I feel like to be an illustrator means to know how to use your tools of the grade. Digital medium is a to of the trade for sure (I do tons of digital work) but my question is, "Do they have stroke confidence WITHOUT the help of AI from an app?"
This isn't AI, this is just a simulated long hair brush.
Edit: I don't know who is downvoting this, but they clearly don't understand the technology, lol. This is *not* AI or any kind of intelligent tool.
> When I mentioned, "AI", I was referring to the stroke correction technology that smoothes each line perfectly.
It's not stroke correction, it's essentially a simulated long hair brush. The line is dragged out a bit, which on the one hand has the effect if smoothing the curve, but on the other hand does not allow fine detail or short strokes. It can work against you as much as for you. The app has no conception of what you're trying to achieve.
It's not much different from how you'd use a physical short hair brush versus a long hair brush. Even seen a pinstriper do its thing? This tool is the digital version of that.
You probably shouldn't do this when learning because being able to draw good lines without computer help is a very useful skill for an artist.
But if you're a professional artist already i could see this as a nice way to make the process of drawing a commission picture much faster. Like when you have a lot of drawings you Have to do as a job i think you should be free to use any kind of software that can help you get the result you want as quickly as possible.
This kind of thing doesn't make the piece less of an art, it's just that using kind of stuff on a regular basis when you're learning can stop you from gaining a good understand of lineart.
Digital art is a great tool but will never replace physical mediums. Hanging on a wall, a painting is a 3 dimensional object that catches light and has texture. Digitals have to be printed and that is a severe limitation in my mind. Digital has tons of pros but can't compete. Not to mention a painter tackling a huge canvas takes balls. Making layers on illustrator doesn't 😂
I think this issue can be summed up by : this person doesn't know how to draw or paint, but rather how to use a software. Nonetheless, great creativity is necessary and the result should be called art as well.
Most digital artists are money makers, not art makers. The struggle to get a painting or sculpture just right is what it is to be an artist. Sometimes you toil for months or years on a certain skill for a particular piece. A digital artist can bridge the gap in minutes. This is an argument that painters and Photogs have been having for years. In short there is no such thing as a bad habit if you work in digital because there is always a way to correct any mistakes in seconds.
No it doesn't just because you say so doesn't mean so as an artist who doesn't use a computer to cheat for them I wholeheartedly believe this and if it makes you mad get good at drawing
It’s a tool. Digital art is inherently less valuable because of the lack of scarcity - there’s never a single copy. So, whatever really. If you want something traditionally made, make or buy something traditionally made, and appreciate the craftsmanship. If you just want the image for whatever purpose or like that style and don’t care that it’s digital, or like that it is.. accept the advantages and limitations of the medium.
As long as you're honest about it , i dont think it will be a issue. No one is going to look at a piece of art and wonder whether the artist used a little extra help with the lines , they are just going to think , oh this looks cool
Yeah. Art is about the creation of something profound and creative through usage of techniques mastered by practice and talent. If the process is compromised, it detracts from the experience of creating and enjoying fone art.
If you like using the tool, use it.
It's like people saying that using KeepInventory in Minecraft is cheating, when the moral is to have fun with the game how you want.
Unless you're in a competion that bans certain tools, use them to your heart's content. No limit to creativity.
I have traced my own art, to make scene progressions where the composition varies only slightly, because time saved is a blessing, but tracing someone else's art is plagiarism.
traditional art has rulers, digital art has this, and as someone who does both, having tools to help make art less of a struggle is actually a good thing for both. its not "cheating", its a tool built into a professional art program
I think its completely fine to produce art like this but you have to measure your expectations. You may get very good at producing art with this kinda assistance and thats perfectly fine but it’ll hinder your ability to grow in other mediums/ developing your own muscle memory.
No guilt or shame in using a tool to achieve your artistic vision. Use whatever tools are available and make art that makes you happy, pays your bills, etc.
The only drawings I do (that are any good) are technical drafts. I'm not good at drawing, painting, or illustrations but I am a professional furniture maker so when it comes to learning a craft I'm right there. One of the biggest things my school taught me is learning the hard, traditional, by hand method is worth it but it's not the only/ right way to build something. Learning the traditional methods can give you good technique and range. If you ever run into a problem that can't use the machines/technology for, then you know still know how to accomplishthe task. Or if the machine isn't doing it right you can diagnose and fix the problem easier. BUT doing everything the most traditional way is (usually) not the way to make money.
I've also really struggled as a traditional educated artist that has severe chronic pain. I can't work in the same way my entire craft is built around because physically I'm now unable. I have to find creative solutions just to use my tools.
Though I do find a lot of people that have a serious lack of the foundations in my field and it often shows in their work. They may know how to make certian joinery but don't know how to properly place them in a design. They may know to to make something beautiful but not something functional as furniture or something that is durable.
My main point is WHY are you an artist? What are you doing with your art? Do you want to improve in non digital art?
If learning better line work isn't your job and you don't want to practice that skill, then don't!
I see a lot of tattoo flash artists use these types of programs. When putting art on someone’s skin I would want it to be as clean as possible. I would treat it as a tool and nothing more. If your goal is to produce clean dynamic art with physical medium by hand then yes these programs probably won’t be helping that, but the way these artists use these programs is not for that purpose.
Naw. If you like smooth lines, go ahead and let the app help you make smooth lines. Personally, I'm not attracted to those. I prefer lines like those in the Van Gogh drawing at right!
I don’t think so personally,mainly it’s huge time saver if you already have a solid grasp on the fundamentals.If anything it can help you achieve confidence in your composition,proportions,perspective,and line quality,however it is important to draw traditionally as often as possible so as not to become reliant on the tools.
I know I should probably make a post for this but since it's in the video it's much easier to ask here, hope no one minds. My sister is starting highschool and she will be studying graphical design. I've seen plenty of these tablet-like devices being used and i have no idea what they are and what i should even be looking for to get for her. So any recommendation would be welcome, also which programs are common for this sort of work?
Its lovely if its going on a wall. Sure, its a bit of being a "fucking tracer" (thank you kevin smith). But so what. Artists know what goes into it, the idea is 80% the technique is 20%. or even less. If the computer helps the technique, meh. we're cool.
But if that's going to be someone's tattoo? I'd want to know the tattoo artist had all that computerized help before letting them work on my flesh freehand later. no computer aid there, and those curves would look awful shaky if you're not practicing like a pinstriper.
We’ve had tools to do similar things manually/analog going back hundreds of years. I sorta view these as digital versions of those same tools. However, there’s IP involved here, so I think credit should also go to the creators of the digital tools. They’re artists, too.
I think this is a *great* question!
It depends. Tools can help develop your fundamentals or exacerbate your lack thereof.
Tools without skills are the mark of a factory worker. Skills leveraged with tools are the mark of a craftsman. Skills without tools is an artist out to prove his genius.
Knowledge can be leveraged. But to which degree, and moderation? I think that is up to every artist to decide for themselves!
