Less traditional art in the fandom?

[Kobuk]

When I started out in the fandom about 12 years ago, I saw a lot of good traditional artwork. Traditional in the form of using good old fashioned pencils, paper, colored pencils, markers, ink pens, and just plain drawing by hand.
But now as we get more and more into the 21st century with all sorts of fancy electronic gadgets and software, I see more and more artwork that is done digitally, and less artwork done by traditional methods. Why is this?  Is it that people don't want to learn to draw more traditionally because it's too slow, too tedious, lack motivation, or something else? Is drawing things digitally more easier and faster? Have some people got into the mindset of where they want "instant gratification" where they want the electronic devices and software to do all the work for them? Are we losing our artistic skills, our eye/hand coordination, if we let technology do the work for us? How do you think furry artwork will look 2, 5, 10, or even 20 years from now? Will paper, pencils, paints, etc. go the way of the dinosaur and be replaced by more and more digital stuff?

[Loc]

...they want the electronic devices and software to do all the work for them?

Drawing digitally still takes a lot of work and effort, you realise. XD It isn't just making the computer do the work for you. But it makes editing mistakes easier. It involved less set up, less potential for a mess while colouring, less materials to lug  around and set up. It still take hand-eye coordination, imagination, and skill to draw. It also enables people, such as myself, who have physical problems be able to create art easier. Being able to zoom in to work on a section close up enables more detail to be done, or helps those with poor eyesight. It isn't some sort of quick, cheap and easy way out, and it certainly is not "lesser" to traditional art.

[animagusurreal]

When I was a kid, I had Mario Paint on Super Nintendo and I learned to draw with a mouse. (The game came with a mouse, which was a very novel thing at the time).

Years later in college, I took a class on Photoshop, fell in love with it, and have been obsessed with it ever since. And I still draw with a mouse. Part of the appeal is the editability, where you can take something from here and move it over there, without having to re-draw it all.

I also still do pencil sketches. I'd like to do them more often, but I have so many projects going in Photoshop, I don't always get around to it.  Both have their own unique feel.

[T-Yoshi45]

I don't think traditional art would ever drop off the face of the world so to speak cause there's many people (myself included) who are just better with a pencil than a tablet so to speak. I mean i do use photoshop now for finishing touches on my works like cleaning up pencil markings, fixing contrast and whatnot but i simply prefer using classic paper and pencils cause that's just what i'm used to.

[Old Rabbit]

Traditional art will always be here. Digital is just a new medium. It takes skill just
like other mediums do. In fact in some ways more in that to make the colors in
digital art look natural takes time and practice. It's not just drawing an outline and
hitting the fill button like you would with printed letters.

It's nice to sit down with a computer, and when your done
save it. and walk away without having to clean brushes and
other tools. Much less smelling up the house with paint oders. 

I myself can't see well enough to use traditional methods. So it
makes it possible for me to draw, and paint.

[photalysis]

As others have said, I don't think digital artwork is necessarily easier. If anything, it requires a slightly different skillset. To someone like myself, it is actually far easier and more tactile to pick up a pencil and paper and sketch something than it is to try and coerce a particular image editor to produce the result I want it to. I would even go so far as to suggest that all beginners start with traditional media, so they can focus solely upon drawing without being distracted by the software they're using.

[Holt5]

I think there are pros and cons to both, not least of which is the fact that neither one can completely replicate the same style or kind of quality that the other can. I actually use a combination of both in my artwork, so I don't think traditional work is going anywhere any time soon. They require their own set of skills in order to become proficient in, but dedication and motivation still apply in both.

[Ancusmitis]

deleted

[HazardJackal]

I don't care what methods one uses to create their artwork.  As a viewer, not an artist, the end result is what i care about most.

That being said, i have great respect for those who go the extra mile with the more difficult methods of artistry.

[GrayWolf448]

i agree with what loc said quite a bit.

iv done both traditional, and digital artwork (liking digital more) though its not like it's doing the work for me. it's still almost exactly the same thing besides having supplies all over the place, easier to see, easier to keep artwork safe, and easy to correct mistakes.

[Old Rabbit]

20 years ago when I could see better. I did most all of my drawings with
a mechanical pencil.  I would still draw with one if I could see better. I
find it more comfortable sketching with a pencil than a drawing pad
even yet.

[Shim]

"instant gratification" where they want the electronic devices and software to do all the work for them?

wat.

That's not how that works.

[CatDetective]

I love both-- I think that each has different pros and cons, and different things that are easier/harder.

I often think my traditional art looks better than my digital art... it takes time to get used to working on a tablet, for sure, and it was frustrating at first to feel like my skills had just taken a hit, it was like starting over from an earlier skill level, a far cry from the technology doing the work for me. But, working digitally did allow me to zoom in, or undo a mistake if I caught it in time... depending on the tool/program, it gave me some things that traditional media can't, and without a scanner, made it easier to share work, plus it meant I wasn't going through materials at an alarming rate even if I spent a big chunk of every day drawing.

That said, I love to work with pencils, markers, and watercolors. There are things it's hard to really replicate digitally, and the experience of sitting down, picking out a paper with the right texture, feeling your tools in your hands... that can be really calming and focusing and fun, in a way that using a stylus and tablet might not be.

[Iara Warriorfeather]

There's a comic that describes this quandary nicely...



I think it's become easier and easier to use the computer for art and writing...there are all kinds of free programs for drawing, including older versions of Photoshop, and digital drawing tablets are getting cheaper to purchase than standard art supplies. It's easier to push buttons and erase what you've done, instead of wasting paper, ink and other media.

That being said, I prefer to use traditional media. It's much more soothing to me to use a pen and pencils, brush and paint, than the tablet I own.