As a child, I never learned to draw traditionally, and only picked up digital art during the pandemic, using the free app Sketchbook, which was installed on my old iPad. I played around with drawing people then, going on Pinterest to see other styles of art I enjoyed and seeing if I could replicate them myself.
Since then, I’ve experimented with both traditional and digital art, though I still prefer digital art due to its convenience, among other factors.
Digital art first emerged in the 1990s, as a new art medium alongside the accessibility of personal computers. The medium has only grown since then, attracting a large audience of artists and consumers.
This rise in popularity begs the question — which is better? Digital art or traditional art?
Digital art’s advantages
Digital art is a broad term that refers to the spectrum of art made through online drawing programs or applications. Choices of apps range far and wide, from free apps like ibisPaint and Krita to one-time purchases like Procreate and monthly subscriptions like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
There are also multiple options for devices. These can range from specialized tablets such as Wacoms to iPads and iPhones; though a laptop and mouse can suffice as well.
Digital art is most often praised for its flexibility and ease of use. The one-time cost of a device and program can vary significantly depending on what the artist wants from it. There can be a higher initial entry cost; still, it costs significantly less in the long run than the easel, sketchbook, pencils, paints and paintbrushes that have to be frequently bought at an art store each time when participating in traditional mediums such as oil painting, watercolor or color pencil.
Aside from cost, digital art can also be easier to do. Though it tends to have a higher learning curve when getting used to the program, all programs come with a variety of tools that streamline the process, including the ability to enlarge or shrink parts of the artwork, fill tools, and tools that provide different effects when coloring.
Arguably, the most important tool is a handy undo button, a luxury I would kill for when doing traditional art. It allows me to draw without obsessing over where each line must go, and saves me from having to excruciatingly erase every mistake I make. Additionally, unlike traditional paints and paintbrushes, digital artists also have immediate access to every color in the spectrum and don’t have to spend time mixing colors, alongside a vast library of “brushes” that artists can easily toggle between.
Lastly, digital art comes with the flexibility of use that’s more catered to the modern-day age that we live in. The same drawing program can be used to create not just paintings, but also graphics, logos, and more.
However, due to its abundance in today’s media, digital art can also feel oversaturated. This can also be especially important due to the recent rise of AI art, which threatens the livelihood of graphic artists everywhere.
Traditional art’s appeal
Traditional art can feel more valuable than digital art. Unlike digital art, the result is something tangible, and people tend to have more of a connection to their artwork because of it. Every piece is uniquely individual, and there’s no fear that your work could be copied or plagiarized. The process is also easier on the eyes, since artists avoid staring at a screen for hours at a time when drawing.
Texture can also be much more effectively conveyed through traditional mediums. In painting, artists can use texture to add depth and dimension to make their artwork pop from the canvas. Mixing colors can also be a significant advantage; for many artists, it’s often easier to achieve a certain hue by blending pigments directly, rather than choosing from an infinite range of colors on a digital color wheel.
Traditional art as a whole spans multiple mediums, including oil paintings, charcoal drawings, watercolors and many more. These mediums all have rich and vibrant histories, dating back to the beginning of mankind. Over time, tens of thousands of different techniques and styles have been developed through these mediums, and people gravitate to these pieces because of their historical significance.
The verdict
All in all, digital mediums are cheaper and provide more flexibility to the user alongside helpful tools for quality-of-life improvements, making them easier to use. While traditional art provides a tangible piece that people often feel more connected to, the pros of digital art outweigh these benefits more.
I prefer digital art due to the affordable cost, its ease of use and the convenience of storing all my artwork in one place. Even then, I still draw traditionally, as it’s useful to practice skills in a different format that brings me out of my comfort zone.
Both mediums take time and effort, with the real difference lying in the process and the skill sets needed. An art piece is created all the same, regardless of the medium, and there’s no need to confine yourself to one medium. For artists wondering which to choose — pick whatever style you find more appealing and will keep you motivated to keep creating.