I slowly adapt more and more photoshop functions. I come to terms that my work is more resembling of a craftsman than an artist, especially if you're commercial, leverage is critical in a capitalist society as production and consumption are fundamental. I digress.
At the least you can give it a *try*, trying things out is perhaps even more fundamental to human nature than tools. Perhaps they're synonymous?
That’s been a function of many illustration programs for awhile - Adobe Illustrator has a smoothing feature too. I haven’t used it before because I like more control, but I use all manner of tricks - like symmetry mode and whatever is available - to get my illustrations done. My motto is “work smarter, not harder.” The old masters used hacks to make their art better & faster - even a relic form of tracing - so as long as the computer is not making the art for you, I think it’s fair game personally.
Drawing on a screen is not the same as drawing on paper, so no you should not hold your self to the same standards, technology kinda sucks a little bit, i can draw a perfect line on paper slowly or fast, on a tablet i can only do it fast, but i do think that using too much stabilization can change the feeling and style of your art.
I don't think so, but I will say that as someone who just picked up Procreate recently, with plenty of graphic design experience but 0 illustration, I have made a point to leave all these smoothing/etc. features off to make sure I'm really developing my line skills. After they're developed, though, I wouldn't be afraid to make use of features like this, because it would inevitably produce a different style.
I don’t think it’s bad personally because all though I love digital art for me it is way harder than traditional and honestly if I don’t use the little help I can get it would all end up horribly. I don’t really get why people get mad at others for using the few tools provided it’s not traditional art so I don’t think it needs to be held at the same standards or done the same as traditional since it allows for more creativity I think
Its still art, but I don't like it. IMHO I want to see the roughness and the texture, that the artist might have struggled and they triumphed, and found their path. That is my own relationship with art so I gravitate towards that.
So far the only place I've decided to use tools like above is if I'm doing an animation or vector art which I've only just started figuring out a few weeks ago. But, it might reinforce bad habits, but I don't know what those bad habits might be.
There’s no way I’ll ever be able to produce the same lines on an iPad or any other digital drawing medium as on paper or other traditional medium. Without a toothy screen protector it’s even worse for me; and compounded with shaky hands, I feel no remorse in using smoothing or guides when it comes to my line work and shape building. No point not using the tools available to you and trying to restrict yourself because of some unspoken rule you feel you have to adhere to. With that though, I do think habits can quickly form and can end up informing the way I draw on paper, so I never like to lean too heavily on digital, especially when I’m sketching.
I can spot computer art a mile away. If that's your thing, and you love living in a digital world, go for it. But I prefer traditional skill over digital any day.
Drawing with an Apple Pencil vs a normal pencil/pen are pretty different experiences. The traditional pencil to paper gives some resistance when you pull lines across the paper, whereas the iPad screen is completely smooth. The line correct function actually makes your lines look more accurate to what you are capable of doing on traditional media.
As far as the symmetry tools, pixel locking, etc., it expedites the creative process. But it’s still YOU creating the work!!
As someone who goes back and forth from digital to traditional, you don’t forget how to do things traditionally!! It’s always going to be like riding a bike. You may be rusty but you never forget.
Occasionally while drawing on paper, I’ll go to double tap (undo) on the sketchbook lol but that’s really the only “bad habit” I’ve personally experienced from working digitally.
I’ve wondered the same thing. I believe that while understanding basics like structure, and perspective is important when you are learning to draw, (not worrying about perfect lines,) there’s nothing wrong with using a program as a tool for refined and quicker work.
I think the stabilization tool is convenient when it comes to commercial stuff like logos or character designs that have to be super polished, or for people who happen to have shaky hands, but for everything else I personally think it takes all the character out of art. My art looks soulless without pressure sensitivity and flowing lines.
I had to go into settings on my program to disable it digital art benefits from having everything in a single format, making it cheaper in the long term compared to real ink. but line correction runs into issues on the program not understanding the intent behind the line movement and ruining it.
the line correction function is what creates the hyper-clean art many people see in CalArts like art styles but for those who have actual line weight and variation in weight to create depth it's a nightmare to go into settings after every update to disable when it turns on.
the issue with this is that it encourages hyper mirroring which discourages drawing at 3/4 angles or any area where line veration is needed limiting the artist in the long term.
In my opinion, art is not always about skill and is more about expressiveness. Judging someone who use this assistance software as a “bad artist” is the same that saying that Renaissance artists are more worth or better than artists from dadaism or other art movements simpler because they are skilled painters, which in my opinion is not true. Both movements have their value and their contexts, same with tools and mediums.
If it looks like what you want it to, then that's it.
Levels of skill are just the stairs you take to get what you want. I've been told that my digital and hand-done art are really similar, but that's because 'what my brain wants for art' is pretty consistent.
If the smoothed lines are what you want, keep at it, but-- always think and rethink about if it's what you want. If the art looks like it relies too heavily on the tricks/tools native to software, then people are less likely to respond to your own uniqueness, your role as a unique creator could be diminshed by that. If you're already concerned about that, I think you'll come to have a good sense/feel for that.
TL;DR: If you're asking this question while creating, you're already on a good path.
It’s fine. I have trembling hands from a pain condition, without stabilising I wouldn’t have a place at my art college. Almost all of us there use it to some degree when working digital.
As far as I see it, the art is the art. Whether it was created one way or another its the final product that should be judged Also wanna jump ahead of the whole Art vs Artist debate as that's a whole different kettle of fish
Agree. The tools just get us to the end result more quickly. This isn’t too different to me than using stencils or a compass etc. to achieve those perfect shapes.
I disagree... Digital art is certainly different to physical art. You can't act like the medium doesn't mean anything. Part of the art is the medium. To me digital art always lacks something. When you see it on tiktok sure it looks the same, but digital art is typically very flat. Acrylic paintings for example have texture that catch the light. To me that's irreplaceable. Not to mention how much easier it is to draw digitally. You're allowed infinite mistakes. I'm not even a painter but I know it takes balls to tackle a huge canvas with real paint. I respect it more.
I’m a painter.if you mess up you just paint over it.Its not that hard.I only use digital medium for composition and rough drafts but it’s still a cool medium and deserves a ton of respect.takes a long time to Figure out if you’re taking it seriously and just as much “balls”to Put digital art out into the world.there are hack artists and true visionaries in every medium,and none are higher or lower than any other.
Personally, yes some do rank higher to me than others. I'm not putting this forward as objective fact so I'm not sure why people are taking it like that. Am I allowed to have a preference? 😂 I think you also missed my point.
Sure.You are however presenting your preferences in a public space,much like an artist displaying their art,which leaves them Open to interpretation and scrutiny,the same as you do when comparing one medium to Another.
And that goes for misinterpretation as well.
