Art made on a screen is now an ordinary part of visual culture. Illustration, animation, design and painting are all practised digitally, by professionals and amateurs alike. This article describes how people learn digital art: the tools they use, the ways they study and the communities that have formed around the practice.
What digital art offers
- A range of software. Widely used commercial programs include Adobe Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint. Krita and GIMP are free and open-source alternatives. There are options for most levels of skill and most budgets.
- Many forms. Digital tools can imitate brushes, pencils and watercolour, and they also open the way to animation, 3D modelling and graphic design.
- Convenience. There is no paint or canvas to buy again and again, and work can be corrected without loss. A computer or tablet is still required, and many artists use a drawing tablet or stylus, so the cost is lower in running terms but not nil.
Ways of learning
There is no single route. Most learners combine several.
- Structured courses. Online platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare and Coursera carry courses on particular programs, techniques and principles, for beginners and for more advanced students.
- Free tutorials. A great deal of instruction is published freely on websites and video channels. It suits people who prefer to learn at their own pace.
- Practice. Regular drawing does more than any course. Trying different tools, copying from life and making mistakes are all part of learning.
The fundamentals still apply
Software does not replace the old foundations of art. Colour theory, composition and perspective matter as much on a screen as on paper, and many teachers advise learning them first or alongside the software.
Knowing the chosen program well also helps. Time spent on its main functions, its brushes and its textures is repaid later, because the artist can then think about the picture and not about the menu.
As work accumulates, it is useful to gather the best pieces in a portfolio. This may be a personal website, a profile in an online art community or simply an ordered folder. A portfolio is usually asked for when applying for further study or for freelance work.
Communities and change
Digital art is practised in public to an unusual degree.
- Looking at other artists. Platforms such as DeviantArt, Behance and ArtStation show the work of established and new artists from many countries.
- Taking part. Forums and online groups let artists share work, ask for criticism and join common challenges. For many learners this replaces the studio or the classroom.
- Following developments. Programs gain new features and styles change. It is worth keeping an eye on new tools without feeling obliged to follow every fashion.
The cultural side
Digital art deserves attention for more than its techniques. Because the tools are widely available and the audience is online, an artist in a small town can show work to viewers anywhere without a gallery or a publisher. Artists draw on local landscape, dress, ornament and folklore and bring them into a shared visual language. In this way digital art can become a means of keeping a cultural heritage visible, especially among young people and among those who live far from home.
The same openness raises questions that the field is still working through: how artists are credited and paid when images are copied freely, and how much a community’s taste comes to be shaped by a few large platforms.
A practice open to many
Digital art asks for the same patience and study as any other art. What has changed is the ease of beginning and of being seen. With modest equipment, sound fundamentals and steady practice, a learner can go a long way, and can do so in the company of others.
