Digital art is becoming increasingly popular, and people who want to try their hand at it wonder whether anyone can become good at digital art. However, I dare to say that not anyone who knows to use an editing program can become a digital artist. Why? Because, apart from the technical skills, there are so many more things you need in order to get a good digital artist – and especially remain one long-term!
Let me warn you right away – this is not going to be the typical How to get good at digital art post that you might expect.
I’m not going to tell you how long it will take you to become good at digital art, what tools you must yet buy to get better at digital art, and whether or not you need to be able to draw in order to be a good digital artist.
I’m not going to give you tips and tricks on how to improve your technique by watching yet another tutorial or taking that online course. I’m not promising that with that software, you can become good at digital art.
No. That’s not what I’ll be talking about in this post. If you want to know what hardware and software is best for digital artists, you can check out my sections about Digital Art Hardware and Digital Art Software. Or, you can read my post on the best tools for digital artists.
So what will I actually be talking about here? Well, I’m going to tell you about the things that genuinely matter in order to become a good digital artist.
And that’s not about the software you use, the drawing tablet you buy, or whether you have painting skills or not. Of course, all of those things are important – and I don’t recommend neglecting them – but there are other things that matter much, much more, especially in the long run.
It’s easy to purchase a good drawing tablet (sure, you must have the cash). But a good drawing tablet doesn’t magically make you a good digital artist. Right?
What eventually makes you get good at digital art, in my opinion, is not so much about the equipment you buy or the theories about color and composition you learn, it’s more about your mindset.
That’s why I say not anyone can become good at digital art…
Can anyone become a digital artist?
Digital art is a very broad field. There are lots of different types, for example, illustration, digital painting, digital drawing, photo manipulation, animation, 3D rendering, etc. And you can even combine two or more forms of digital creation! The sky is the limit.
→ 14 Things Adobe Photoshop Is Used For (That Might Surprise You)
So if you are interested in any of these types, you can learn the necessary skills and work towards getting better and better at your particular field of digital art.
On that note, I believe that anyone can become a digital artist who is willing to do the work and doesn’t give up!
However, I believe it takes more than just the technical skills to become a good digital artist – and especially remain one long-term. I’m going to tell you in more detail what exactly I mean by that right now…
NOT Anyone can become good at digital art.
Only those who...
1. Anyone who follows their calling can become good at digital art.
To my mind, your initial motivation, why you want to start making digital art, is key. For example, I always felt attracted to digital creation, and not so much to traditional art.
Till today, I only draw and paint occasionally, so chances are I will never become a good painter. Likewise, if you simply pick up digital art on a whim, your motivation might not be strong enough to follow up on it.
It’s for a reason that people say being an artist is a calling. Therefore, if you feel a strong passion for creating digital art, you are much more likely to become good at it!
2. Anyone who is persistent can become good at digital art.
When it comes to digital art vs. traditional art, digital art is often considered to be easier. While that might be true to a certain extent, it still takes a lot of time and effort to get good at it!
First of all, learning the nuts and bolds of an editing program does take time. You’ll need to get your head around all the tools, brushes, blending modes, layer styles, filters, adjustment layers, … It’s never ending.
I’m still learning new things in Photoshop today – even after more than a decade of practice! (By the way, I have lots of free Photoshop tutorials to help you get started.)
Then, at the beginning, your digital creations will look nothing like you imagined. That can be disappointing, but it’s totally normal. If you have the persistence to keep going, you will gradually improve your skills.
Furthermore, you will have to be able to deal with setbacks. Because even after years in, not each piece will turn out exactly the way you expected. All those things can be overcome best with dedication and perseverance!
3. Anyone who creates consistently can become good at digital art.
Practice makes perfect – and that is true for digital art as well!
In my opinion, consistent practice is much better than occasional practice, even when it’s done in bigger chunks. This is something I didn’t realize for a long time myself.
For a long time in my life, I only used to create every so often, but then for longer periods in a row. I thought it didn’t make much of a difference. Plus, I was working full-time, so I didn’t want to spare the extra half hour to create a little bit every day…
However, since I started to create consistently on a daily basis, I found that it has such a huge impact on improving your skills!
That’s why I recommend sticking to a consistent creative routine and setting aside some time to practice every day. And if it’s only 10 minutes. If you cannot make it, then try every second day or at least a couple of times a week. I promise, you will notice the difference!
4. Anyone who doesn't chase Likes can become good at digital art.
Nowadays, it is easy to assume that the number of Likes we get on social media reflects the quality of our art. If a lot of people like your artwork, then it must be good. If you only get a few ‘Likes’, it must suck.
This is the natural conclusion we tend to draw from this experience. In fact, social media networks are designed in a way to make us think that a large number of Likes and comments equal the worth of our art (or ourselves!).
Art sharing sites basically work the same way. People can favorite or heart your art, collect your art, reshare your art, rate your art, and so on. The number of times people actually do so can be easily misinterpreted as an indicator for the value of your work.
In today’s online ‘Like’ culture, it is important to realize that none of that determines the true value of your art. It’s just a way for sites to entice engagement, make people spend more time on the network, and maybe pay for ads…
So, one thing you should never do is try to create art that you believe will be popular on social media and other sites. You will only lose your real self as an artist, and you won’t be able to develop your unique art style.
In the long run, you will feel drained and frustrated because you won’t be able to draw any genuine fulfillment from what you do. So never go for the Likes, if you want to become a good – and happy – digital artist!