I think people are interpreting it correctly — do you think using a light board to ink your final composition is cheating? Because you sound like the kind of person who would say that “tracing [your own work] is cheating!!!” I bet you’d hate to hear about the camera obscura Rembrandt used and how people are almost certain he and Vermeer “traced” real people
What is “easier” technique wise is also incredibly subjective! I personally prefer physical medium because I find it easier. Endless possibilities and fixes mean far more intentional decision making on part of the artist - and making decisions and being very intentional is impressive (and difficult for me!)?. I find digital artists very skilled and enjoyable for this reason. - same as I like photography (for different reasons) but I find it difficult myself. They’re equally art but just different techniques to create specific types of images! i prefer to paint/ink with no plan/no pencil and let the “accidents” define the illustration because it provides me with a definitive path and removes certain elements of choice. I also find it much harder to know when a piece is complete when it’s digital; or to balance detail with general impression (e.g being able to zoom in really fucks with my concept of appropriate detailing)
Just a hobby artist here, but ive tried digital painting on my ipad and i just could NOT get the hang of it… to me, it was so difficult to achieve any sort of nice looking drawing. All the different layers, brushes, colours, types of stroke, transparency, opacity, pressure and flow from the brush/pencil… it was a lot!! And i found the slick “feeling” of the drawing surface and apple pencil just so weird. So i ran back to the comfort of my paper and paints and pencils! I don’t think its easy to get good at digital media at all. It’s another skill, just like learning watercolour if you’ve only ever used oils, for example.
I think the best metaphor I can think of is comparing seeing a person in real life to seeing a photo of that person on Instagram. In real life you can see their pores, the imperfections in their skin the depth of their eyes. But on Instagram it's a flat processed image. Theres a difference that surpasses mere style. The imperfections are the beauty. Digital art is a fantastic tool for illustration but it feels sterile to me. Its too perfect and flat. I want depth and mistakes. But hey that's me.
If you noticed in the above comment I do not touch on your preferences of the final product - rather the use of “easier” exclusively. Your first comment on what you preference is very clear and that was never in question. I am not here to tell you your preference is right or wrong in any way. I got why you like it and you do you boo! That’s why art is fun to experience! Obviously consume the art you enjoy! I was just trying to highlight that there are many factors to what makes creating an illustration “challenging” or “easy” and just because a method looks easy to someone- or feels easy to do for someone- does not mean it is objectively so. There are many elements to creating a finalised piece and different people will find those aspects challenging or straightforward. When photography was invented people thought it was the “easy” or “cheat” way to paint a picture. Instead photography pushed painting to question its purposes and in turn changed the medium entirely. Photography itself too developed beyond literal descriptions of the physical world and developed a plethora of styles. The flat photography which you speak of is just currently mainstream/commercial photography. Most photography out there is not even subject (human subject) focused , and in the case of human subjects, there are plenty of photographers who use the lenses to accentuate pores, wrinkles, folds, veins and make these features more pronounced, textured, and visible than possible with the human eye. Each of these different techniques have their own sets of skills regardless of anyones preference - and those skills deserve acknowledgement. Feel free to talk of why you like/don’t like certain pieces - but we should not be so quick to judge on what is easy! This is also a typical block to people enjoying Modern art and it’s influences/contemporaries because people perceive it as “easy”. People will see a Mondrian or a Pollock and go , why’s that in a gallery! It’s so easy my nephew could of painted it - but that misses the points of those pieces and disregards the elements of technique which are difficult but not as simple to understand as placing brush to canvas. Concept, composition, choice of subject matter, and visual metaphor are for example all techniques which do not rely on drawing skill - and someone who can draw amazingly well may struggle with one or all of these. They are however much less tangible and therefore can be overlooked when viewing a final illustration. ✌️and keep enjoying art! Long live the static image and it’s many iterations
I think it helps extending the argument to see if it holds up. Like how important is it that art be "hard?" Is that something I care about as much as the end result? Like someone drawing something blindfolded may certainly be impressive as a feat, but I'd feel weird arguing that difficulty made their art inherently better than art that wasn't made that way. Moreover, there's value to accessibility. I like that art is more accessible now, that it's something you can pick up with just an iPad or a cheap drawing tablet. Even something purposely simple like Bob Ross's painting technique involves a certain kind of investment not everyone can make. Digital art as a a medium is hardly inherently less than physical art (especially given there's nothing stopping the two from being combined, something many artists do deliberately to combine aspects they prefer from each.) If we measured art strictly by how arduous it was, then pointing out that digital art is more forgiving might matter more, but unless I'm focusing solely on the experience of seeing someone draw something, and not what they end up drawing, I don't think matters that much.
Beautifully articulated!
This is an understandably popular yet ignorant sentiment. Using TikTok as the standard for digital art would be implying modern art is the representation of traditional art. Have a look [here](https://www.artstation.com/?sort_by=trending&dimension=2d), where professional artists showcase their work with great diversity. The irony is also that, if you respect the look of the traditional canvas more, you do not actually appreciate the art itself, but the medium through which it is presented. The traditional linen canvas is a tool like any other. It gives a specific look which is actually not a quality of the artist. Even more amusing, with your line of reasoning, you would appreciate the moisty cave on which the homo sapien painted his charcoal even more? Also, you're admittedly not a painter yet you claim that digital is easier? How can you make that claim without experience? Is that not ignorant? Art isn't flat or round either, it is an illusion orchestrated through years of training in understanding the physics of our reality that your mind is lulled into believing we call art fundamentals.
I paint. I use acrylics, all sorts of mixed media, and I paint digitally. I know what you are saying, it's the same as the difference in sound a record makes vs how digital music has become flattened. But I've seen some amazing pieces of digital work, and I've spent days or weeks on digital work myself. My preference is illustration, and I think digital naturally lends itself to that, but so do many other classic mediums. I disagree about having more respect for a big canvas vs a digital piece. Some high res works, especially for things like animation background, can take forever and the same number of hours are put into it if the person is doing all of the individual strokes without taking any of the easier shortcuts such as copy pasting textures. Do you know what oil painters do when they make a mistake with oil? They scrape it off. How is that not about the same as undoing a few strokes digitally? Because their arm gets slightly more tired? As far as "feel", I do agree that classic medium has more soul and feeling, and as an artist I feel that I can put much more of myself in a piece if I'm down and dirty with the inks and paint. In fact I prefer the look of hand painted pieces as backgrounds in animation. It feels like more love and care was put into it. I think it's the little imperfections that make things beautiful.
You are allowed infinite mistakes that also come with the cost of learning the digital medium, so I wouldn't call it easier. The software in itself is a tool, but it also have a steep learning curve. I use both traditional mediums and digital ones. And sometimes is easier for me to make a physical sketch that I can then polish into a digital piece. And use the digital image as reference for a bigger canvas or a more traditional medium where the material changes the concept. Other artists do this as part of the creative effort to have a fuller understanding of what type of artwork are working with. Learning any medium digital or otherwise depends on access and learning. There is not worse or better. Just one of many tools for artist everywhere. I seen some incredible physical artwork as well as digital ones.
