Humans always loved beauty. They still do, and I’m sure they will in the future. Wherever they find it, they appreciate it. Art has always been one of the sources humans tried to find beauty in, and this led to those with artistic potential and creativity becoming famous. Everyone still follows art, though maybe not in the traditional sense. Maybe it’s fair to say that, nowadays, people derive more joy from digital art. But what is digital art?

“In simple words, digital art is whatever art you create with your computer, phone, tablet, or any other electronic device.” There have always been debates about what true art is, and let me tell you they could debate all they want, and they’d be clueless. If you consider your creation to be art, then I’m sure it is! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The same goes for the beauty parameter. If you think your art is beautiful, then it is!

Now, let’s get to more important things, such as how you can become a digital artist. First, you need to pay your respects to Leonardo da Vinci and study his works for 30 years, only after which you are allowed to draw anything. You will never be praised during your life, and nobody will buy anything from you, ever!

That’s not true. Take a look at my three golden rules to understand how you can become an artist:

Rule 1: You don’t need to study Leo’s works! You need to learn some basics for sure, but nothing too complicated at first!

Rule 2: Be yourself! Sure, you can look at other’s art all you want, but eventually, art is about creativity! So, be yourself!

Rule 3: Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not good enough! Art doesn’t have to be beautiful. If you like what you create, then there is someone out there who likes it too.

Now, let’s see what you need to become a digital artist. I will name five different things you will need to become a digital artist. Others might say you need more things, but I believe these to be the most important requirements of becoming a digital artist.

Hardware

            Digital art comes in many forms. Not all of them require you to have the latest systems, but you are going to need a system. Whether you want to use a laptop or a PC, or maybe something else, that’s up to you. However, you need to do some research beforehand to know how much computing power you need before you start. For example, many people find it useful to draw their art. If you are one of them, you can use drawing tablets to achieve this. Just imagine all the arts you can create with a simple drawing tablet… Start simple though, you don’t anything grand for the beginning.

Check here for recommended graphic drawing tablet!

A Good Book (or two)

It’s important to read as many good books as you think will benefit you. What should they be about? Any topic of digital art you need to know more about. Sometimes, just some beginner’s tips, sometimes some suggestions on what to try first. You can always learn something new from a good book. You just have to be willing!

Just check here!

Software

When it comes to being a digital artist, no matter how good, how talented, and how creative you are, you need to have a good program, which is the app you work with to create your art. It’s important to find the program with all the features you need. It will make your life a lot easier if you’re working with a proper program. And what happens when the program doesn’t have what you need? It’s almost the same as you not having the talent or creativity!

Check this page to find some useable softwares!

Ideas

It’s important to know what you are going to draw! You can’t draw if you have no ideas. So, surf the web, look at posts on social media platforms, ask around, or read a book or two. Anything that might give you an idea of what you are going to draw next is worth exploring.

Confidence

This is the most important of the five. You must have confidence in your artwork and style. When you believe in yourself, you will perform better, and your art gets better. Without confidence, you will discard even the best of ideas or works as “unacceptable”. Don’t get too confident though, overconfidence can be as destructive!

Some Places to Visit

As I said, you can learn a lot by simply viewing others’ works! There are tens of sites, if not hundreds, that are like havens for digital artists. I have chosen three sites for you. Although there are a variety of art styles available on each of them, you will find out certain styles are more common than others. I have to say, not all the art you see on these sites is digital.

      Pixiv

            Pixiv is based in Japan and was founded in 2005. You probably have some guesses already about what kind of art style you see more here. Pixiv started small, but now it’s home to over 50 million artists from all over the world. Pixiv is both a great place to explore art and to be seen.

      ArtStation

If we consider Pixiv to be the home to those drawing anime-style art, then ArtStation is where those interested in movies, games, media, and entertainment call their home. The site was founded back in 2014, and it has around 5 million users worldwide.

            DeviantArt

            DeviantArt lives up to its name. You can find many things here, and I assure you, you will be surprised. Founded in 2000, DeviantArt has over 61 million members and attracts over 45 million unique visitors per month. Truly a unique place to showcase your skills.

Conclusion

Humans have always been in search of beauty, and many have found it in the arts. In recent decades, the introduction of electronic devices such as computers has paved the way for a new art known as digital art. To be a digital artist, you don’t need much. You need to have a system and software you can work with, some general knowledge, some ideas about what to draw, and most importantly confidence. I hope to see your works soon!