1. I think the main problem of digital art for art appreciator is not technical but more about the concept of original artwork. Digital can is file and can be duplicate very easily, there is no more original file just copies. The question of physical touch or too limitation is completely irrelevant, digital artist working with tablet have a physical touch and you can easily choose to limit the tool you use in software.

2. Sometimes yes, sometimes no, digital art is a mixed bag with digital painting that can be compare to painting and drawing, photomanipulation which start to be very different than working with paper photography, 3D which is sometimes like digital sculpture and sometimes not, fractal art exploring the mathematical world... Comparing traditionnal art and digital art is like comparing bird and planes, both can fly but at the end your are telling about very different things.

3. When airbrush was invented there was the same question, same thing with acrylic paint... This question only exist because digital art is new. Give some time and it will become ridiculous.

4. "Repairable" this argument is quite common with people that do not create picture and know nothing of digital art. Most of the time when things are wrong in the picture it's not coming from a specific technical problem, it's coming from a problem of picture construction or poor preparation. The undo key is just an eraser, and eraser don't help you to be a better drawer.

1) I do think that physical touch it is a reason for Traditional art to be appreciated in its own way. It will probably make it be "more favorable" in the future, indeed, but not for a very long time. Times change and opinions change, so probably there will be times and places when Traditional art is more appreciated and times and places when the favorited one is Digital art, now that they both exist. History is a pendulum.

The variety of tools to use is also a good point of Traditional art, but it has its own limitations as well, many of which can be avoided in Digital art. Each kind has its own good and bad points.

2) Everything is comparable But most comparisons among different mediums tend to be unfair. Heck, I don't think that even most works can be fairly compared among themselves in their own medium! Each creation offers a different vision and has a different intent, so comparisons will very often be based on personal preference.

I do think Traditional and Digital can be compared in many aspects, but not as a whole, because they follow different rules and criteria.

3) A computer program is a tool just the same way a pencil or a brush is. Programs have more options than physical tools, something that should be taken into account when studying a piece of Digital art, but that doesn't make it less of an artwork than a Traditional one.

4) The fact that Traditional art is "not repairable" is not true. That would be true with a watercolor painting, for example, but many other media (oil, for example) allows for a repair almost as easy as the Digital media.

That said, the fact that you're able to "go back" is one of the greatest advantages of Digital art, of course, but also one of the greatest advantages of Traditional art (Tradictional art is more fresh and harder to accomplish because of that limitation). It depends on how you look at it


If it wasn't clear already, I enjoy, use and appreciate both media.

1. Do you think that Traditional art will always be more favorable to art appreciators because it doesn't lack the physical touch of the artist? Do you think that Traditional art is more appealing then Digital Art because artists are limited to their tools while using the Digital Medium?

-- I think the Deviant Art website shows that neither Traditional art nor Digital Art is more favorable, there are quality works from both that maintain huge followings of appreciators. And anyone who thinks that Digital Art is limiting based on tools hasn't seen the variety of effects that are possible from the various programs. Traditional VS Digital art is only the result of different tool use; there shouldn't be value judgments based on that choice. To do so is limiting and short-sighted. I'm sure there are always going to be those people who prefer one over the other, whether merely because of familiarity, fear, or some sense of nostalgia for what they grew up using. Creativity should know no bounds.


2. Is Digital Art comparable to Traditional Art?

Absolutely. The definition of Digital is - a. relating to, or resembling a digit, especially a finger. AND/OR b. Operated or done with the fingers. In this case all art is Digital, even that painted with one's toes


3. Common thought amongst the populous: Digital Art and the tools you use to paint / draw are considered just that; Tools and not actual art. Thoughts?

I don't understand how someone could conflate 'Digital Art' with 'Digital Art Programs' (Photoshop, Painter, etc). How is a digital painting a tool? Unless you use it to do something like dig a hole, fix a window, or create another piece of art with it, it cannot be considered a tool. Digital Art and Traditional Art are... art. Digital Art Programs and Traditional media (pens, paper, paint, brushes) are tools.