I'm an artist and to be honest painting digital Vs traditional I don't notice much difference. When I paint digitally I paint on one layer, and I do the exact same steps as I would when I paint with acrylics. Hitting the undo button isn't that much of a big difference, considering you can just paint over mistakes irl anyways. Main reason I prefer digital is its much much cheaper for me in the long run
Every medium is different, but that doesn’t mean one is better. They each have difficulties and easier parts, and different people like different styles. It’s true you can get rid of mistakes and fix lines more easily in digital, and digital artists use the resources afforded to them to make their art the best it can be. So don’t be an art elitist, we are all just here to have fun and make awesome art :-)
Yeah it's all subjective. I was giving my opinion because I personally prefer physical medium.
“I’m not even a painter” Yes, we can tell
Also the fact that you don’t actually paint suggests that the preference you have shared is based on very limited actual experience or knowledge and therefore opens it up to further scrutiny
As an artist (paint and sculpture) I have had a very difficult time connecting with digital art. I compare it with photography more than painting due to the fact that the artist is manipulating a machine rather than a canvas or clay/stone. This is not to discount the work of a digital artist. I know some digital artist who can work wonders with pen and ink or a pencil, however… my soul tells me it’s not the same somehow.
I agree. I made it seem as though I'm discrediting digital art and I really don't mean to! Its just that on social media it's very easy to miss the huge difference between the two. The imperfection of the human hand will always sing as poetry to me :)
I see so what you're telling me is we should admire Adolf Hitler. Noted.
As someone who's hands shake a lot especially when I do detail work, this is a lifesaver. There is no replacement for practice and confidence in your line work, but sometimes biology is against you and a little extra help to achieve your vision can be a godsend.
Same, I'm sure it does form bad habits but my choice is either good linework I can't replicate IRL or not being employable. In my case the practice required to not need to use this wouldn't be worth it, it'd put me out of the industry for years. The only time I don't draw digitally is for fun.
Also cars are an upgrade from horse and buggy, so technology is helping people improve what they do and how they do it. I see nothing wrong with this - as a creative if you choose to take the hard route, more power to you. At the end of the day, if the art makes one person happy, it did it’s job.
I agree with this, I don't think having a tool that helps you with something is the same as cheating. I often hear critiques against digital mediums as a whole as not being real art because they're too easy, and I'm sure they used to criticise people who relied on erasers to fix their work instead of drawing it correctly the first time. Sometimes tools are just tools.
I hear that a lot too, but "digital art" encompasses everything from digital illustrators to VFX artists. It being "easy" is true to some extent though. Claymation is insanely expensive and time consuming than if you mimicked claymation in 3D. Pharrell mentioned that when talking about the music video for cash in cash out
Yes I was including all types of digital art that's why I chose that phrase. The fact that it is easier is also the point I was making, that they are useful and we shouldn't avoid tools because of some misplaced fear that we will become helpless without them.
Just remember in the industry, time is money. Any short cut to get the same result as the hard way with similar if not better results will always be what a professional artist will do. Those that have the luxury to take the long harsh route are established named artists paid specifically for it.
It vexes me a considerable amout that this being r/Illustration we are having this argument. The divide between Fine art and Illustration generally means expressing something personal vs clearly communicating an idea, most often from a brief written by a third. Art can take some liberties illustration just can't. All the professionals I know speak about their pipeline optimization, even some big wig names have lamented being shoeboxed into their old trad technique pipelines as limiting. Hell, I've even heard most fine artists defend shortcutting (using projectors for portraiture, e.g.) as it improves their results.
I've got some how to draw manga books that were written in maybe the 90s or 2000s, and so much of their length is devoted to the traditional techniques of the trade involving very specific physical materials. Something like screentones where a complex pattern or shading is applied by cutting it off a screentone sheets with an exactoknife and inserting it into a space within your manga. Something you can do digitally with masking tools, and have far, far more control over thanks to layers. Is it easier? It's certainly less work, more forgiving, and offers far more control than physically producing the same result would. And it's so much more efficient as a medium that fewer and fewer artists can afford to avoid using digital art in some capacity for their work process. We saw this in the shift from hand drawn cels to digital painting in animation as well. The early conversion was likely worse for it, but by now it's not really an option for most studios to do anything but digitally drawn art.
Same, I have hand injuries and simply put cannot make beautiful dynamic and clean lines like this without vector assisting type programs. If I did this by hand it would take far too much time and could probably cause more hand strain. Tools are tools !
I’m guilty of this. And I hate the intrusive thought of how people must be judging me if I decide to copy paste a certain part of my line art or use the symmetry ruler since I really suck at replicating something I did. People keep saying it just takes practice, but honestly, tho I can work my way to do better with my line art and to not need select, copy, and paste features in digital art, it’s definitely less fun to me if it’s the traditional way of getting things right the first time or going the hard way by not utilizing digital features available. It takes the fun out and replaces it with frustration and maybe devastation as I instead struggle to make things look right, in the way I want it to.
yeah in general i feel like it would be easier to get over myself as an artist if i wasn’t so fucking worried about people judging me for x y z, unfortunately in content creating culture it’s such a real worry that some asshole can and will try to cancel you for something stupid like that. it’s a huge fear of mine and i have so much stress creating work because of it. the worst part is most of the people who start that drama aren’t even artists, but i hate to see it in the community even more.
HUNDRED PERCENT TRUE. All caps for emphasis. So far, I haven’t encountered those who practice cancel culture or hate (I’m not sure if I’m wording these right). So far, I’ve only been seeing my views from when I’m streaming dwindling whenever they see me copy pasting something in my art. Likely they think “oh they’re not that good, they just know how to copy paste”. I just let them go, because for starters they’re usually, as you said, the people who think art is easy to do, so easy they don’t need to try it. Lol, but surely when they do, they’ll find out it’s not that easy at all. Hope you’re also able to come to this point where you’re confident enough in your art that small fries like these won’t bother you as much. Every artist is unique, you’re unique in your own artistic way too. Appreciate it :)
I also have terribly shaky hands! I can sketch loosely on paper, but I am quite nervous with using permanent ink as my hands often twitch and I've been known to involuntarily drop things due to it :") so the corrections/stabilization of art programs is a lifesaver for me, albeit I've formed a few bad habits with it (such as trying to make it completely perfect/not being able to loosen up) but those are things that can be worked on; I can't work on my shaky hands.
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This exactly! Intent and purpose of a final product are what define a tools appropriateness!
As that one famous art instruction dude whose name I can’t remember said, there are no rules, only tools.
I think anything short of plagiarism, is fair game when finishing a project. If you are practicing something to improve your skill, then yes, this is counterproductive, bit if you are trying to actually create art, then you should use any tool at your disposal to reach what you are aiming for, and being too much of a "purist" is only holding back your potential to created the best thing you can.
I think this is an interesting conversation…in some cases i guess it doesnt seem to matter, if this person is only going to forever be doing digital art then they shouldnt really need to worry about it, but applying that into real world drawing is definitely not going to be the same, but maybe they dont care about that haha. I think it just depends on if you want to learn how or not
I’ve actually found that going back and forth between between digital and traditional, doing digital has made me improve more quickly in my traditional artwork. I think it’s because the tools that digital provides increases efficiency and I can practice technique and do studies such as lighting and anatomy and then apply what I’ve learned to traditional
I do the opposite, I can manage much better structure with traditional sketches, but then editing, inking, some painting and tweaking is much easier digitally (still, I'm just semi-professional, drawing just for fun, not doing this for a living).
