Knowing what is digital art first depends on how you define the term. When people think of the term, they generally think of pictures, most likely of a beautiful landscape being looked over by people in a gallery.
Digital art is mainly an umbrella term for anyone and anything that uses a computer in its creation. This covers a wide variety of media for interesting ideas that you may not expect to see. While it does cover pictures and photography, it also covers video games, movie special effects and so forth.
People may find the concept of a video game being a work of art a strange idea to get their head around. The movie critic Roger Ebert argued that the goal orientated nature of the video game meant it could never truly be on the level of a great feature film or piece of music.
This however is not necessarily the case. The world of film is relatively new in terms of art at just over a century old. When the first films came out, they were regarded as a novelty. There was no attempt at narrative, the most famous example being people diving away from a steam engine.
In recent years, artists have used video game programming to subvert the very goal orientated medium that Roger Ebert refers to. A recent example began like a typical problem solving puzzle game, asking the gamer to guide people onto a train, ensuring they can get in, prising open doors and so forth. It is only at the end of the game that it is revealed that these people are being taken to a concentration camp. This then provokes a reaction in the gamer, a stark and disturbing reminder of the power of instruction.
The advent of cheaper computers and art programs has also led to creative users to change the very medium that the games are a part of. These are known as machinima and these are effectively a kind of cross between computer animation and digital puppetry. Again, these videos often subvert the genre of the game. One famous example consists of the heroes of a shooting game taking part in a chat show in between gun fights!
This kind of manipulation also extends to other areas. Digital imaging software now allows people to create new images from photography. In some cases, their use has been quite controversial. In fashion photography, the process known as airbrushing removes perceived imperfections on a model, creating a false representation of their looks. Many groups are concerned that the presence of these images can have a negative effect on body perception.
As well as the images themselves, the means of producing works has become more sophisticated. In recent times, the imprecise nature of using a mouse to create artwork on a computer has been replaced in favour of graphics tablets, that work more in the style of an old fashioned drawing pad.
If you want to know more about digital art, you can find the website of your local art school where you can see examples from local artists.
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