Traditional Art vs Digital Art

[TheBryceKrispy]

Which do you like more traditional art or digital art. Why?

Edit: Does the webcomic being digital or traditional effect your decision to read it/subscribe to it?

[A-weird-girler]

well, it depends what art we're talking about. I like drawing portraits and landscapes more in traditional because the grain of the paper makes the skin look more realistic and gives other things a "home-made" look but for comics and semi-realistic drawings then I prefer digital for the precision and quality

[Jenny-Toons]

I prefer digital art now because it improved my traditional art and it's easier for me to manage.

In general, I'm not really an organized person, and I've lost some drawings here and there because of that.

Digital art hasn't improved that flaw, but it has made it harder for me to lose things. I know exactly where to retrieve something from a folder and not worry about whether or not I accidentally threw it away.

But there are just some things I do traditionally that I can't do digitally. Like when it comes to drawing with charcoal, that's just something I can't do on a computer. It's not that I don't wanna learn how, it's just the experience wouldn't really be the same for me.

[silverraven0]

I love sketching on paper, thought I can't say so in digital since my only digital experience is only done with my phone and fingers.

For some reason, my drawings looks so fudge different on paper and in digital, and my hands usually hurts more when I draw with my phone, so I choose to draw on papers more than digital, though I did admit that drawing digitally have a lot more advantages. Maybe I'll be changing my mind if I somehow be able to get a tablet, but that's unlikely since I'm not able to afford one atm.

(But drawing in paper will still always be my number one favourite)

[kip]

I like digital art better! I enjoy the tools a lot more and I like having the freedom of editing onto existing work.
That said, I always have at least 3 sketchbooks on-hand and I perfer using them for things like thumbnailing because everything is so much faster & more instinctive in traditional

[Milhamah]

Although I still do sketches for concept art, I prefer digital art by far. It's easier to port work, it's usually less expensive, it's cleaner without the smudges and mess, and it's easier to make revisions or adapt it for other uses.

[cgmiller89]

Yeah, I think it definitely makes a difference for what it is. I like traditional a lot for just illustrations and for enjoying great ink work. But I feel like digital works better with comics because of the crisp look of it. I started my comic traditional because I quickly did the first page on the back of a sketchbook page and feel like its missing the crisp and clear imagery that other webcomics have. So making sure I ink traditionally now and color digital to compete with everything else out there.

[lucika]

For me at the moment, I prefer digital art because I can produce more art on photoshop. But if I want some fast improvement, I would say traditional art, especially watercolor if I want to improve my coloring.

Digital media is nice because it allows me to explore and experiment with different style and technique. However, I get too dependent on the undo button, or get lost mid-way.

Traditional media is more limited. One mistake can ruin the whole piece that I have been working for so long. But, I would be more mindful of my hand and my choice when doing an art piece.

[UrMom]

Well, this is totally going to be an unpopular opinion.

For drawing? Traditional all the way! Digital is just so... "urg". You get in this loop of doing the same lines over and over thanks to ctrl + Z, there's this endless assortment of colors and the one is just slightly off everything looks off. If you don't have experience with the program your drawing can come out looking like muddy plastic. The results in itself don't even feel good because it was so easy to just "fix" it if drawing didn't come out to my standard, there are no stakes, or need for care. I dunno, the whole thing just feels "manufactured" and unsatisfying, if that makes sense. Also you can't hold it in your hand, your drawing is just a file on the computer. This isn't a jab at people who with with the medium, just literally how I feel using it.

With traditional I have to pay attention, figure out the colors I want from my limited arsenal of tools, and it's so nice seeing the physical results of my labor. Holding the final results in your hands makes it feel more special as well, and the organic nature of the drawing is something you can't replicate digitally. Also I can take my sketchbook anywhere with me, don't need to rely on carting around a laptop, or waiting till I get home to draw.

Also for what stuff I like to consume, I'm fine with whatever, practically 90% of art posted online is digital anymore anyway. As long as it has a well crafted style I'm cool with it. Although I do like the look of traditional linework due to the "organic" thing, old school sketches and lines are my aesthetic.