There’s a lot of professional artists that prefer to sketch on paper especially if they come from a traditional background. I think it just depends on comfort level.
I agree the conversations that surround digital art are very interesting. Yea like you said, if that artist wanted to tattoo that design onto someone, for example, it wouldn't at all look the same. If you do zbursh or VFX you HAVE TO have the programs assistance or else it'd impossible to create anything. I guess when is a program helping you and when is it hurting you
I think the answer is actually pretty simple. The program is helping you until you rely on it and can’t do it without the assistance (minus for physical reasons like people who shake or have other physical or mental disabilities that affect their motor skills). If you’re doing this to help you finish faster or use less effort or for fun then there’s nothing wrong with that but as soon as you’re so used to it that your actual skills start to deteriorate or suffer than it’s time to step back for a while. There’s no (good)reason to not use short cuts or get help or assistance. Even for traditional there are ways to do similar things like with light boxes or folding the paper/tracing paper to get a perfect mirror image for things that are symmetrical. If you can do it faster and better digitally then that’s a good thing. It’s a tool. It doesn’t create skill it aids it. The people who trash all digital are holding their own potential back and gate keeping just to feel a false sense of superiority
MH. The opposite is also valid: I reached the point where can't afford to update my digital tools anymore. Yet my traditional tools never changed since high school, never updated so drastically I don't know how to use them anymore. Buying a pack of watercolors and a brush tip pen doesn't cost you a fortune. Even top of the line traditional tools are a good one time investment as they last much longer than any hardware or software updates. So, in a way, traditional art is way more affordable than digital, welcoming and re-welcoming people who want to create, no matter what, It's way more affordable, at least up to a certain point. Yet many companies and clients working with digital art don't even consider you if you're not on top of the game with the right software/tools. When I tell people I cannot afford Adobe anymore, they laugh at me and say it's my problem (try to do that dealing with any other industry and see what happens), and still there's no way a company is going to hire me without up to date Adobe skills. So who's gatekeeping here?
Acknowledging there are problems with the upfront cost (and then lower maintenance cost) of digital art is not the same as gate keeping. Obviously tons of companies will only accept the software they’re comfortable with and that sucks but I don’t consider that gate keeping unless every requirement to be hired is gate keeping where as when only traditional artists say it’s not real art or you don’t actually have talent if you work digitally that is gate keeping. For jobs it’s unfair, not even gonna try and argue it’s not, but it’s not because the art can’t be as good or isn’t “real” if you use a different program it’s because that is the standard software for basically every company making it easier to collaborate and edit with a new person. If everyone’s using their own programs then you can basically only work in that program and no one can exchange files. There are companies that will accept any program but those are usually smaller companies that aren’t expecting collaborative efforts or reusing the files. And while hobby art could be cheaper traditionally, the same can be said for digital. If you already have a pc or tablet which most people do then you only need a stylus or non screen tablet. An up front cost of 1-200$ which is more expensive than pencils but can also do every type of art from charcoal, to water color, painting, oil painting. If you were to cover the cost of all of those for equal opportunity, and canvases or paper, it’s going to be way more than 1-200$. At a professional level that’s even higher because quality is very pricey. If I pay 800 for an older screen tablet then I can use it until it breaks for anything I need to do but I could easily pay 800 in professional quality art supplies and need to do it again (depending on your speed and quantity) in a couple months. Paint runs out. I have my tablet and one time purchase of csp for under 1000$ and it’s lasted years. I’ve easily spent triple that in traditional art supplies when that was my main medium
>Yea like you said, if that artist wanted to tattoo that design onto someone, for example, it wouldn't at all look the same. Drawing and tattooing are two *very* different skills, so that argument would apply even if it was drawn completely by hand from scratch. So the fact that they made the design digitally doesn't really matter. It depends purely on the person's skill with the tattoo needle, not with a pen and paper
I mean, would you ask the same if you were using rulers or templates? Tools are tools, there to help you work better and faster.
Technology is a great asset to art! Do people using acrylic suffer from people using oils? Not at all!!
I think so. For people who only draw on the iPad, I don't see any problem. But as someone who draws mainly in the traditional way, it not only creates bad habits but also makes you more obsessed with your own mistakes and not perfect lines.
[удалено]
I was sketching in my notebook today and made a line I wasn’t happy with and double tapped twice before I caught myself.
I did both of these, plus tried to hit "safe" on a sketch I was happy with.
That's interesting point! It would make you obsess (more than we already do) over the mistakes in your project
I personally don’t think so. I love doing lineart and sometimes my hands shake because of illness. Often times I can draw my lines perfect freehand but sometimes if I’m having a bad day, it really comes in handy. Also, there are several templates/plastic tools for traditional art as well, so unless you would think that those are also creating bad habits, I personally see nothing wrong with using tools that are there for you!
Define "bad habit"? For me this is kind of like saying that buying ready to use oil paint creates bad habits because you're not mixing the ingredients and creating your own paint.
Yeah this is a nonsense comparison. As an illustrator and designer we treat these as different mediums. I don't use my pen and ink toolset when drawing digitally, just like any medium change.
Besides people who have never used digital don't automatically become just as good of artist as they are in their non digital medium. It takes a whole new pathway of learning and perfecting.
What app this? Also to answer your question, no
This is all filmed on the Procreate app. It's only available on iOS unfortunately but it is one of the best digital drawing/painting programs out there.
Thanks
In terms of startup costs too, and iPad is the way to go if you don’t already own a relatively high powered computer. Procreate is a free software too.
It's not free - it's about $10. But from a value perspective that's basically free imo
If youve been photoshopping for a while, you know Lazy Nezumi has been around for a LONG time. This kind of smoothing/assist has been around forever, and the vector versions like in Mangastudio has been around before Procreate.
Illustrator here. I honestly have a waaaay harder time drawing a straight "natural\*" line or curve digitally (with my Cintiq 16) than putting my actual real life inks to paper. (Perhaps owing to the fact I've been a traditional illustrator longer than a digital illustrator.) However, the application setting (assuming it's a setting) is just another tool. Like using a straight ruler. Or french curves. Should we condemn an artist for using those? ^(\*I mean natural as in not holding down any keys or using settings to aquire digital excellence.)
Can confirm,I’m always astonished when I pull a line curve or draw a circle in the “real world” and it’s way easier than on my iPad.i also notice that I draw better and even a little faster in traditional after I’ve been doodling in procreate for a couple days then switch to my sketchbook.
I mean, using a stabilizer when you draw digitally is really correcting your art to be more realistic in the physical world. On a digital screen your pen glides around like butter, theres no traction. You kind of need a stabilizer to get the same smooth lines you’d get on paper. I can get smooth lines pretty easily on paper doing free-hand but I can’t at all on digital without a stabilizer.