4. Do you think Digital Art is more valued because its "repairable" vs
Traditional art where the outcome will stay as the artists intended and is unchangeable (at least not easily)?

Again, placing a value judgment on one over the other is purely subjective. Some people are going to value the ease of modification that the Digital medium presents, while others value the spontaneity of the Traditional medium and the challenge it presents with its relative permanence. However, beyond all these polarities, is the bliss of being able to choose one, or the other, or both as the situation demands. I admire the works of those artists who are crossing these arbitrary 'boundaries' and mixing mediums until you cannot distinguish what it once was or started out as. I think most real artists will agree that how you get to your result is less important than the actual finished product. Whether it starts as a digital sketch for the ease of adjusting composition or testing variations and then is translated into a traditional painting, or whether it begins as a photograph which is translated into a traditional painting which is then digitally scanned and then altered to achieve a finished product ready for publication in a book or magazine or what-have-you, it's all about getting the job done.

I have years of opinions but that does not matter right now. Can I just say that, this is exactly what makes a community like dA attractive to artists.
Not just the petrabytes of amazing art, but REAL discussion about the realization that art history is not just some college class... we are living it - right now.

This discussion is vital. It is the history being written right now. You are speaking to your descendants 200+ years into the future.

1. Do you think that Traditional art will always be more favorable to art appreciators because it doesn't lack the physical touch of the artist? Do you think that Traditional art is more appealing then Digital Art because artists are limited to their tools while using the Digital Medium?

I don't know how many traditional art appreciators are out there vs digital art appreciators (and you have to exclude all the I-like-both art appreciators). I don't see the war between those. I feel both arts complement themselves. For the one who wants to attend to art galleries, maybe traditional is the best. For those who collect art over the web, maybe digital is better (because too often traditional art is not well displayed because of bad picture or scanning).

Digital Medium is not that limited. You can do drawing, painting, airbrushing, 3D, fractals, animations, pixel art, use the style you want... It might not be tactile, but... well... when can we get to actually touch displayed art?

Is Traditional Art more appealing. Not to me! I like what I like, no matter the medium.

2. Is Digital Art comparable to Traditional Art?

Yes. You use tools to make a visual representation of your thougts, ideas, feelings... It's just a new medium to play with, to express ourselves. No need to snob digital art. We should embrace it as a new comer in the great family of art.

3. Common thought amongst the populous: Digital Art and the tools you use to paint / draw are considered just that; Tools and not actual art. Thoughts?

Seriously? I guess I don't dwelve in that kind of crowd. When I do digital work, I have a pen and I draw just like I was drawing on paper. Except that instead of drawing or painting one sheet, I draw a lot of pages that will become the entire art at the end. I'm so insane that I even draw the background behind the characters to make sure that the art feels "complete". I don't have a magic button that says "Draw me a tree" Ok, I can have one... But even then, what's the difference between a digital art using brushes and a collage using cutout magazine pictures? And what if I made my own brush?

Some artists don't use the tools provided by drawing software and just paint like they do on canevas. The difference? You don't have to clean the mess after...

The tools don't matter, it's the artist that make the difference.

4. Do you think Digital Art is more valued because its "repairable" vs
Traditional art where the outcome will stay as the artists intended and is unchangeable (at
least not easily)?

Sounds familiar

I like the fact that I can improve retouching my digital artwork. But I still love my imperfect traditional art because the I still have the memory of the "mood" of doing them. Be able to fix my mystakes is a all new world; it's very educative. But, sometimes I miss the feeling of the brush on canevas. Having someone helping my with my traditional techniques is difficult. I have, on deviantART, people from all around the world to help me... for free!

Digital tools are now more accessible than traditional medium. In my area, we have a ton of computer shops but only one shop selling art supplies. One means expensive... I had to drive half a day all over the place to find eyes for my plushies. Now, we have to shop online for traditional art supplies. Even the fabric shops are closing one by one.

It's not easier to make digital art. It's just less preparation. I sit on my chair, start the software and I start to draw... No need for setup, and cleaning, and mixing. No need to run to the store for more supplies. For someone with a busy life, it's great. Digital Art made possible for some people to finally express themselves as artists.