MikeMeth

I posted a few things a week ago or so, but other than that, I've been off the grid for what looks like a year-and-a-half.  I'll try to catch everyone with the art you've missed as best I can.  Stay tuned!

mikemetheducation.com

I am a Digital Illustrator.

What does that mean?  It means I draw and paint with a stylus instead of a pencil or brush.  My canvas is virtual as opposed to physical.  I have a wealth of tools at my disposal, and I never have to get my hands dirty.  It sounds like an almost ideal situation, and yet it's not.  Why?  Perception.

There is an overwhelming notion that digital artists are somehow "less than."  We're not really artists.  If you put a pencil or a brush in our hands, we'd be completely lost.  If you open up Photoshop, you can yield amazing artistic results by simply pressing the mythical "Paint Me a Picture" button (no, that doesn't actually exist).

I remember the exact moment I started to question the validity of my craft.

Last October, I went to Comic Con in New York City.  I put together several packets full of prints of my illustrations, and I shared them with some of the artists I met in Artists' Alley.  There was one particular illustrator that inspired me. He had a display full of incredible oil painting illustrations.  We got to talking.  I asked him about his work, about how he got his start.  He eventually asked if I had any of my work to show, so I gave him one of my packets full of prints.  He opened it up, looked through the prints, and his eyes grew wide.  He looked at me and asked, "Are these oil?  Acrylic?"

I answered, "They're hand-painted in Photoshop with a stylus and tablet."

His face dropped.  "Oh… I was going to tell you these were really good, but knowing they're digital, it's just not the same."

The conversation died shortly after that, but I've been carrying it with me ever since.  Anytime anyone asks me how I make my illustrations, I am immediately on the defensive.

Why is there such a lack of respect for digital art?  In a lot of ways, I liken the situation to that of photography when it first entered the world of art.  There was a common opinion that photography was somehow "cheating."  It defeated the purpose of art, and did not deserve to be held in the same regard as drawing or painting.

Fast forward about a century-and-a-half, and photography is one of the most respected forms of art.  What changed?  Perception.

Digital art is in its infancy.  People tend to dislike change.  There is fear that maybe, somehow digital will invalidate traditional.  The world will be full of digital artists, and they won't have half the skill of traditional artists.

Art is art.  No matter what the medium, the same fundamentals apply.  Anatomy, color theory, perspective, composition, value, understanding of light and shadow—- without these things, it doesn't matter whether you draw on paper, paint on a computer screen, or throw feces on canvas (yes, this really happened—- there is actually quite an extensive history of feces in high art, but that's a story for another day).  If you don't know the basics, you won't get very far.

It is incumbent upon us, as digital artists, to stand up for ourselves and demand the respect we deserve.  Our art is valid, and our accomplishments should not be discredited because our way is different than others'.

Thanks for reading this.  Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go open up Photoshop and go crazy with the "Paint Me a Picture" button.

-Mike