Digital Artistry - How Creatives Are Slaying Through Tech

Innovative people devise a new way of looking at the world every day. As digital technologies advance, they offer chances for new kinds of artistic expressions, the boundaries of which are not yet clear. These opportunities are made possible by the variety of tools and media that are readily available and easily distributed.  

You may be asking, who are digital artists? A digital artist is someone who practices digital art by creating pieces of artistry that are computer generated, scanned, or drawn using computerized equipment. It includes digitally altered films and photographs. Recently, it has grown interactive by letting the viewer impact the final visuals. Most of their days are spent creating a project's interface, producing the art, and designing buttons for users to click on.

Digital artists need to be highly imaginative and have a keen eye for detail. Furthermore, they must be able to function well both individually and in groups. The artists have to frequently work with other designers, marketers, producers, directors, and many others participating in building a great visual.

Some might wonder if digital artistry could be a steady income source and career. That could be possible, but people who seek stability should know that change is constant in this industry. Whether you work as an animator, game designer, illustrator, or graphic designer, the software you use is continuously changing. Educating yourself on the new and popular software might be a bit taxing but exhilarating to those that love the work. Another challenging aspect of a digital artist is the workload; one artist may participate in five or six projects at once, depending on the organization.

Digital Artistry in Ethiopia

It was just a matter of time after the development of the digital age for artists to see its progressive character as a means to an end. Ethiopia was no different. Although relatively new to Addis and not to the artistic community, digital art is becoming a legitimate alternative to traditional art in the ever-evolving landscape.

One such example of the development of digital art in Addis was the Ye-ha digital art exhibition. This was not just another art exhibit but the first of its kind in Addis Ababa. The event featured the works of various artists that provided the use of different digital tools to create art. Riding the high waves of these artists, countless digital professionals are emerging through multiple platforms. Some of these artists that we can mention are Ermias Assefa, Fanuel Leul, and Diana Tekleab.

The day when only people play narrative roles and art is on walls and paper has long passed. People don’t need to wear elaborate clothing to portray a story that existed long before the invention of photography. Various visual characters are created with even better quality and features than their human counterparts. This is all because of digital drawing pads, computers, and software tools.

Why do we need digital art?

Digitalized art is practically everywhere these days. The field's expertise is highly sought after in most developing sectors to catch the eyes of their customers and grow their businesses. These artists are in high demand across industries, including computer design, gaming, animation, web design, publications, and other media.

Graphic design and typography were the world's first interfaces. Later, the introduction of modern advertising brought about commercial art. All contemporary forms of graphical information are communicated through these interfaces. Digital art has transitioned from mere entertainment to a crucial component of promoting and selling goods.

It is clear that in this fast-paced age, digital art has tons of benefits. Many artists studied traditional art but then spent much time creating digital art. The convenience of digital art is its main benefit. Since the tools are portable, the artists don't have to worry about additional expenses. It is simple to post and distribute the works via social media and other digital platforms. Shirts, mugs, and other items can be simply printed with the artwork prepared by the artist. It helps create international on-demand shops like Redbubble, Printful, Zazzle, and many others. Most importantly, any errors made during the creation process are simple to fix. In terms of financial costs and prospective earnings, digital art is more viable than traditional art.

Many people make predictions about digital art, but we can say that change is continual, and keeping up is not easy. All you can do is ride the heavy waves. However, the demand for artists will never go away. Someone will still need to draw the pictures, whether we use drawing pads or return to using paper instead of modern technology.

[Cover artwork by Hopethio]