What skills do you need to be a digital artist? The exact skills a digital artist needs depend on the type of art they create. For example, not every digital artist needs drawing skills. However, there’s a certain set of skills that every digital artist should have and here are the 7 most important must-have skills!
Art has been with us since the beginning of time. It is something innate to us humans. Just think of the early cave drawings where people used to depict their life and environment.
Since these very first expressive relicts, art has evolved a lot. It is now around us in the most different forms and styles, and fact is we all need art in our lives. Art has also proven benefits on our mental health, whether we create art ourselves or just contemplate the artworks of others.
Digital art is the most recent genre of art. While digital art had its struggles to be recognized as a ‘real’ art in its beginnings, nowadays fine art can also be digital.
That said, it’s undeniable that digital art becomes increasingly popular. More and more newcomers want to learn how to make digital creations, but also traditional artists are taking an interest in this technology-powered form of art.
Related: How Is Digital Art Different From Traditional Art? | 10 Differences
What is a digital artist?
Digital art developed with the rise of computers in the 1990s. It combines the benefits of technology and human creativity and allows artists to make new and amazing artwork that wasn’t thinkable before.
Even though it is still a pretty young artistic genre, digital art has branched out into many different unique types and subgenres.
Related: 13 Different Types Of Digital Art Every Digital Artist Should Know
So what does a digital artist do?
The creative process of a digital artist varies depending on the type of digital art they create. For example, if you create surreal photo manipulations, you will use different techniques than a digital painter.
What do you need to be a digital artist?
Regardless of the type of art you are creating, there are two things that you absolutely need to be a digital artist: digital art hardware and digital art software.
Fact is if you are serious about becoming a digital artist, you cannot keep working with your mouse and trackpad. You’ll need a drawing tablet.
As you already might know, Wacom is the market-leading manufacturer of drawing tablets. The company offers a wide range of different tablets, including low-budget tablets for beginners and more sophisticated screen tablets for professionals.
Related: Ultimate Guide To The Best Wacom Drawing Tablet For Beginners
The second thing you need to be a digital artist is software. The software depends a little bit on the type of art you create, but there are also powerful all-round programs like Photoshop that cater to almost any type of digital art.
Digital painters might want to go for something like Corel Painter or Clip Studio Paint, while 3D artists will prefer Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, or Cinema 4D. But more on that later on in this post.
Do you need drawing skills for digital art?
Whether or not drawing skills are necessary totally depends on the type of digital art you want to create.
If you want to make digital paintings, drawings, and sketches, you obviously need drawing skills. On the other hand, if want to create image composites, graphic design, or vector and fractal art, you don’t need any drawing skills.
That said, having drawing skills is surely a plus, especially if you want to pre-sketch any ideas that you plan to realize digitally.
I know that some artists like to sketch out the photo manipulations they want to create. Such sketches can be very helpful because they offer you an outline to follow.
However, I myself as a digital artist don’t have any drawing skills. I never map out any of my creative ideas on paper. I see the images that I want to make before my inner eye and I bring them directly to the digital canvas.
You see, you don’t necessarily need drawing skills for digital art. (ᴖᴥᴖ)
What skills should a digital artist have?
Now that we figured that every type of digital art and the personal creation process of each artist require a slightly different skillset, are there any universal skills you need to be a digital artist?
I believe there are some skills that every digital artist should have and I’ve put together 7 skills that are key for any type of digital art!
So let’s see what 7 skills you need to be a digital artist:
7 Skills you need to be a digital artist
SKILL #1: Creativity
Creativity and imagination are the number 1 prerequisite for any artist. But I assume you are a creative person; that’s why you became interested in making art in the first place.
You probably already have images and ideas inside you, and now you are looking for an outlet to express yourself.
Digital art is a great choice, even if you are a beginner. It comes with a number of advantages over traditional art and is relatively easy to learn!
Related: How To Teach Yourself Digital Art – 5 Tips For Beginners To Get Started
SKILL #2: Composition
Composition is the way you combine the different elements in your image. Composition is a skill that every artist needs, regardless of whether they work with digital or traditional media.
If you’ve looked a bit into art theory, you know there are a number of rules to help you achieve a harmonious composition. Here are some examples:
- Leading Lines: These are lines that you use within your image to direct the viewer’s attention to a specific point of interest. A leading line can be anything like a wall, road, ray of light, etc.
- Rule of Thirds: Divide the canvas with two horizontal and two vertical lines to create nine equal rectangles. (You can use the guides in your digital art software to do so.) Then place your main subjects either in the left or right third of the image.