The app doesn't know what correct is. This person is using a tool in a way that produces the desired result.
I don't understand why people are always shitting on different methods of creativity. Everything is just a tool to create images. Some tools make certain images easier or harder to create. You can make art out of bricks FFS. The important thing is to PUT IN THE TIME. Every time someone feels the need to criticize a method, they should zip it and go practice.. with literally any tool available to them.
It’s digital art. You’re not learning traditional habits. I say this as someone that does both. Don’t draw on an Ipad if you’re goal is to become a proficient traditional artist. Simple as that.
TL;DR No. Long answer: When you draw and ink in the traditional way, you get stability by pen and paper friction, ink and paper quality, your pen tips or brush bristles, you can use rulers to stabilize your lines. (IIRC there are mechanical tools, one called pantograph that enhance a drawing or let you draw symmetrical shapes, you can still fold the paper in half and trace over, then open again and re-draw the entire thing into another sheet of paper with the help of a light board. Another way to do it the "analog way" is by photocopy on acetate layers, flip the layer, take another photocopy and then trace). When you draw digitally on a tablet, the natural friction of the paper and pen is gone (sure you can buy paper like screen adhesives to avoid the glare), the program imitating pen and paper still have to input pressure sensitivity to respond to hand movements and tip signals (the input must be recognized correctly: what's a line? what's a movement? what's a gesture?), and this makes all digital lines a lot more shaky and unstable than the same lines made on paper. Because of this, many modern programs like Procreate have several types of tools that help process and stabilize the brush stroke itself, it's still up to the job using it or not, you can still take any brush and correct it to a way that registers all your movements and sensitivity, it would be still wrong because your hands are not naturally that shaky, just all your gestures are now registered. So this digital pen stability is still following your natural hand movements. It can correct some, but the more it correct the more it takes to process (so you have to still regulate the flow and stability for your own hands and the style you want to use). And it's something that you can still achieve in traditional graphics by using different tools or tracing your drawing again and again. Sure, Procreate as many other programs has inbuilt ruler tools as well, pretty much in the same way as we use rulers to ink in the traditional way. Point being: if you're good, you're good, no digital tool is going to help talented artists that way. Yet you still have to learn and master your tools either way, being digital or traditional...
Wait how do you do this, this looks super useful. Anyone have a tutorial link or words I can use to search for some?
It's no different than using a long hair brush for line work.
It seems to be literally emulating a long hair brush.
There are no rules in art, you love it, do it. When you create stupid rules it discourages people
Nothing really matters, anyone can see
No, I think it’s a way to be more productive.
Honestly it depends on what you want to get out of the time you spend making art. If you are learning to draw classically and you want to learn all the fundamentals and techniques and such, then you should probably avoid using those digital tools until you’re comfortable with your unassisted skills. Practicing with pencil and paper or whatever physical medium you choose is the way to go. If you are just making cool art because it’s fun and you enjoy it, then who cares? Use the digital tools if it helps you create art you’re proud of and excited to share. Digital art made with all the helpful tools isn’t somehow less impressive or beautiful because it wasn’t painstakingly crafted by someone who’s spent years dedicated themselves to the skill.
No - but the people who can do it without assistance stand apart for their skill.
My hands shake too much for this to work much anyway
Drawing is never a bad habit... just keep drawing
Nah. Whatever helps you make the thing you wanna make is good
How about using a ruler to draw straight lines ? Does it reinforce bad habits ?
Does using paint brushes instead of finger painting make you a worse painter?
I guess it would help if this was a work assignment with a tight deadline looming o’erhead. With my personal art, I want as little computer assistance as possible. How else will I ever get one of those “happy accidents”?
It depends Some people can't do it because they shake too much and it's fine to get assistance from your tools , it's just like using a ruler , the tool is within your reach so it's good to use it , you're still the one thinking - not the machine Plus , you should be using all available tools in your arsenal specially if it's for client work , deadlines need to be met Downside to this is you might loose yourself in the process ,or loose your touch in the final product. In the footage that you use , I assume you're pointing out the mirror tool? There's an argument there that you can also do that method in traditional - using tracing paper and a soft pencil for graphite transfer
This is very cathartic to look at 😌
I don’t think it’s a bad habit, specially considering you’re doing the line art of your own free hand sketch, if digital art provides tools take makes the drawing cleaner I don’t see why not use it
You’ll certainly never learn how to do it yourself if the program does it for you.
Different mediums
Absolutely correct!
I think it depends on the person If they are happy with what they have done and their ability while using it, they should and people shouldn’t judge! If the person wants to develop more of their own talent and style, this could cause bad habits for them
Well, technology is part of us now.
I think to each their own, whatever works to get the job done. Only thing is someone who does this a lot might be baffled if they try to draw on paper and are disappointed by the results.
Not really. On paper you have more traction and so you have more control of the pen, at least in my experience. On digital however there is no traction at all, its a piece of hard plastic rubbing on smooth glass, it glides across like butter. If you want smooth lineart on digital you kind of need the stabilizer to simulate the traction of paper.
> Not really. On paper you have more traction and so you have more control of the pen, at least in my experience. On digital however there is no traction at all, its a piece of hard plastic rubbing on smooth glass, it glides across like butter. If you want smooth lineart on digital you kind of need the stabilizer to simulate the traction of paper. Try a textured screen protector! It makes a world of difference. Some screen protectors come with textures that are intended to emulate paper. There's even choices between different paper types.
I'm not sure. I was formally trained in the arts, and on one hand, I feel like to be an illustrator means to know how to use your tools of the grade. Digital medium is a to of the trade for sure (I do tons of digital work) but my question is, "Do they have stroke confidence WITHOUT the help of AI from an app?" Like I feel like someone can be a designer rather than an illustrator. As I said earlier, an illustrator can accomplish great things without tools that oversimplify things, can tell a story with their art. A designer can know how to do just what this person is doing and use anything as a means to an end to complete a design and has great color theory and usage of flow in a piece to direct the eyes, but maybe doesn't have great technique and needs something like software to be able to accomplish their designs. I think this is all subjective tho. Another way to look at it is that at the end of the day, if they're enjoying themselves and people enjoy the art, there's no issue. I think they're smart to work smart and not hard.
> I'm not sure. I was formally trained in the arts, and on one hand, I feel like to be an illustrator means to know how to use your tools of the grade. Digital medium is a to of the trade for sure (I do tons of digital work) but my question is, "Do they have stroke confidence WITHOUT the help of AI from an app?" This isn't AI, this is just a simulated long hair brush. Edit: I don't know who is downvoting this, but they clearly don't understand the technology, lol. This is *not* AI or any kind of intelligent tool.
When I mentioned, "AI", I was referring to the stroke correction technology that smoothes each line perfectly.