5. Anyone who works on their creative confidence can become good at digital art.
As the example above showed you, it is not only vital to practice consistently, but you will also need to have a good portion of confidence.
We humans tend to compare ourselves with each other and the web only intensifies this inherent inclination. How often have you looked at another artist’s work and felt discouraged because their work looked so much better than yours? It already happened to me a number of times…
We shouldn’t compare our work to others but as you may know, it is hard not to sometimes.
However, comparing our art can do a lot of harm, resulting in us getting jealous of other artists or doubting our own artistic talent. If your inner critic then also begins nagging, you might end up in a loop of self-criticism and judging your art.
To not fall into this vicious cycle, you will need to work on building creative confidence. Realize that every artist is at a different stage in their career. You cannot compare your art to an artist with 10 years of experience if you are just starting out.
Only compare your art to your former work, appreciate every little step you take to move forward on your creative path, and enjoy your unique journey!
6. Anyone who nourishes their creativity and well-being can become good at digital art.
Now, you might ask yourself how to work towards building confidence, maintaining a consistent practice, while keeping your creative juices flowing.
Good question! You see you will need to find a way to relax your mind in order to stay a healthy and happy artist long term. Outsiders might think that being an artist is all rainbows and unicorns, but every digital artist has their struggles.
Establishing a self-care routine can help you take care of your mental and physical well-being. I’ve put together a couple of tips for artists to stay healthy long-term and some good habits every creative should adopt. If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to hop over and check them out.
My personal favorite to cultivate a positive mindset is using daily affirmations for artists. Affirmations are short uplifting statements that you say out loud or write out. Used regularly, affirmations have the power to eradicate negative beliefs about your art or yourself as an artist and replace them with positive thoughts.
I believe affirmations are a great way for artists to stay healthy mentally and I have made them an integral part of my daily self-care routine. Every time before I get to create something, I pick a couple of cards from my stack of Printable Cards with Positive Affirmations for Artists. The moment I read them, I can feel my spirits uplift and I am able to start my work with a positive mindset!
Stay positive with daily affirmations!
Another way to calm your mind and keep your creativity alive is meditation. Ohhm! I know what you are thinking now… I never thought that mediation was something for me either… until I tried.
In fact, meditation has been scientifically proven to promote creativity. How is that? Well, to find the inspiration to create art, we need to be in a state of stillness and relaxation. Creativity is rooted in our subconscious minds. When we are feeling stressed, worried or fearful, we are unable to access that inner treasure trove.
Implementing a daily meditation routine can help artists reconnect with their inner source of limitless creative ideas. If you don’t know where to start, here is an excellent resource for you to get familiar with meditation:
Easy-to-follow meditation course for beginners that gives you all the basics you need to get started with meditation and fuel your creativity!
7. Anyone who is willing to take risks can become good at digital art.
You can only become good at digital art if you are willing to take risks. Why is that? Creativity and risk-taking are not commonly associated with each other, but it is important to take risks in art if you want to be successful.
No risk, no reward! This saying holds true for almost anything.
Now, how can artists take risks and how can it help them promote growth? For example, taking risks in art can mean experimenting with different styles or exploring new media and themes. Every time you try new things, you risk being the subject of criticism and disapproval of others.
To do so in spite of everything, you will first have to overcome your fear and learn to deal with rejection. Obviously, this can be an unpleasant experience. But in the end, this may be the best thing to do for your artistic development!
Another example of taking risks is when you decide to take the plunge and start your own digital art business. The myth of the starving artist is still in the head of many people – and maybe somewhere in your very own head, too. Well-meaning family members and friends might advise you against making art full-time, because they believe you cannot make money with digital art.
All in all, one can say it takes courage to be creative, and I wish for you that you will be able to pluck that courage and follow your dream!
8. Anyone who doesn't just use AI can become good at digital art.
AI-generated images have become a big deal in recent months, so I decided to quickly touch upon the topic here.
With the emergence of Midjourney, Blue Willow, Dall-E and other artificial image generators, a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon and now ‘create digital art’.
However, since such generators produce images based on the text a user enters, you know that AI art cannot be considered real art. I’m not saying that no digital artist should ever use AI images. No, AI art can also help artists, and I’ve used it in this creation of mine as well (the background was made in Midjourney).
But if you just work on generating better AI pieces, you won’t become a better digital artist – you will become a better promptor. So probably don’t rely solely on artificial intelligence if you want to become good at digital art! (ᴖᴥᴖ)
9. Anyone who is ready to learn can become good at digital art.
We’re almost at the end of this post and you might feel like there are so many things to do, how can you ever get good at digital art?
Worry not. Rome wasn’t built in day, and you don’t have to do everything overnight. I wanted to make sure to finish this post on a positive note, so I saved the probably most important thing for last.
Because, at the end of the day, the most important prerequisite for becoming good at digital art is your capacity and openness for continuous learning.
Getting better at digital art is a process, so everything will just come gradually. As you progress on your path, you will naturally acquire the hard and soft kills that are necessary at that point in time and that will help you reach the next level … where new challenges will await you and require you to learn new skills, and so on.
So if you are a beginning artist looking to acquire the hard skills, I have a great post for you on why you should learn digital art now and where to learn it. For any ‘soft skill problem’ that you might be facing along your way, feel free to browse around my Get Inspired & Create Art corner where I am sharing some of my experiences and challenges that I encountered on my personal journey!
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I hope that this post was helpful and I wish you all the best for your creative career! Please leave comments and questions below. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
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