- Rule of Odds: For most artworks, it’s better to have an odd number of subjects than an even number. Having two subjects in the image tends to split the viewer’s attention. If you have one main subject with two supporting subjects, the viewer’s eyes will naturally wander to the middle subject, giving your image a focal point.
Even though it’s good to know about these rules, it’s also OK to break them! After all, these rules are meant to help you compose your work, but not to limit your creativity. If you find them useful, use them. But if you feel like experimenting and trying out new things, do it!
Want to know more about the Rule of Seven?
SKILL #3: Tonality
Most artists will have a preferred color palette that they come back to time and time again. Depending on your personal preferences, your palette might include hundreds of different colors, or only a few selected ones.
Colorful images can be appealing, in particular if you are creating pop art. But are you maybe using too many colors in your creations? Just like with composition techniques, you can also experiment with the tonal range you are using.
Many artists like to choose a certain set of colors and then stick to it for the creation at hand. This makes it easier to create a more balanced image.
You can try the following three techniques:
- Low Key: Low-key colors are on the darker end of the scale. Highlights appear scarcely, and shadows and contrast are mostly achieved with intermediate tones. Using low-key in art helps create a dramatic, sinister or mysterious mood.
- High Key: High-key describes a set of colors that range from pure white to mid-tone hues. If at all, the presence of dark tones is reduced to a minimum. In general, high-key value art evokes a bright, airy, and happy atmosphere.
- Mid Key: Mid-key is the color range between low-key and high-key. Mid-key value art uses mostly colors from around the center of the value scale. Mid-key artworks are often not able to create an as emotive atmosphere as high-key or low-key works.
SKILL #4: Lighting & Shading
Being able to use shading and lighting is probably one of the most important skills you need to be a digital artist.
Let’s start with the lighting. When you create a digital image, one of the first things you need to do is pick your light source. Your light source decides which areas of your image are lit and which areas will need to be shaded.
Observe how natural light behaves. This will help you create a digital scene that looks as realistic as possible.
The easiest way is having a single light source in your creation. Everything close to the light will be illuminated, while all things further away will gradually get darker. But don’t forget that light is bouncing off surfaces and other objects, too!
The second thing that goes hand in hand with lighting is shading. The shadows in your image play an essential role in making your work look true to life and captivating.
Your light source also determines where the shadows in your image are being cast. If your light source is on the left-hand side, then the shadows need to fall to the right. If your light source comes from the back, the shadows need to fall to the front.
Below you see an example of how much of a difference shadows make. The sample image on the left does not include shadows. The image on the right is the original work with shadows. Pretty amazing what a huge effect subtle shadows achieve!
- Move the slider to see the full Without Shadows & With Shadows sample images
SKILL #5: Hardware
Knowing your hardware is one of the must-have skills you need to be a digital artist. As I already mentioned above, once you get serious about creating digital art, you will need to get a drawing tablet.
Drawing tablets offer much more control and precision than a mouse or trackpad possibly can. You can work with a digital pen that you hold in your hand just like a real pencil. This makes drawing much more natural, because you’re not using wrist movements to control the strokes as you would with a mouse. Plus, software programs have pressure-sensitive tools that are only accessible with pen and tablet!
The major difference between drawing tablets is that there are tablets with built-in display and without. Display tablets let you draw directly on-screen and offer the most natural way of digital editing.
When you have a screenless drawing tablet, you draw with the pen on the tablet surface while looking up at your computer monitor. This usually requires more hand-eye coordination, but both ways of working are rather easy to learn. It will only take a couple of days (or less) and you’ll be used to your drawing tablet!
To learn more, check out my tutorial on how to use a graphic tablet with Photoshop.
My recommendations for an affordable drawing tablet for beginners are the One by Wacom and Wacom Intuos Small. If you prefer a tablet with screen, take a look at the Wacom One and the Cintiq 16.
One by Wacom
- Compact and lightweight to easily fit on any desk or be carried along
- Good pen tracking and sensitivity for intuitive drawing
- Relatively large drawing area with tactile feel
Wacom Intuos S
- Sturdy quality paired with maximum portability
- Highly customizable and responsive for authentic drawing feel
- Bluetooth connectivity for wireless editing
Wacom One
- Built-in 13.3′′ HD display with AHVA technology
- Real-feel responsive pen + compatibility with other pen brands
- Foldout legs to raise the display to 19 degrees
Cintiq 16
- Great overall specs for a mid-range drawing tablet with screen
- Pro Pen 2 included & compatible with Pro Pen 3D
- Least expensive higher-end Wacom display tablet
SKILL #6: Software
In terms of software, what skills do you need to be a digital artist? The short answer is: it depends.