[BobbyjoeX]

to be honest if i had the equipment, i would try to do traditional

[fischhead]

As a viewer, I want to see good art regardless of the medium. As a creator, I'll always prefer digital, simply because it's less messy to work with, takes up no physical space, and saves A LOT of production time.

[storytimebiondi]

I dunno, the whole thing just feels "manufactured" and unsatisfying, if that makes sense. Also you can't hold it in your hand, your drawing is just a file on the computer.

As a digital artist, I can kind of relate. I have numerous art files on my computer I never look at, and probably never will again. They're just wasted data.
In essence, a digital drawing, if without purpose, has a higher chance of just being forgotten and meaningless. It's not like a sketchbook where you can nostalgically flip back through old pages. Digital drawings often just become forgotten relics or wasted attempts.

That being said.. I still really like digital drawing. The Ctrl+Z is a bit of a crutch for me, though. I admit.

[mrtoontastic]

As much as I enjoy drawing in digital, and watching works made in digital... I have to give the edge more towards traditional. The feeling of touch you get as your hand brushes gently against your piece of paper/canvas is wonderful. The ability to make even characters you make both feel exaggerated, but semi-move in length, speed, and smearing that fits. Often when I'm drawing digitally, I always treat it like I'm drawing traditionally. Sometimes, it does show a bit obviously with my linework (and messing with some of the tools in PaintToolSai), but often it's the style i enjoy. The ease-in/ease-out in the characters I draw, the lines that appear when the characters move even the inch of a finger, the bold lines, and the exaggeration all around. Traditional connects more to me because of what you CAN push that digital makes just a bit too easy.

Digital often makes things cleaner, and allows for techniques that Traditional CAN'T do, which is nice. But traditional allows more of a feel that someone came in and actually painted these works. Digital does the same through some convincing techniques, but traditional feels a little more organic. Plus, it really does give people more of a chance to try harder, and make it more natural.

Again, whether it be digital or traditional, what you make of it can be amazing. If you like it clean, shiny, and even akin to a Renaissance/18th century art painting, digital is your way to go. BUT, if you like that old charm, the feeling of painting, the achievement you get once that painstaking minor detail is completed ALONG with some proper hidden shadows, a darker-ish tone, the ability to make (even in cartoons) minor details that help someone stand out even if it does look a little rough, traditional is your way to go.

Plus: Traditional lets you get away with drawings like these when animating:

Inking like this:

And even stuff like this:

Art is not easy in either medium, but I can often tell which one looks more appealing to me when I turn on my TV screen.

[Klaustasya]

Forever digital.
The only thing i do on traditional are exercises or art school assignments, because paper kind of triggers my lazy ass mode lol
I've been drawing with a graphic tablet since i was eleven y.o so my heart belongs to digital we could so, though both have positive and negative sides as well ^^

[TheBryceKrispy]

I could be wrong but isn't the equipment for traditional art just pencil, paper and maybe pens and markers?

[BobbyjoeX]

theres also a printer, a scanner, a photocopier, you need specific paper, the ink for the pens get expensive and dont get me started on the markers

[droidmonkey1]

I love both of them and the third option, Tradigital.

[skicoak]

Way more digital now, and that's after 4 decades of being a traditionalist. But software finally got simple enough even I could use it.

I'm all for anything that makes it easier to tell stories.

[feardeer]

Generally, I prefer digital. But I find traditional art more relaxing. Also, since I have very sensitive eyes, it hurts less to work traditionally haha;; That said, I'm an indecisive and experimental artist, which translates better to digital, since it's easier to change your mind half way through a drawing and try something different.

Of course, it depends what I want to achieve, first and foremost. Like, obviously I prefer to do pixel art digitally, although perler beads can be fun too lol. I also prefer hands on clay sculpture to sculpting in something like Zbrush--but I do enjoy both! As far as drawing goes, if it's something I'm going to hang on my wall or sell for other people to hang on their walls, I prefer it to be an original traditional piece. Comic pages though, I would never go back to doing traditionally because rulers and pencil smudges. :U

[Pandastrophic]

I love both, i really like the organic feel of traditional lines but i also love the freedom i have with all the colours i can choose in digital art.

I genuinly dislike the traditional vs digital debate, its tedious and annoying, brings out the traditional purists and people who think only digital can look professional. Just use what you love.