Question: Art - Physical or Digital - Where to Start? (Patreon)

"I have 0 knowledge or training in painting, be it with physical media or digital. I don't know if I should start by learning physical and then transfer over or are they completely different from each other."
-A Patron

Path of an Artist

It's no problem, I mean, my time is limited, but I like thinking about this sort of stuff.

Honestly, there is no correct, true, golden path. These days, both physical and digital are largely the same, and the knowledge gained using one tool or medium will transfer over to other.

The way most of us work is that we're pulled towards a target, some artist's output or a particular vision that calls out to us. Then we try to figure out how to get there. That usually never happens, but through the process of striving-to-create, we end up with something inspired, but unique that defines our particular journey.

In terms of the practical, it really doesn't matter if you start with physical or digital. I started on paper, like everyone else, but partially moved over to digital during my teen years for a lot of factors, including having access to a computer and Wacom tablet in the 1990s. (Thanks for everything Dad. The refurbished ArtZ II for my sixteenth birthday firmly put me on the path.) I carried a sketchbook around and doodled everywhere when I was a kid, but had no background in painting. When I saw all these amazing artists painting digitally, I tried to learn about the tools and do the same. In a lot of ways, it was just cheaper and easier than trying to deal with paint and canvas, or Copic markers and everything else, plus I liked plenty of digital artist and their results, so why not start there.

Nowadays, I draw and sketch on paper or digitally depending on convenience and feel. Paper feels good. Digital is much easier to edit and refine. I paint in Photoshop, but honestly all modern 2D digital art programs, Sai, Clip Studio, Gimp, Procreate, etc., all work the same and have nearly the same functionality. Artists have preferences for lots of reasons, but it usually comes down to unique quirks of a program, particular brush sets, or flexability. Why one learns a program could be as simple as wanting to emulate the look of an artist by learning their favored tool. There's also the efficiency of familiarity once you've learned a tool and set everything up. Since you're starting from zero, I'd say use whatever is easy, cheap, or convenient, whether it's digial or analogue.

Lots of people use Clip Studio Paint, lots use Photoshop. I use both depending on the need. CSP has amazing line, inking, and comic related tools, along with perspective rulers and other functions that make it incredibly helpful for drawing. It's a great painting tool too, I've just never acclimatized to it. Also, CSP is very inexpensive to buy outright, often in the $20-$30 range. Meanwhile, Photoshop is a workhorse, a one stop digital art creation tool. It does everything fairly well. I use it to paint, draw, edit and compose, and save files. It's indispensable. I'm doing something in it practically every day. It's $10 a month, though older versions can be "found" online for as little as $0.

In summary, learn however possible. Set a goal for yourself and strive towards it. Use whatever tools help get you towards that goal. It's the Anything Goes School of Visual Arts. If an artist you like is using CSP, give it a try. If your anatomy sucks, but what you love is beautiful characters with a hint of realism and structure, then you're going to have to learn the body. All you need for that is paper, pencil, time, and resources to study in a structured way.

This is the path.

Here are some other people, apprentice and journeymen artists I've seen on the path that are doing a good job and broadcasting what they've learned. Give them a watch if you have time. These aren't masters, but the way they relate to the process of learning is worth emulating.

Links:

Tppo - https://www.youtube.com/@tppoart

Oridays - https://www.youtube.com/@oridays

Take care,

--Ecchi