It depends on the type of digital art you want to make.
In general, you need to be familiar with the tools, workspace, panels, brushes, adjustments, keyboard shortcuts, etc. of your software of choice. You don’t need to know all the ins and outs of the program, but you need to know it well enough to achieve what you want to create.
Your detail skills then depend on your type of art. For example, if you like to make digital paintings, you need to be proficient at using brushes and color swatches. Conversely, to make photo manipulations, you need to know the selection tools, blending modes, masking options, and adjustment layers.
Getting to grips with the software program and achieving a speedy workflow is probably the part with the steepest learning curve out of all the skills you need to acquire.
I recommend following a structured approach when you are learning to use a software. Start with the basics, and then move on to the advanced features. That’s the best – and fastest! – way to learn a software.
At the end of the post, you’ll find some suggestions for online training courses that can help you learn the different programs.
SKILL #7: Persistence
My last tip for you to hone your digital art skills is persistence. No one is born a master, and as you know, skill comes with practice!
Following a digital art career can be rocky – especially when you are just starting out. You have a great idea in your mind, maybe you quickly sketch it down on paper, and then you create it digitally… and it doesn’t look anything like you imagined.
That can happen. And it’s totally normal. No reason to despair. Besides the creative skills, there are a lot of technical skills to master in digital art, and that takes times.
But the more you practice, the more your creations will actually look like what you imagined them to be. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about…
So even though you might find digital art hard at the beginning, don’t give up and try to practice regularly. A little bit of practice every day (or at least every week) is best!
Where to learn the software skills you need for digital art?
As I mentioned above, there are different types of digital art software. Some programs are tailored to specific creative needs (e.g. digital painting, 3D animation, etc.), while others cater to a wide range of art styles.
Below you find a list of the best software programs that digital artists use – from all-rounders like Photoshop to special 2D painting and 3D modeling apps.
After that, I suggest the best options to learn these programs and acquire the skills you need for making digital art!
Let’s get into it:
- Photoshop – best all-round digital art software for digital painting, photo manipulation & retouching, graphic design, illustration, etc.
- Corel Painter – best for digital painting & drawing, manga and anime art.
- Clip Studio Paint – best for digital painting and drawing for manga and comic artists.
- Autodesk Maya – professional 3D software for creating realistic characters and physically accurate visual effects.
- ZBrush – the industry standard for digital sculpting and painting.
- Cinema 4D – sophisticated software for 3D computer animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering.
Photoshop is arguably the most popular all-round digital art software. It offers the most powerful and advanced features available in the market and is regularly updated.
The latest Photoshop version is available as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud service. You can sign up for a Free 7-Day Trial of Photoshop here, before committing to any of their subscription plans.
Recently, Adobe also released a free Photoshop version for mobile phones and tablets, Photoshop Express. That means you can now edit your images across all devices!
Related: Adobe’s Free App: 10 Reasons Why Photoshop Express Is Worth It
If you are just starting out as a digital artist and find Photoshop’s pricing plans a bit too expensive for the beginning, you can check out Adobe Photoshop vs. Affinity Photo or one of the free Photoshop alternatives.
Nevertheless, Photoshop is a great tool to learn and an asset to have on your résumé because it’s also used by the professionals in the industry.
Here are two online courses that help you come to grips with the program quickly (I also have some free Photoshop tutorials for you on my website!):
Overall best Photoshop training course for beginners led by an Adobe-certified instructor.
This Photoshop course is ideal for total beginners and artists with a bit of previous editing knowledge. Adobe-certified trainer Daniel Scott teaches you all the basic Photoshop skills – one by one.
Excellent online course for all digital artists with previous knowledge who want to delve deeper into Adobe Photoshop.
The Adobe CC Advanced Training is the follow-up course to the Essential Training. Apart from advanced editing skills, you will learn 3D animation and post-production techniques.
Corel Painter focuses specifically on digital painting and drawing. Many artists use it for illustration, manga, anime, photo and concept art. Corel Painter is professional digital art software that comes with lots of brushes that emulate all types of natural media.
To see if Corel Painter is right for you, you can start a Free 30-Day Trial here.
A great course for all digital art beginners to get confident in using Corel Painter quickly.
