If you did traditional painting before, you may have damaged your hardwood floors, your furniture or your favorite shirt by accidentally getting a bit of paint on it. Even if you happen to be careful enough to avoid these, you still can’t deny that sometimes you wish you could just skip the part where you have to clean up the mess you made after each project.
If you have always loved art but hated the mess that you have to clean up after each project—digital painting is the best activity for you. Painting on a tablet doesn’t require you to stick layers of old newspaper on your floor. Digital painting tools are so neat and mess-free, you don’t even need to set up a separate studio. Using a drawing tablet and your computer, you can create amazing works of art right at the comfort of your bed or couch.
With portable drawing tablets such as the iPad Pro and the Cintiq Companion, you already have a portable studio that you can take anywhere. The next time you find yourself in front of a beautiful sunset, all you have to do is take out your tablet and start painting.
Reason #4:
There are many more career opportunities and possibilities.
(It opens the possibility of making a living by doing something you truly love. )
Traditional painting is great fun and comes with a lot of prestige, but it can be very hard to make a living with.
Digital painting, on the other hand, offers a lot more career options. You can start earning by doing freelance work, steadily building your portfolio and reputation by working for clients around the world. Most clients prefer to hire digital artists over traditional artists since the former generally have lower rates, work faster, and are more willing to revise their work. Examples of freelancing websites where digital artists can look for gigs are People per Hour, Upwork and Indeed.
Once you have a considerable portfolio, you can start selling art prints from your own website. Alice Zhang’s website is a great example of an online art shop that you can aspire for. If you get noticed for your unique artistic style, clients may commission you for a piece of art, for which you can charge a premium price.
If you’re also passionate about movies and games, you can also consider becoming a concept artist. If you become one, you’ll draw concept boards and character designs to assist in the early stages of production–which means access to top-secret info such as early screenplay drafts! It might be a bit more challenging to land such jobs, but the experience is certainly rewarding.
Reason #5:
You can take part in a growing creative community.
If you’re the only artist among your family and friends, you might have always longed to be friends with someone whose comments on your latest masterpiece are not limited to “Looks nice”.
It’s a lot easier to stay motivated when you’re surrounded by people who share your passion. Fortunately, digital artists are easy to find on the internet. Reddit, Quora and Facebook groups are just some online communities where you can exchange ideas and tips about digital painting. You might be surprised at how many people are now learning digital painting either as a career or hobby.
Our Facebook group is also a great online community which you should consider joining. Our over 5,000 members participate actively in discussions by posting their work and sharing critique (in a nice way, of course!). Getting engaged in discussions like these in social media is a quick and effortless way to learn while building your network.
As Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is contagious”. Surround yourself with passionate and creative people, and watch your talent grow at a tremendous rate.
