Visual ART Magazine December 2013 | Page 13

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Digital Painting Skill

Digital painting is not any easier than working with traditional mediums. It doesn't transfer directly from ability with paints or pencils. It's an individual skill.

The wacom tablet and wacom pen don't feel the same as a pencil in your hand, and it takes practice to accustom yourself to looking at the screen while drawing on the tablet. It takes a very steady hand because of how sensitive the tablet is to minute movements.

It can be easier in some ways, because it's so easy to edit or undo something you've just done. It can also be harder because you can't really see a full-size version of what you're working on in full detail without printing it out.

You should always be using 300dpi (a high pixel-density setting) if you plan to ever print things out, and working with a "paper" (canvas, image size) that is at least 11 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide. This creates a very large digital canvas which cannot be seen in its full detail all at once unless you have a very, very large monitor.

Some Pros

Digital painting is less hazardous than traditional painting. You don't have to worry about paint fumes, or replacing brushes, replenishing paints or trying to preserve a mixed paint of an exact color. Those are all definite advantages. Also, you can make infinite variations of your work.

A Serious Con

When your entire work from beginning to finish is done on the computer you have no physical original of the work. Every piece is a "print." The very first time your work is printed it is still a print. There is no hard-copy original.