This Corel Painter Course on Udemy teaches you the basics of the digital painting app. The course is led by long-time illustrator and fine artist Jason Maranto from VTC Software Training who will make you familiar with the core features of Corel.
Learn a new digital art skill: find out how to easily transform your photos into oil paintings with Corel Painter.
This Corel Painter course by Ania Krzymowska specifically focuses on editing photos into painting-like artworks. The course is great for beginners but also for experienced photographers who want to enhance their skillset.
Clip Studio Paint is a popular drawing app for manga and comic artists. It’s available in two versions: the PRO (standard) version and the fully featured EX (expert) version.
You can try either version with a Free 30-Day Trial of both Clip Studio PRO and EX here.
The ideal pick for all digital artists wanting to get to grips with animation in Clip Studio Paint.
This Clip Studio Paint course is for all artists starting out – no previous experience required! All you need is a copy of Clip Studio Paint (get your Free 30-Day Trial here) – and, if possible, a drawing tablet. A simple entry-level tablet, like the One by Wacom or a Wacom Intuos, is totally enough.
Great course for beginners and intermediate users to get a broad understanding of all the possibilities of Clip Studio Paint.
This Udemy course covers both Clip Studio Paint Pro and Ex, formerly called Manga Studio 5. Brian Jackson teaches you the fundamentals of a broad array of digital art techniques, including graphic art, 2D animation, painting, drawing, and comic book art.
Autodesk Maya is the industry standard when it comes to 3D modeling, animation and design. It is professional software that allows you to create realistic characters and physically accurate simulations in a single visual programming environment.
Autodesk Maya is used by companies like Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. for creating their animation films.
To see if the software is a good pick for you, you can test Autodesk Maya free for 30 days!
Comprehensive Maya course for beginners with no prior experience in 3D modeling.
In this 6-hour course, you will learn the most important aspects of Autodesk Maya through project-based learning. The course is taught by Lucas Ridley, a professional animator who has worked on films like Avenger’s Infinity War and Transformers: The Last Knight.
The Maya crash course that teaches you the fundamentals of 3D modeling and animation within three hours!
‘Learn Maya in 3 Hours’ is a great online course for all 3D modeling enthusiasts who don’t want to invest a lot of time in learning the basics. In 25 short lessons, professional filmmaker and VFX artist Ruan Lotter shows you how to create your own 3D models and animations.
ZBrush is the most advanced 3D sculpting program out there. It is used to create high-resolution 3D models for movies, video games, and special effects. The software mimics traditional sculpting techniques.
Modeling in ZBrush feels like working with a digital ball of clay that you can shape as if you were working by hand. ZBrush is used in professional film and video game studios all over the world.
ZBrush is part of Maxon One. You can get a free 14-day trial of ZBrush here, along with Cinema 4D and Redshift, and all other Maxon One apps!
A traditional sculpting course in ZBrush that focuses on understanding the basics of sculpting faces.
Once you complete this Introduction to Sculpting in ZBrush, you’ll be familiar with the workspace and major tools, know how to block in structure and perspective, adjust topology and circuitry, and design your very own 3D face models!
A ZBrush course for beginners to mid-level users looking to enhance their skills in 3D modeling.
In this Udemy course, award-winning digital sculptor and studio head Milivoj Popovic teaches you step-by-step how to create amazing 3D sculpts. You can complete a quizz after each section and download learning materials and ZBrush tools to jump-start your 3D modeling skills.
Cinema 4D is a professional software for 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering.
Cinema 4D makes it easy to create stunning visuals for design, motion graphics, VFX, AR/MR/VR, and game development. The software is easy to learn, and therefore a great option for beginners, too.
You can try Cinema 4D free for 14 days here, along with the other apps in the Maxon One package, including ZBrush and Redshift.
The ultimate Cinema 4D guide for beginners wanting to create their own animations.
This 8-hour long Skillshare course teaches you everything you need to know about Cinema 4D – no previous knowledge in animation needed. You will get to know various modeling tools and techniques and learn how to apply them in real-life projects.
A comprehensive Cinema 4D course for intermediate to advanced users led by a Maxon-certified instructor.
In this Udemy course, Maxon-certified instructor Lionel Vicidomini teaches you advanced skills in modeling with Cinema 4D. With the help of several real-life examples, you’ll learn how to model various objects. This course is ideal for all artists who already have some previous knowledge in 3D modeling and want to create their own objects instead of downloading premade ones from online marketplaces.
I like your writing style, really enjoying this website.
Thank you, Calasi, it means a lot to me to hear that from my readers. (: