This is what we need, if not for the public, for the artists themselves. I have taken part in many competitions with my work, winning some and not placing in others. When I look at the ones that I do not do well in, I find that all the winners seem to have been created all digitally. By created all digitally, I am saying that they may draw, or paint using the mouse or a pen tool and create images imitating traditional methods. This is a wonderful form of art, and I do not think that it should be roped into the type of digital art that I, or others with a similar style, produce. Without this clarification, I have spent hundreds of dollars competing in contests that I would never win because my style of art does not adhere to the styles of the other artists. The judging criteria does not speak of the style or method of artwork that will be judged, even though the judges themselves do not look upon Photoshop work as 'digital art'.

Is Photoshop 'digital art'? Yes. What I and others do in photoshop cannot be duplicated in any other medium other than on the computer. Even in the dark room. The very nature of the assemblage of pieces into my work is artistic. The knowledge I have of color and composition is evident in each piece after it's completed. The layers upon layers have a method to the madness; all layers piled one on top of the other all share in the visual effect of the image. The knowledge of the program is akin to the knowledge of the paintbrush. Different brushes, strokes and layering of color have an effect on canvas, and the same is for that which is done on the computer. So what if they use photographic images? There is artistic instincs involved in taking photos and doing work in the darkroom, as any photographer will tell you. Photoshop is a valid digital art medium, and should be given the respect that it deserves, along with creating images in Poser, Painter or Canvas.

This question has always lurked underneath the question of 'Is digital art really art?'. While focusing on whether painting on a computer is like painting on a canvas, Photoshoppers, experts and amatuers alike, have sat on the sidelines while people call our work 'Montages'. By definition, a Montage is a composite picture made up of several separate pictures.

This artwork is not a 'montage' and it's insulting to an artist when it is referred to in that fashion. The word itself conjurs up images in our minds of slapping magazine clippings onto construction paper with gobs of glue splattered about. Our work has been reduced to one word, simply because it originated from a photograph. To illustrate how ludicrous this notion is, let's say that I take 'Destiny and Eternity' and put a paintbrush filter on it. Okay, so now it looks like a painting, is it still a 'montage'? If it is, then wouldn't Salvidor Dali's paintings be classified as a 'montage'? They would both be paintings. They would both have multiple images in them.

They would not be a 'montage' because they are paintings. That is the magic word. PAINTINGS. This is why Photoshop users get a bad rap, because there is no CLASSIFICATION to what we do in Photoshop. I have always referred to my work as Digital Fine Art. It's digital, and fine art rolled into one. I don't create cheeseball graphics, I create works of art that are interwoven down to the last of the 80 layers that comprise it. And until we can get critics and judges to acknowledge our medium as truly artistic, we are stuck defending our style at every turn.

So what do we do about it? Well, one solution is to get a group of stereotypical art-world debutantes that give those pretentious blowhard speeches about how great this artist is because he paints with his ears. We take those pinheads and tell them to support and glorify our style of work in the papers and at social events. BAM! Were in! That is a little unrealistic. The social art world is not filled with skilled masters of mediums, but with gimmicky quasi-artists that have managed to develop something cheesy to bilk rich people out of their money. I mean, come on. Andy Warhol's soupcan, The Blue Dog Man and the idiot that smeared elephant dung on the Virgin Mary? These are merely exercises in human manipulation and marketing. There is no 'talent' there, per se, just an understanding of how people's minds work.

Why are all the masters famous when they are dead? Because when people realize what 'good' art is, it's too late. So, while the Masters of Photoshop struggle for recognition in the background, the marketers and manipulators of the public work their magic using shoddy artwork as potion to entrance the rich and influencial. It's very sad, but also a required part of our social and artistic advancement.

So, the only way to regain our integrity among the naysayers, is at how it always was. Through education. We need to educate the public, artist or non, about how digital art is created. This is why I speak about about my work in public, at seminars, in schools, it's why these messages appear on the board from time to time, it's why I teach students at MSU and it's why I conduct interviews. I am dedicated to helping this medium get recognition where it is due. It's like a life's calling. I urge all of you Photoshoppers to do the same. If speaking out isn't your bag, send them my way. I can write, I can talk in public, I can write press releases. I am willing to help all of us get the respect that we deserve. We are artists, and we should not be short-changed because of misconceptions about our preferred mediums.

Article Source: http://digitalart.org/

I know that as you are reading this article, that you like great art in your home, but you are tired of the art posters that have been printed millions of times and which are decorating the walls in the rooms of every other person you know. I sounds like a bit exaggerated, but it's a sad truth. Now that you are in this situation, you can potentially stay away from buying poster prints of those well-known artists and rather go to art exhibitions and buy some fresh art paintings, from fresh artist. If you have the time to do so and your wallet allows for that, fine. But read on anyway, as I'm going to reveal a whole new source of virtually endless variety and artistic talent: Digital Art

OK, that sounds a bit contrary, doesn't it? The guy is talking about decorating my rooms and then he refers to Digital Art. What is Digital Art anyway?

Simply put, Digital Art is like any other form of art you know, but it's creation took place using a computer. The myth about Digital Art is, that it can only exist on a computer screen. The latter is not true. Let me step back for a minute. As you are reading this article on the internet, I think I can safely assume you have travelled many websites before. Chances are, that you have seen many digital images which you admire for their artistic sense, their colors, their theme. Chances are, too, that were unaware of the fact that many of those are available as digital poster prints - in full poster size if you wish, 30" x 20". Usually, they come on high quality, shiny and thick Kodak (or similar) photo paper, with bright and saturated colors, that will never fade.

Now, once you know what to look for, you will find that many online galleries for Digital Art have a poster service for most of their featured artists. The most prominent source for a great variety of Digital Art is probably deviantart.com, with their thousands of artists and hundreds of categories. It is hard to imagine that someone would not be able to find something great over there. Of course, you will be able to mail order your printed poster directly from there, with prices averaging between $5 and $50, depending on the size and material. Even prints on canvas are becoming more and more available, but these are usually more expensive.

If you want Digital Art even cheaper, with some Digital Art shops you can leverage the fact that your poster art is electronic, hence can be delivered to you electronically. This way, the merchant will not have to add his margin to the poster creation service, the packaging and post office delivery. You only pay for the digital item itself, and that can start as cheap as one or two Dollars.

It's very simple to get your electronic poster on real, physical photo paper. No, you are not going to print it yourself with your inkjet printer. Simply put the file you have downloaded on a USB stick or burn it onto a CD, and bring it to your photo shop next door, for them to produce it on glossy photo paper, at the size and format you wish - which is not expensive at all.

The last step for you to do then is to pull out that old Kandinsky out of its frame, insert your new Digital Art poster instead, and start impressing your friends with that. To wrap it all up, you have learned about new sources of art, you know how to get that up your wall, your living rooms stands out from others, and you have not spent a fortune for it. Nice.