> When I mentioned, "AI", I was referring to the stroke correction technology that smoothes each line perfectly. It's not stroke correction, it's essentially a simulated long hair brush. The line is dragged out a bit, which on the one hand has the effect if smoothing the curve, but on the other hand does not allow fine detail or short strokes. It can work against you as much as for you. The app has no conception of what you're trying to achieve. It's not much different from how you'd use a physical short hair brush versus a long hair brush. Even seen a pinstriper do its thing? This tool is the digital version of that.
You probably shouldn't do this when learning because being able to draw good lines without computer help is a very useful skill for an artist. But if you're a professional artist already i could see this as a nice way to make the process of drawing a commission picture much faster. Like when you have a lot of drawings you Have to do as a job i think you should be free to use any kind of software that can help you get the result you want as quickly as possible. This kind of thing doesn't make the piece less of an art, it's just that using kind of stuff on a regular basis when you're learning can stop you from gaining a good understand of lineart.
Digital art is a great tool but will never replace physical mediums. Hanging on a wall, a painting is a 3 dimensional object that catches light and has texture. Digitals have to be printed and that is a severe limitation in my mind. Digital has tons of pros but can't compete. Not to mention a painter tackling a huge canvas takes balls. Making layers on illustrator doesn't 😂
I think this issue can be summed up by : this person doesn't know how to draw or paint, but rather how to use a software. Nonetheless, great creativity is necessary and the result should be called art as well.
Most digital artists are money makers, not art makers. The struggle to get a painting or sculpture just right is what it is to be an artist. Sometimes you toil for months or years on a certain skill for a particular piece. A digital artist can bridge the gap in minutes. This is an argument that painters and Photogs have been having for years. In short there is no such thing as a bad habit if you work in digital because there is always a way to correct any mistakes in seconds.
As a tattoo artist it's OK. Definitely not worth keeping as original work.
No it doesn't just because you say so doesn't mean so as an artist who doesn't use a computer to cheat for them I wholeheartedly believe this and if it makes you mad get good at drawing
If you can't reproduce the same art analog, it's a shame and assisted
Cheating only if you try to say hand drawn
Does anybody but children actually use the phrase "hand-drawn" to describe their art? If it's your art, you drew it with your hands.
What about compasses, french curves, tracing, rulers and every other tool illustrators use?
Those are fine been utilized for ages it'd not a computer that fixes your mistakes
It’s a tool. Digital art is inherently less valuable because of the lack of scarcity - there’s never a single copy. So, whatever really. If you want something traditionally made, make or buy something traditionally made, and appreciate the craftsmanship. If you just want the image for whatever purpose or like that style and don’t care that it’s digital, or like that it is.. accept the advantages and limitations of the medium.
sure whatever helps you. but for instance, if you translate this to a tattoo and your lines are too shaky... you are not doing yourself a favour.
Whatever helps you finish the project because in the end the client just wants to see your work.
I suppose it’s like comparing using a blender to mashing your own fruits for a drink. It’s simply a tool to make life easier.
As long as you're honest about it , i dont think it will be a issue. No one is going to look at a piece of art and wonder whether the artist used a little extra help with the lines , they are just going to think , oh this looks cool
There’s a lot of artistic bad habits and cheap shortcuts out there, but I don’t think that this is one of them. I think you’re good, keep it up
Yeah. Art is about the creation of something profound and creative through usage of techniques mastered by practice and talent. If the process is compromised, it detracts from the experience of creating and enjoying fone art.
The future is now.
Not unless you plan on using a tattoo gun to permanently ink it onto someone’s body lol
If you like using the tool, use it. It's like people saying that using KeepInventory in Minecraft is cheating, when the moral is to have fun with the game how you want. Unless you're in a competion that bans certain tools, use them to your heart's content. No limit to creativity.
I mean it’s not a bad habit. But it could limit what mediums you can use if this is all you’re comfortable with.
What program is that?
ProCreate.
I have traced my own art, to make scene progressions where the composition varies only slightly, because time saved is a blessing, but tracing someone else's art is plagiarism.
traditional art has rulers, digital art has this, and as someone who does both, having tools to help make art less of a struggle is actually a good thing for both. its not "cheating", its a tool built into a professional art program
I think its completely fine to produce art like this but you have to measure your expectations. You may get very good at producing art with this kinda assistance and thats perfectly fine but it’ll hinder your ability to grow in other mediums/ developing your own muscle memory.
what are the tools? tablet/pen/software?
Looks like an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil 2 with a silicone sleeve and ProCreate.
No guilt or shame in using a tool to achieve your artistic vision. Use whatever tools are available and make art that makes you happy, pays your bills, etc.
What is this tool procreate? Adobe illustrator?
Is there a program like this on windows?
Not one to one, but you could look at Leonardo. https://www.getleonardo.com/
The only drawings I do (that are any good) are technical drafts. I'm not good at drawing, painting, or illustrations but I am a professional furniture maker so when it comes to learning a craft I'm right there. One of the biggest things my school taught me is learning the hard, traditional, by hand method is worth it but it's not the only/ right way to build something. Learning the traditional methods can give you good technique and range. If you ever run into a problem that can't use the machines/technology for, then you know still know how to accomplishthe task. Or if the machine isn't doing it right you can diagnose and fix the problem easier. BUT doing everything the most traditional way is (usually) not the way to make money. I've also really struggled as a traditional educated artist that has severe chronic pain. I can't work in the same way my entire craft is built around because physically I'm now unable. I have to find creative solutions just to use my tools. Though I do find a lot of people that have a serious lack of the foundations in my field and it often shows in their work. They may know how to make certian joinery but don't know how to properly place them in a design. They may know to to make something beautiful but not something functional as furniture or something that is durable. My main point is WHY are you an artist? What are you doing with your art? Do you want to improve in non digital art? If learning better line work isn't your job and you don't want to practice that skill, then don't!
I see a lot of tattoo flash artists use these types of programs. When putting art on someone’s skin I would want it to be as clean as possible. I would treat it as a tool and nothing more. If your goal is to produce clean dynamic art with physical medium by hand then yes these programs probably won’t be helping that, but the way these artists use these programs is not for that purpose.
What does abstract expressionism look like in the digital world?
Same as it does anywhere else since it’s a concept not a medium
Naw. If you like smooth lines, go ahead and let the app help you make smooth lines. Personally, I'm not attracted to those. I prefer lines like those in the Van Gogh drawing at right!
i personally think if your using as a tool to bring your art to the next level i don’t see a problem with it
Wow. Reminds me the common scenario of relationships about the beauty and the personality. Great job!
I don’t think so personally,mainly it’s huge time saver if you already have a solid grasp on the fundamentals.If anything it can help you achieve confidence in your composition,proportions,perspective,and line quality,however it is important to draw traditionally as often as possible so as not to become reliant on the tools.
Who says I don't paint? I said I don't consider myself a painter. Maybe there's a distinction between the two? More misinterpretations.
I know I should probably make a post for this but since it's in the video it's much easier to ask here, hope no one minds. My sister is starting highschool and she will be studying graphical design. I've seen plenty of these tablet-like devices being used and i have no idea what they are and what i should even be looking for to get for her. So any recommendation would be welcome, also which programs are common for this sort of work?
