Digital VS Real

[Blom]

I have been thinking about this, it looks like more and more of the comics, illustration and animation world is made digital now. As I myself am one that find the pleasure in making something that I can lift up and say, this is what I have done. And get a I-made-this-with-my-hands-and-brain feeling.

I see that a lot of the work here on the forum is made on a computer. Now I don`t say it is anything wrong about that (I do make stuff on the computer myself) but I was wondering how you feel about the artwork you make.

Is the digital work as real to you as something physical? How do you look upon what you make, do you get that I-made-this feeling after, and how do you treat it when some time has gone? If you worked with traditional media before, do you still go back to it? Work the traditional way? If you have stopped using traditional media, do you miss it?

If you feel that it is to many questions, then answer the way you want.
I was only wondering if the digital feels real to you?

[Kazu]

Digital is good mainly for one thing: speed. With a large graphic novel, it becomes inefficient and much less forgiving to color naturally. Digital allows me to experiment on the fly, move faster (no drying time), and no clean up is necessary. I do all my linework on paper (I don't enjoy drawing digitally), and if I were to draw and paint for fun, without tight deadlines and financial considerations, I would work in natural media most of the time. I still do gallery work every now and then...

[jdalton]

I think you have to go with whatever works for you. I work mostly on paper, including colouring, because A.) I enjoy it, B.) it gives my work a look that stands out from other people's and helps it to look unique, and C.) my computer is really slow and wouldn't be able to keep up with digital colouring anyways.

Some of my favourite comickers work digitally (^^ see above). But it would be boring if everyone did the same thing.

[Josh-Ulrich]

For a long time I was mixing traditional media and digital. I would do all my pencils and inks by hand using brushes/pens/quills. Then I would do digital colors.

Now I work exclusively on the computer to make my comics. For me, this has dramaticly improved my line work. My pencils on the computer are extremely loose, which gives me the chance to really let my inks be their own drawing. I can get a better line quality and brush strokes because I can make very quick and smooth strokes. I just keep two fingers on undo and I can keep working that line till I get it right. There isn't the perminance of real ink where if I totally blow it I have to start over. I guess you could say it's less intimidating.

It's not that I couldn't get that good with traditional tools if I wanted to. I also forfit being able to sell original work. For me it's worth it though, to be able to create a quality product and create it quickly. I very much enjoy the way my digital work turns out, though it does feel more real once I've printed it out

On a side note, I do still mix media sometimes. I will create line work, print it out and watercolor it, then bring it back into photoshop and make it look good (I'm not very good with watercolor, but I like the texture it creates).

[Nick]

I would say 95% of what I do is digital. I still sketch with traditional media and I don’t enjoy creating line work digitally, though the Wacom Cintiq may close that gap. Working in the games industry there is no way I could deliver what is needed by using anything other than digital media. Cost is also a big factor, I don’t have the money to go out and buy paper, canvas, oils or whatever every time I feel creative; If I screw up digitally, all I’ve lost is time.

I’m a self taught artist and digital media has accelerated my understanding of factors such as colour, form and composition through the convenience of being able to very easily undo ones mistakes. I have now been able to take this knowledge and retroactively apply it to traditional media.

It is nice to have something tangible, something almost satisfyingly primal that you can take it up in your hands and mould it to your desire. These days I balance out my digital painting with physical sculpting using ‘Sculpey’. Whether it’s digital or physical it is no less real for me, it is still the manifestation of my imagination and in whatever form it can still effect others.

[Josh Mauser]

I have now been able to take this knowledge and retroactively apply it to traditional media.

I

I've had this happen many a time!

Yeah, I'd say painting and inking is about the best thing to use digital media for (unless you're doing some heavy drybrush or other special techniques).

I also agree that, when painting, digital media makes experimenting much less "intimidating" because you can start over as many times as you want and never have to waste supplies.

Pencils and most dry media, however, I still all do traditionally.

I've always wondered what digital artists do when they're selling off "originals" though...do you just print a few on really fancy paper and sell them off?

[Josh-Ulrich]

No such thing as a digital original. Best you can do is a signed archival print. That's one of the biggest down falls of digital, is that you can't make as much money selling your art.

[DarkWriter31]

[quote="Kazu"]Digital is good mainly for one thing: speed. With a large graphic novel, it becomes inefficient and much less forgiving to color naturally. Digital allows me to experiment on the fly, move faster (no drying time), and no clean up is necessary. I do all my linework on paper (I don't enjoy drawing digitally), and if I were to draw and paint for fun, without tight deadlines and financial considerations, I would work in natural media most of the time. I still do gallery work every now and then...[/quote]

What about the covers for Flight? Are they done in the same way or are they just hand or just digital? They look hand drawn.

Adam