Another debate today, a … well-debated I might add. Should you begin your artistic journey with traditional or digital art? Which one is right for you? Is digital art even “real” art? (Although with the rise of AI art, this last question is hilarious, it always was, but now even more. Wait till the next blog post where I will deal with AI) Having tried both, I will try to answer honestly, keeping things as simple as possible.
It seems there’s this eternal battle between digital and traditional artists (who are just taking a break attaching each other because of AI. It is a shame it had to come down to AI to shake hands). However, in my humble opinion, art is by default self-expression and as such the medium doesn’t matter. We cannot claim one form of art is better than the other. Period. Good. Now that we solved this, let’s continue.
Also, if you already know that you love traditional/digital art only, then feel free to follow your heart, this post is not for you. But let’s say you are a wanna-be artist, you NEED to start making visual art for the well being of your soul (because in the end this is what art is about) Let’s also assume that self-expression is the only thing you are after, you haven’t tried nor traditional neither digital art, and you don’t mind one over the other. Which should you begin with? Which will allow you to progress faster? Which will allow you to express yourself “better”?
This is not a simple question to answer and the answer depends on a multitude of parameters, which I will list below. However I have a quite polarized opinion but as a former phd candidate I will cite all facts before reaching a conclusion. Yep, I did all my research so that you don’t have to!
Traditional art is “more” intuitive
Unlike digital art, where you need to know your tools, traditional art is inherent in human nature. The first known murals date around 40.000 years ago. It seems that man can instinctively grab something and draw/paint/sculpt traditionally. The same is not true for digital art. In digital art you should at least have an idea how your tools work before attempting to create something. (However this is also under debate. My 8 year old daughter has been producing “masterpieces” in procreate and the thing is I didn’t show her how. Seems like iPads are intuitive as well. Or kids are learning machines.)
Traditional art is one of a kind
Each piece of traditional art is unique. Traditional art cannot be reproduced, copied 100% or altered in any way without losing quality. Each piece is unique. Even when copied, the dupe is not the same as the original, one can tell them apart. Why is this so important you might ask. True, if you just need to know which form of art is ideal for beginners it is not of great importance, but perhaps you would like to take everything into consideration. Not two pieces of traditional art are identical, which is why it is so expensive. (now that I think of it, I have a ton of albums full of traditional pieces. Now that the price of traditional pieces has skyrocketed due to AI, it’s time to start selling I guess! 🤣 nah, I’m joking of course, but you get my point! )
PS: I would like to clarify that I do not consider traditional art “better” because of this. As long as you’ve put your heart and soul into your art, it serves its purpose. BUT the fact that each piece of traditional art is one of a kind, makes it appealing to collectors.
Traditional art is generally more expensive.
You need to invest a good portion of your income to new materials, and although some are more expensive than others (some people create art with a humble 0.50€ graphite pencil, some use the fanciest oil paints), chances are your new hobby will cost a good portion of your income. Digital art is practically free, although it can still be expensive since you need a pc, maybe a drawing tablet, custom brushes… Well, now that I think of it nothing is definitive, I had this online friend many many years ago, who created masterpieces on her pc with a simple … mouse! Yep, it was mind blowing. She was from a poor country and used a plain mouse to create digital pieces that professional artists couldn’t even dream about. Seriously, when there’s a will, there’s a way. I haven’t talked to her recently, hope she is well. Will have to write and ask permission to showcase her artwork here in my blog. Anyways, I’m talking (writing) too much again, let’s just say that statistically, traditional art costs more.
Traditional art is unforgiving.
Mistakes cannot be undone and many times cannot be covered. Everything new you do, is destructive to what is already on paper/canvas/whatever. To some this might feel natural, this is how the mortal world works after all, nothing stays the same and everything has consequences. However, beginners might feel overwhelmed. I knew this guy who refused to finish his piece because he was so satisfied of how it looked half-finished and he was afraid any intervention will destroy his work. He had a point. There were many half-finished pieces of mine I was super proud of, that I scraped eventually. The final result was a disappointment and not even close to how the previous step looked. No idea why this happens. Maybe excitement doesn’t let us concentrate? (Because contrary to popular opinion, art is not about letting your feelings out and create mindlessly. In order to evoke feelings, you need to put your brain to work.)
Digital art is less “demanding”
I know this might not sound good, and I have no intention to diminish digital art – nowadays I am mostly a digital artist after all. All I mean is that, because traditional art is unforgiving, you should really know the fundamentals to get started. In order to eg paint a portrait, you should know facial proportions etc. In digital art, technology offers shortcuts so that you don’t need to have fully mastered the fundamentals to get started. However be warned: At a higher artistic level (skill-wise) both traditional and digital art are equally difficult, you should a solid knowledge of the fundamentals, no shortcuts whatsoever.
Exploring new ideas is easier in digital art
Because traditional art is unforgiving considering mistakes, exploring new ideas is difficult. For me, this is the real downside of traditional art, which ironically everyone else seems to ignore. However, if you have all those crazy visions that you wish to bring to life, this might be something you want to consider.
So, what should you start with?
*sigh* I would personally say: digital art. Yep, I do have a crystallized opinion. Digital art will let you grow faster, experiment without hesitation and find easier your own style.
I personally started off with traditional art. I learned everything the hard way. When I switched to digital art, everything fell into place right away. But my creativity was killed in the process. Even now, after many years, I freeze when I am getting out of my comfort zone. So, I am quite adamant about this. Start off with digital art. There are only a couple of reasons why you should begin with traditional art: 1) this is your dream. Holding a pencil exhilarates you. Just go! Be my guest! 2) you have no idea whatesoever what is digital art, how to use a digital program on a pc. In this case digital art might not be the right choice. In any case it is not something you cannot undo. Just go, make art, experiment, create. Everything will fall into place sooner or later.
