Art

Will Digital Art Replace Original Art?

will digital art replace original art - Noosa NP

Will digital art replace original art? Can digital art even be classified as original art? An artist working with digital media like many traditional artists can absolutely create unique designs or a one-of-a-kind creation which involves just as much thought, skill, effort, and time as traditional art.

Regardless of the medium an artist must master their tools to create beautiful works of art. However, there has been much scrutiny as to whether the term ‘original art’ can be used.

Digital art is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process. The ‘scrutiny’ around digital art authenticity or originality is understandable.

For example, when an artist takes an existing artwork like a photograph and manipulates it using digital software to create new art; the work is not entirely ‘original’ because it has been integrated and transformed.

Fortunately, there are true digital artists working in the digital world who learn the creative skills to execute their illustrations, drawings, or digital paintings authentically, starting with a ‘blank (digital) canvas’ just like a traditional artist would.

The popularity of digital art is gaining momentum, particularly in the business world. But digital art has been around for longer than we think! The first piece of digital art produced that became widely known was created in the 1960s by Kenneth C. Knowlton.

The term ‘digital art’ came into fruition in the early 1980s when digital artist Harold Cohen used a painting program devised by computer engineers. Digitally produced art is clearly here to stay, as artists continue to dabble with newer and expanding digital technologies.

The digital medium may never completely replace traditional art and artists, and that’s great because as humans we love traditions and embracing cultures. However, clearly there is a place for digital medium and artists in this modern world which is becoming more and more respected and accepted.

Digital art sells in many forms and across many industries, and on a wide range of products across the world. Digital artists can sell their art online as a digital download, or as a fine art print on paper or canvas.

But since digital art can be copied from the web, by using the exact same technology the artist used to create the art in the first place, often digital artists are faced with major copyright issues which means their work diminishes in value.

For an art collector to own a digital ‘original,’ a one-of-a-kind digital artwork, authentication is necessary. A collector may ask for a ‘Certificate Of Authentication’ directly from the artist or gallery for example.

But today, artists can link their digital work to an NFT platform, which allows for it to be authenticated through the token’s unique code. What is an NFT? A non-fungible token (NFT) is a digital asset that represents real-world tangible objects like artwork!

Although the NFT market has been around since 2014, it seems to have gained momentum over the last couple of years! Each day, thousands of artists work to create art to sell as digital tokens (NFTs) on online exchanges.

For a digital artist the NFT platform is certainly a unique way to sell a one-of-a-kind digital artwork, not only for hundreds, but thousands of dollars or more! I can see why it’s taking off! Would I consider creating digital art for the NFT market? Yes, absolutely!

Perhaps with what feels like to me a futuristic world, this NFT trend is here to stay. Perhaps it’s the way of the future for digital artists to be valued and rewarded for their unique designs and creative efforts!

Will digital art replace original art? Only time will tell.

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vintage art prints australia - Simone Wolowiec, artist
Simone

Hello my name is Simone Wolowiec. Here's some background on my love of art... and my fine art prints Australia. Passion for art began for me after retiring as a professional athlete in 2006. I hadn't picked up a paintbrush since I was a kid, but excitement and a curiosity for transforming a blank canvas into an imaginative scene led me to take art classes in my home city of Melbourne, Australia.