The "Worth" Of Traditional And Digital Art In The Fandom Part 2

In contrast to part 1, the more common argument, despite the demand for digital, is that traditional mediums are worth more than digital for a handful of reasons.  Sometimes, I feel that this argument is being used to try and haggle a digital artist down in price, given the sheer demand for digital, but, we are going to touch upon the reasons used.

Some will say that traditional takes more skill than digital.   I kind of feel that that particular idea extends from two places.  First, the idea that traditional as a whole is unforgiving with mistakes, and secondly, that there doesn’t seem at first glance to be many tricks or “shortcuts” to traditional.  While, depending on the particular medium, one or both can be true, it’s not always the case, and there’s always more development towards products to aids artists in their work.  With actual scratchboard, for example, a mistake can be hidden with scratchboard ink.  In watercolor, if you decide to work on aquaboard and avoid straining colors, it is possible to wash the board back to near-new (it may be stained, but can typically be worked with still).  In colored pencils, a new powder blender kit is speeding up the process immensely for some artists.  And these are just a few examples.  In art, sometimes a piece can be saved from a very damaging mistake with just a little adjustment or creativity anyway.  Remember what Bob Ross said...'We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.' I don't find it to always be true, but I have saved pieces by just continuing to work with the mistakes made.

Outside of that, however, good, solid art takes skill.  Skill which comes by the learning process, accidents, and practice.  There are many digital artists who know their medium inside and out, have the skill, turn out great pieces that were labors of hours and hours, and those traditional artists who are the exact opposite.  The medium alone doesn’t make the piece, it’s the skill behind it.

Another argument is replacing supplies of traditional mediums, and let me tell you, digital, traditional...it doesn’t matter.  There’s so many variables.  Is the person working with a low end computer, tablet, and a free art program?  A cintique, a high end rig, and photoshop?  Are they having to replace parts?  Are they working with student grade supplies?  Are they working with high end, light fast materials?  What are their techniques?  Light coloring versus heavy layering?  It’s a matter of so many variables as to be hard to pin down just because different artists work different ways with different supplies and trying to say traditional is worth more because of that alone is pointless.  On top of that, good pieces do come from cheaper materials sometimes.  They may not hold up over time when it comes to traditional, and would be better suited to prints, but that’s not what this is about.  In the end, no matter what, supplies of either kind should be factored into price, but generally a lot of what makes up the price of a piece still comes down to time and skill.

This isn’t all folks!  Stay tuned for part three!