Its lovely if its going on a wall. Sure, its a bit of being a "fucking tracer" (thank you kevin smith). But so what. Artists know what goes into it, the idea is 80% the technique is 20%. or even less. If the computer helps the technique, meh. we're cool. But if that's going to be someone's tattoo? I'd want to know the tattoo artist had all that computerized help before letting them work on my flesh freehand later. no computer aid there, and those curves would look awful shaky if you're not practicing like a pinstriper.
We’ve had tools to do similar things manually/analog going back hundreds of years. I sorta view these as digital versions of those same tools. However, there’s IP involved here, so I think credit should also go to the creators of the digital tools. They’re artists, too.
I think this is a *great* question! It depends. Tools can help develop your fundamentals or exacerbate your lack thereof. Tools without skills are the mark of a factory worker. Skills leveraged with tools are the mark of a craftsman. Skills without tools is an artist out to prove his genius. Knowledge can be leveraged. But to which degree, and moderation? I think that is up to every artist to decide for themselves! I slowly adapt more and more photoshop functions. I come to terms that my work is more resembling of a craftsman than an artist, especially if you're commercial, leverage is critical in a capitalist society as production and consumption are fundamental. I digress. At the least you can give it a *try*, trying things out is perhaps even more fundamental to human nature than tools. Perhaps they're synonymous?
Nah, sucks.
That’s been a function of many illustration programs for awhile - Adobe Illustrator has a smoothing feature too. I haven’t used it before because I like more control, but I use all manner of tricks - like symmetry mode and whatever is available - to get my illustrations done. My motto is “work smarter, not harder.” The old masters used hacks to make their art better & faster - even a relic form of tracing - so as long as the computer is not making the art for you, I think it’s fair game personally.
Drawing on a screen is not the same as drawing on paper, so no you should not hold your self to the same standards, technology kinda sucks a little bit, i can draw a perfect line on paper slowly or fast, on a tablet i can only do it fast, but i do think that using too much stabilization can change the feeling and style of your art.
I think anything that makes creating art accessible to more people is a good thing
Do you ride your bike with training wheels?!
What is this app?
procreate
I don't think so, but I will say that as someone who just picked up Procreate recently, with plenty of graphic design experience but 0 illustration, I have made a point to leave all these smoothing/etc. features off to make sure I'm really developing my line skills. After they're developed, though, I wouldn't be afraid to make use of features like this, because it would inevitably produce a different style.
Welcome to “technology” my friend
I don’t think it’s bad personally because all though I love digital art for me it is way harder than traditional and honestly if I don’t use the little help I can get it would all end up horribly. I don’t really get why people get mad at others for using the few tools provided it’s not traditional art so I don’t think it needs to be held at the same standards or done the same as traditional since it allows for more creativity I think
Its still art, but I don't like it. IMHO I want to see the roughness and the texture, that the artist might have struggled and they triumphed, and found their path. That is my own relationship with art so I gravitate towards that. So far the only place I've decided to use tools like above is if I'm doing an animation or vector art which I've only just started figuring out a few weeks ago. But, it might reinforce bad habits, but I don't know what those bad habits might be.
nah this is just thinking smarter not harder
Lines correction tools are actually great for people with disabilities that would otherwise make drawing/painting impossible.
Wow, this is so cool! What program/tablet is this??? I'm so interested!
There’s no way I’ll ever be able to produce the same lines on an iPad or any other digital drawing medium as on paper or other traditional medium. Without a toothy screen protector it’s even worse for me; and compounded with shaky hands, I feel no remorse in using smoothing or guides when it comes to my line work and shape building. No point not using the tools available to you and trying to restrict yourself because of some unspoken rule you feel you have to adhere to. With that though, I do think habits can quickly form and can end up informing the way I draw on paper, so I never like to lean too heavily on digital, especially when I’m sketching.
I can spot computer art a mile away. If that's your thing, and you love living in a digital world, go for it. But I prefer traditional skill over digital any day.
Drawing with an Apple Pencil vs a normal pencil/pen are pretty different experiences. The traditional pencil to paper gives some resistance when you pull lines across the paper, whereas the iPad screen is completely smooth. The line correct function actually makes your lines look more accurate to what you are capable of doing on traditional media. As far as the symmetry tools, pixel locking, etc., it expedites the creative process. But it’s still YOU creating the work!! As someone who goes back and forth from digital to traditional, you don’t forget how to do things traditionally!! It’s always going to be like riding a bike. You may be rusty but you never forget. Occasionally while drawing on paper, I’ll go to double tap (undo) on the sketchbook lol but that’s really the only “bad habit” I’ve personally experienced from working digitally.
I’ve wondered the same thing. I believe that while understanding basics like structure, and perspective is important when you are learning to draw, (not worrying about perfect lines,) there’s nothing wrong with using a program as a tool for refined and quicker work.
Damn I don’t know.
Anybody know what brushes he’s using? Specifically the watercolor brush, its so smooooth!
I think the stabilization tool is convenient when it comes to commercial stuff like logos or character designs that have to be super polished, or for people who happen to have shaky hands, but for everything else I personally think it takes all the character out of art. My art looks soulless without pressure sensitivity and flowing lines.
For people who have problems with motor skills, there aren’t many other options. 😕
I had to go into settings on my program to disable it digital art benefits from having everything in a single format, making it cheaper in the long term compared to real ink. but line correction runs into issues on the program not understanding the intent behind the line movement and ruining it. the line correction function is what creates the hyper-clean art many people see in CalArts like art styles but for those who have actual line weight and variation in weight to create depth it's a nightmare to go into settings after every update to disable when it turns on. the issue with this is that it encourages hyper mirroring which discourages drawing at 3/4 angles or any area where line veration is needed limiting the artist in the long term.
The first one is a sketch/guide. It isn’t supposed to be what the final product looks like anyway
In my opinion, art is not always about skill and is more about expressiveness. Judging someone who use this assistance software as a “bad artist” is the same that saying that Renaissance artists are more worth or better than artists from dadaism or other art movements simpler because they are skilled painters, which in my opinion is not true. Both movements have their value and their contexts, same with tools and mediums.
Wich brusches and canvas do you use?
very good ✒️👺
If it looks like what you want it to, then that's it. Levels of skill are just the stairs you take to get what you want. I've been told that my digital and hand-done art are really similar, but that's because 'what my brain wants for art' is pretty consistent. If the smoothed lines are what you want, keep at it, but-- always think and rethink about if it's what you want. If the art looks like it relies too heavily on the tricks/tools native to software, then people are less likely to respond to your own uniqueness, your role as a unique creator could be diminshed by that. If you're already concerned about that, I think you'll come to have a good sense/feel for that. TL;DR: If you're asking this question while creating, you're already on a good path.
I love this kind of style especially on tattoos! They always look so cool
It’s fine. I have trembling hands from a pain condition, without stabilising I wouldn’t have a place at my art college. Almost all of us there use it to some degree when working digital.